2 Peter 2:1 - William Tant

2 Peter 2:1. "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you ; who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction." Here the apostle does not mean that the false teachers, of whom he speaks, were bought by the precious blood of Christ; but that ancient Israel was bought by the Lord, and ancient Israel being bought, the false prophets who were among them were bought too. Israel was bought in a fourfold sense ; first, by the destruction of Pharoah and his host ; thus God gave the lives of the Egyptians for the life of his, own people, and so the Psalmist sings, " he redeemed them from the hand of the enemy ; and the waters covered their enemies," Psalm cvi. 10, 11. Secondly, by the destruction of the Canaanitish nations, for " there was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Iiivites the inhabitants of Gideon : ill other they took in battle. For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that lie might destroy them utterly, and that they might have no favour, but that he might destroy them, as the Lord commanded Moses," Joshua xi. 20. ; so " he gave them the lands of the heathen : and they inherited the labour of the people," Psalm cv. 44. Thirdly, by the destruction of Babylon, for says the prophet, " Babylon, the glory of the Chaldees' excellency, shale be as when* God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah," Isaiah xiii. " And I will rise ap against them, saith the Lord of Hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water and'I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of Hosts," chap. xiv. All of which came to pass through the instrumentality of Cyrus the Persian, who was anointed or qualified for the work ; and saith God, " be shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives," Isaiah xlv. 13. And fourthly, by the destruction of all the enemies of Israel, who occasionally made war against them, for "their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their bands:- but " many times did he deliver them," Psalm cvi. 42, 43. And the false prophets among Israel " brought upon themselves swift destruction ;" for God had commanded Israel to put every false prophet to death, Deut. xiii. 5. In consequence of which command, Elijah was justified in putting Baal's four hundred and fifty prophets to death, I Kings xviii. 40., and Jehu acted right in putting all Baal's prophets to the edge of the sword, 2 Kings x. 25. So the apostle here says, " there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, and like the false prophets of old, shall bring upon themselves swift (or sudden and unexpected) destruction."