II Peter 2:13 · Bible study
2 Peter 2:13 Commentary: Reveling in Deceit at the Love Feast
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine 2 Peter 2:13: false teachers revel in daytime as spots and blemishes, feasting with believers amid deception.
Research Summary
- Meaning: False teachers will face divine punishment; they shamelessly indulge in luxury, defile the church, and abuse fellowship meals with their deceit.
- Key words: μισθὸν ἀδικίας (wages of unrighteousness), τρυφή (luxurious living), σπίλοι/μῶμοι (spots/blemishes), ἀπάται/ἀγάπαι (deceivings/love feasts variant).
- Main debate: The text-critical choice between ‘deceivings’ (ἀπάταις) and ‘love feasts’ (ἀγάπαις) and what it implies about the false teachers’ behaviour at Christian meals.
- Theological theme: The certainty of divine retribution for hypocrisy that infiltrates the church, and the call to maintain purity in fellowship.
- Best use: A warning passage for congregational discernment and discipline; also a pastoral text for preaching on the seriousness of sin in community life.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deception as they feast with you.
WEB World English Bible 2000
receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you;
KJV King James Version 1769
And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing; men that count it pleasure to revel in the day-time, spots and blemishes, revelling in their deceivings while they feast with you;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
about to receive a reward of unrighteousness, pleasures counting the luxury in the day, spots and blemishes, luxuriating in their deceits, feasting with you,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
receiving [the] reward of unrighteousness; accounting ephemeral indulgence pleasure; spots and blemishes, rioting in their own deceits, feasting with you;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Receiving the reward of their injustice, counting for a pleasure the delights of a day: stains and spots, sporting themselves to excess, rioting in their feasts with you:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Recibiendo el galardón de su injusticia, ya que reputan por delicia poder gozar de deleites cada día. Estos son suciedades y manchas, los cuales comiendo con vosotros, juntamente se recrean en sus errores;
Recebendo o pagamento da injustiça, tendo como prazer seus maus desejos durante o dia, sendo manchas e defeitos, tendo prazer em seus enganos, participando do banquete convosco;
recevant ainsi le salaire de leur iniquité. Ils trouvent leurs délices à se livrer au plaisir en plein jour; hommes tarés et souillés, ils se délectent dans leurs tromperies, en faisant bonne chère avec vous.
und den Lohn der Ungerechtigkeit davonbringen. Sie achten für Wollust das zeitliche Wohlleben, sie sind Schandflecken und Laster, prangen von euren Almosen, prassen mit dem Euren,
En zullen verkrijgen het loon der ongerechtigheid, als die de dagelijkse weelde hun vermaak achten, zijnde vlekken en smetten, en zijn weelderig in hun bedriegerijen, als zij in de maaltijden met u zijn;
Essi trovano il loro piacere nel gozzovigliare in pieno giorno; son macchie e vergogne, godendo dei loro inganni mentre partecipano ai vostri conviti;
I odniosą zapłatę niesprawiedliwości jako ci, którzy mają za rozkosz każdodzienne lubości, będąc plugastwem i zmazą, rozkosz mają w zdradach swoich z wami bankietując:
Они получат возмездие за беззаконие, ибо они полагают удовольствие во вседневной роскоши; срамники и осквернители, они наслаждаются обманами своими, пиршествуя с вами.
行的不義，就得了不義的 工價。這些人喜愛 白晝 宴樂，他們已被玷污，又有 瑕疵，正與你們 一同坐席，就以 自己的 詭詐 為快樂。
For the evil which overtakes them is the reward of their evil-doing: such men take their pleasure in the delights of the flesh even in the daytime; they are like the marks of a disease, like poisoned wounds among you, feasting together with you in joy;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · II Peter 2:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse describes false teachers whose behavior is both shameless and self-destructive. The opening phrase, ‘receiving the wages of unrighteousness’, connects directly to Balaam in verse 15, as Vincent points out: μισθὸν ἀδικίας appears in Peter’s speech about Judas (Acts 1:18) and again here, linking greed with divine recompense. The present participle κομιούμενοι (being about to receive) signals a future certainty, not a present experience: the punishment is already owed and will be paid.
