This verse, together with verse 19, describes the teaching of the false teachers and the effect of such teaching both on themselves and others, especially new converts to the Christian faith.

What they say is characterized as “bombastic nonsense” (New Revised Standard Version), literally, uttering loud boasts of folly. The expression loud boasts is also found in Jude 16 and translates a Greek word that means “boastful,” “haughty,” “bombastic,” “high sounding,” in other words, something that sounds much more impressive than it really is. Folly on the other hand translates a word that means “worthlessness,” “emptiness,” “futility,” or “purposelessness.” What it means, then, is that the false teachers make impressive, high sounding, and boastful speeches that are in fact worthless and devoid of any value whatsoever.

The effect of such teaching is that they entice with licentious passions of the flesh new converts to the faith. For entice see comments on verse 14; for licentious see comments on 2 Peter 2.2; and for passions see comments on verse 10, where the word is translated “lust.” The whole expression licentious passions of the flesh refers to sexual desires that are characterized by lust and that lead people to indulge in excessive and uncontrolled immorality. How do the false teachers use this to entice people? It seems that through their teaching they have justified indulgence in immoral acts by presenting these sexual acts as legitimate expressions of Christian freedom. And since this kind of life characterizes those who belong to pagan religions, those who are most easily affected by this attitude are the new converts. These new converts are described as people who have barely escaped from those who live in error. The word barely may mean “to a small extent,” which indicates that these people are not yet completely free of pagan influences. In favor of this view is the fact that escaped is a present participle, which can be rendered “in the process of escaping.” These people, then, were in the process of making a complete break with pagan society as a whole. More probably, however, barely means “for a short time” or “newly,” which indicates that these people are new converts who are not yet firmly established in the Christian faith and are therefore easily swayed by non-Christian influences.

Those who live in error are most probably non-Christians or pagans (as in Jerusalem Bible “who have only just escaped from paganism”). This use of error for pagan living is in accordance with New Testament usage (see, for instance, Rom 1.27; Titus 3.3 “led astray”). Live translates a verb that means “act,” “behave,” or “conduct oneself.” Error is literally “wandering,” but it is used figuratively for straying from truth, hence “deceit,” “deception,” when the wandering is caused by others. This final clause who have barely escaped from those who live in error should not be understood to mean that these people are literally running away from other people (pagans) who stray from the truth. What it means is that they have just begun to stop believing like those people who live their lives according to wrong ideas.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

They refers to the false teachers, and them to the new converts referred to in the previous verse. The freedom that is promised is not political but spiritual freedom. Many suggestions have been made as to what this freedom refers to, among which are the following:

1. It is freedom from fear of punishment at the end of the world. As verse 3 and chapter 3 indicate, the false teachers seem to have become skeptical regarding judgment in general and about the second coming of Christ in particular. In view of this they no longer believe in the idea of a final judgment.

2. It is freedom from corruption or perishability. This means that the false teachers taught that they and their followers are already beyond the bounds of human mortality. This also connects the idea of freedom with what follows in the verse, where the false teachers are described as “slaves of corruption.”

3. If the false teachers are Gnostics, then the freedom that they are talking about is freedom from the enslavement of powers in the universe that are inferior to God, with the result that people feel they are completely free. However, there is no agreement among scholars that these false teachers are Gnostics.

4. It may be freedom from the law, that is, freedom from any rules and regulations that govern the Christian life. This results in a life completely free of any moral restraints. This relates “freedom” to the attitude of the false teachers, who considered themselves completely free from the law and therefore able to do anything they please, including immorality and debauchery.

Although alternative 4 is the most likely interpretation, translators should, if possible, use a general word for freedom. However, in the case of languages that require an object of freedom, we will need to say, for example, “freedom from rules and regulations.”

