2Peter 2:9-11- Bucking Authorties

9-11 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to revile the glorious ones, 11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a reviling judgment upon them before the Lord.

The three historical examples of judgment brought about by the hand of God - the fall of angels, the flood and Sodom and Gomorrah - are there as examples and as encouragements for the faithful. Peter is exhorting believers to take heart based upon facts that have transpired by the hand of God in history. He will judge the wicked and deliver His people.

He will demonstrate His judgment eventually - in His good time and according to His eternal purposes. Believers should keep on trusting in God to do what is right. God is not without mercy towards men. He waited 120 years before destroying mankind, while Noah both built the ark and preached. In fact, He waited 969 years from the prophetic naming of Methuselah, whose name means "when He dies it will come" - and who died in the year of the flood from old age. He was willing to spare the cities of the plain for 10 righteous, though none were found of their own doing - only righteous Lot, justified through faith in God and because he was joined to Abraham through the promise.

When destruction comes it will be because God’s patience with sinners is not endless. There is a limit which only He knows. But there is a limit. Why trifle with it? Why play roulette with God over the end of the universe? There are terrible verses in scripture which warn of this...

The LORD has made all for Himself, Yes even the wicked for the day of doom. (calamity, evil) {Proverbs 16:4} NKJV

Yet the forbearance and grace of God towards rebellious sinners is great. God could have smitten the Egyptians of the Exodus with plagues that struck the people first - and they would all have died. But he chose to send plagues upon the land and beasts first. He could have destroyed with hail, not only the flax and the barley, but the wheat and the spelt - yet he spared the latter two crops in His grace {Exodus 9:29-31}. God gives a great deal of rope to some, but there is an end to it all. God, Who knows the end from the beginning, has stored up judgment for those who will not repent from the heart.

Here is the truth of the matter. God extends every grace and mercy and forbearance to the natural man - but He alone can save. If any man goes down into the pit it will be because he freely chose to, as all men do, apart from the sweet influences of God’s saving grace. God is not obliged to show mercy and forbearance to any, for all have sinned and come short of His glory - yet in so many cases He does.

This is an interesting and important reference to the nature of ruling passion, and how such uncontrolled lusts and passions are manifested in a rebellious heart. The unruly, uncontrolled heart despises authority. It despises any authority that dares to oppose its desires and, since it is God Who is the ultimate authority, it despises God Himself.

But God has created a universe in which His authority is manifested through a hierarchy of beings. There is an authority structure in heaven, with archangels, seraphim and cherubim. Satan Himself, though a fallen angel, is one of the sons of heaven {Job 1:6,2:1}. Though fallen, He has been given authority upon earth – authority under God. His station, his position, his ordained function carries a certain authority from God Himself. Though Satan is evil, by God’s decree and description, yet even the archangel Michael did not dare to bring against him a railing accusation when disputing with him over the body of Moses, but said, "The Lord rebuke you."

God is the judge. When men bridle against any of God’s ordained authorities, whether civil, federal or spiritual they bridle against the God who ordained them. It is one thing to rebuke sin or evil, but another to mix judgement with it. It is one thing to refer the evils of government to God and another to speak evilly of government oneself. The carnal nature, which we know is governed only by its passions and by nothing or no one else - up to and including God - this nature, in a headlong rush towards self-justification for gratifying its evil desires, will not hesitate to speak evil itself of anything or anyone.

The context speaks specifically of false teachers. Have you not noticed how false teachers rail against others - particularly their critics? False prophets draw attention away from scrutiny of their perverted teachings not by defending what they teach, but by attacking others. This is how those who follow God’s command of testing all things against Biblical truth come to be called bibliolators by those who pervert the truth. This is how prominent so-called healers come to bring curses down upon any one who questions them. These are reviling judgments. They are despising the God-given authority in God’s church that makes all leaders accountable for the gospel that they preach, to be certain that it agrees with the faith once for all delivered to the saints through the Apostles.

Even the angels, which are far more powerful than mere men (though still powerless against God, except where He gives them leave) - even these beings do not express themselves with contempt. The principle of a guarded tongue, of self-control in speech, of circumspection and respect for authorities (however constituted) as being constituted of God - this is evidenced in beings far higher in the power hierarchy than weak, fallen humanity. Are false teachers endowed with more rights than unfallen angels? If, then, the holy angels leave all judgment and chastisement, including the verbal, to God Himself - then how much more ought fallen men to do so?

There is some uncertainty as to what is actually meant here by the words "glorious ones" or, literally, "glories". It might refer to the Apostles, prophets, saints in general or to governmental authorities - all of which are appointed by God Himself. But the principle involved applies regardless of the object(s). The principle is that all God’s creatures ought to recognize in word and deed His divine and sovereign hand in the order of things in the universe. This ought to show in men as it does in the holy angels - by a meek attitude that refers all ultimate judgment to God.

In the context, Peter is pointing out that false teachers can often be known simply by listening to the content and tone of their speech. Do they rail against God’s authorities and His hierarchy? Do their words betray an underlying sense of despite for authority? In speaking what they represent as the "truth" do they do so meekly and lovingly - referring all matters to God Himself - or do they puff themselves up and use vain, self-righteous and derogatory language?