2 Peter 2:18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error.
This verse makes Peter’s thoughts clear. We move past the images and get right to the heart of the matter. In case any of the readers were getting lost in the metaphors, this verse makes the problem plain. The teaching of the false prophets and teachers contains empty and boastful words. They are empty because there is no power to them. They are merely human thinking. There is no divine power behind them. They might be based on human logic or reasoning, or they could be based on selfish motives. The word “boastful” suggests that pride is part of the problem. Whenever pride is part of the equation, the lusts of the flesh are not far behind. Pride is the primary feeder of lust. The words of these false teachers especially appeal to those who are weak in their faith, the “baby” Christians who are not firmly planted in the deep truths of the gospel. These are new Christians who have recently escaped from the world. They are weak because they can be easily enticed. These new believers need to be discipled and trained so that they can discern truth from a lie.
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