The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 67

you also there shall be false teachers, who shall privily bring in destructive heresies, ,lenying even the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." 'l'he connection of thought seems to be the following: There were prophets that" spake from God;" but there arose false prophets also among the people, i.e. in ancient Israel; as in that which was typified by ancient Israel, viz. in the New Testament Church, there were t., be false teachers, Where, then, those teachers are, there is generally au imperfect condition of religious society which gives rise to them. Under similar con- ditions, similar manifestations may be expected. The false teachers rising up among them (" of your own selves shall men arise," Acts xx. 30), these would have the opportunity of (literally) bringing in by the side of, i.e. by the side of the authoritative teachings, their heresies. The authoritative teachings they would not openly seek to combat; for that might lead to their being silenced, even in their speedy ejection from the Christian communities. Their policy would rather be to keep up connection with the Christian circle, and to bring in a spurious Christianity, having resemblance in form, but denial in substance. The authoritative teachings were of a saving nature; what these would seek to bring in would be heresies of destruction, i.e. not put forward with the professed iutent to destroy, but from their nature fitted to conduct men to destruc- tion. Their heresies would be soul-destroying; for they would "deny e1•en the Master that bought them." The language is altogether remarkable. Christ is regarded as having paid the purchase money, which is not here mentioned, bnt is to be under- stood, according to 1 Pet. i. 19, of his precious blood. By that buying he has become Possessor and Master, i.e. with the right to command. The startling thing is that he is represented as the Master, through purchase or redemption, of the heretical workers of destruction. Nothing could more signally set forth the world-wide character of the otonement. The Master that bought them they, having once acknowledged, were to deny, to put away from them, to supplant by a counterfeit Christ. But it i~ dangerous to deny Christ; by doing so, in the counter-working of providence, they would only "bring upon themselves swift destruction." It is true that Christ represents the Divine slowness to wrath. Peter knew that every denial does not bring instantaneous destruc- tion. It is only when it has been made abundantly clear that the denial is the settled habit of the mind, that swift, or rather sudden, destruction descends. 2. On account of their sensuality followed to the prejudice of Christianity. "And many shall follow their lascivious doings: by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of." It was to be an aggravating element in their punishment, that they were to be success- ful in spreading immorality. Sensuality is the charge which Peter brings up again and again. They were to allow themselves illicit gratification; and their exe.mple would be followed by many. This would be greatly to the prejudice of Christianity; for it would lead to its being misrepresented as pointing out the way of truth, i.e. the way of life, corresponding to the truth. Men outside, unable to distinguish between what properly belonged to it aud what did not properly belong to it, would very naturally say of it, from what they saw in its professed representatives, that it encouraged licen- tiousness. 3, On account of their mercenary character. "And in covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose sentence now from of old lingereth not, and their destruction slumbereth not," Money is needed for tlic purchaso of illicit pleasure. Covetousness was to surround the false teachers as an atmosphere. Continually breathing it, they were as teachers to use feigned words-not bound fast to the truth, but artfully ndapted to man's prejudices. 'l'he end of teachiug is to do good; it was to be to the disgrace of the false teachers that they were to have as their end to make merchandise of those over whom they obtained iufiueuce. Dut these teachers, who were to add to their other faults their being mercenary, would not go unpunished, Peter, in impassioneJ language, represents punishment as ulrcaJy on the way to them. "'!'heir senteuce now from of old lingereth uot," i.e. the sentence a~ri.inst such has gone forth from of olJ, aud, not delaying, it will in its course overtt1ke them; and" their destruction slumbereth not," i.e. not delayed by sleep, as it were, it will follow hard on the sentence. Let them not think, then, that they will escape. II. ANCIENT EXAMrLES OF I'UNISHM~NT, 1. Stated conditionally. (1) 'J.'he fulle11 angels. "For if God spared not angels when they siuned, but cast them dowu to hell, 11.nd committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserv<'cl unto judgment." This w,\i t\le most ancient example that there was to go back up"n, Peter does nut say wlnr  62 THE SECOND EPISTLE GENEaAL OF l'ti:TER. [en. u. 1-22,