2 Peter 2:7 - Printer Friendly

What does 2 Peter 2:7 mean?

ESV: and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked

NIV: and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless

NASB: and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people

CSB: and if he rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the depraved behavior of the immoral

NLT: But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him.

KJV: And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

NKJV: and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked

Verse Commentary:

To convince his readers that God would be faithful to judge the false teachers in the church, Peter has been citing historical examples of God's swift and comprehensive judgment. At the same time, Peter has shown that God is faithful to save those He calls righteous from that judgment. Peter's first example of that salvation was Noah and his family. Here, he comes to Abraham's nephew Lot, a citizen of the town of Sodom. God reigned fire from the sky, utterly destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, but Lot was saved.

Peter's description of Lot sometimes raises eyebrows. Peter speaks of Lot far more generously than we might expect after reading Genesis 19. After all, Lot chose to live near Sodom, knowing what kind of moral sewer it was (Genesis 13:12–13). He certainly had other options, but he remained, eventually moving into the city itself. He stayed long enough to raise his daughters there. He got along with the people of the city well enough to be an elder, sitting at the gates (Genesis 19:1).

Still, Peter calls Lot "righteous," and says he was "distressed" or "oppressed" by the sexually immoral and violent conduct of the people of Sodom. The Greek term translated as "distressed" here is kataponoumenon. While rare in the New Testament, it means to be tired, exhausted, worn down, afflicted, or treated roughly. Verse 8 will refer to Lot's soul as "tormented" over the situation. Peter is saying, therefore, that Lot was beaten down and discouraged by what he saw in Sodom.

In its own way, this is actually quite an encouragement! It's true that God's judgment of those in rebellion against Him is swift and complete, far more devastating than any human judgment. And yet, it is also true that God's grace and mercy far exceed what we as humans might grant to each other. Lot was righteous in God's eyes because he had been justified by God. This was in part due to Lot's place in God's family as Abraham's nephew. In both letters, Peter has taught that we Christians also have been justified—made righteous in God's eyes—because of our place in God's family through faith in Christ.

We may read Lot's story and conclude he was worthy of God's judgment. We may even be tempted to look at our own choices and wonder if God will condemn us. But the only question is whether we have been declared righteous because of Christ (Romans 8:1), not whether we have made perfect choices since then.

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.

Chapter Summary:

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.

Chapter Context:

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.

Accessed 5/7/2024 10:53:40 PM