The following comparison chart shows that both Peter and Jude were describing the exact same group of people. They used some of the exact same words to describe them, and some of those words aren’t used anywhere else in the whole Bible.
Peter foretold it as future, Jude exposed it as taking place soon thereafter.
| Second Peter | Jude | Notes |
| 2:1: But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among YOU, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, | Verses 3-4a, “contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to all the saints BECAUSE there are certain men crept in unawares, who were of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness… | *”privily” and “unawares are the same basic word in Greek, appearing nowhere else in the New Testament. |
| 2:1 denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. | 4b: denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” | |
| 2:3: And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. | Verse 16: These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. | |
| 2:4: For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; |
6: And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. |
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2:6-8 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: Â (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) |
7: Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities round about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. | |
| 2:9-10 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 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. |
Verse 8: “Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile* the flesh, despise dominions, and speak evil of dignities.
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*”uncleanness” in Greek is a form of the word translated “defile.” *Guy N. Woods admitted these were “parallel passages,” that is, speaking about the exact same topic. [notes on 2 Peter 2:10] |
| 2:11: Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusations against them before the Lord. | Verse 9: Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed over the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said “the Lord rebuke thee.” | |
| 2:12: But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not, and shall perish* in their own corruption*. | Verse 10: THESE speak evil of things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt* themselves.
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* “perish,” “corruption,” and “corrupt” all come from the same basic Greek word. |
| 2:13: And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots are they, and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you.* | Verse 12a: THESE are spots in YOUR feasts of charity, when THEY feast with YOU,* feeding themselves without fear.
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* The word translated “feast with you” appears nowhere else in Scripture but these two places. |
| 2:14: Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin: beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children. | Verse 4: …ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness.
Verse 11: …they ran greedily after the error of Balaam… |
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| 2:15-16: 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, but was rebuked for his iniquity; his dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet. | Verse 11: Woe unto them! Because they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah. | |
| 2:17: These are wells without water, clouds that are carried about with a tempest: to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever.
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Verse 12b: Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.
Verse 13: Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. Â |
*The “mist” of darkness is the identical phrase in Greek to the “blackness” of darkness.
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| 2:18a: they speak great swelling words of vanity,
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Verse 16: THESE are murmurers, complainers walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. | *The phrase “great swelling words” comes from one Greek word that appears only in these two verses. |
| 2:18b they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them that live in error. | Verse 4: For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord into lasciviousness…
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“wantonness” and “lasciviousness” are the same word in Greek. |
| 3:1: This second epistle, beloved, I write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance | Verse 5: I will therefore put you in remembrance, though once you knew this… | |
| 3:2: That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior. | Verse 17: But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. | |
| 3:3: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.
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Verse 18: How that they told you there should be mockers in the last days, walking after their own ungodly lusts.
Verse 16: THESE are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts…
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*The words “scoffers” and “mockers” are the same word in Greek, and that word appears nowhere else in Scriptures. |
| 3:4: saying Where is the promise of his coming?
3:7: the heavens and earth which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. |
Verses 14-15: Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of THESE, saying “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. |
Conclusion:
Peter and Jude are describing the exact same people.
-Bradley Cobb