2 Peter 2:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Is this not a clear depiction of the modern Tolstoyans, who reject lawful authorities? Are they not the ones who teach a return to the way of life of irrational animals, which know neither property, nor society, nor the state?

For by whom, and so forth (cf. 1 Sam 17:9). "They themselves," he says, "being slaves of the uncleanness just mentioned, which he rightly called corruption, promise freedom to those whom they deceive. As to why they promise freedom to others while they themselves are slaves of sin, he gives a fine proof: by whatever passion a man is overcome, he is its slave" (Theophylact).

According to the military law of the ancients, victors made the defeated their slaves. The false teachers themselves, and those whom they ensnared, were slaves of sin, the devil, and corruption (cf. Jn 8:34 and note; 1 Jn 3:8; Rom 6:16).

The apostle shows how low in quality this freedom is, the freedom promised by false prophets and preachers of materialism. He calls them themselves slaves of corruption. For "by whomever a man is overcome," as they are by the animal instincts of corrupted nature, "to him he is enslaved."

Because of their attachment to sensual pleasures, the heretics will find their recompense in those very pleasures. "By what a man sins, by this he is punished," says the Wise One (Wis 11:17; cf. Gal 6:8).

Thus, in their very corruption, the heretics will bear punishment through their bodily and spiritual decay. Besides this, they will receive divine recompense for their contempt of the law.

The death of sinners is cruel, but their further lot is still more grievous. "Depart from Me, you cursed," that is, those already appointed to destruction by the laws previously spoken, "into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Mt 25:41). So the future Judge will say to them.

The question arises: how could such sinners appear among the earliest Christians (cf. Jas 2:1-4; Jas 4:1-4)? But the apostle has disclosed with sufficient fullness and clarity the grounds and conditions that favored their corruption.

The chief cause is apostasy from the Christian faith and a return to the former principles of life. This gave the apostle occasion to express his deep lament over them further on.

The abuser of freedom, older than man, had through abuse of freedom become a spirit of darkness and malice. By dark suggestions he taught man the same abuse. Man wished to have freedom wholly unlimited, like God. He dared to step beyond the limit set by the commandment of God. And what followed? He not only failed to acquire greater freedom, but lost a great part of the freedom he had. Even if God had not condemned him, the natural necessity of his nature, damaged by the fall, would still have condemned him to servile labor: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat your bread" (Gen 3:19).

The attempt of our forefather to expand unlawfully the realm of freedom is astonishing. That realm was already almost universal. Still, his attempt can be explained by lack of experiential knowledge, by the cunning of the tempter, and by the very breadth of his real dominion. With such dominion, it was easy not to stop before a limit that seemed insignificant.

As for his descendants, who reveal a similar striving, I do not know which should cause greater astonishment. Is it that they do not respect, and as though do not see, the limits indicated to human freedom by the law of God, by the very structure of human society, and by the necessity of nature? Or should one rather weep over this inborn infection, inherited from the forefather infected by abuse of freedom? Because of a darkening of mind, likewise inherited, they do not know how to discern it sufficiently, and still less how to heal it, though this is simple in the true light.

"Understand," I shall say with the Prophet, "understand, you senseless among the people; and you fools, when will you become wise?" (Ps 94:8). Understand, dreamers of boundless freedom, the deadly madness of your dreams. Understand at last, even after harsh experiences. Freedom that shattered its own limits has more than once stained the face of the earth with innocent blood. By pouring out streams of human blood, it drowned itself in them.

But how should freedom be understood and defined more correctly? Philosophy teaches that freedom is the ability and unhindered power reasonably to choose and do what is best. It teaches that by nature this belongs to every man. What more, it would seem, could one desire? Yet this teaching has its light on the height of contemplation of human nature as it ought to be. When it descends to experience and action, as human nature is, it meets darkness and stumbling.

Among the countless multitude of the human race, how many have such an open and formed reason that they can truly discern and distinguish what is best? And those who see what is best, do they always have enough strength to choose it decisively and bring it into action? Do we not hear even from the best of men the complaint: "To will is present with me, but to do what is good I do not find" (Rom 7:18)?

What shall be said of the freedom of people who are not enslaved to anyone, yet are subject to sensuality, possessed by passion, and held by an evil habit? Is the lover of gain free? Is he not chained in golden fetters? Is the lover of fleshly pleasure free? Is he not bound, if not by hard chains, then by soft nets? Is the proud and ambitious man free? Is he not fastened, not by hands and feet, but by head and heart, to his own idol?

Thus experience and the consciousness of at least some people, in some cases, say what divine Truth says generally: "Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin" (Jn 8:34).

Observation of men and human societies shows that people who have more fully given themselves over to this inner moral slavery, the slavery of sins, passions, and vices, more often than others appear as zealots of external freedom. They seek freedom expanded as far as possible in human society before law and authority.

But will the expansion of external freedom help them to be freed from inward slavery? There is no reason to think so. With greater probability, one should fear the opposite. In a person in whom sensuality, passion, and vice have already gained mastery, the removal of barriers set against vicious actions by law and authority will surely have this effect. He will surrender more unrestrainedly than before to the satisfaction of passions and lusts. He will use external freedom only to plunge more deeply into inward slavery.

Unhappy freedom, which, as the Apostle explained, they "have as a cloak for malice" (1 Pet 2:16). Let us bless law and authority. By setting, indicating, and defending the necessary limits to free actions, as far as they can, they hinder the abuse of natural freedom and the spread of moral slavery, that is, slavery to sin, passions, and vices.

I said, "as far as they can," because one cannot expect from earthly law and authority a perfect cessation of abuses of freedom. Nor can one expect from them the raising of those plunged into slavery to sin into true and perfect freedom. Even the law of the heavenly Lawgiver is not sufficient for this. The law warns against sin, exposes and condemns the one who has sinned. Yet it does not give the slave of sin strength to break the bonds of this slavery. Nor does it provide the means to blot out committed iniquities, which lie on the conscience like a fiery seal of sinful slavery. In this consists the "weakness of the law" (Rom 8:3), to which the Apostle plainly bears witness.

Let us love Christian freedom, freedom from sin, passion, and vice. Let us love the freedom to obey law and authority willingly, and to do good "for the Lord's sake," through faith and love for Him. Let no one be deceived by people against whom the apostolic word warns us: those who "promise freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption" (2 Pet 2:19). Amen.