The second chapter of 2 Peter centers on false prophets and teachers. Peter describes them as sensual, greedy, using people to gain their own ends, and having no esteem for authority (including God’s). He warns of the dangers that come from such people. Here’s how Peter describes them in verses 13b-14: “They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!” (ESV) In studying this book there were two things that particularly struck me in these two verses.
The first is in the phrase, “They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime.” The word “revel” implies indulgent pleasure, softness, luxuriousness. What intrigued me was that my dictionary said the root of the word means to break up, or to enfeeble—especially the mind and the body through indulgence. I know my own tendency to want the soft, easy choices in life—one that is supported by a message from the world that I deserve to be indulged. But at the cost of enfeebling my own mind and body? Seems a bit pricey—it makes indulgence seem less attractive.
The second thing I noticed was that these people have trained their hearts in greed. Whether or not any of them initially set out to deceive and exploit others (verse 3), they made choices along the way that did train their hearts in greed—even if unintentionally. If I do not wish to be like them, I need to train my heart differently. I choose to think of the goal as training my heart in righteousness, which opposes both self-indulgent pleasures and greed.
I find practical application is easy to find for these verses. Opportunities for indulgence abound, which in turn gives many opportunities to train my heart in righteousness. Here’s a couple of examples. I took a quiz to see how susceptible I was to food addiction—I scored a 9 out of 10—and I’m changing the way I eat. Also, when it’s too hot/cold to take a walk, I’m learning to walk anyway. These are not matters of righteousness, but they do train me to make choices based on something besides my desires. In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul said, “I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.” All my choices, not just the “spiritual” ones, can serve to train me in greed or in righteousness. The apparent freedom of self-indulgence is not freedom at all, it is slavery. In 2 Peter 2:19 it says, “They promise them [the people they are seeking to deceive] freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.” Remembering the cost of indulgence can help remind me to seek God’s help when the right choice is hard.
Marion, I won’t ask you for that indulgence quiz, but I think that is one good reason for fasting regularly (and frequently), and other periodic self-denials. We don’t want to be too attached to food and drink and other natural pleasures. These are not bad in themselves, but we need to practice doing without them. “Trained in greed” – ouch. The only way I can think to be trained in greed is to get whatever I want when I want it. The way to be trained in not-greed, then, would be to deny myself many things, and to be generous. Thanks for the sharing.