The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 69

them, are godly out of their tempt11tion, whatever it is, when he sees it to be for his glory. (2) The darlc side. "And to keep the unrighteous under punishment nnto the de.y of judgmcnt." Three classes havo been instanced of the unrighteous, i.e. those not right toward God. The Lord found ways anrl means of checking them; so all like them will be checked. The time will come when God will place them under punish- ment, to be kept under it unto the day of ju<lgment. Let us, then, be warned off the rocks on which men long ago perished and are perishing still. Ill. OBJECTS OF PUNISHMEN'1', 1. On account of sensuality. "But chieAy them that walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement.'' 'l'his is connected with the thou~h t of punishment. 'l'he teacher~ are now thought of as already present. The evil had already commenced, though it ha,l not reached its height. They are singled out for punishment on account of their walking after the flesh in the lust whose ohject is that which defiles. 2. On account of lawlessness, (1) The lawlessne.~-~ described. "And despise dominion. Daring, self-willed, they tremble not to rail at dignities." They arc next singled out for punishment on account of their lawlessness. There is the same association in Jude. They "despise " ( J ude's word means " set at nought") dominion or lordship (especially in Christ). In their objection to be ruled they go gnat length~ ("daring"), making self their rule ("self-willed"). In their presumption and self- assertion they tremble not-though it should make them tremble-to rail at dignities (adopting Jude's expression). The reference seems to be to dignities belonging to the heavenly world. They pay no re_gard, in what they say, to rank bestowed by God. (2) The lawlessnefs condemned. "Whereas angels, though greater in might and power, bring not a railing judgment against them before the Lord." Here Peter seems to assume acquaintance with what Jude says. Michael the archangel, with all sclf- restrnint, and having regard to the ori~inal dignity of Satan, in contending with him simply mid, "The Lord rebuke thee." Peter brings forward the angels (good) gene- ro.lly as greater in might and poll'er than men are, and asserts that they do not retaliate upon the railers in what they bring up before the Lord. (3) 'J.'l,e lawlessness punished. "But these, as creatures without reason, born mere animals, to be taken and destroyed, railing in matters whereof they are ignorant, shall in their destroying surely be destroyed, suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing." Here Peter flashes out against the false teachers. Ile thinks of irrational brutes, born with nothing higher than an animal nature, to be taken and destroyed. They are also irrational in railing in matters beyond them, and shall have a similar fate. In their destruction as respon- sible beings they shall surely be destroyed, gettin~ their reward in wrong inflicted on them for wrong done by them (in railing). 3. On acc,nine of luxurious living. "Men that count it pleasure to revel in the <lay time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their love-feasts while they feast with you." The reference is to luxurious living. Such living shows itself chfofly in banquets whose natural time is the night. To reg;1rd banqueting in tha daytime with peculiar zest was the sign of a very diseased state of mind. It was a more serious thing to connect luxurious living with the love-feasts. '!'hat made the false teachers spots of dirt, blemishes, at those holy gatherings at which they were present, while they feasted with Christ's people. 4. On account of sensuality. "Having eyes full of adultery, and thn.t cannot cease from sin; enticing unsteadfast souls." There was the sensual loo.Tc, apparently, even at the love-feasts. This was accompanied by restlessness in sin, reflected also iu the eye. '!'hose to whom the bait was held out, and who became their prey, were souls not yet established in faith and the pursuit of pure pleasure-men, according to the after-representation, only a few paces from heathenism. 5. On account of covetousness. (1) How their covetousness is regarded. "Having a heart exercisecl in covetousnc~s; children of cun;ing." Here, again, greed follows on sensuality. Spiritun.l gymnastic is needed to counteract the greed of the heart; gymnastic ,rns employed by these teachers to the increasEI of the greed of the heart. As greed increased, the blight c11me down on their spiritual nature. 'l'he ripe result we.s that, in the ravenousness of greed, they became "chil- dren of the curse." That is the Hebrew we.y of saying that the curse fouod !ta way deep into their nature. (2) Comparison with Balaam. "Forsakiug the rigllt way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the sou of l3cor, who loved the hiro of wrong-doing; but he was rebuked for his own transgression : a dumb WIB spake with man's voice and stayed the madness of the prophet," Balaam. for•  64: THE SECOND E}:)JSTLE GENERAL OF PE'l'ER. [on. n.1-!2.