Lesson 15

Sick Dogs And Dirty Hogs

2 Peter 2:17-22

We might describe II Peter 2:17-22 as Round 3 of Peter's slugging match with the false teachers of his day. He continues to expose their emptiness and unfruitfulness. In the preceding verses, Peter revealed their lack of character, their absence of morals, and their basic animosity toward God and man. In this section, Peter exposes the utter emptiness of their message.

A Problem, vs. 17-18.

"These" - who are they? They are the "false teachers" first mentioned in verse 1. Peter uses two powerful metaphors to describe his problem with what these teachers teach. They are "wells without water" and "clouds without rain." To readers from the Middle East, where water is scarce, no expression could be more graphic than to compare a religious leader to a well without water. Picture a weary traveler, tongue swollen with thirst, approaching a well only to find it dry. Like a well, false teachers get your hopes up. They make grand promises and exaggerated claims. But like a well without water, the truth is that they have nothing to offer. False teachers, then and now, cannot give that satisfying portion called the water of life.

But Christ can! John 4:14 - "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Only Jesus, the water of life, can satisfy your soul. The world is filled with dry wells, religions, philosophies, sins, teachers which are unable to quench the spiritual thirst.

Peter's second metaphor is as powerful as his first. Not only are these false teachers wells without water, they are clouds without rain. Clouds fill the farmers heart with the hope of rain that will refresh the ground and bring the crops to fruition. When, instead, however, the wind drives these clouds away, the farmer is left with disappointment and despair. Like these rainless clouds, these teachers raise expectations but fail to deliver.

Verse 17 plainly says that these false teachers are unsaved - that the mist (blackness) of darkness is reserved forever for them - a reference to eternal hell, which Jesus called outer darkness (Matthew 8:12 also Jude 13).

In verse 18, Peter says that their words are impressive but are empty. Their message appeals to the flesh - "they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness." This word "allure" is the same word translated "beguile" in verse 14 and "entice" in James 1:14. It is a word of lure or bait. They are fishing for you. Their hook is their impressive words and their bait is fleshly desires and sensuality.

The last phrase in verse 18 isn't easy to understand. "Those that were clean escaped from them who live in error." The ones whom they are baiting are those who have only just escaped from the corruption of the heathen societies in which they live. In other words, they go after new believers and spiritual newborns. False teachers exploit these kinds of people.

A Promise, v. 19a.

The promise is not really a promise. It is a lie. It is part of the false teacher's false message. "They promise liberty." There is liberty in Christ, John 8:32, 36; Galatians 5:1. But Christian liberty is not license to live in sin. These libertines preach freedom to sin, not freedom from sin.

A gospel that does not result in a changed life, a faith that does not produce obedience and good works is another gospel. A gospel that says, "You are free to sin" is another gospel. It is a false message, a false promise.

Peter points out that those who were promising liberty were themselves the servants (slaves) of corruption (sin).

A Principle, v. 19b.

The principle is this, whatever conquers you, controls you. Jesus said the same thing. John 8:34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth (that is, habitually keeps on committing the same) sin is the servant of sin. Liberty does not free us from responsibility. It frees us to be responsible. In a sense, there are no free men. All men are servants either of sin or of righteousness. Christian liberty frees us from the bondage of sin so that we may serve Christ. If Christ has conquered you, if He has won the battle for your heart and life, He now controls you.

A Peril, vs. 20-21.

These verses require some careful attention. Some say that they teach that a saved person can lose his/her salvation.

But who is the "they" in verse 20? It is the same as the they in verse 19. It is the false teachers! Verse 17 says that they are not saved, that their future is eternal darkness. They were never saved to begin with!

It is true that they have a certain level of knowledge about Christ and have set aside some of the sinful pollutions of the world, but only temporarily because in time they are "again entangled therein." They know the way of righteousness but reject the holy commandment. What we have described here is a case of reformation and religion not regeneration. What we have here is a profession of salvation but not a genuine possession of Christ. And when a sinner claims to be saved and then eventually repudiates that experience, he is not just a sinner; he is now also an apostate. "The latter end is worse than the beginning. 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." Such a person has been inoculated to the gospel and it more difficult (though certainly not impossible) for them to be saved.

A Proverb, v. 22.

Peter confirms the truth that they were never saved to begin with by his use of two analogies in verse 22. Earlier, Peter referred to false teachers as "natural brute beasts" (v. 12). Now he gets specific. He calls them dogs and hogs. He compares them to sick dogs and dirty hogs. The Lord Jesus called His followers sheep. Dogs and hogs are the antithesis, the direct opposite, of sheep. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus tells us not to give holy things to dogs and swine. These two animals picture mankind out of touch with God. So were the false teachers that Peter exposes in this chapter. Peter points out that their evil nature remains. A dog eats vomit because it is a dog and that is the nature of a dog. A sow wallows in the mud because sows do that by nature. The use of these proverbs proves that these men had not fallen from grace but were unregenerate sinner. Their entanglement with the pollutions of the world indicate their nature. I John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

It is important to make sure that your faith is genuine and not the false faith of the false teacher.

It is important to go to a well that has water so that your thirst can be satisfied. That well is Jesus Christ, the water of life. He satisfies the soul.

It is important to identify and totally avoid the counterfeiters, the false teachers who only lead astray.

It is important to grow so that your vulnerable to the impressive words and fleshly appeals of false teachers.

It is important to realize that Christian liberty is the freedom to become willing servant of Jesus Christ.