Second Peter chapter 2, is a powerful piece of writing that gains momentum as it builds toward the end. Peter here describes the false teachers as "wells without water" (v. 17a). Christ provides "a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14), and out of all who believe in Him flow "streams of living water" (John 7:37-38). But the false teachers give nothing, because they have nothing to give. They preach their own visions of what they think people want to hear and believe. They tickle ears, but ignore the truth of God's holiness, man's sinfulness, the lost condition that results, and the salvation message of Jesus Christ.
They are "clouds carried by a tempest" (2 Peter 2:17b), or "mists driven by a storm" (NIV), a metaphor indicating their instability. In both examples Peter refers to water, the most essential commodity in the arid Middle East. Like a mirage in the desert sand, the false teachers make promises but don't deliver. Mediterranean breezes bring mist and fog that seem to indicate rain. But the moisture often stays only briefly and produces no rainfall. The land is left dry and parched, and the people disappointed. Like the mist from those sea breezes, the false teachers have no substance and provide no life-changing truth. Their prophecies are spiritually bankrupt!
The false teachers are empty vessels. They have no understanding of the truths of Scripture because they do not know Christ. The Spirit is not inside them to teach them the Scriptures. Because they are empty, they have nothing to give. They and their prophecies are spiritually bankrupt. That's why they make up their own doctrines hoping to lure new believers into their web. Their false doctrine sounds good and tickles the ears with what they think people want to hear, but it is false.
Only judgment awaits the false teachers. Peter says, "for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever" (v. 17c), an obvious reference to hell. In secular Greek, the word translated, "blackest darkness," is used especially of "the darkness of the nether regions" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Volume 12, Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981, 281).
"For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error" (v. 18). To "speak great swelling words of emptiness" (v. 18a), or "speaking out arrogant words of vanity" (NASB), or to "mouth empty, boastful words" (NIV), literally refers to words that are "swollen" or "of excessive size" (Ibid). The false teachers embellish their teachings to make them sound good. They make sure their false teachings sound biblical, though they are not. That is how they accomplish their great deception.
They entice new converts through words that sound good to someone new to the faith and not yet grounded in the Word. They also "allure" them "through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness" (v. 18b). They "entice" those who will listen "by fleshly desires, by sensuality" (NASB). They draw people in "by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature" (NIV). They try to give you the best of both worlds—to be in the church, while still being of the world.
Their main targets are "the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error" (v. 18c), or more accurately, "those who barely escape from the ones who live in error" (NASB), or "people who are just escaping from those who live in error" (NIV). They are people seeking to escape their former pagan ways and trying to better themselves. They are coming to church, seeking the truth, but are not yet saved. These are the top targets of the false teachers. Being not yet saved makes them a good target for false teaching that sounds good, but is not.
Their teaching or doctrine, these words that sound good, that sound biblical but are not, are nothing more than empty and meaningless babbling. Their words are "arrogant words of vanity" (v. 18a, NASB). In Greek, "vanity" literally means "nothing" or "nothingness," "useless" or "without purpose." It is also the idea of being completely godless. So, to be enticed to follow false teaching is to end up completely godless, spiritually bankrupt!
"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage" (v. 19). To lure these people into their web, false teachers "promise them liberty" (v. 19a). They make promises of freedom, perhaps from any law or restraint of the flesh. They promise spiritual victory, while "they themselves are slaves of corruption" (v. 19a). They make empty guarantees of peace, liberty, purpose, and prosperity. Yet, the false teachers themselves do not possess those blessings. Their prophecies are spiritually bankrupt!
The very ones who speak of freedom, purpose, and victory, are themselves "slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him" (v. 19b, NIV). They speak of freedom, yet they remain in bondage to sin, "for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage" (v. 19b, NKJV). The false teachers speak of victory, yet they remain enslaved to their former worldliness, "for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved" (v. 19b, NASB). They are spiritually bankrupt!
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" (John 8:34). And Paul said, "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16). False teachers are so thoroughly dominated and controlled by their sin, that their teaching is void of any divine power. When you try to live in both worlds—in the church, while still of the world—your life will be void of any divine power—spiritually bankrupt!
Although the false teachers offer freedom, they are slaves to sin and unable to give true spiritual freedom to anyone, because they reject Jesus Christ—the only One who can truly liberate the soul. So, though the false teachers talk of religion and freedom, they do not know the Son, they do not know Jesus; for as Jesus said, "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Amen.
Jesus said, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin" (John 8:34). And Paul said, "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" (Rom. 6:16). False teachers are so thoroughly dominated and controlled by their sin, that their teaching is void of any divine power. When you try to live in both worlds—in the church, while still of the world—your life will be void of any divine power—spiritually bankrupt!
Although the false teachers offer freedom, they are slaves to sin and unable to give true spiritual freedom to anyone, because they reject Jesus Christ—the only One who can truly liberate the soul. So, though the false teachers talk of religion and freedom, they do not know the Son, they do not know Jesus; for as Jesus said, "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John 8:36). Amen.
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