Fleshly Desires & Despising Authority (part 1)

…especially those who indulge their fleshly desires and who despise authority. – 2 Peter 2:10 (NET)

How should we go about interpreting and understanding what it is that is being communicated in this second chapter of second Peter? When we read about the indulgence of fleshly desires and the despising of authority, we are tempted, through our training in modern-day Christendom, to understand this according to “spiritual” things. In so doing, “fleshly desires” become those “sins” of which we desire to partake, and “despise authority” is understood as rebellion against our pastors and church leaders, that are attempting to get us to live “holy lives.” However, as we look through this chapter, is it not possible to see traces of that first-century revolutionary fervor and messianic expectation and ongoing desire for rebellion against Rome that was so incredibly rampant? Might it be possible to place this writing in a historical context, and thereby gain a better understanding of the message of the Gospel (Jesus is Lord and King)? Let’s find out.

The author writes, “But false prophets arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you” (2:1a). Simple enough so far, as past is prelude to present for his readers. It is said that “These false teachers will infiltrate your midst with destructive heresies” (2:1b), which is what false teachers are generally in the habit of doing, “even to the point of denying the Master Who bought them” (2:1c). Clearly, the “Master” here is Jesus. What is the denial of Jesus? It is the denial that He is the Messiah. If one denies that Jesus is the Messiah, the natural corollary is to continue looking for, and pointing to potential messianic figures, that can rise up to overthrow Rome through military might. We can see ongoing evidence of this for over one hundred years after the death and Resurrection of Jesus.

Just as there were messianic claimants and attempted revolutions before Jesus, so there were messianic claimants and attempted revolutions after Jesus. The re-subjugation of Palestine between 66 and 70AD, which included the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, was the result of these continued movements. Owing to this, one could certainly speak of “destructive heresies.” Going on, we read “As a result, they will bring swift destruction on themselves” (2:1d). This is both prophetic and eminently practical. Because by all estimates, the four hundred ninety years of Daniel had come and gone without any discernible actions that would demonstrate that God had vindicated His people by placing Israel, under their messiah, as the head of all nations, a denial that Jesus was the Messiah would only lead to furious and fervent actions on the part of His people (Israel) to take it upon themselves to prove their God’s covenant faithfulness, doing so by taking up arms against their oppressors in the tradition of the Maccabees of old (2nd century BC).

We go on to read, “And many will follow their debauched lifestyles. Because of these false teachers, the way of truth will be slandered” (2:2). Remember, this false teaching is predicated on denying the Master, which is the denial of Jesus’ Messianic claims and status. Certainly, one could say that denying Jesus, which would entail the denial of His Resurrection as His vindication, would be a slandering of the way of truth. Further, it is said that “in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words” (2:3a). What was it for which they might be greedy? Power? Money? Absolutely. The deceptive words that Jesus was not the Messiah, coupled with a play on the emotions of people in conjunction with the promises of their God, would make it relatively easy to exploit the people to band together and to rise up to achieve the ends desired by these false teachers.

What is said of such people, who deny the Master with destructive heresies, slander the way of truth, who indulge in fleshly desires for power and human glory, who despise authority (as we think about Paul’s repeated demands to respect governmental authority), and lead God’s people into debauched lifestyles that are not in accordance with God’s intentions for His people and the kingdom model established through Jesus? “Their condemnation pronounced long ago is not sitting idly by; their destruction is not asleep” (2:3b).