God's Righteous Judgement Against the Unrighteous and the Apostate--2 Peter 2:10b-22

Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

17 These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 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. 19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”​

There is not much commentary needed for this passage.  There may be a few words that I'll define and a few characters from the Old Testament that a few could use a citation so that you can go back and see what Peter is talking about, but for the most part, Peter is laying out the case that the wicked men deserve the just wrath of God in this life and in eternity to come as do those who claim they have been transformed by Christ but turn back to a a life of sin and rebellion against God (the apostate).

If you'd like to read more about the story of Balaam, the son of Beor, you can read about it in Numbers 22-24 (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers+22-24&version=ESV).  Numbers 22 covers most of what is alluded to here by Peter.  Also the word "blasphemous" might be unfamiliar to some.  To "blaspheme" is " to speak in a way that shows irreverence for God or something sacred."  Last, but not least is the idea of the apostate....one who says they were saved, but then turns away from God and turns back to their life of sin in rebellion to God, possibly even following other false gods.  The Bible seems to say that anyone who does this does so because they were never really part of the elect to begin with and never had God fooled.  Their nature was never changed, they are still the "dog" or "sow" that they were before their apparent conversion experience.  This is why I don't say that salvation is about praying the Sinner's Prayer or walking the aisle as this reduces it simply to an act of works and if you "say the magic words" then you're saved.  The next book we'll talk about after 2nd Peter is probably going to be 1st John and it is all about testing yourself to make sure that you are genuinely saved.  It's not pleasant, but it's a real conversation that needed to be had during the early Church and needs to happen even moreso today in a "Christian" culture full of cults, false teachers and apostasy.