These people who promise freedom to others are themselves slaves of corruption. This again is a Hebrew idiom; to be a slave of something is to be so controlled and overcome by that thing that you become helpless and hopeless in the face of it. Corruption is one of the keywords in 2 Peter; it is used also in 1.4 and 2.12 (“destruction”). It can mean moral depravity, and certainly this was true of the false teachers with their moral laxness and their indulgence in immoral acts. But more probably corruption here puts emphasis not so much on moral character as on final and ultimate destruction as a result of sin. Thus Good News Translation “destructive habits” is closer to the meaning than slaves of corruption. Other ways of rendering this are “completely controlled by destructive habits” or “completely controlled by habits that will destroy them.” They themselves is emphatic in the Greek.

Peter reinforces his argument with a popular proverb. Whatever (Good News Translation “anything”) translates a dative form that can be taken as masculine, “to whom,” thus “to whomever one becomes subject.” This fits the origin of the proverb, which stemmed from the practice of slave trading; the slaves are first overcome before they are sold. The masculine also fits the context, since the main subject of the discussion is the false teachers. However, it is perhaps more likely that what we have here is a generic neuter, whatever referring to any force, whether personal or impersonal; thus “to whatever one becomes subject.” Overcomes means “defeats” or “overpowers.” Enslaved translates a passive verb that brings out the idea of taking upon oneself the characteristics of slaves, among which are complete ownership by someone, absence of any rights, absolute obedience and loyalty to owners, and helplessness in overcoming such a degrading condition. The final part of this verse may also be rendered “for a person is completely under the control of anything that has conquered him (or, defeated him).”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The subject of this verse (they) can be either the recent converts mentioned in verse 18 or the false teachers. An argument in favor of the former position (recent converts) is the fact that the verb “escape” is used in both verses, and since it is clear that in verse 18 this verb refers to the escape of recent converts, it is likely that it is used here in the same way. On the other hand the proverbs in verse 22 are rather harsh if applied to recent converts but are appropriate for the false teachers. This is probably the reason why some translations interpret they as referring to people in general; for example, Good News Translation “If people….” Considering the three verses together (verses 20-22) makes it appear more likely that these refer to the false teachers rather than to recent converts who have gone back to their former heathen ways. In many languages it will be helpful to make this clear and say, for example, “If these false teachers…” or “If these new converts….” It is also possible to render this in a general way, referring to everyone: “If people…” (Good News Translation) or “If anyone…” (similarly Phillips, Jerusalem Bible).

For connects this verse with the previous verses, probably going back to the whole idea of their being under corruption, or perhaps to the idea of “escape” in verse 18. If this connection is already clear in the translation, then For doesn’t have to be translated, as can be seen in many translations (for instance, Good News Translation, New International Version, New English Bible, Phillips). The word if is used here not to mark a condition that is contrary to fact, but rather to mark a conditional statement that is true. In other words Peter is not questioning or doubting the initial faith of the false teachers (or recent converts) but is asserting the fact that they had at one time left their heathen loyalties and become members of the Christian community. It will be helpful in certain languages to place the word if before the second sentence rather than the first and say “These false teachers (or, recent converts) have escaped … So, if they are caught….”

As in 1.4, conversion to Christianity is defined as escaping the defilements of the world. The word for defilements is a word similar in meaning to that used in 1.4, “corruption,” and it is used figuratively here to mean moral corruption through evil acts. The world can be understood generally here as all of creation, but perhaps as referring in particular to society which is viewed as evil because it is corrupted by pagan practices. The whole expression the defilements of the world is similar in meaning to “licentious passions of the flesh” in verse 18. The way of escaping the pollutions of the world, that is, of becoming a Christian, is through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For Lord see comments on 1.2; for Savior and Jesus Christ see comments on 1.1. Our is of course inclusive, referring to all Christians. Knowledge is a key term in this letter, having been used in 1.2, 3, and 8; see comments there for further discussion. This clause may also be rendered as “by coming to know our Lord…,” “through coming to know our Lord…,” or “through believing in our Lord….”

