2 Peter 2:1 Cross References - AUV

¹ But just as there were false prophets among the people before, there will also be false teachers among you [Christians]. They will privately teach harmful doctrines that destroy people [spiritually], by even denying [that Jesus is] the Master, [and thereby] destroying themselves quickly.

¹⁵ “Look out for deceiving prophets, who approach you wearing sheep’s clothing, but who are [actually] starving wolves in their hearts.

³³ But whoever disowns me in front of people [i.e., denies that I am the Christ, or that he is a disciple. See John 18:15-17, 25-27], I will disown him in front of my Father in heaven.

⁵ For many [false teachers] will come, claiming to be me, and saying, ‘I am the Christ [i.e., God’s specially chosen one]’ and they will lead many people away [from the truth].

¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and will lead many people away [from the truth].

²⁴ For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will perform great [miraculous] signs and [supernatural] wonders in order to lead astray even the elect [i.e., God’s people], if possible.

²² For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will perform [miraculous] signs and [supernatural] wonders in order to lead astray [even] the elect, if possible.

²⁶ It is too bad for you people when everyone speaks well about you, because the forefathers said the same thing about the false prophets.

⁹ But that person who disowns me in front of people [i.e., denies that I am the Christ, or that he is a disciple. See John 18:15-17, 25-27], will be disowned in front of God’s angels.

⁸ And He replied, “Pay attention, so that you are not led astray [from the truth]. For many [false teachers] will come, claiming to be me, and saying, ‘I am [the Christ],’ and ‘The time is near.’ [But] do not go after them.

¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob --- the God of our forefathers --- has highly honored His servant Jesus, whom you people turned over [to the Roman authorities] and denied [Him freedom] in the presence of [governor] Pilate, who had already decided to release Him. ¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One [His rightful freedom] and asked for a murderer to be released to you [instead].

²⁸ So, pay close attention to your [own] lives, and to all [members] of the flock [i.e., the congregation] of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [i.e., elders, shepherds or pastors]. Provide [spiritual] food for the church of the Lord which He purchased by [shedding] His own blood. ²⁹ [Because] I know that after I am gone [from here] there will be vicious wolves [i.e., ravaging false teachers] who will come in among you, and they will not spare the flock [i.e., the congregation]. ³⁰ [Indeed, even] from among your own selves [i.e., the body of elders there in Ephesus] some men will arise and, by speaking false things, they will lead away the disciples, [influencing them] to follow them.

¹⁸ For such men are not serving our Lord Christ but their own [unspiritual] appetites. They are deceiving the minds of innocent people by their smooth talk and flattering words.

²⁰ for you were bought [by God] for a price. So, honor God with your [physical] body.

²³ [Since] you people were bought for a price [i.e., the blood of Christ], do not become slaves to [other] people.

¹⁹ For it is to be expected [i.e., it is inevitable] that there would be dissensions among you, so that those who are approved [by God] can become known among you.

¹³ For such men are false apostles; they are deceitful workers, who disguise themselves as [true] apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And it is no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light [i.e., someone pure and righteous]. ¹⁵ Therefore, it should not be surprising for Satan’s ministers to disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness. Their [final] end will be what they deserve for such actions.

⁴ For [certain] false brothers, who were secretly brought in to observe us practicing our liberty in Christ Jesus [i.e., by not having Titus circumcised], attempted to place us [back] under the bondage [of Mosaic law keeping].

¹³ Christ bought us back from the curse [caused by our not obeying all the requirements] of the law of Moses; He became a curse for us [by dying on the cross], for it is written [Deut. 21:23], “Every one who hangs on a tree [i.e., a cross] is cursed [i.e., cut off from God].”

¹⁷ Certain people are showing quite an interest in you, but it is not for your benefit. Instead, they are trying to separate you [from me], in hope that you will seek them out [for help].

