“For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit, and, ‘A washed sow returns to wallowing in the mud.’”
In these last three verses of the chapter, Peter wraps up his condemnation of the false teachers. When we first look at the pronoun “they” in verse 20, there may be a little confusion as to whom the “they” is referring. But when we read the preceding verses, I think that it is clear that Peter is referring to the false teachers and not the people who follow them. Especially when Peter has been condemning these teachers in the previous verses and his condemnation continues in the next verses.
Peter starts with this. “For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first.” What is Peter saying here? Were these false teachers once believers? That is what it sounds like. And if they were believers, did they lose their salvation? Before we get into some deep theological discussion, let’s move on to the next verse.
“For it would have been better for them not to know the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them.” Yes, that is what it is saying. These false teachers were once believers. Peter says that they had knowledge of their Lord and Savior. They knew the way of righteousness. But now they are entangled in the things he has written about (debauchery, greed, fleshly desires) and have turned their back from the holy command given them.
Jesus tells a parable that is recounted in both Matthew and Luke. This parable is often used incorrectly by the deliverance ministries that have been gaining popularity today. I wrote about it in this blog post if you want to see the details. Deliverance Ministries – Abundant Joy Let’s look at the verses. “When an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it roams through waterless places looking for rest but doesn’t find any. Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to my house that I came from.’ Returning, it finds the house vacant, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and settle down there. As a result, that person’s last condition is worse than the first. That’s how it will also be with this evil generation” (Matthew 12:43-45). Notice that Peter uses the same phrase, “the last state is worse for them than the first.” Douglas Moo writes, “So it is with people who embrace Christ but then abandon him for the world again: Because they have knowingly and openly rejected the truth, their judgment will be worse than it would otherwise have been.”
This is where believers can get into needless arguments. Arminians would argue that these are believers who have lost their salvation. Calvinists, or reformed believers might argue that these were never true believers. If you are not sure what these terms mean, you can read about them here. Calvinism Vs. Arminianism – Abundant Joy As for myself, I am somewhere in the middle. I read this quote from Spurgeon today and I love it. “We had better far be inconsistent with ourselves than with the inspired Word. I have been called an Arminian Calvinist or a Calvinistic Arminian, and I am quite content so long as I can keep close to my Bible.” David Guzik writes this: “To bitterly divide along the lines of this debate- which focuses on things that are unknowable to outside observation- seems to fall into the category of being obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, as in 1 Timothy 6:4.”
I would argue that one of the reasons that their punishment is going to be so bad is because not only are they sinning, but they are bringing new believers along with them. In Matthew 18:5-6, Jesus says, “And whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me.But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.” When Jesus refers to little ones, he is referring to both children and those that are humble like children. Guzik writes, “It is a wicked thing to sin, and it is a far greater evil to lead others into sin. But leading one of Jesus’ little ones into sin is far worse, because you then initiate someone into an instance or a pattern of sin that corrupts.”
Lastly, Peter gives two quotes that were familiar to his readers. He says, “It has happened to them according to the true proverb: a dog returns to its own vomit, and ‘a washed sow returns to wallowing in the mud.’” The first part of this is from Proverbs 26:11. “As a dog returns to its vomit, so also a fool repeats his foolishness.” The second part must have been a familiar quote to his readers also and it evokes a similar theme. Dogs were not kept as pets the way that we keep them today. They were considered wild and viewed in a negative light by the Jews. And of course, pigs were considered unclean and were avoided. Kenneth Gangel writes about these proverbs, “The underlying principle of both is the same: these apostates (whether false teachers, their victims, or both) never were what they seemed to be and returned to what they had been all along. Dogs and pigs can be scrubbed but not kept clean, for it is in their very nature to return to unclean living. Such apostates are in a tighter bondage, they are farther from the truth, and they are deeper in spiritual filth than ever before.”
Peter has had many harsh warnings for false teachers in this chapter. We would do well to pay heed to his words and not be so concerned about trying to be unified over false teachers today. It concerns me when I see a solid Bible teacher called out and criticized for bringing to light the false teachings of popular pastors who have large followings. I will be covering that in my next blogpost.
Grace be with you!
Abundant Joy 