The daytime revelry is taken by Clarke, Barnes, and Wesley as deliberate shamelessness, ‘they glory in doing it in the face of the sun’ (Wesley). Calvin and the Cambridge Bible also note that τρυφήν suggests luxurious, delicate living rather than wild riot, yet the fact that it happens ‘in the daytime’ marks a contempt for ordinary decency. The nouns σπίλοι (spots) and μῶμοι (blemishes) are rare in the New Testament, appearing together elsewhere only in Ephesians 5:27 of Christ’s spotless bride; here they are applied to the false teachers themselves, indicating they are a disgrace to the assembly (Barnes, Gill).
The final clause ‘reveling in their deceptions while feasting with you’ contains a well-known textual variant (ἀπάταις vs. ἀγαπαῖς). Most commentators (Clarke, Barnes, Gill) note that the context, feasting together, strongly suggests the love feasts (agapae) of the early church. Even if the reading ‘deceivings’ is retained, the scene is the same: these teachers turn a sacred meal of brotherhood into an occasion for sensual indulgence and deceit.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Deceivings reading (ἀπάταις): Supported by the majority of Greek manuscripts; emphasizes that the false teachers' revelry is wrapped up in the very lies they propagate (Barnes, Vincent).
- Love feasts reading (ἀγάπαις): Supported by some early versions and the parallel in Jude 12; clarifies that the location of the sin is the sacred fellowship meal (Clarke, Cambridge Bible, JFB).
- Daytime as 'for a day' interpretation: Calvin, JFB and others argue from the word τρυφήν (‘delicate living’) that the phrase may mean ‘luxury for a day’ rather than ‘in broad daylight,’ emphasizing the transience of the pleasure.
- Misreading of 'suffering wrong' (ἀδικούμενοι): A few early manuscripts read ἀδικούμενοι rather than κομιούμενοι, making the false teachers victims of injustice rather than perpetrators; this is rejected by most modern editors (Vincent, NA28).
What is clear: The false teachers are condemned for shameless self-indulgence that defiles the Christian fellowship, and they will certainly receive the judgment their unrighteousness deserves.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Textual variant: deceivings (ἀπάταις) vs. love feasts (ἀγάπαις) | The context is clearly a Christian fellowship meal (the love feast), and even if the reading is ‘deceivings,’ the sin occurs during such a meal. | Many ancient manuscripts and versions (Vulgate, Syriac, Sahidic) read ‘love feasts,’ while the majority of Greek manuscripts read ‘deceivings.’ Some scholars argue for ‘love feasts’ as original (Clarke, Cambridge Bible, JFB); others retain ‘deceivings’ as harder reading (Barnes, modern critical texts). |
| Receiving the wages of unrighteousness (κομιούμενοι μισθὸν ἀδικίας) | The phrase links to Balaam (v. 15) and indicates that sin carries its own reward of judgment; it is a future certainty. | The participle is present tense in form but may express destined future action (Vincent). Some read it as ‘suffering wrong as the hire of wrong-doing’ (ASV, following a variant ἀδικούμενοι); a minority of manuscripts support this reading, making the false teachers victims rather than perpetrators. |
| Daytime revelry (τρυφήν in the daytime) | Reveling during daylight is a mark of exceptional shamelessness, since night was the usual time for debauchery. | A few interpreters (Calvin, JFB, Cambridge Bible) allow the translation ‘luxury for a day’ (transient indulgence), emphasizing the fleeting nature of their pleasure rather than the time of day. This reading draws a parallel with Esau’s ‘one meal’ (Hebrews 12:16). |
| Spots and blemishes (σπίλοι καὶ μῶμοι) | The false teachers are morally corrupt and also defile the church; they are a disgrace to the Christian name. | Some focus on the personal defilement of the teachers themselves (Gill); others emphasize the corporate stain they bring on the community (Barnes, Cambridge). Both are present in the metaphor. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The ‘feasting with you’ in verse 13 points to the early Christian agapae, or love feasts. As the Cambridge Bible explains, these were social meals that expressed the new brotherhood in Christ, where rich and poor sat together. They were often connected with the Lord’s Supper, as seen from the disorder at Corinth (1 Corinthians 11:20, 22). The false teachers of 2 Peter participated in these gatherings, abusing them for self-indulgence. This was not a private party but a fellowship meal that testified to the unity of the Body. To turn it into a scene of revelry was to profane something sacred.
Rioting ‘in the daytime’ carried special weight in the ancient world. Night was the usual time for revels and banquets (1 Thessalonians 5:7; Romans 13:13). To hold a drinking party in broad daylight was a sign of utter moral abandonment. Clarke notes: ‘Most sinners seek the secrecy of the night; but these take the open day.’ The Greek word τρυφή (truphē) means softness, luxurious living, even effeminate indulgence (Thayer). It appears in Luke 7:25 of ‘those who live delicately’, a lifestyle of pampered self-gratification. The false teachers prized this fleeting pleasure as their highest good (Calvin).
