2 Peter 2:20-21

‘The wicked ways of the world’ refers to all the people, societies and governments in the world who oppose God. The false teachers had once escaped from these wicked ways. They had learned about the *Lord Jesus Christ. They had learned about God’s laws. The false teachers claimed to have special ‘knowledge’. But this only affected their minds. Their actions showed that they did not really know Jesus. When people become true Christians, it affects their spirits. And it affects their desires too. The false teachers had returned to the wrong way of life. They allowed their evil desires to control them again. The word ‘catch’ describes how a trap catches an animal. Then it cannot escape.

Many wicked people had not known about God. They did not know how to live in the right way. The false teachers had once known the right way to live (see verse 2). But they left it. God frees people from their *sins by Jesus. A wicked person could learn about God. He could ask God to forgive his *sins. But the false teachers had known about God. However, they refused to obey God’s holy laws. This was far worse because God could not free them. Peter may have been thinking about a story that Jesus told. A man removed one evil spirit that was in him. But he left the place empty. Then seven more evil spirits came into him (Matthew 12:43-45).