The next two chapters set before us, on the other hand, the two forms of
evil that characterise the last days-the false and corrupt teaching of bad
men, and the unbelief which denies the return of the Lord on the ground of
the stability of the visible creation. The former really denies the Master
who bought them. It is no question here as to the title of the Lord, nor of
redemption. The simile is of a master who has purchased slaves at the
market, and they disown and refuse to obey him. Thus among the converted
Jews there would be false teachers, who disowned the authority of
Christ-His rights over them. Many would be led away by them; and as they
bore the name of Christians, the way of truth would be bought into
disrepute by their means; while in fact, by their covetousness and
hypocritical words, they would make merchandise of Christians for their
private gain, count them as mere instruments of it. But the resource of
faith is always in God. Judgment would overtake them. The examples of the
fallen angels, of Noah and the deluge, of Lot and Sodom, proved that the
Lord knew how to deliver the righteous out of their trials, and to reserve
the unrighteous for the day of judgment.
That which would characterise this class of evildoers would be the
unbridled license of their conduct. They would indulge their carnal lusts,
and despise all authority in a way that angels would not dare to do. Still
they would call themselves Christians and associate with Christians in
their love-feasts, deceiving their own hearts, addicting themselves
continually to evil, promising liberty to others, but themselves the slaves
of corruption.
Now, to be thus re-entangled in evil, after having escaped it through the
knowledge of the Lord and Saviour, was worse than if they had never known
any thing of the way of truth. But it was according to the true proverb-The
dog had returned to his own vomit, and the sow that had been washed, to her
wallowing in the mire. They were apostates therefore, but here the Spirit
of God does not so much point out the apostacy as the evil, because the
government of God is still in view. In Jude the apostacy is the prominent
thing. Peter tells us that the angels sinned; Jude, that they kept not
their first estate. But God will judge the wicked.
