From a letter written by Simon Peter
to believers everywhere
The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.-2 Peter 2:9-16
These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped after the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.-2 Peter 2:17-22
Background information:
The divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible reveal that the angel of the Lord spoke to Hagar after Hagar was mistreated by Sarah (Sarai) and bolted away. Hagar was an Egyptian, and was Sarah's maidservant and was pregnant. The father of the child in Hagar's womb Abraham (Abram the Hebrew), Sarah's husband. Hagar returned to Sarah, according to the words of Lord God spoken by the angel, and Ishmael was born to Hagar and 86-year-old Abraham. Before the Lord God rained fire and brimstone out of the heavens upon Sodom and Gomorrah, and the surrounding region, Abraham guided 2 visitors, angels, towards Sodom, and the Lord God revealed his plans to Abraham. In Sodom, Abraham and Sarah's nephew Lot spoke to the 2 angels and brought them inside his house. The angels told Lot about Sodom's upcoming destruction, and they led Lot, his wife and their 2 daughters out of the house and city. Lot's wife looked back and became a pillar of salt. Lot and his daughters settled in a cave, and Moab and Ben-ammi were born. Moab, the forefather of the Moabites, was born to Lot and Lot's oldest daughter, and Ben-ammi, the forefather of the Ammonites, was born to Lot and Lot's youngest daughter. Isaac was born to 100-year-old Abraham and 90-year-old Sarah. During a feast to celebrate Isaac being weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael's behavior and told Abraham to cast out Hagar and Ishmael. The Lord God spoke to Abraham, and Abraham sent Hagar and Ishmael away from their home. In the desert wilderness of Beersheba, the angel of God spoke from heaven to Hagar. When Abraham and Isaac were upon a mountain in Moriah, and Abraham was ready to offer Issac as a burnt offering, according to the command of the Lord God, the angel of the Lord spoke from heaven to Abraham. Isaac was 40 years old when he was married to Rebekah, Abraham and Sarah's grandniece. Fraternal twin son Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) were born to 60-year-old Isaac and Rebekah. Esau was Isaac's favorite, and Jacob was Rebekah's favorite. After Rebekah prompted Jacob to deceive Isaac, and cheat Esau, and Rebekah learned that Esau planned to kill Jacob, she spoke words to Isaac that led him to send Jacob from their home in Canaan to Rebekah's family in Padan Aram, Haran. During the journey, Jacob was asleep in Bethel (Luz) and saw, in a dream, the angels of God upon a ladder, and the Lord God speaking to him. During Jacob's 7th year in Haran, he was married to Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Rebekah's brother Laban the Syrian (Aramean). Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and daughter Dinah were born to Jacob and Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born to Jacob and Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. Joseph was the 1st son born to Jacob and Rachel. After Joseph's birth, Jacob made a deal with Laban, and Jacob grew wealthier. During Jacob's 20th year in Haran, the Lord God told Jacob to return to Canaan, and Jacob spoke to Leah and Rachel and told them the words that the angel of God and the Lord God told him, and Jacob began journeying home to Canaan with his family, servants, animals, and possessions. In Mahanaim, Jacob saw the angels of God. Near Bethlehem, Benjamin was born to Jacob and Rachel, and Rachel died. When Joseph was 17 years old, his brothers sold him to merchants traveling to Egypt and led Jacob to believe that Joseph was killed by a wild beast. The merchants sold Joseph to Potiphar, an Egyptian official. Potiphar's wife made a false accusation and Potiphar put Joseph in prison. At least 2 years after Joseph explained the meaning of a dream to the imprisoned cupbearer who served Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and explained the meaning of a dream to Pharaoh's imprisoned baker, 30-year-old Joseph explained the meaning of a dream to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh proclaimed Joseph second-in-command. After the 2nd time that Joseph's brothers were in Egypt during a famine to buy corn, Joseph identified himself to his brothers and told them to move to Egypt with their families, including Jacob. Pharaoh heard about the reunion and expressed his generosity and hospitality. In Beersheba, Jacob offered sacrifices to the Lord God, and the Lord God spoke to 130-year-old Jacob. In Egypt, Jacob proclaimed Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons born to Joseph and his wife Asenath, to be his own sons, and the tribe of Joseph became the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Ephraim. Sometime after 147-year-old Jacob died in Egypt, and Jacob's family buried his body in Canaan, and 110-year-old Joseph and his siblings were dead, their descendants the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt. Miriam and her younger brothers Aaron and Moses were born into the tribe