1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
What makes a prophet false? What makes a teacher false? Why does Peter distinguish between the two? Where are these false prophets and false teachers to be found? How and what shall they teach? What are heresies and why are they damnable? What does it mean to “deny” the Lord? Who are those that the Lord has bought? Why is important to understand that it is this group of people that denies him? What is “swift destruction” and how does it come about? To whom does it come?
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
What does “pernicious” mean? Why will many follow “pernicious ways”? What is the “way of truth”? What shall be said of the way of truth?
3 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.
Who are “they”? What does this verse tell us about “their” intent? What are “feigned” words? Using these words, how would someone be made “merchandise”? Whose judgment is it that doesn’t linger? How does judgment fail to linger? Whose damnation doesn’t slumber? How might damnation fail to slumber?
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
Can angels sin? What is the consequence of that sin? How do angels go to hell? What are “chains of darkness”? How does God “deliver” the angels that sinned into chains of darkness? Are angels subject to judgment? Going on to verse 5, when did this happen?
5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
Who “spared not the old world”? What is the “old world”? How is Noah the eighth person? What is righteousness and how did Noah preach it? How did the preaching of righteousness bring in the flood? Who brought in the flood? To whom did the flood come?
6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
Who turned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes? Why was this done? How do people “live ungodly”?
7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
How was Lot delivered? How was Lot just? Who delivered Lot? What does “vexed” mean? What does it mean to be “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked”?
8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
What happens to righteous people when they dwell with the unrighteous? How often was Lot vexed? What else was Lot vexed by?
9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
This is part of an “if..., then...” statement that starts in verse 4. What do we learn from this “if..., then...” statement? What conclusion is reached? How can this apply to our day? Who is delivered out of temptations? What does it mean to be “godly”? Can we safely assume that God does, in fact, consider someone people “godly”? How are the unjust “reserved” to the day of judgment? What does “unjust” mean? Who are the unjust?
10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
What group is specifically being discussed here? What does it mean to “walk after the flesh”? What is the “lust of uncleanness”? What does it mean to “despise government”? Whose government? Do any of these descriptors apply to society today? Do any of these descriptors apply to you (if only perhaps as a matter of degrees)? What does “presumptuous” mean? What are “dignities” and why should one be afraid to speak evil of them? Why is it a bad thing to speak evil of them? Where is this found in our society today?
11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
What does this verse teach us about the status and conduct of some angels? What is a “railing” accusation?
12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
Why are the wicked and ungodly compared to brute beasts? What is a “brute” beast? Are some people made to be taken and destroyed? How does that go against the sensibilities of some in our day? Why is it important to seek understanding? What is the consequence of not understanding? What does it mean to perish in one’s own corruption?
13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
What is the reward of unrighteousness? What is the significance of rioting in the day time? Why would it be wrong to derive pleasure from this? How are these people “spots” and “blemishes”? What does “sport” mean? Why is sporting especially bad when “they feast with you”?
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
How are eyes “full of adultery”? Can someone reach a point where they “cannot cease from sin”? Why is important to understand that? Do we see it in our day? How and why would these people “beguile unstable souls”? Whose souls are unstable? Do you have an unstable soul? What makes a soul stable/unstable? What are “covetous” practices? How are these people “cursed”?
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
Knowing that there are many ways to go astray, why is the way of Balaam specifically mentioned? What is the way of Balaam? How is this a threat to those who would try to be righteous? What is unrighteousness and what are its wages? Do people today love the wages of unrighteousness? Do you?
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
How was Balaam rebuked for his iniquity? What was the “madness” of Balaam? How is the extremity of this madness underscored by the fact that Balaam was rebuked by a talking donkey?
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
What good are wells without water? How easily are clouds blown about in a tempest? What is the “mist of darkness”? What does it mean to be reserved to this mist forever?
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
What are “great swelling words of vanity”? What is “vanity”?Who is allured in this verse? Who are those that “were clean escaped”? What does that mean? From whom were they escaped? Why is this in past tense? What causes them to not remain “clean escaped”? What is wantonness? Why is it important for those who are “clean escaped” to understand this tactic?
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
Why is it that servants of corruption can never offer others liberty? From whom should we seek the promise of liberty?
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
How does one escape the pollutions of the world? What is the “knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”? How does this pose a problem for those who believe that he is unknowable, to whatever degree? Is it possible for people who have gained a lesser degree of knowledge to become “entangled” again? How does this happen and how does this pose a problem for those who believe that salvation is guaranteed for those who simply confess Christ? How is “the latter end” worse than the beginning?
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
What is the way of righteousness? Why is it better to not know it than to know and turn from “the holy commandment”? How would this fact inform God’s interactions with man?
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Echoing the idea of “brute beasts” here, how do people turn again to “vomit” and “mire”? Do we see that in our day? Have you done it? Where has the gospel been offered and then rejected and what have been the consequences? Has it been in our day and, if so, what does verse 12 say we are deserving of?