Daily Devotions
2 Peter
"According to the true proverb"
Text: 2 Peter 2:22
KNOWING THE WAY
It is possible that the Apostle Peter knew some of the false teachers. His insight about them would suggest a fair amount of knowledge about their personal life.
“For it would have been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness,
than having known it,
to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.”
2 Peter 2:21
1. “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness”
a) The background of the false teachers:
i) They seem to have known “the way of righteousness”.
ii) Perhaps they had been taught the Scriptures.
iii) Perhaps they had some experience of the Christian way of life.
b) The sad reality was as Peter had described in 2 Peter 2.
i) They had gone astray.
ii) They had denied the Lord who bought them.
iii) They had chosen the path of darkness.
2. “Than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them”
a) It would indeed have been better for them if they had not known.
i) They would only be chastised for their ignorance.
ii) They would not be where they are now, as false teachers.
b) But they had known the holy commandments.
i) They may have even been church leaders.
ii) They had holy commandments delivered to them.
iii) The language is that of having been entrusted with the ministry of the word.
c) But they had turned from the word of God.
i) They had not obeyed.
ii) They had not continued with ministry of the word entrusted.
iii) They had turned away to sin and to false teaching.