The nouns ‘spots’ and ‘blemishes’ carry sacrificial echoes. In the Old Testament, animals offered to God had to be without spot or blemish. The Church is described in Ephesians 5:27 as being presented holy and without defect. Here, the false teachers are themselves the stains, they defile the community. The imagery is powerful: what should be pure and whole is marred by their presence. The early church struggled to maintain purity in fellowship, and this verse is one of the strongest warnings against allowing corrupt members to share the common table as if nothing were wrong.
Textual Notes
The most significant textual issue in 2 Peter 2:13 is the variation between ἀπάταις (deceivings) and ἀγάπαις (love feasts) in the phrase ‘reveling in their own deceivings’ (NASB/ESV) or ‘in their own love feasts’ (Vulgate, Syriac, Sahidic). Several commentators (Clarke, Barnes, Gill, JFB, Cambridge Bible) note the variant. The manuscript evidence is divided: the majority of Greek manuscripts support ἀπάταις, but the earliest and best witnesses (including Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus) read ἀπάταις as well, while a later tradition favors ἀγάπαις, likely influenced by the parallel in Jude 12, where the reading is ‘love feasts.’ The context of feasting together makes ‘love feasts’ the virtual sense even if the text reads ‘deceivings.’ Modern critical editions of the Greek New Testament (NA28, UBS5) adopt ἀπάταις but note the variant. The consulted sources indicate no other significant textual variants in this verse.
Reception History
Early church writers such as Ignatius and Tertullian reference the love feasts (agapae) that were part of Christian worship in the first three centuries, and this verse was naturally read in that context. The fourth-century Latin translation (Vulgate) rendered the phrase as ‘in their own love feasts,’ which influenced Western exegesis for centuries. Medieval commentators often used the verse to warn against hypocrisy at the Eucharist. During the Reformation, Calvin and Wesley both stressed the shamelessness of daytime revelry as a sign of a hardened conscience. In modern scholarship, the textual variant has received the most attention, but the pastoral application remains constant: the church must guard its fellowship from those who would use it for selfish gain. The verse has been invoked in debates over church discipline, the purity of communion, and the danger of false teachers within visible congregations.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Wages already owed. The false teachers are ‘receiving the wages of unrighteousness’, a debt that divine justice will not forget. The Balaam connection (v. 15) underscores that greed and sin carry their own payment, both now and at the judgment.
- Shameless indulgence. Reveling in broad daylight rips away any pretense of secrecy. These teachers do not hide their sin; they parade it. This is a heart so hardened that it calls evil good.
- Spots at the feast. They participate in the love feasts of the church yet remain a blot on the fellowship. Their presence tests the church’s discernment and calls for holy boundaries.
Five-point outline
- Certain punishment. Justice is coming; the wages of unrighteousness will be paid in full (Isaiah 3:11; Romans 2:8, 9).
- Deliberate shamelessness. Daytime revelry shows they ‘declare their sin as Sodom’ (Gill). They no longer care about public opinion or God’s honour.
- Personal and corporate defilement. They are spots and blemishes, both morally corrupt in themselves and a disgrace to the body they infect.
- Deception at the table. Whether ‘deceivings’ or ‘love feasts,’ the point is the same: they use the most intimate Christian fellowship to gratify their own desires and mislead others.
- A warning to the faithful. Peter’s readers are not passive observers. The presence of such teachers in their midst calls for vigilance, discipline, and a renewed love for truth.
Illustration hooks
- The church potluck that stops feeling like family. Most have experienced a fellowship meal where someone’s conversation or behaviour makes others uneasy. This verse captures that tension: the meal meant for love gets twisted into a platform for ego or greed.
- Public scandal in a small town. Think of someone who openly flouts community standards, boasting about what others hide. The shame is not just personal, it stains the whole group that tolerates them.
- The employee who steals but still attends the office party. They receive the reward of their dishonesty during the workday and then show up smiling at the holiday dinner, pretending all is well.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know if a teacher or leader is genuine? What are the signs of hidden corruption?
- Should we allow someone with a scandalous lifestyle to participate in our church meals and fellowship?
- What does it mean to ‘receive the wages of unrighteousness’ if they seem to be prospering right now?
