2 Peter 2:17
 
2 Peter 2:17
(KJV) These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
(1611 KJV) These are welles without water, cloudes that are caried with a tempest, to whom the mist of darkenesse is reserued for euer.
(1587 Geneva) These are welles without water, and cloudes caried about with a tempest, to whome the blacke darkenes is reserued for euer.
(1526 Tyndale) These are welles without water and cloudes caried about of a tepest to whome the myst of darcknes is reserved for ever.
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) These people are springs without water, mists driven by a storm. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them.
(NIV) These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
(NASV) These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.
(NLT) These people are as useless as dried-up springs of water or as clouds blown away by the wind--promising much and delivering nothing. They are doomed to blackest darkness.
(ESV) These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved.
(1901 ASV) These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness hath been reserved.
(NLV) Such people are like wells without water. They are like clouds before a storm. The darkest place below has been kept for them.
(HCSB) These people are springs without water, mists driven by a whirlwind. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them.
(NCV) Those false teachers are like springs without water and clouds blown by a storm. A place in the blackest darkness has been kept for them.
(RSV) These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm; for them the nether gloom of darkness has been reserved.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) These people are waterless springs and mists driven by a gale; for them the gloom of darkness has been reserved.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witness) These are fountains without water, and mists driven by a violent storm, and for them the blackness of darkness has been reserved.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
outoi eisin phgai anudroi nejelai upo lailapoV elaunomenai oiV o zojoV tou skotouV eiV aiwna tethrhtai
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
outoi eisin phgai anudroi kai omiclai upo lailapoV elaunomenai oiV o zojoV tou skotouV tethrhtai
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits “for ever”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
 
Affected Teaching
When we look at this verse, we immediately see what is under attack. It is the doctrine of Hell. Unbelievers will be spending an eternity in Hell and 2 Peter 2:17 speaks of the destination of the false teachers. It speaks of them spending an eternity in Hell which is symbolized by the phrase “to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever.” The Gnostics who changed this verse obviously believed that Hell was a non-existent place and if it did exist, then there would be no one spending an eternity there. By the modern versions removing the term “forever” they are attacking the doctrine of eternal punishment. By removing “forever” it can be misconstrued that those unbelievers will be in darkness only for a while and not forever. Just as the true believer has eternal life in Heaven, the unbeliever has eternal punishment in Hell.
 
Origen was one of the chief Gnostics in the Alexandrian school. I want to list 14 of his beliefs and it will give us a good understanding of the mindset which undermines the modern versions. The next time you hear a deluded Bible teacher speak of Origen as a great father of the church, you are now armed with the ammunition you need to refute it.
 
Origen was a heretic and Gnostic and along with Clement of Alexandria helped to corrupt the manuscripts giving us the false versions of today. Here are some of Adamantius Origen's beliefs. When he taught, he wore the pagan robes of the pagan philosopher plus he castrated himself based on his Gnostic views of the evil of the flesh.
 
1) He believed the Holy Spirit was a feminine force.
2) He believed in Soul Sleep
3) He was a very strong proponent of Baptismal regeneration
4) He believed that Jesus was only a created being and Gnosticism taught that Jesus became Christ at his baptism but that he was never God. He was a just a good man with very high morals.
5) He believed in the doctrine of Purgatory
6) He believed in transubstantiation
7) He believed in the transmigration of the soul and reincarnation of the soul.
8) He doubted the temptations of Jesus in Scripture and claimed they could have never happened.
9) The Scriptures were not literal. He was the father of allegory.
10) Genesis 1-3 was a myth, not historical or literal, as there was no actual person named "Adam."
11) Based upon Matthew 19, a true man of God should be castrated, which he did to himself.
12) He taught eternal life was not a gift, instead one must grab hold of it and retain it.
13) Christ enters no man until they mentally grasp the understanding of the consummation of the ages. (It was Frederick Dennison Maurice in the 19th century who defined eternal life as coming to a knowledge of God. This is the essence of Gnosticism.)
14) He taught there would be no physical resurrection of the believers.
 
Origen's belief system clearly indicates that he was a Gnostic Greek Philosopher and not a true child of God. For who can hold these 14 beliefs and still consider themselves saved. The greatest corruption of the biblical manuscripts happened in the 2nd century in Alexandria when the true Antiochan manuscripts were mutilated to adapt to the beliefs of the Gnostics and Arians. A 2nd century heretic named Marcion, discounted Matthew, Mark, and John and only accepted Luke, but only after he "corrected" it to fit his Arian beliefs.
After reading this list of beliefs, how can anyone place their trust in a modern version based upon the doctored manuscripts of the second century Gnostics?

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