How And Why Is It Better To Have Not Known The Way Than To Turn From It.

[Minister Monardo]

2 Peter 2:

20 For if, after they have escaped the pollution of the world

through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

they are again entangled in them and overcome,

the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known

the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn

from the holy commandment delivered to them.

 

[HTacianas]

2 Peter 2:

20 For if, after they have escaped the pollution of the world

through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

they are again entangled in them and overcome,

the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known

the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn

from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Because they could not return after falling away. It's the same as Hebrews 6:

Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb 6:5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb 6:6 if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

Someone who became a baptized Christian and then fell away could not get back, i.e., renew again to repentance. If they had never known the way of righteousness they would have a chance to repent. But since they had already repented then fell away that became impossible.

 

[One God and Father of All]

2 Peter 2:

20 For if, after they have escaped the pollution of the world

through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

they are again entangled in them and overcome,

the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known

the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn

from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Because those who have not known the way will die and stay dead but those who having known the way and then turn from it will be raised from the dead and then suffer a second death.

 

[Vambram]

Knowledge is responsibility. Once you’ve come to the knowledge of truth, you are responsible. Better really not to know. Jesus in Luke’s gospel chapter twelve spoke about that servant who was given a position of overseeing his master’s goods while the master went to a far country, and when the master didn’t return, when the servant was expecting him, he said, "My Lord delays his coming"(Luke 12:45). And he began to abuse his position, mistreating the other servants, beating them and all. And the master came in an hour when he wasn’t expecting him. And he said, "Bind him up and cast him out. Give him his portion with the unbelievers". For he who knew the will of God and did not accordingly, Jesus said, "will be beaten with many stripes though he who knew the will of God or knew not the will of God yet did things worthy of many stripes will be beaten with few". For whom, to whom much is given, much is required. To whom little given, little required (Luke12:42-48). Knowledge is responsibility. I mean, God holds you responsible for what you know.
It’d be better off to have never known than to know it and then to turn away. To know the truth and then to turn away from the truth puts you under a great jeopardy because now you are responsible. It isn’t sinning ignorantly. It is knowingly.

 

[d taylor]

2nd Peter 2:20,21

Is addressing believers (mature believers) who have forsaken the way of Christ and return to the pollutions of the world. That their state they are in now, they will end up in a worse state. Than they were before becoming believers. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
This verse is not saying that these believer would have been better never believing in Jesus for Eternal life and becoming a born again child of God. The way of righteousness is the mature believer's life and this is what Peter is addressing that they would have been better staying a new believer than becoming a mature believer with great responsibilities (a teacher) in the family of God. Believers being a false teacher is what Peter is addressing, so these mature believers have gone off track and are teaching false doctrine.

In verse 14 Peter calls these believers and are accursed children.

 

[fhansen]

2 Peter 2:

20 For if, after they have escaped the pollution of the world

through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

they are again entangled in them and overcome,

the latter end is worse for them than the beginning.

21 For it would have been better for them not to have known

the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn

from the holy commandment delivered to them.

Because culpability for sin is always based on knowledge-what we know to be right and true-for one thing.