My Daily Meditation
Today’s Reading
The Second Epistle of Peter
Chapter 2:1-22
Greetings in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ
Herein today’s study, it is revealed to us that the Apostle Peter is providing information as to how we will see false teachers, and those who would use the name of Christ for the advancing of their own agendas. Then explains and lists to us the traits that are common amongst them during his times, and are still common place today. The evil sinful nature, that is of mankind has not then, is not now, and will not in the future, be compatible to the righteousness of God. (a)
Therefore, it behooves us to be wary of those that would promote you with great swelling words, or toss upon you great platitudes as in accordance of the wisdom of men . Such are words of vanity and are empty vessels containing nothing but air.(b) The wisdom that is the knowledge of God, is what one should seek. For it is better to serve God than to serve man. (c)
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you: which privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that hath bought them, and bring upon themselves swift damnation.
2 And many shall follow their destructions, by whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose condemnation long since resteth not, and their destruction slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the Angels that had sinned, but cast them down into hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be kept unto damnation:
5 Neither hath spared the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person a preacher of righteousness, and brought in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly,
6 And turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them and overthrew them, and made them an ensample unto them that after should live ungodly,
7 And delivered just Lot vexed with the uncleanly conversation of the wicked:
8 (For he being righteous, and dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.)
9 The Lord knoweth to deliver the godly out of tentation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment under punishment:
10 And chiefly them that walk after the flesh, in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government, which are bold, and stand in their own conceit, and fear not to speak evil of them that are in dignity.
11 Whereas the Angels which are greater both in power and might, give not railing judgment against them before the Lord.
12 But these as natural brute beasts, led with sensuality and made to be taken, and destroyed, speak evil of those things which they know not, and shall perish through their own corruption.
13 And shall receive the wages of unrighteousness, as they which count it pleasure daily to live deliciously. Spots they are and blots, delighting themselves in their deceivings, in feasting with you.
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease to sin, beguiling unstable souls, they have hearts exercised with covetousness, they are the children of curse:
15 Which forsaking the right way, have gone astray following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, which loved the wages of unrighteousness.
16 But he was rebuked for his iniquity: for the dumb beast speaking with man’s voice forbade the foolishness of the Prophet.
17 These are wells without water, and clouds carried about with a tempest, to whom the black darkness is reserved forever.
18 For in speaking swelling words of vanity, they beguile with wantonness through the lusts of the flesh them that were clean escaped from them which are wrapped in error,
19 Promising unto them liberty, and are themselves the servants of corruption: for of whomsoever a man is overcome, even unto the same is he in bondage.
20 For if they, after they have escaped from the filthiness of the world, through the acknowledging of the Lord, and of the Savior Jesus Christ, are yet tangled again therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have acknowledged the way of righteousness, than after they have acknowledged it, to turn from the holy commandment given unto them.
22 But it is come unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is returned to his own vomit: and the sow that was washed, to the wallowing in the mire.
(a) Editor’s notation - Read Jude 12; Matthew 24:4-5, 23-26; Mark 13:22; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
(b) Editor’s notation - In his Apology Chapter 3 Tertullian says the following, which I believe applies here:
“What are we to think of it, that most people so blindly knock their heads against the hatred of the Christian name; that when they bear favorable testimony to any one, they mingle with it abuse of the name he bears?”
(c) Editor’s notation - Read Joshua 24:15;
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