One of 1,522 IF’s in the Bible, plainly indicating that all can and some do escape the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Yet some are again entangled therein, becoming worse than they were before they found Christ.

 

Twelve Proofs That These are Backsliders:

1.     In notes, 2 Peter 1:5-15, it is clear that Peter lays down conditions to be met if one is not to fall.

2.     In note, 2 Peter 2:4, Peter warns men that God sent three great catastrophes upon angels and men because of their backslidings and sins. One may argue that the antedeluvians and Sodom and Gomorrah were not backsliders and had nothing to backslide from, but this argument cannot possibly hold true of the angels that sinned, which, as is acknowledged by all, were created sinless and holy and in God’s grace and blessings.  They sinned and are now in hell (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6-7).  Angels are definitely called sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4; Job 1:6; Job 2:1; Job 38:4-7.  Hence sonship, whether by creation or adoption, will not keep God from damning any angels or men who rebel and sin and who do not get right with Him.

3.     Greek: kataleipo (NT:2641), to forsake; abandon; give up; to leave. Translated “forsake” (2 Peter 2:15; Hebrews 11:27); “reserve” (Romans 11:4); “leaving places” one has been in (Matthew 4:13; Acts 2:31; Acts 21:3); “leaving things behind” (Mark 14:52; Luke 5:28; Luke 15:4; Acts 6:2; Acts 24:27; Acts 25:14; 1 Thes. 3:1; Hebrews 6:1); and “leaving people” one has been with or among (Matthew 16:4; Matthew 19:5; Matthew 21:17; Mark 10:7; Mark 12:19; Luke 10:40; Luke 20:31; John 8:9; Acts 18:19; Ephes. 5:31; Titus 1:5).  The Greek word for “right way” also means “straight way” (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4-5; Acts 8:2; Acts 9:11; Acts 13:10).  One could not forsake or abandon the straight way if he had not been in it.

4.     Greek: planao (NT:4105), to stray from; wander.  Translated “go astray” (2 Peter 2:15; 1 Peter 2:25; Matthew 18:12-13); “wander” (Hebrews 11:38); “be out of the way” (Hebrews 5:2); “seduce” (1 John 2:26; Rev. 2:20); “deceive” (Matthew 24:4-5,11,24; Mark 13:5-6; Luke 21:8; John 7:12,47; 1 Cor. 6:9; 1 Cor. 15:33; Galatians 6:7; 2 Tim. 3:13; Titus 3:3; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 3:7; Rev. 12:9; Rev. 13:14; Rev. 18:23; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:3,8,10); and “to err from the truth” (Matthew 22:29; Mark 12:24,27; Hebrews 3:10; James 1:16; James 5:19).  If they went astray from the right and straight way, they were one time in it.

5.     Greek: apopheugo (NT:668), escape; flight from; a place of refuge. Used only by Peter in __2 Peter__2 Peter 1:4; 2 Peter 2:18,20.  The first verse proves that escaping the corruption that is in the world through lust is at the time one partakes of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).  Can it be possible that people at such a time are not saved or born again?

6.     Greek: epignosis (NT:1922), full and true knowledge (note, Col. 3:10). This confirms that they were one time believers or they would not have had the experiences of like precious faith, grace, peace, and godliness which come with such knowledge, as proved in 2 Peter 1:1-4.

7.     The words “again entangled therein, and overcome” (2 Peter 2:20), prove they were once free from such pollutions or they could not be entangled and overcome in and by them again (note, Galatians 4:19).

8.     The statement, “the latter end is worse with them than the beginning,” proves that they were once saved and could have had a better ending than the beginning if they had not become entangled again in the pollutions of the world (2 Peter 2:20).  What would have been their end in the unsaved state?  What was to be their end after going back to the sins of the former life?  What would have been the end if they had stayed free from the pollutions of the world until death?

9.     Peter’s explanation of why it would have been better not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn away, becoming entangled and overcome by sins again, proves that they were once saved and in the way of righteousness, actually knowing the Christian way (2 Peter 2:21).

10.   The illustration of the sow and the dog proves that they were once saved and that they had gone back into sin again, like a dog returns to his vomit and the washed sow to her wallowing in the mire (2 Peter 2:22).  If this does not illustrate Christians going back into sin again, it has no point.  To argue that it does not refer to Christians returning to sin again on the pretext that the sow always remains a sow and the dog always remains a dog proves nothing, for the same is true of lost sheep, coins, and men Luke 15, notes).  They always remain what they are when found as do sows and dogs.  In none of these illustrations is there a change made in the sow, dog, sheep, coin or lost boy.  The point is that the sheep, the coin, and lost boy were found, and the sow and the dog went back to their old ways.  Even a born-again person is not changed into another species. He is still a human being . He is simply cleansed from sin like the sow that was washed (1 John 1:7,9; Rev. 1:5).  If he wants to remain cleansed from sin he must walk in the light and in the Spirit (1 John 1:7; Galatians 5:16-26; Romans 8:12-13).  To argue that the sow was never washed or the dog was never free from vomit is meaningless.  Is it not possible to wash a sow from all mire and is it not possible that she could go back into the mire again?  Is it not possible for this to be done more than once?  Is not the same principle true of a dog or anything else?

11.   The warning of 2 Peter 3:14 proves that some might not be without spot and blameless.

12.   The warning of 2 Peter 3:16 proves that it is possible to go into sin and fall from steadfastness in Christ.

Greek: miasmata (NT:3393), things that infect, pollute, and defile.  It is used still today of the contagion of dangerous diseases and of decaying bodies, stagnant water, and putrid matter.  The world is here pictured as putrid and full of contagion of sin and uncleanness (2 Peter 2:20; 2 Peter 1:4).

Greek: empleko (NT:1707), to plait or weave in; interweave; entangle.  Here and 2 Tim. 2:4.  This shows to what extent they had escaped from the pollutions of the world and were then entangled again.

Greek: hettao (NT:2274), to make worse; vanquish. Translated “overcome” (2 Peter 2:19-20) and “inferior” (2 Cor. 12:13).