²⁰ idol worship, occultic practices, hatefulness, dissension, jealousy, angry outbursts, factious spirits, divisiveness, party spirits,

⁷ In [fellowship with] Christ we have redemption [i.e., we have been bought back from Satan] through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins according to the abundance of God’s unearned favor,

¹⁴ Then we will no longer be [spiritual] babies, tossed back and forth [by waves], and blown around by every wind of [false] teaching, [deceived] by the clever trickery of people using deceptive schemes.

¹⁹ Their [ultimate] end is [spiritual] destruction; their god is their appetite; they boast of what they ought to be ashamed of, and they [constantly] think about worldly things.

⁸ Pay attention so that no one takes you [spiritually] captive through his philosophy and empty deception based on human tradition, according to the principles of the world and not according to Christ.

¹⁸ Do not allow anyone, who delights in acting humble [i.e., living an ascetic life] and who worships angels, to rob you of your reward [in heaven]. [Note: This “angel worship” could mean holding angels in high regard because of their role as God’s messengers, or the claim that God can be approached only through angelic intermediaries]. He places great importance on what he [claims to] see [i.e., visions], being inflated with pride by his fleshly mind for no [good] reason.

³ Do not allow anyone to deceive you in any way, for it will not occur until the rebellion comes first and the man of lawlessness becomes evident. [Note: This “rebellion” refers to a significant falling away from the teaching and practice of true Christianity (See I Tim. 4:1), characterized by the rise of an authoritarian religious leader]. This man is doomed to be destroyed ⁴ [for] he opposes [the true Gospel message] and exalts himself against everything that is called “God” or that which is worshiped. So, he sits in God’s temple [i.e., the church ?] displaying himself as [though he were] God. ⁵ Do you not remember that I used to tell you these things when I was still with you? ⁶ [But] for now, there is something holding him back [i.e., holding back the man of lawlessness from emerging, See verses 3-4], and you people know what it is. [It is restraining him] so that he will not be revealed until his own [due] time. ⁷ For this mysterious lawlessness is already at work [or, “this lawlessness is already secretly at work”]; but the one who is holding it back [will continue to do so] until he is removed. ⁸ And then the lawless person [See verse 3] will be revealed, the one whom the Lord Jesus will destroy with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the brilliant appearance of His presence [i.e., at His second coming]. ⁹ The coming [of this lawless person] is according to the work of Satan, [and will be] attended by all kinds of powerful [i.e., miraculous] signs and false wonders, ¹⁰ and all kinds of wicked deception toward those people who are perishing [spiritually], because they refused to love the truth so they could be saved. ¹¹ And this is the reason that God sends them a strong delusion [to influence them]: It is so that they would believe the lie, ¹² in order that all those who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in wrongdoing, would be condemned.

¹ Now the Holy Spirit specifically says that in later times [Note: “Later times” in the New Testament usually refers to the period following the first coming of Christ and the establishment of the church], some people will fall away from the faith [i.e., the true teaching of Christianity]. They will pay attention to deceitful spirits [i.e., lying people] and the teaching of evil spirits. ² [Such teaching will be spread] by hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared over as with a hot iron [i.e., making them insensitive to their guilt]. ³ They forbid people to get married and require them to avoid [eating] certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and [fully] know the truth.

¹² If we endure [i.e., remain faithful through suffering], we will also rule with Him [i.e., both here and hereafter]. If we deny Him, He will also deny us. [See Matt. 10:33]. ¹³ If we prove to be unfaithful [i.e., to our commitment to Christ], He [still] remains faithful [to His word], for He cannot deny Himself. [Note: This verse refers to Christ remaining true to His promise of either accepting or rejecting us. See Matt. 10:32-33].

