For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

2 PETER 2:20KJV
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2 Peter 2:20 (KJV)

What does 2 Peter 2:20 mean?

2 Peter 2:20 warns that if people who have learned about Jesus Christ and escaped the corrupt ways of the world return to those same harmful behaviors and are overcome by them, their situation becomes even worse than before they first knew Christ. The verse stresses the seriousness of turning back to old, destructive patterns after knowing the truth.

Peter is writing to early Christians, cautioning them about false teachers and the danger of falling back into sinful ways after experiencing the freedom that comes from knowing Jesus. The verse highlights the real risk and consequences of abandoning the new life they have found, making it clear that returning to former ways is not just a setback but a deeper loss.

The Greek behind 2 Peter 2:20

  • "Pollutions" (μίασμα, miasma): This word refers to moral defilements or corruptions, not just physical dirt. Peter is pointing to the deep, corrupting influences of the world that believers had escaped.
  • "Entangled" (ἐμπλέκω, emplekō): The Greek word carries the sense of being caught up or ensnared, like being trapped in a net. It suggests that returning to old ways is not a casual slip but a real entrapment.
  • "Knowledge" (ἐπίγνωσις, epignōsis): This word means a full or deep knowledge, not just surface awareness. Peter is emphasizing that these people truly understood who Jesus is, making their return to corruption more serious.

Why 2 Peter 2:20 matters

  • This verse clarifies that knowing about Jesus and experiencing change is not a guarantee against falling back into harmful ways; there is an ongoing need for vigilance.
  • It highlights the seriousness of turning away after truly understanding Christ, showing that the consequences are even greater than before.
  • The verse connects to Peter’s larger warning against false teachers, stressing that their influence can lead believers not just astray, but into a worse state than before they believed.

Where else these words appear

“are” Greek G1707 · used in 2 verses

  • 2 Timothy 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

“escaped” Greek G668 · used in 3 verses

  • 2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
  • 2 Peter 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

“overcome” Greek G2274 · used in 3 verses

  • 2 Corinthians 12:13 For what is it wherein ye were inferior to other churches, except it be that I myself was not burdensome to you? forgive me this wrong.
  • 2 Peter 2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

“worse” Greek G5501 · used in 11 verses

  • Matthew 9:16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.
  • Mark 2:21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
  • John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.