Leading a Discussion
The false teachers in 2 Peter 2 were not outsiders, they ‘feast with you.’ Their sin was not hidden but flaunted in broad daylight. This passage forces believers to ask hard questions about discernment, fellowship, and the cost of tolerating sin in the community. As you study, remember that Peter’s goal is not to make us suspicious of everyone, but to protect the church from those who would use Christian love as a cover for self-indulgence.
Discussion questions
- Read the verse carefully. What does the phrase ‘wages of unrighteousness’ suggest about the connection between sin and its consequences?
- Why is reveling ‘in the daytime’ singled out as especially shocking? How does this contrast with the way the New Testament describes Christian behaviour (see Romans 13:13)?
- The terms ‘spots’ and ‘blemishes’ are used elsewhere of Christ’s sacrifice and the church. What is the effect of applying them to false teachers?
- The textual variant between ‘deceivings’ and ‘love feasts’ changes the surface meaning. How does each reading affect your understanding of the sin described? Which one better fits the context of feasting together?
- In what ways can church fellowship meals or celebrations be misused today? How can we keep them as genuine expressions of love?
- How can a congregation lovingly confront someone who is disrupting fellowship with deception or shameless behaviour? What principles from this passage should guide that process?
- Verse 13 ends with ‘while they feast with you.’ What does this tell us about the danger of assuming everyone at the table is a faithful follower? How does this challenge our comfort?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Song of Solomon 4:7 | You are all beautiful, my love. There is no spot in you. |
| Isaiah 3:11 | Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them, for the deeds of their hands will be paid back to them. |
| Romans 2:8 | but to those who are self-seeking and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath, indignation, |
| Romans 2:9 | oppression, and anguish on every soul of man who does evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. |
| Romans 13:13 | Let’s walk properly, as in the day; not in reveling and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and lustful acts, and not in strife and jealousy. |
| I Corinthians 11:20 | When therefore you assemble yourselves together, it is not the Lord’s supper that you eat. |
| I Corinthians 11:22 | What, don’t you have houses to eat and to drink in? Or do you despise God’s assembly and put them to shame who don’t have enough? What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don’t praise you. |
| Ephesians 5:27 | that he might present the assembly to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that these sinners shock even hardened morals by flaunting their vices in broad daylight. He also observes a significant textual variant: many manuscripts read "love feasts" instead of "deceivings," suggesting these individuals were corrupting the church's sacred gatherings with their behavior.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that these people deliberately turn Christian fellowship feasts into occasions for sensual indulgence, doing so with shameless purpose to lead others into sin. He contrasts them with the Corinthians, who sinned through ignorance. Their behavior is a scandal to the faith, and since divine justice is not fully executed in this life, it demands future punishment.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin argues that these people place their entire happiness in present, fleshly pleasure, which he sees as sinking to the level of beasts. Humans, he notes, are meant to think beyond the moment. He calls them corrupting blemishes in the community, defiling others through their open indulgence and lascivious behavior.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator highlights the historical setting of the love-feasts (Agapae) as the scene of the false teachers' misconduct. Even with a textual variant, the context points to these early Christian fellowship meals, which were meant to unite rich and poor but became occasions for indulgence and impurity.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes point out that these ungodly people treat daily luxury as their greatest pleasure, yet they are actually spots and blemishes within the fellowship. Their delight in deception while sharing meals with believers reveals that they receive the just reward for their
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that these false teachers sin openly, without shame, indulging in sensual pleasures even in broad daylight. He notes that they take sport in their own self-deceptions, and some manuscripts read "love feasts" instead of "deceivings," indicating they scandalized the church's fellowship meals with their intemperance.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
The commentators note that these people treat sin itself as their wages: unrighteousness becomes its own punishment. Their revelry is not confined to night but openly indulged in daytime, counting temporary pleasure as their highest good. They are stains and disgraces to the church, luxuriating in their own deceptions even while joining the love-feasts.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the stark contrast between false teachers and even the angels, who show restraint. These teachers, by contrast, act like brute beasts, driven by corrupt desires and speaking arrogantly against what they do not understand. Their certain destruction is made worse by their having known the way of righteousness and then turning from it.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights the shamelessness of these people: they openly sin in broad daylight and even boast about it. He calls them stains on any church, people who mock those they deceive while also joking their own souls into ruin. Their pleasure is not just sin, but brazen, public sin with a mocking laugh.