¹ But you should know this: There will be terrible times in the last days [of the Christian age]. ² For people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, abusive talkers, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ lacking in natural affection, unwilling to be reconciled [to their enemies], slanderers, lacking self-control, brutal, haters of what is good, ⁴ treacherous [i.e., betrayers], reckless, conceited, [and] lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. ⁵ [These people] maintain an appearance of being godly, but they have denied its power; [you should] turn away from such people. ⁶ They are the kind of people who enter homes and influence [morally] weak-willed women, loaded down with sins, [and] led on by all kinds of evil desires. ⁷ They are constantly learning and [yet] never able to arrive at a [full] knowledge of the truth. ⁸ These people oppose the truth just like Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses. They have corrupt minds and are worthless as far as the faith is concerned. ⁹ But they will not advance any farther [in their sin] because their foolish ways will become obvious to everyone, just as those of Jannes and Jambres were.

³ For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound teaching, but will assemble to themselves teachers who will satisfy what their “itching ears” want to hear.

¹¹ They must be silenced [because] they are upsetting entire families by teaching things they should not be for the shameful purpose of making money.

¹⁰ After you have warned a divisive person twice, have nothing more to do with him [i.e., withdraw spiritual fellowship from him].

²⁹ How much more severely do you think a person deserves to be punished who has trampled on the Son of God and has regarded the blood of the [New] Agreement, with which he was set apart for God, an unholy thing and has insulted the Holy Spirit, through whom God’s unearned favor is shown?

⁸ Although you have not seen Jesus, you [still] love Him and believe in Him, and this causes you to have an indescribable, glorious joy.

³ And through greedy desires and deceptive words they will exploit you [for evil purposes]. But the judgment that they have had coming for a long time, will not delay, but will eventually awaken [i.e., arrive] to bring destruction upon them.

¹⁸ Dear children, it is [now] the last hour [i.e., the final period of God’s dealing with people on earth], and since you have heard that an antichrist [i.e., a person who is against Christ] is coming, even now [you should be aware that] many antichrists have [already] come. This is [one way] we know that this is the last hour. ¹⁹ These antichrists left our group [i.e., withdrew their fellowship from us], but they were not [really a part] of us, for if they had been, they would have continued [to participate] with us. But, by their leaving us, it proved that none of them were [really] a part of our group [after all].

²⁶ I have written these things to you people concerning those who are trying to lead you astray [from the truth].

¹ Loved ones, do not believe [the message of] every spirit [i.e., every person claiming to be a teacher], but test the spirits [i.e., require proof that they and their message are genuine] to see whether they represent God [or not], because many false prophets have begun circulating throughout the world.

⁴ For certain men have secretly infiltrated [your ranks]; they are men who had been written about long ago that they should be judged [and condemned] for perverting the unearned favor of our God into [a license for] living unrestrained, indecent lives, and who deny [the identity and work of] our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ for they were saying to you people, “In the last times [See I John 2:18; Heb. 1:1-2] there will be mockers [arise], who will live according to their [own] ungodly desires.”

⁹ I know [about] your suffering and your poverty (but you are [really] rich), and the slander of those who say they are Jews, though they [really] are not, but are a synagogue of Satan [i.e., they claimed to be an assembly of God’s people, but in reality were serving Satan].

¹³ I know where you are living; [it is] where Satan’s throne is. And [I know] that you are holding on firmly to my name, and did not deny [your] faith in me, even in the days of my faithful witness Antipas [Note: The Greek word here for witness is “martyr”], who was killed there where you are, where Satan lives.

⁸ I know about your deeds. (See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can close). [Note: This probably refers to their being assured of some unspecified opportunity]. [I know] that you have [only] a little bit of strength, but [in spite of that] you have obeyed my word and did not deny my name.

⁹ And they sang a new song [which went like this]: “You deserve to take the book and break the seals on it, for you were killed and, with your blood, you purchased people for God from every tribe and language and race and nation,

¹⁴ [And] by being given [power] to perform these signs in the sight of the [first] beast, he deceived the people on earth. He told them to make a statue to [honor] the [first] beast, who had been wounded by a sword and yet lived [through it].