Leaving the Christian faith and returning to heathen practices is described as being again entangled and overpowered by these forces. In them goes back to the defilements of the world. Entangled is “to be mixed up with,” “to be implicated,” or “to be involved in.” This pictures people who have renounced their pagan religion, but who now again involve themselves in pagan practices. However, these people do not only get entangled in these practices; they are overpowered as well, that is, they are defeated and become slaves to these evil forces from which they have been delivered in the past. The clause they are again entangled in them and overpowered may also be expressed as “So if they are trapped again by the powers of these worldly lusts…” or “So if they are trapped again by the power of this evil worldly system….” And since this is the case, then the last state has become worse for them than the first. The last state refers to their state of having been mixed up with and defeated by immoral pagan practices. The first refers to their state before they became Christians, that is, before they came to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Alternative translation models for this verse are:
• If people (or, these false teachers, or, recent converts), through their coming to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, have escaped from the forces of the world that cause peoples’ hearts to become dirty, and if they are again trapped by the power of this evil worldly system, they are in a worse condition at the end than before they came to know Jesus Christ (or, believed in Jesus Christ).

Or:
• People (or, These false teachers, or, Recent converts) have escaped from the evil and licentious forces of the world through their knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But if they are again caught and conquered by these forces, they are in a worse condition …

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse expands on the previous verse, asserting that it would have been much better for these people to remain heathen, rather than to become Christians and then to turn their backs on the Christian way of life. The connection of this verse to the verse before it is expressed by the connective For, which has the sense of “Because” or “It is a fact.”

It would have been better (literally, “it was better” or “it were better”) expresses a judgment on a present state that is considered unsatisfactory, and a preference for a previous state that does not now exist. The present state that is regarded as unsatisfactory is to have known the way of righteousness only to be unfaithful to it; whereas the previous state, which is preferred, is never to have known the way of righteousness. Peter uses the word “know” again here, for which see comments on “knowledge” in the discussion of 1.2.

The way of righteousness is a new term introduced by Peter at this point. Righteousness is one of those words in the New Testament that has a variety of meanings. Some understand the way of righteousness to be equivalent to the Christian faith or the Gospel, and to mean the same as “the way of truth” in verse 2. However, the emphasis here may be on its moral aspects: right conduct, a godly life, a life lived according to the will of God, the Christian way of life. Way is a term used to refer to the Christian life and has already been discussed in 2 Peter 2.2.

The expression translated turn back indicates a change of mind, or a change in a course of action, either for better or for worse. Here, of course, it is for the worse, for these people turn back from the holy commandment. Here again Peter introduces a new technical term. Holy commandment seems to be parallel to the way of righteousness in the first part of the verse; here it probably refers to Christian teaching as a whole, with emphasis on its ethical and moral demands. This commandment is described as holy because it originates from God and is sustained by God. This source is the significance of the term delivered, which is the same term used in Jude 3; see comments there for further discussion. The unnamed agent is perhaps Jesus Christ, but he acts through the apostles, who are given the responsibility of instructing new converts to the faith. In many languages the phrase holy commandment delivered to them may be expressed as “the sacred command that they received,” or the translator may use an impersonal pronoun to avoid the passive and say “the sacred command that they (agents not named) have given to them.”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Peter ends his indictment of the false teachers by applying to them two proverbs that were obviously popular during that time. These proverbs appropriately explain what really happened to the false teachers. While there are two proverbs mentioned, Peter simply describes these as the true proverb; it may be better in translation to talk of two proverbs rather than one.

A proverb is a popular saying drawn from the world of nature, or of animals, or of ordinary human relationships, and which is used to express a certain truth demonstrated in the life of people, both individually and in their relation with others. In Hebrew the proverb is usually a doublet; that is, it consists of two lines, with the second line reinforcing the first, either as a parallel or in contrast to it. The important thing for translators at this point is to recognize the literary form of the proverb in their own language, together with its function, and then to translate these proverbs according to the demands of their language. For example, if a proverb is usually poetic in form in a language, then these two sayings should, as far as possible, be translated according to that poetic form. If a proverb usually has two lines, then these proverbs should also consist of two lines in the translation.

