What does 2 Peter 2:16 mean?
Peter continues to compare false teachers among the Christians of the early church to the Old Testament prophet Balaam, mentioned in verse 15.In verse 16, Peter refers to the story for which Balaam is most commonly known: the talking donkey. This incident is recorded in Numbers 22:22–35. Balaam was riding to a meeting with Israel's enemy, against the will of God. The donkey he was riding on saw what Balaam did not: the angel of the Lord, on the path ahead, with a drawn sword and ready to strike. Very reasonably, the donkey refused to go forward, no matter how vehemently Balaam beat her. After several stops and beatings, the Lord granted the donkey speech. She promptly protested about the beatings. Only this shock rattled Balaam enough to see the angel.
Peter is making the case that the false teachers in the church are just like Balaam was in that story. They cannot see what would be obvious to even a barnyard animal: God's judgment is waiting on their path.
2 Peter 2:10–22 further describes the sins of the false teachers spreading deception in the early church. Prior verses explained how God judged evil in the past, while saving those who were faithful. This passage describes those who reject Christ in favor of the world as ''enslaved'' by their own sins. No matter what they may claim, such persons prove their spiritual condition by constantly returning to their moral filth.
False teachers had entered the early community of Christians. These deceivers lied to the believers, challenging the authority of Jesus. They also invited others to indulge in their sexual sin. Sadly, there are still versions of these false teachers plaguing the modern Christian community. Peter harshly describes the sins of these ''cursed children,'' the eternal judgment waiting for them, and the tragic impact their deception is having on those enticed by them.
