What does "slaves to corruption" mean in the context of 2 Peter 2:19? Setting the Scene • 2 Peter 2 warns about false teachers who secretly introduce destructive heresies (v. 1). • By verse 19, Peter exposes their empty promises: “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves to corruption. For a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.” (2 Peter 2:19) • The phrase “slaves to corruption” sits at the heart of Peter’s concern: outward talk of liberty masking inward bondage to sin. The Word “Corruption” • Greek term: phthóra—ruin, decay, moral degradation, eventual destruction. • Scripture uses it both for moral rot and physical decay: – “having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4). – “the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay” (Romans 8:21). • In 2 Peter 2 it points to spiritual rot that ends in eternal ruin. Slavery in Biblical Language • Slavery is about ownership and control, not mere occasional slip-ups. • Jesus: “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.” (John 8:34) • Paul: “Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?” (Romans 6:16) How False Teachers Become “Slaves to Corruption” 1. Yielding to fleshly passions (2 Peter 2:10,18). 2. Denying the Master who bought them (v. 1). 3. Returning to what Christ delivers from, like a dog to its vomit (v. 22). 4. Being mastered by greed, sensuality, pride—anything that replaces Christ’s lordship. Why Their Promise of Freedom Rings Hollow • They redefine freedom as license—do whatever feels good. • True freedom is deliverance from sin’s dominion, not permission to indulge it. – “For you, brothers, were called to freedom, but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.” (Galatians 5:13) • Because they are still chained to corruption, they cannot impart what they do not possess. Contrast: Genuine Freedom in Christ • Freedom FROM sin’s mastery—“Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” (Romans 6:14) • Freedom TO serve God—“Having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Romans 6:18) • Freedom WITH hope—deliverance from the decay of this fallen world (Romans 8:21). Put It Together • “Slaves to corruption” describes people persistently controlled by sin’s decay, even while they advertise liberty. • Their end matches their master: corruption now, destruction later (2 Peter 2:12). • Followers of Christ escape that bondage by the new birth, ongoing obedience, and the Spirit’s power. • The warning: avoid voices that downplay sin; embrace the gospel that truly liberates. |
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