2 Peter 2:10
“But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Judgment falls especially on those who indulge corrupt desires and despise authority, being arrogant and self-willed.
What Does 2 Peter 2:10 Mean?
Peter sharpens his focus onto the false teachers "chiefly." They "walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness" — driven by defiling desire — and they "despise government," rejecting rightful authority. He calls them "presumptuous" and "selfwilled," so brazen they "are not afraid to speak evil of dignities," slandering even exalted beings without reverence or fear.
Two marks expose these teachers: unbridled sensual appetite and contempt for authority. They live to gratify the flesh and bow to no one, treating themselves as the final measure of all things. Their fearless slander of "dignities" reveals a heart with no awe before what is greater than itself. Peter draws the believer's eye to these warning signs. A teacher who indulges the flesh and despises all authority, however confident, is not to be followed. True followers of Christ are marked by the opposite — purity and humble reverence — for the Lord they serve was Himself humble and pure.
In the Original Language
authades (αὐθάδης), 'selfwilled' — arrogantly self-pleasing, determined to have one's own way without regard for others.