2 Peter 2:15

13 ^aand will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure ^bto carouse in the daytime. ^cThey are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while ^dthey feast with you,

14 having eyes full of¹ adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. ^aThey have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of ^aBalaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 ^aThese are wells without water,¹ clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness² forever.

Deceptions of False Teachers

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who¹ have actually escaped from those who live in error.

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of¹ corruption; ^afor by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into² bondage.

20 For if, after they ^ahave escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are ^bagain entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For ^ait would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: ^a“A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.”

Commentaries:

Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?

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2 Peter 2:16 >>

What Does 2 Peter 2:15 Mean?

2 Peter 2:15

Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness. His love was not for God, for truth, or for anything that is good and righteous. His love was for wages that derived from sin. He was a thoroughly evil character with an effective façade.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Balaam and the End-Time Church (Part 2)

2 Peter 2:14-15

The apostle says false prophets have "eyes full of adultery." While this may apply literally, it can also more generally describe unfaithfulness—a willingness to abandon an agreement if they feel it is in their interest to do so. They also worry little about resisting sin. Their hearts are especially trained in covetousness, and like Balaam, they are willing to do just about anything for personal gain.

David C. Grabbe
What Is a False Prophet?

2 Peter 2:15

Balaam means "devourer," and Beor means "burning." From that, people have surmised that they were a family of cursing priest-diviners.

Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Balaam and the End-Time Church (Part 2)

Related Topics: Balaam | Beor | Burning | Cursing Priest Diviners | Devourer

Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing 2 Peter 2:15:

Galatians 1:6
Jude 1:11

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2 Peter 2:16 >>

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Deceptions of False Teachers

What Does 2 Peter 2:15 Mean?

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