of Levi. When Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83, the Lord God sent them to speak to the Israelite elders and Pharaoh. After the Lord God brought the 10th and final plague upon Pharaoh and Egypt, Moses and Aaron led the Israelites, and those with them, away from Egypt, across the divinely parted Red Sea, and into the desert wilderness of Shur. In the desert wilderness of Sinai, in the region of Mount Sinai, the Israelites heard the voice of the Lord God proclaim the Ten Commandments to them, and the Lord God began giving Moses judgments, statutes and laws for the Israelites, and the Lord God made a covenant with the Israelites, and the Israelites said that they would obey the words of the Lord God. During the 40-year journey to Canaan, the Promised Land, Miriam the prophetess died and was buried in Kadesh, in the desert wilderness of Zin. Upon Mount Hor, 123-year-old Aaron the high priest died. King Balak, ruler of the Moabites, heard about the Israelites and their recent victory over the Amorites, and sent messengers to with a payment to Balaam, a known diviner (soothsayer), to bring him to curse the Israelites. The Lord God spoke to Balaam, and Balaam obeyed the Lord God and refused to go with the messengers. Balak sent another group of messengers to Balaam, and the Lord God gave Balaam a command, and Balaam went with the messengers. During the journey, Balaam's donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and went into the field, and against the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot. Balaam hit the donkey a 3rd time, and the Lord God opened the donkey's mouth, and the donkey spoke to Balaam. Balaam spoke to the donkey, and the Lord God opened Balaam's eyes and Balaam saw the angel of the Lord. The angel of the Lord spoke to Balaam, and Balaam spoke to the angel of the Lord, and obeyed the angel of the Lord, and went to Balak, and obeyed the Lord God, and eventually perceived that it pleased the Lord God to bless the Israelites. Amid the battle between the Israelites and the Midianites, the descendants of Abraham and his 2nd wife Keturah and their son Midian, the Israelites killed Balaam. When Moses went upon Mount Nebo, the Lord God showed Moses the Promised Land, and 120-year-old Moses the prophet died, and was divinely buried. Joshua, Moses' aide and successor from the tribe of Ephraim, led the Israelites across the divinely parted Jordan River and onto the land that the Lord God promised to give to Abraham, and Isaac, and to Jacob, and their descendants. Over 1,300 years after 110-year-old Joshua died, and was buried in his tribe's portion of the Promised Land, John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, were born. John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi to Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and his wife Elizabeth (Elisabeth). Jesus the Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. Approximately 30 years after John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ were born, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, and testified that Jesus is the Son of God. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men, including Simon Peter, to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites. Less than 3 1/2 years after Jesus was baptized, Jesus was betrayed by Judas Iscariot the disciple and apostle, and Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, seen by over 500 people, including Simon Peter, and returned to heaven. Simon Peter became a leader among the believers, and saw a divine vision and revealed the good news of Jesus, the Christ, to a group of Gentiles, people not born into the Israelite tribes, and wrote at least 2 divinely inspired letters to believers.-Genesis 11:26-50:26, Exodus, Numbers 20:1-27:23, Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12, Joshua 1:1-4:24, 23:1-24:33, Judges 1:1-2:23, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra 1:1-11, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1:1-15:41, Galatians 1:1-2:21, 1 Peter, 2 Peter
Reference Information
ass = hypozygion/hupozugion = donkey, beast of burden
beguiling = deleazontes/deleazo = enticing, entrap
dignities = doxas/doxa/dokeo/doksa = glorious ones, glory, glories
exercised = gegymnasmenen = gumnazo/gumnos = trained
forbad = ekolysen/koluo = restrained, hinder
government = kyriotetos/kuriotes/kurios = authority, rulers, dominion
mist = zophos = gloom
natural = aloga/alogos = irrational, unreasonable
railing = blasphemon/blasphemos = reviling, blasphemous
reward = misthon/misthos = wages
riot = tryphen = revel, debauchery, carousel
sporting = entryphontes/entruphao/entryphao = reveling in, engaging in self-indulgence
spots = spiloi = blots, stains
swelling = hyperonka = huperogkos = arrogant, oversized
taken = halosin/halosis/haliskomai = caught, capture
wantonness = aselgeiais/aselgeia = filth, lasciviousness, violent spite that rejects restraint, sensuality
Reference Scriptures
As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.-Proverbs 26:11
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.-Jude 1:8-13
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