2:2 pernicious ways. Especially in the last days, many will follow such false teachers (see also II Timothy 4:3). Today false cults, liberal churches, occult movements, and false doctrines of every sort are proliferating rapidly all over the world, all speaking in the name of “Jesus” or “the Christ” (but never of “our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”).

2:2 evil spoken of. Literally, this means, “blaspheming the way of truth.” In this chapter, as well as other Scriptures, such false teachers are fully described. Some of their characteristics are as follows. They: (1) deny the doctrine of redemption by the blood of Christ (II Peter 2:1); (2) deny the lordship of Christ (II Peter 2:10—in this verse “government” is the same word as “lordship;” this denial is also evident in II Peter 2:1); (3) twist the Scriptures to their own beliefs (II Peter 1:19-21; 3:16); (4) bring in their false teachings subtly (II Peter 2:1—note “privily;” and II Peter 2:3—note “feigned” words, or literally “plastic” words); (5) speak evil or sarcastically of true Biblical doctrine (II Peter 2:2,12); (6) ridicule divinely approved “dignities”—that is “glories” (Greek doxa), possibly God’s holy angels and other representatives of His power (II Peter 2:10-11); (7) covet money and prestige (II Peter 2:3,14-15); (8) are eloquent crowd-pleasers (II Peter 2:18); (9) are deceitful (II Peter 2:13); (10) are lustful and seductive, promoting carnality (II Peter 2:10,14); (11) are thoroughgoing evolutionary uniformitarians (II Peter 3:4); and (12) deny Christ’s bodily second coming (II Peter 3:3-4).