The first proverb deals with a dog and his vomit. The quotation here is from Prov 26.11, although there are some variations. The point of the saying is that a dog may get rid of its filth (represented by the vomit) but cannot resist going back to it, to sniff at it or even to eat it. The second proverb is about a pig and mud. The message seems to be that no matter how clean a pig becomes, it always goes back to dirty itself in the mud, because part of the pig’s nature is to wallow in mud to keep cool. This second proverb is not found in the Bible, but there are similar proverbs that are common both in Greek and Rabbinic literature. Both proverbs use animals that were considered by Jews as dirty and ritually unclean. This reminds the readers of Peter’s description of the false teachers as “irrational animals” in verse 12 (and see also verse 16), which is now made worse by their being compared to unclean dirty animals. The message of both proverbs is clear: the false teachers had once become clean through the forgiveness of their sins, but they have now gone back to wallow in the immorality and wickedness that characterized their pagan past. See the similar statement in 1.9.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

For beloved see comments on Jude JUD.1.3.

Now is emphatic; its function is to emphasize that it is not one letter but two that have been written. This may stress Peter’s deep concern for his readers, or the importance of the subject matters he is dealing with in the letters.

Referring to this letter as the second letter almost certainly implies that the earlier one is The First Letter from Peter. Both letters serve as “reminders.” This reminds us of 1.13, where the same Greek word is used, and where it is established that the present letter is a testament. The testament form of writing, however, has been abandoned for the whole of chapter 2, so that here, at the beginning of chapter 3, it is Peter’s intention to go back to it. If the first of the two letters referred to is indeed 1 Peter, this suggests that both letters are intended to be testaments. The use of the word reminder also suggests that the readers already know what they are being reminded of. Them clearly refers to the two letters, hence Good News Translation “both letters.”

Aroused can also be “stimulated,” “awakened,” or “stirred up.” Sincere translates an adjective found only here and in Phil 1.10, and which can be translated literally “examined by the sun’s light and found to be genuine,” and hence “pure,” “without blemish,” “free from falsehoods.” In the present context it points to moral and ethical purity, uncontaminated by sensual passion and the other vices of the false teachers. Sincere mind can therefore be translated as “pure thoughts” (Good News Translation), “wholesome thinking” (New International Version), “true understanding” (Jerusalem Bible), “minds uncontaminated by error” (Phillips). It should be noted that Revised Standard Version can be interpreted to mean that the minds are already sincere, and all that is needed is for these sincere minds to be aroused. The meaning of the Greek text is reflected more accurately in Good News Translation, where it is clear that the purpose of the two letters is to stir up pure thoughts in the readers’ minds. The clause I have aroused your sincere mind by way of reminder may therefore be rendered as “I have reminded you of these things in order to stimulate your minds to think pure (or, clean) thoughts” or “I have … in order to stir up your minds to think pure….”

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse is related to Jude 17, with the difference that Jude refers only to Jesus Christ and the apostles, whereas here the prophets are mentioned as well. Furthermore Jude mentions only one warning, whereas here every prophecy and teaching seems to be included as long as it has a bearing on the second coming of Christ.

Remember is an infinitive in the Greek and is related to “reminder” in verse 1. In many translations remember is treated as the main verb of a complete sentence, as in New English Bible “Remember the predictions…,” and Good News Translation also restructures to a complete sentence, “I want you to remember…”; it may also be expressed as “I want you to bring to your mind.” This results in sentences that are not only shorter but also much easier to understand. What the readers are to remember are the predictions (Good News Translation “the words”) spoken in the past by the holy prophets as well as the commandment of the Lord and Savior that came to them through the apostles.

Predictions of the holy prophets recalls 1.21. Predictions is the same word as in Jude 17, where it is translated by Good News Translation as “what you were told.” Prophets are people who proclaim a message that they receive from God; the prophets referred to here are most likely Old Testament prophets rather than Christian prophets. See also the comments on 2.1. Holy in this context does not refer to moral or ethical virtue but to the relationship of the prophets to God, that is, their dedication to him and their consecration as people who speak for God (note New English Bible “God’s own prophets”). In certain languages this phrase will be rendered as “devoted people who spoke God’s message,” or “God’s special people who spoke his message,” or even “God’s specially appointed spokesmen.” Predictions is literally “words spoken before,” and this refers back to the time of the Old Testament, hence Good News Translation “long ago.” In the present context predictions refers to Old Testament prophecies and predictions about false teachings and godless actions, although no particular Old Testament reference is pointed out.

