“For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20).
2 Peter 2:20 is a complex passage that will benefit from a careful and thoughtful analysis. We can begin by saying that those who know Jesus but have yet to fully embrace Him in faith are at a heightened risk of falling prey to heretical teachers. This brings us to a point that bears repeating: it is of utmost importance to read the Biblical Scriptures, for it enables us to familiarize ourselves with the person of Christ. Those Scriptures also demonstrate why He is worthy of our trust.
Next, we should consider the nature of the word “knowledge” as used here in 2 Peter 2:20. That word is epignosis in the original language of this passage. This implies a depth of understanding regarding Christ that goes beyond a superficial awareness. Instead, this word highlights the accuracy and precision of that understanding. This hypothetical scenario from 2 Peter 2:20 thus involves those who have an accurate knowledge of Christ but have not yet placed their trust in Him.
One Biblical scholar helps clarify these distinctions…
“…they are not saved, only professing Christians. They are said to have had a knowledge of the Lord Jesus. It is one thing to know Him personally, as a believer does, and another to know of Him, namely, the facts about Him, and to give a mental acquiescence to these, as an unbeliever does. Such a knowledge resulted in their escaping the pollutions of the world.” (1)
Another source adds, “The implication is not that these people necessarily knew the Lord (in the sense of being saved), but that they were in the circle of those who had embraced Christ as Lord and Savior.” (2) The point is this: those who fail to act on their knowledge of Christ by placing their faith in Him are in a precarious position. If they should fall back into the entanglements of a world that has abandoned its Creator, they will find themselves in a worse condition than they were before.
How might that place someone in a worse condition? Well, Jesus answered that question in the following excerpt from His parable of the faithful and evil servants: “Much is required from those to whom much is given, for their responsibility is greater” (Luke 12:48 TLB). This carries important implications, and we’ll examine some of those implications next.
(1) Kenneth S. Wuest, Word Studies in the Greek New Testament [note on 2 Peter 2:20-21] Copyright © 1942-55 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
(2) NET Bible notes on 2 Peter 2:20 https://classic.net.bible.org/bible.php?book=2Pet&chapter=2&mode=print