2 Peter 2:1

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Peter 2:1-2

I. In the end of the former chapter there is mention made of holy men of God, who lived in the times of the Old Testament, and were used as the amanuenses of the Holy Ghost, in writing the sacred oracles; but in the beginning of this he tells us they had, even at that time, false prophets in the church as well as true. In all ages of the church, and under all dispensations, when God sends true prophets, the devil sends some to seduce and deceive, false prophets in the Old Testament, and false... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 2 Peter 2:1

2:1 There were times when false prophets arose among the people, even as amongst you too there will be false teachers, men who will insidiously introduce destructive heresies and deny the Lord who bought them; and by so doing they will bring swift destruction on themselves. That there should arise false prophets within the Church was something only to be expected, for in every generation false prophets had been responsible for leading God's people astray and for bringing disaster on the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 2 Peter 2:1

In this verse Peter has certain things to say about these false prophets and their actions. (i) They insidiously introduce destructive heresies. The Greek for heresy is hairesis ( Greek #139 ). It comes from the verb haireisthai (compare Greek #140 ), which means to choose; and originally it was a perfectly honourable word. It simply meant a line of belief and action which a man had chosen for himself. In the New Testament we read of the hairesis ( Greek #139 ) of the Sadducees,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Peter 2:1

But there were false prophets also among the people ,.... As well as holy men of God, who gave out prophecies, by the inspiration and impulse of the Holy Spirit; that is, among the people of the Jews, God's professing people, whose God was the Lord, and who had chosen them to be a special and peculiar people, above all people of the earth; and had distinguished them by his favours from all others: among these, though the Syriac version reads "in the world", there were false prophets, who... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Peter 2:1

But there were false prophets - There were not only holy men of God among the Jews, who prophesied by Divine inspiration, but there were also false prophets, whose prophecies were from their own imagination, and perverted many. As there shall be false teachers among you - At a very early period of the Christian Church many heresies sprung up; but the chief were those of the Ebionites, Cerinthians, Nicolaitans, Menandrians, and Gnostics, of whom many strange things have been spoken by the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Peter 2:1

Verse 1 1.But there were. As weak consciences are usually very grievously and dangerously shaken, when false teachers arise, who either corrupt or mutilate the doctrine of faith, it was necessary for the Apostle, while seeking to encourage the faithful to persevere, to remove out of the way an offense of this kind. He, moreover, comforted those to whom he was writing, and confirmed them by this argument, that God has always tried and proved his Church by such a temptation as this, in order that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 2:1

But there were false prophets also among the people; rather, as in the Revised Version, but there arose false prophets also among the people. The transition is simple and natural. Besides the true prophets mentioned in the last chapter, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, there arose false prophets, men who wore "a rough garment to deceive" ( Zechariah 13:4 ), and assumed without warrant the prophetic character. Such pretenders would commonly prophesy false things; but... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Peter 2:1

But there were false prophets also among the people - In the previous chapter, 2 Peter 2:19-21, Peter had appealed to the prophecies as containing unanswerable proofs of the truth of the Christian religion. He says, however, that he did not mean to say that all who claimed to be prophets were true messengers of God. There were many who pretended to be such, who only led the people astray. It is unnecessary to say, that such men have abounded in all ages where there have been true prophets.Even... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 2 Peter 2:1

2 Peter 2:1. But Now that I am speaking of the divinely-inspired Jewish prophets, whose writings you must give heed to, I must remind you that there were also false prophets among the people Of Israel, whose doctrine and pretended predictions were to be disbelieved and disregarded, and whose society was to be shunned. Under the name of false prophets, that appeared among the Israelites of old, those that even spake the truth, when God had not sent them, might be comprehended; and also... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 2 Peter 2:1-10

2:1-22 WARNING AGAINST FALSE TEACHERSPunishment of the ungodly (2:1-10a)Having spoken about the purpose of prophecies, Peter now gives a warning to beware of those who will use prophecies to support their own teachings. History shows that there have always been false teachers who have tried to gain a following by the misuse of Scripture (2:1). The punishment of all such people is certain. They oppose Christ, give the church a bad name, lead people into sin and make financial profit from the... read more

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