2 Peter 2:15
“Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →They have abandoned the straight path and wandered off, following Balaam, who loved the profit of wrongdoing.
What Does 2 Peter 2:15 Mean?
Peter names a biblical parallel. These teachers "have forsaken the right way" — the straight path — and "gone astray." They walk "the way of Balaam," the ancient prophet "who loved the wages of unrighteousness," willing to misuse his gift for money. Balaam becomes the pattern of religious talent corrupted by greed.
The image of forsaking and wandering captures the tragedy: these are people who once knew the right way and deliberately left it. Balaam is the fitting emblem — a man with genuine prophetic ability who loved payment more than God, willing to be hired against God's people. Greed, again, lies at the root. Peter warns that gifting is no guarantee of faithfulness; a teacher can speak true-sounding words yet have a heart set on gain. The believer is steadied by knowing the difference: the right way is forsaken not by accident but by loving the wrong wages. Faithfulness keeps to the path even when the world offers a richer detour.