Commandment is singular and may refer to one command; it is more likely, however, that it is intended here to refer generally to the teachings of the Lord as a whole, with emphasis on their ethical and moral aspects. For further discussion see comments on 2.21 above. Lord and Savior clearly refer to Jesus Christ, and if necessary this information can be included in the translation. For Lord and Savior see 1.1, 2, 11.

The phrase through your apostles presents some problems. The Greek text is in the genitive case and can be translated literally as “of your apostles.” This understanding is reflected in King James Version “the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour.” Most modern translations, however, take the genitive here to mean “through,” in which case the apostles are understood as the instruments and vehicles of the Lord’s message. The use of the pronoun your may be a way of speaking of the apostles as a group actively functioning when the letter was written, since at that time they were recognized as the ones mainly responsible for transmitting the Christian message to various parts of the world. It is more likely, however, that what is meant here is the messengers who at a much earlier time first brought the Christian message to the communities the letter is addressed to, and who founded the churches there. Included in this list is the apostle Paul (verse 15). For apostle see comments on 1.1.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• I want to bring to your mind the words that God’s own prophets spoke long ago, and the command of our Lord and Savior that he caused your apostles to speak.

If translators wish to follow Revised Standard Version and join verses 1 and 2 together, we may translate:
• My dear Friends! This is now the second letter I have written to you. In both letters I have tried to cause you to think pure thoughts, by bringing to your minds what God’s own prophets spoke long ago and the commandment of our Lord and Savior that he caused your apostles to speak.

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse goes back to the subject of the second coming of Christ, which was first mentioned in 1.16 but which has been interrupted by the lengthy discussion regarding the false teachers.

First of all is a way of expressing priority and importance, hence “above all.” The use of First may present a problem in translation, especially in languages that require a second point if a first point is mentioned. In such cases a natural way of expressing priority should be used without necessarily mentioning a number. See comments on 1.20, where the same phrase occurs, for other translation models.

For you must understand this, see comments on 1.20. It is not clear in the Greek text if what follows is intended to be part of the prophetic message and of the Lord’s teachings, all of which the readers have just been told to remember; however, the context seems to indicate that this is the case. In the last days is equivalent to “In the last time” in Jude 18, for which see discussion there. The expression in the last days is actually the more familiar one and is used frequently in the Greek translation of the Old Testament, the Septuagint (see Gen 49.1; Jer 30.24 [37.24 in the Septuagint]; Dan 2.28; Hos 3.5; Micah 4.1) and in many writings during the period after the apostles.

One of the features of the last days is the appearance of people who make fun of God’s message. For scoffers see also comments on Jude 18. The two verses are very similar, with these differences: Jude has only “scoffers following,” while 2 Peter has scoffers will come … with scoffing, following …; and 2 Peter has passions while Jude has “ungodly passions.” The emphasis of both statements is that the scoffers are following their own will and not God’s. It is not clear whether these scoffers are the same people as the false teachers in chapter 2, but it makes sense to understand the two groups as one and the same. Scoffing is the action that scoffers do; its double use here, scoffers … with scoffing, is perhaps a form of Hebrew idiom signifying intensity or emphasis. In some cases the two terms can be combined into one to produce a more natural translation; for example, “they will mock you,” or Good News Translation “they will make fun of you,” and New English Bible “men who scoff at religion.” Other ways to translate scoffing are “making jokes about” or “laughing at.” The mocking statements are found in verse 4, and for this reason it is desirable to put “mock” right before that verse.

An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• The most important thing is that you understand that in the days just before the end time, some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts (or, evil desires). They will mock you by saying …

Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .