The Dog Is Turned to His Own Vomit Again

Question

What does it hateful that a dog returns to its own vomit (2 Peter 2:22)?

Answer

In 2 Peter two, the apostle Peter deals with the problem of fake prophets and teachers in the church building. He draws a detailed picture of how these pretend believers operate and so true Christians can discern their methods and letters and avoid falling victim to their destructive heresies. Peter emphasizes the severity of the state of affairs: "For information technology would take been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to plough from the holy commandment delivered to them. But it has happened to them according to the truthful maxim: 'A dog returns to his ain vomit'" (ii Peter 2:21–22, NKJV).

These false teachers were acquainted with Jesus Christ'due south work in the church enough to understand the basic principles of discipleship, only they had resisted coming to true faith and repentance (2 Peter 2:17–20). Like many religious people, they had intellectual cognition well-nigh Jesus simply not heart-level, experiential noesis that would crusade them to fully surrender their lives in obedience to Jesus Christ every bit Lord and Savior (see Romans 10:ane–4). They refused to obey Christ's command: "If anyone wants to follow after me, allow him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23, CSB). Instead, they had gone back to their old sinful ways. To illustrate, Peter cites Proverbs 26:11: "Every bit a domestic dog returns to his ain vomit, then a fool repeats his folly" (NKJV).

Peter explains that these false prophets had turned their backs on "the holy commandment delivered to them" (2 Peter 2:21, ESV), which, in New Testament times, was autograph for the entire message of Scripture. They had rejected the whole truth in God's Give-and-take from One-time Testament to New, including the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. They had resumed their sin-filled style of life, returning to what was disgusting like a dog revisiting its vomit.

In today's civilization, dogs are love pets to most, only they were despised in the ancient earth. Dogs roamed in packs, foraged food from rotting mankind and garbage, and were not regarded equally pets. In the Old Testament, dogs were considered unclean, revolting, evil-doing scavengers (Exodus 22:31; 1 Kings xiv:11; 21:19, 23; Jeremiah 15:3; Psalm 22:16). Jesus used dogs and pigs every bit metaphors for unholy people who would mock, refuse, and blaspheme the gospel when presented to them (Matthew 7:vi; 15:26–27). Paul also compared false prophets who had infiltrated the church to dogs, alert Christians to "sentinel out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the mankind" (Philippians 3:2).

Peter seemed certain that any effort at reforming these false teachers would exist a waste material of time. He used disturbingly graphic linguistic communication to portray the absolute depravity of those who turn down Jesus Christ and then spend their lives trying to atomic number 82 the faithful astray. These men were like filthy pigs wallowing in the mud or repulsive dogs eating their own vomit—returning to what is disgusting and vile (2 Peter 2:22). This final comparison is an appropriate elaboration of Peter'southward earlier reference to imitation teachers every bit "brute beasts made to exist caught and destroyed" who "speak evil of the things they do not empathise" (ii Peter 2:12, NKJV). The apostle'south last verdict was that they would "utterly perish in their ain corruption" (2 Peter 2:12, NKJV). These heretics were doomed for destruction.

In 2 Peter 1:5–11, the apostle teaches that perseverance is essential to the Christian life and a mark of genuine faith. There will ever be false prophets and false teachers infiltrating Christ's truthful torso, attempting to trip upwardly and deceive as many as possible (Matthew 24:11, 24; Acts 20:29–thirty; Galatians ane:six–9; 1 Timothy 1:3–7; one John ii:18–19). There will be individuals who announced to be true believers just are non (Matthew seven:21–23; Jude 1:3–four). As a domestic dog returns to his own vomit, there volition be people in the church who "get tangled up and enslaved past sin again" (2 Peter two:22, NLT). Only sincere and steadfast believers who diligently and continuously pursue a life of godliness receive the promised reward of eternal life (Matthew 10:22; 24:12–13; John xv:four–x; Hebrews iii:14; 10:36–38; two Peter 3:eleven–18; 2 Timothy iv:vii–8; James 1:12).

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What does it mean that a dog returns to its own vomit (two Peter 2:22)?

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