Week 51 2 Peter 2
Peter is talking about false teachers. He says they are daring & self-willed & they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties. The note in the margin says that ‘majesties’ literally means ‘glories’ (so…angelic glories). When I’ve read this sentence in the past I figured that these false teachers had insulted Good Angels.
I look at another version: these people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at the glorious ones. ‘Glorious ones’ sounds quite a bit like Good Angels to me. But then there’s a footnote that says: “The glorious ones are probably evil angels”. That caught my attention. Are these false teachers mocking out Good Angels or Bad Angels?
I check another version (looking for hints). But all it says is that these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings.
Each of the three versions goes on in the next verse to say that even angels (Good Angels?) don’t accuse or disrespect these Angelic Majesties / Glorious Ones / Celestial Beings (Bad Angels?)
So I’m wondering what’s going on. The idea seems to be that Good Angels don’t abuse Bad Angels. So if they don’t then how do False Teachers get away with doing it?
All I’m left with are two questions: Why don’t Good Angels revile Bad Ones? And why do people who are obviously Bad revile Bad Angels (since you’d think they were both on the same page)?
Note: quotes from 2 Peter 2:10 (NASB NLT NIV) & see 2:11