I am not intending this as a Calvinism debate, although it obviously is relevant for that discussion.
I'm interested in hear perspectives on the proper interpretation of 2 Peter 2:1 (KJV) "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."
Who are these people? What does "denying the Lord that bought them" mean? In what sense were they bought? Is this an incorrect line of thinking? (If so, what is the proper alternative?)
There is no Calvinist debate.
Denying Adamic sin is evidence of Adamic sin.
Adam preceded Calvin by a number of years.
Evidence of Adamic sin is the premise of the phase:
even denying the Lord that bought them;
...
Being Purchased and "bought" by Jesus Christ is not intended;
even denying the Lord that bought them;
not the Lord Jesus Christ
bought them,
but God the Father "
bought" them;
in the sence of the word, "bought", shown, below:
(... for the word (kuriov) is not here used, which always is where Christ is spoken of as the Lord, but (despothv);
... and which is expressive of the power which masters have over their servants {i}, and which God has over all mankind
and wherever this word (despothv) is elsewhere used, it is spoken of God the Father, whenever applied to a divine person,
as in (
Luke 2:29 ) (
Acts 4:24 ) (
2 Timothy 2:21 ) (
Revelation 6:10 ) and especially this appears to be the sense, from the parallel text in (
Jude 1:4 )
where
the Lord God denied by those men is manifestly distinguished from our Lord Jesus Christ, and by whom these persons are said to be
bought:
...the meaning is not that they were redeemed by the blood of Christ,
for Christ is not intended;
...and besides, whenever redemption by Christ is spoken of, the price is usually mentioned, or some circumstance or another which fully determines the sense; see (
Acts 20:28 ) (
1 Corinthians 6:20 ) (
7:23 ) (
Ephesians 1:7 ) (
1 Peter 1:18 1 Peter 1:19 ) (
Revelation 5:9 )
....whereas
here is not the least hint of anything of this kind: add to this, that such who are redeemed by Christ are the elect of God only, the people of Christ, his sheep and friends, and church, and
who are never left to deny him so as to perish eternally;
... for could such be lost, or deceive, or be deceived finally and totally by damnable heresies, and bring on themselves swift destruction,
Christ's purchase would be in vain, and the ransom price be paid for nought;
...
The Divine Interpretation
of the word, "bought", in 2 Peter 2:1;
....but the word "bought" regards temporal mercies and deliverance, which these men enjoyed, and is used as an aggravation of their sin in denying the Lord;
...
both by words, (Evidence of UNSAVED Adamic sin is the premise of the phase) delivering out such tenets as are
derogatory to the glory of the divine perfections, and
which deny one or other of them, and of his purposes, providence, promises, and truths;
...
and by works, (Evidence of UNSAVED Adamic sin is the premise of the phase) turning the doctrine of the grace of God into
lasciviousness, being disobedient and reprobate to every good work;
...
that they should act this part
against the Lord who had made them, and upheld them in their beings
and took care of them in his providence,
and had followed them with goodness and mercy all the days of their lives;
...
The Divine Old Testament Teaching:
...just as Moses aggravates
the ingratitude of the Jews in (
Deuteronomy 32:6 ) from whence this phrase is borrowed, and to which it manifestly refers:
"do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise! is not he thy Father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee?" nor is this the only place the apostle refers to in this chapter, see (
2 Peter 2:12 2 Peter 2:13 ) compared with (
Deuteronomy 32:5 )
and it is to be observed, that the persons he writes to were Jews,
who were called the people the Lord had redeemed and purchased, (GENERALLY SPEAKING,
as compared to most all Hethendom, etc.)
(
Exodus 15:13 Exodus 15:16 ) and so were the first false teachers that rose up among them;
and therefore this phrase is very applicable to them: adapted from:
2 Peter 2:1 - Commentary & Verse Meaning - Bible
