“By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2 Peter 2:3).
Our text from 2 Peter 2:3 references “covetousness” as a representative characteristic of false teachers. This word encompasses a wide variety of inappropriate desires and is often associated with its presence within the Ten Commandments: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).
Many translations of this passage employ the word “greed” to convey the idea behind this term. You see, “covetousness” refers to a self-indulgent desire to obtain more of something we already possess. It may also encompass a desire to possess something (or someone) that belongs to someone else. This word is thus used to identify one who is eager to have more, especially what belongs to others. (1)
The New Testament book of Hebrews cautions us against developing an attitude of covetousness when it tells us, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you'” (Hebrews 13:5). Paul the Apostle issued a corresponding reminder to the church at Ephesus when he said, “For this you know, that no… covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God” (Ephesians 5:5).
Jesus also provided us with a warning regarding covetousness, one that revealed the misguided ambitions of those who are driven to accumulate financial wealth and/or material possessions: “…He said to them, ‘Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses'” (Luke 12:15).
The Biblical letter of 2 Corinthians echoes a similar message from Paul regarding those who pursue financial gain under the guise of religion…
“You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us” (2 Corinthians 2:17 NLT).
So, these false teachers took advantage of their followers in order to enrich themselves. (2) The same is true among their modern-day counterparts. A genuine Biblical leader will always point others towards Christ. If a leader’s primary focus is on money or something else, then we must exercise caution to ensure we do not fall prey to various forms of exploitation.
(1) G4123 – pleonektes – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (kjv). (n.d.). Blue Letter Bible. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g4123/kjv/tr/0-1/
(2) See Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald Barclay Allen, and H. Wayne House, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers, 1999), 1696.