The Nature of the Untransformed Soul

The Nature of False Prophets (1-3)

Peter knew of false prophets who cared little for transformation and would teach in ways that would cause believers not to follow Christ (1). Teachers would make people think they were following Christ, while they were learning to follow sensuality (2), thus exploiting the learners (3).

The Example of Judgment of Untransformed Souls (4-9)

These false teachers were doomed, just like the angels cast into hell and committed to chains (4). Peter reminded them of another day the world came to an end, when Noah was preaching righteousness and God brought a flood upon the world (Genesis 7). Peter wanted to penetrate their minds with the thought that only eight were rescued (5). He then mentioned Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18), using them as an example of how an entire city was condemned to extinction, and only a few were rescued (6). Peter drew the connection with Lot’s being distressed and tormented by the sensual and lawless conduct of the city, pointing out that God knew how to save those uncomfortable with sensuality (7-9).

The Description of Untransformed Souls (10-19)

Peter next listed out those who would fall under God’s judgment as those who:

• displaced Jesus from the center of desire and instead enthroned the urge to please self

• thought lightly of those who ruled

• were presumptuous and obstinately maintained their own opinions; asserting their own rights

• had no awe or respect as they slandered those who should have been honored (10)

Peter made a note: even angels honored and revered authority (11). Peter further described a person dedicated to the lust of pleasing self and declared such a person to have the nature of animals who live by instinct. He again called them disrespectful and forewarned they would be judged (12).

Peter was fierce in his tone, noting that lust-driven people would suffer for their actions. Peter was clear in his warning: those who lived with a love for pleasure were pretenders (13).

Peter wouldn’t let up with his description, likening such people to those who prowled for women to sleep with, who couldn’t get enough of sin, and who were trained to always make decisions based on greed (14).

Peter leapt into the Old Testament for an illustration of Balaam who, for lust of money, was driven to find a way to curse Israel for a handsome fee (Numbers 22). Balaam’s donkey finally had to warn him in a human voice to stop, and Balaam did for a moment (15-16). Yet, in the end, even his own lust was so encompassing that the talking donkey couldn't stop him, for he was so filled with the madness of greed (Numbers 31:16).

Peter returned to his descriptions of those driven by lust—waterless springs, mists driven, reserved for gloom (17). They were bold as they demanded the right to feel good (18). They promoted a great freedom but delivered enslavement, for they led the soul to be enslaved again with lust (19).

The Description of Those Who Have Returned to Lust (20-22)

Peter was clear-headed about this truth: to have once been delivered from lust and then to return to it was to make the soul more addicted and obsessed to pleasure than ever before (20-22).