Peter focused his discussion next on the false teachers' final doom to warn his readers of the serious results of following their instruction.
2:20 To whom does "they"refer? Some interpreters believe the antecedent is the new Christians Peter mentioned at the end of verse 18.118Others think they are the unstabe, unsaved people who were listening to the gospel.119Most commentators have concluded, however, that "they"are the false teachers who have been the main subject of Peter's warning throughout this chapter and in the immediately preceding verses (vv. 18-19). What Peter said of them in verses 20-22 seems to bear this out.
"If the allusions in vv. 20-22 are to recent converts whom they lead astray, the description of hopelessness and ruin seems almost incredible. In the case of the teachers . . . such a description of utter ruin is entirely appropriate."120
How could Peter say the false teachers had escaped the defilements of the world by the "full knowledge"(Gr. epignosei) of the "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ?"One answer is that they did not. In this view Peter's "if"introduces a hypothetical possibility that is not true to reality. However, his other uses of "if"in this chapter (vv. 4, 6, and 7) all introduce situations that really took place. The situation he described in verse 20 seems to be a real situation too.
Another answer is that Peter was referring to false teachers who were Christians. Peter's other descriptions of the false teachers in this epistle, especially in chapter 2, seem to portray unbelievers primarily. It seems very unlikely that now, at the climax of his exhortation, he would focus on the few false teachers that might have been Christians.
I think it is more likely that the false teachers in view here, as in the rest of the chapter, were unsaved.121They had evidently heard the gospel preached and fully understood the apostles' teaching that Jesus Christ was both Lord and Savior, but had rejected it. They escaped the defilements of the world in the sense that they had understood the gospel acceptance of which liberates the sinner. In other words, the gospel is the key to escape. Their escape was possible because they had heard the gospel. To illustrate, suppose I have the cure for cancer in a pill, and you have cancer. If I give you the pill, one could say you escape your disease even though you choose not to swallow the pill.
The false teachers had thrown their key to deliverance away and had thereby become entangled and overcome again by the defilements of the world (cf. v. 19b). Their "first"state was eternal damnation without having heard the gospel, but their "last"worse state was eternal damnation having rejected the gospel. Greater privilege results in greater responsibility and greater punishment if one rejects the privilege. Scripture teaches degrees of punishment as well as differences in rewards (cf. v. 21; Luke 16:24; 2 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 6:7).
If new Christians are in view here, their earlier worldly life contrasts with their later worldly life under God's discipline. It is their condition in this mortal life and at the judgment seat of Christ that is in view, not their eternal damnation.122
Those who believe that loss of salvation is what Peter was talking about in this verse and in verses 21 and 22 have to deal with an insuperable problem. That problem is such an interpretation makes Scripture contradict Scripture (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 10:28-29; et al.).
"This passage [2:20-22] is often quoted to prove the possibility of falling from grace, and from a very high degree of it too.' But it is one of the last passages in the Bible that should be addressed to prove that doctrine. The true point of this passage is to show that the persons referred to never were changed; that whatever external reformation might have occurred, their nature remained the same; and that when they apostatized from their outward profession, they merely acted out their nature, and showed in fact there had been no real change."123
2:21 "Them"seems to continue to refer to unsaved false teachers. This verse amplifies the last statement in verse 20.
It would have been better for the false teachers never to have gained full knowledge of God's commandment regarding holy behavior (the "way of righteousness") than having gained it to reject it (cf. Matt. 12:43-45). Turning from the light results in going into greater darkness. Even for a believer, more light brings more responsibility and consequently more severe judgment (cf. James 3:1).124
"Ignorance can be a very bad thing, but disobedience is always worse."125
2:22 Peter compared the false teachers to unclean dogs and swine (cf. Matt. 7:6; Prov. 26:11). Practice betrays nature. Dogs return to corruption that comes from within themselves, vomit. Pigs return to filth that they find outside themselves, even though their handlers may clean them up occasionally.126The false teachers in view do both things.
"Instead of being sheep, they were pigs and dogs . . ."127
Peter's statement about the false teachers in this verse is his most derogatory of them, and it brings his warning to avoid these heretics to its climax.128
