2 Peter 2:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

By these words he confirms two points. First, the one who is conquered necessarily serves his conqueror. Second, those who have known the truth but again hold to their former impiety fall into an evil worse than before. He adds a proverb that confirms the same thing. See Prov 26:11. The meaning is this: if those who, through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, escaped the defilements of the world are again entangled in them and conquered by them, then without doubt they are enslaved by them. Their condition becomes worse than it was before they knew of bondage, for Satan strives to make them fall into greater evil.

The rejection of truth is worse than ignorance. For sins of transgression are worse than sins of ignorance.

In this same mercy of God, beloved, whose greatness toward us we cannot explain, Christians must take great care not to be caught again by the devil's snares. They must not become entangled again in the same errors they renounced. For the ancient enemy does not cease to transform himself into an angel of light. Everywhere he lays the snares of deception, seeking by every means to attack and destroy the faith of believers.

This is so that we may clearly understand what is said about those who, under the name of Christians, live in the filth and baseness of the world.

Through this he shows that they do not free from error those who believe them, but drag them into still worse error.

By these words he expresses two ideas. First, the one who is conquered inevitably becomes the slave of the conqueror. Second, those who have already known the truth but have fallen again into their former defilement have experienced something worse than before.

In the second chapter of the Second Epistle, the apostle Peter denounces false teachers who introduce destructive heresies, or divisions (v. 1). They bring reproach upon the way of truth, or upon the gospel teaching.

They knew the way of righteousness and the holy commandment, v. 21. They knew our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, v. 20. Yet, like irrational animals, they are governed by nature, v. 12. They promise freedom while being slaves of corruption, v. 19.

Wherein does their false teaching consist? Among other things, in this: "they despise authorities, are bold and self-willed, and do not fear to blaspheme the glorious ones" (v. 10).

For if, after they have escaped, they are again entangled, and so forth. "By these words the apostle confirms two things. First, the defeated man necessarily serves his conqueror. Second, those who have known the truth, yet again cling to their former impiety, fall into an evil worse than the first" (Theophylact).

They are again entangled. Of whom is the apostle speaking here and afterward? Of the false teachers who deceive, or of those deceived by them? It seems that he speaks of both. Therefore his speech about them is not fully defined.

Having escaped the defilements of the world means having escaped everything that stains, soils, and defiles a Christian, namely, all sins and transgressions.

The apostle marks the special criminality and destructiveness of the heretical offenders when he says that 'it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness.' In that case, ignorance itself would have excused them somewhat. See Lk 12:48. More hope would also have remained for their return to the right path. But they knew it and turned back from the holy truth delivered to them. In this they are likened to 'a dog returning to its own vomit, and a washed sow going to wallow in the mire.'

Dwelling in thought on these seductions and wishing to warn Christians against them, especially those not firm in the faith, the apostle speaks sharply both of the former life of the newly converted and of their apostasies, and of all apostasies in general.

He calls the non-Christian life a corrupt abomination. Yet it entangled certain novices among the Christians as if in a net. Their condition therefore became doubly grievous, since they bore the whole burden of slavery to sin and also became apostates.

Deep sorrow over their unfortunate condition, and the desire that others not fall into it, moved him to say that it would have been better for them not to know the true way. Then they would have been less accountable.