2 Peter 2:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error.

NIV: For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.

NASB: For, while speaking out arrogant words of no value they entice by fleshly desires, by indecent behavior, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error,

CSB: For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error.

NLT: They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.

KJV: For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

NKJV: 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.

Many people are tempted by the idea of indulging every possible sexual sin, free from guilt and shame. The same people often want to be free from the earthly and eternal consequences of those choices. The lie of the false teachers seems to be just that: you can sin without remorse or consequence, keeping all the benefits of belonging to Christ, and with the full approval of God.

According to Peter, these liars use words as tools of deception. If you listen, he says, you'll notice their impressive-sounding talk is, in reality, simply boastful and empty. The sad truth, though, is that their words and invitation to sexual sin was very effective. Those who had just begun to escape from the lies of the culture, attracted by the gospel of Jesus, found the false teaching of these men hard to resist. Once again, the same is true in the modern world. Immature Christians in particular are easily swayed by these temptations.

No wonder Peter sounds angry. With their lies, these false teachers were attempting to snatch people away just as they were coming to Christ, all for their own arrogance and profit.

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.