2 Peter 2:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing,

NIV: They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer, who loved the wages of wickedness.

NASB: abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness;

CSB: They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path and have followed the path of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of wickedness

NLT: They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.

KJV: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

NKJV: They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Peter has been castigating the false teachers who will seek to seduce Christians away from the truth. Here, he writes that they have left the straight way or the right way. More specifically, they have left "the way" of Jesus. They may at one point have been on a parallel path with other Christians, traveling alongside the people of God. However, particularly in verse 14, Peter makes it clear that these false teachers were never true followers of Christ. Now they are on the path of Balaam son of Beor.

Balaam was a strange combination of prophet and fortune-teller through whom God spoke truth to Israel's enemies. In Numbers 22–24, Balaam refused to curse Israel even when commanded to by Balak, the king of Moab. Instead he delivered the blessing for Israel given to him by God and described how Israel would defeat Moab.

But later Balaam used his influence, and his knowledge of Israel and Israel's God, to counsel Israel's enemies to use immoral sexual seduction to compromise and weaken God's people. Moses called it the "Peor incident" (Numbers 31:15–16). By sleeping with the Moabite women, some of Israel's men brought God's judgment on the camp. Revelation 2:14 also recounts Balaam's betrayal of God's people to her enemies. Eventually Balaam was killed along with the five kings of Midian.

Peter now describes Balaam as loving the wages or gain that came from his wrongdoing. This is apparently a reference to the payments he received as a freelance, mercenary prophet. In this way, the false teachers in the early church were very much like Balaam. Both loved the personal gain they received from their wrongdoing, and both used sexual seduction to weaken God's people. Peter warned the people not to follow these false teachers headed for destruction.

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.

In chapter 1, Peter urged his Christian readers not to be unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus. Peter now describes the false teachers in the church who were leading people away from a true understanding of Christ. These deceivers were lying to the believers and encouraging them to indulge in sexual sin. Peter promises that God’s judgment is coming on these ''cursed children'' and details the tragic impact their lies have on anyone who believes them.

Apparently written shortly before his death in the AD 60s, 2 Peter may have been written to the same audience as 1 Peter, which was Christians scattered by persecution. Peter writes this letter to encourage Christians to live out the purpose of their lives in Christ. He warns readers to beware of teachers who claim to be believers, but present a false version of Christianity. And, Peter calls on all Christians to eagerly watch and wait for the return of the Lord.