5 For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
Here Peter points out the flaw in their thinking—that all things in nature continues as it has from the beginning of creation (v.4) by an evolutionary process. He points out two explosive events in world history that were nothing like what they were suggesting.
1. That the world was created instantaneously (and perhaps explosively) by God’s voice in 6 days.
2. That the world was later destroy (because of man’s sin) quickly and destructively by water.
Again, these events came to the earth not by any long evolutionary process, but suddenly by the word of God. And in this same way He will come and bring His judgment.
This Memorial Day most Americans celebrated by memorializing those who died in combat for our country. But Minnesota’s governor and their Minneapolis mayor chose to remember one George Floyd, a convict and a drug user, who died by a Fentanyl overdose.
Most democrat politicians denied this fact and instead called his death a murder by a white police officer who ruffed him up while arresting him. But while he was being arrested, he definitely had symptoms of a fentanyl overdose. According to the Fremont Police Department,
“Signs of fentanyl overdose may include, slow breathing or no breathing, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils, skin rash, or clammy skin. Symptoms usually occur within minutes of exposure or ingestion. Fentanyl overdose lowers the heart rate and depresses the respiratory system.”
It is time see this case for what it is. Enough of blaming police for doing their job. And please, we need to stop worshipping George Floyd. He is not a hero.
3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.”
Here Peter begins speaking about the last days by saying that there will be mockers making light of the last days—I suppose, saying that people need not worry about the future, or making any preparations for the future. But before we get any further in these verses, I think we need to define the last days. When do they occur, and how do we distinguish these days?
As far as when these last days will occur, two verses will make it clear. First of all, in Hebrews 1:2 it says, “In these last days [God] has spoken to us in His Son…” Also, In 1 Peter 1:20, Peter states, “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you.” Hence, these verses tell us that since Jesus came into this world it has been the last days. And it should be clear to us that they will continue until He returns to set up His kingdom.
We may distinguish these last days by the godless description of these days. In 2 Timothy 3:1-5 we read,
But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2 For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.
Also, in 1 John 2: 18, we read, “Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.”
Then also, in Jude 18, which also confirms our text, the last days is a time when mockers will come mocking His return.
Now if you are wondering why they mock, verse three tells us: it is because they are following their own lusts. That is, they have a lustful, carefree lifestyle, and they don’t want anything—not even the truth of His coming—to get in the way of it. Hence, they choose to reject the truth of His coming and will build up false reasons for their beliefs and lifestyle.
They will, in a sense, sit back in their armchairs and say all is well, the earth and the universe continues day after day as it always has from the beginning, believing perhaps in evolution, that things will get better and better.
3 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
These verses may serve as an introduction to the teaching that is coming next: on the last days. Peter calls them to remember what the Old Testament prophets said about the last days, and also what “the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles” says about the last days. This last term (which I have here in quotes) is the revealed word of God that was spoken by the apostles.
20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. 22 It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A DOG RETURNS TO ITS OWN VOMIT,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”
In this group of verses Peter is piggy backing off of the last part of verse 19, where he states, “for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.” Peter is speaking of the false teachers who were slaves of corruption; yet in these verses he is giving us a teaching for anyone who is a slave of corruption.
Then he brings a teaching that seems to refer to those spoken of in verse 18, “who barely escape from the ones who live in error.” Yet again the teaching here is for anyone who has escaped some sins by learning of the true gospel of the Lord, and then, if they are overcome by these sins again, they will find themselves more a slave of corruption then they were the first time.
This teaching seems to be identical to what we find in Luke 11:24-26; but here Jesus speaks of unclean spirits that are contributing to the persons sins and corruption. Hence, I would say that since Satan is always involved in some way with our sins, we may believe that Jesus’ teaching here can also be applied to this 2 Peter passage.
Peter’s teaching that the “last state” becomes worse than the first (v. 20) is devastating. It tells us that if a person escapes from their sins through a knowledge of the Lord, and then later returns to them, they become more entangled in their corruption and also more demonized. This happens because when a man (or a woman) learns about God’s grace and goodness and then rejects it, there will automatically be built up a wall against God—or we could say that Satan builds up a stronghold against them (with more demons), making it harder to receive Him. And that is why Peter declares that it would be better not to have known the way of righteousness.
Then verse 22 gives us the devastating result: he becomes in his sin like a dog eating his own vomit and like a sow wallowing in the mud. He chooses this kind of life rather than a life of grace and glory with God and His Son.
18 For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.
By arrogant (high sounding) words these prophets attempt to deceive some with a fake spirituality and scholarship. To others who are spiritually weak and who have just escaped a life of sin, they will lure them back to their lower nature by sensuality, and promise them freedom (from anxiety and guilt)—while they themselves are slaves to corruption.
17 These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.
These prophets may have appeared to bring truth to weary souls, but they brought nothing. They were like springs in a dry land that didn’t produce water, and like mists that were driven away by storm winds. They may have appeared as believers but were not; in fact, they have a reservation in hell.
15 forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own transgression, for a mute donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.
The false prophets of Peter’s day were following the way of Balaam, an Old Testament prophet who pretended to be a true prophet of God, but who practiced magic and divination for hire. He was known for traveling on his donkey to curse Israel for the king of Moab (for a price), but he was prevented from it by angels and his donkey that spoke to him (Nu. 22-24).
14 having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children;
These teachers, who were meant to teach truth, were instead training themselves in the craft of self-fulfillment, were lusting after every young and attractive woman, and were preying on those who were not strong in the faith. And since they refused to obey God, they were setting themselves up for His wrath—the lake of fire (Jn. 3:35; Eph. 2:3).
13 suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you,
Typically, sinners will commit their wickedness in the night time in order to cover their sins. But these false teachers were so consumed with their lusts that they boldly sinned during the day where all could see them. They reveled in their deceptions (they made a party out of it). And they also mixed with the church in their meetings and even their worship services (and I suppose they tried to appear as believers in order to deceive them and later to bring them into adultery with them, v. 14).
Stephen Nielsen 