2 Peter 2:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

NIV: In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

NASB: and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

CSB: They will exploit you in their greed with made-up stories. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.

NLT: In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.

KJV: And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

NKJV: By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.

According to the previous two verses, Christians should expect to encounter false teachers. These will arise from within the church. In other words, we should expect that men and women will claim to be Christians themselves, but teach things which contradict the message of Jesus and His apostles.

So far, Peter has said these false teachers will use deception to try to get believers to deny Jesus as Lord. They will also take part in sexual immorality and lead others in the church to do so, as well.

In this verse, Peter shows one motive of the false teachers: greed. They want power and money, and they're willing to distort God's Word to try to get it from God's people. They won't just lie about the truth of God's Word, though; they will tell false stories about other things, as well. If it helps their cause, the false teachers will just make things up. In short, they're con-men (and women).

How can Christians protect ourselves against these sneaky attacks on the truth from those who claim to be one of us? We must work to know and understand God's Word and pay attention to what we're hearing and seeing from those with influence among us.

The consequences for these false teachers will be harsh. Peter uses ominous language: Their condemnation has been hanging over them; their destruction has not been sleeping. In other words, God has not forgotten; His judgment will come at exactly the right time. Later in the chapter, Peter will use the phrase "accursed children," which in Hebrew thinking always referred to those under God's ultimate condemnation. In short, such persons are not saved believers and will suffer the eternal consequences of their sins.

2 Peter 2:1–9 describes false teachers who greedily spread lies about Christ’s authority. They encourage Christians to indulge in sexual sin. They pursue erotic desires in the open, are experts in greed, despise authority, live in bold arrogance, and blaspheme things they don’t understand. Peter assures that these deceivers will be punished for the harm they’ve caused. This includes leading people away from Christ and back into the sinful practices from which they had begun to escape. God did not spare sinful angels, or the wicked of Noah’s day, or the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, and will not spare these false teachers, either.

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.