2Peter
The theme of the book is BE PREPARED.
I. \\#2Peter 1:1-21\\ Christian Character - Any preparation begins from
within. While it is Peter’s desire to get the church ready for the external
dangers that await them, they must first have the right kind of character.
A. \\#2Peter 1:1-2\\ Salutation
B. \\#2Peter 1:3-11\\ Growth in Christ
C. \\#2Peter 1:12-15\\ Goals of Peter
D. \\#2Peter 1:16-21\\ Grounds of Belief
I. \\#2Peter 1:1-21\\ Christian Character
A. \\#2Peter 1:1-2\\ Salutation - Peter greets those reading his letter.
1. \\#1\\ "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ" -
Peter gives four references to himself.
a. "Simon" - His birth name. Peter still remembers who and what he
was born to be. In fact, he will insist that remembering what
God saved us from is essential to being a fruitful Christian
\\#2Peter 1:9\\.
b. "Peter" - Peter is the name Jesus gave to him. Simon had been
changed by Christ. His new name was a constant reminder of the
change Christ made in his life. Peter means ROCK or STONE.
Although Peter got off to a "rocky" start, he was now as solid
as a "rock," and serving his Lord faithfully.
c. "servant" - Peter describes His role. He was a servant of Jesus.
There is no higher calling for a Christian than to serve His
Master.
d. "apostle of Jesus Christ" - Peter mentions his authority. "Apostle"
means MESSENGER and was descriptive of an apostle’s first duty,
that is to tell others of Jesus. In time, the term came to
represent the position of the highest authority within the church.
While some may claim this authoritative title for themselves
today, but they are not true apostles.
2. "to them that have obtained like precious faith" - God is so good to
allow the student to attain the same treasure of faith as the teacher.
Peter, as the teacher, reminds us that we have the same saving and
changing faith as he.
3. "through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ" - Yet
no one has attained that treasure by their own worth or work, but by
what Christ has done for us.
4. \\#2\\"Grace and peace be multiplied unto you" - Two of the essential
attributes of the Christian life.
a. "Grace" - The power and presence of God working in and through us
to accomplish His good will.
b. "peace" - The condition of being right with God, right with others,
and right with self.
c. Grace always precedes peace in the Bible for there can be no peace
unless one has first experienced God’s grace.
5. "through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord"
a. Peter will repeatedly speak of knowledge in the first verses of
this epistle.
b. In this verse, Peter teaches that neither grace nor peace are
possible without a knowledge of God and of what Jesus Christ has
done.
c. Peter is referring to the basic knowledge necessary for salvation.
(1) Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, but
the Word gives faith because it contains knowledge.
(2) Sinners are converted by knowing who God is and what Jesus
Christ has done for them.
B. \\#2Peter 1:3-11\\ Growth in Christ - Peter challenges his readers to do the
work necessary to grow.
1. \\#3\\ The Grant - a privilege, a power, or authority
a. "divine power" - God’s power has given to the Christian a grant or
a privilege.
b. "hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness" - God has granted to Christians everything that relates
to life and godliness. Peter will repeatedly emphasize that the
grant of this power is for living a holy life.
c. "through the knowledge of him that hath called us"
(1) Peter had mentioned the first and most basic level of
knowledge \\#2\\.
(2) Here, he speaks of a secondary level of knowledge.
(3) This knowledge makes it possible for Christians to have all
the things that are necessary for LIFE AND GODLINESS.
(4) God, by His power, has granted to the believer all of these
things, but it is up to the believer to learn of these
gifts and how to use them.
(5) God does not give His power in a random fashion. It goes to
those who devote themselves to seeking God, but what
privileges are granted to those who purpose to do so!
d. "that hath called us to glory and virtue" - This grant from God
will produce a glorious and virtuous life.
2. \\#4\\ The Access
a. "Whereby are given unto us exceedingly great and precious promises"
The grant of power is accessed through the promises in God’s Word.
There is no way to learn about God other than through His holy
Word.
b. "that… ye might be partakers of the divine nature" - Peter
continues to emphasize the purpose of this power. It is so that
we might experience the life-changing nature of God. The Bible’s
adage that we the sons of God is not just a metaphor. Christians
have been born into God’s family and as the child receives the
nature of a parent, so we have received the very nature of God.
c. "having escaped the corruption that is in the world" - Peter is
explaining to the Christian the key to a changed life.
(1) Sinners become Christians by knowing God and what Jesus has
done for them.
(2) All Christians are afforded the privilege and power of God’s
indwelling nature.
(3) They must access that new nature by learning more about God,
and applying the promises of God.
(4) That knowledge will strengthen the nature of God within
them. Thus setting them free from the wicked influences of
this world.
d. "through lusts" - Peter also explains the way the world corrupts
the Christian. It is summed up in one word, "lusts."
(1) The world corrupts its inhabitants by creating unholy desires
within them.
(2) Sadly, it is human nature to see and crave things.
(a) That was Eve’s downfall.
Ge 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was
pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired….
(b) Advertisers spend billions of dollars every year to put
the image of their products before viewers, knowing
that by doing so, they will create a desire within them
to have their product.
(3) Peter does not offer counsel here that will neutralize the
world’s lusts, but it is given in other passages.
(a) Guard what you see.
Psalms 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes….
i. The eye gate is not the only gate by which lusts are
created.
ii. However, it is one of the strongest.
(b) Control your desires.
Proverbs 6:25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take
thee with her eyelids.
i. Humans are emotional beings, but Christians are not
to be controlled by emotions and desires.
ii. Instead, they must control their minds and desires so
that they are thinking and desiring what God wants.
1 Corinthians 9:27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection:
lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a
castaway.
2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience of Christ;
3. \\#5-7\\ The Labor - Christians should not think the victorious
Christian life is easy, for it is not.
a. \\#5\\ "giving all diligence" - The necessary labor is not a
strenuous one; however, it must be consistently applied. It is
the diligence of a faithful Christian will be rewarded with a
changed life.
b. "besides this" - Beside what? Besides gaining knowledge of God
\\#3\\ and applying God’s promises \\#4\\.
c. Peter is about to give an important list of items which need to be
added to every believers’ life.
d. Peter is not just giving a list, he is also giving an order. While
the precise order may not be something we can control to the
greatest degree, we will see that these items build one upon the
other.
e. "add to your faith"
(1) Peter associates having a knowledge of God and His promises
with our "faith." To know God and what He has promised is
a good definition of the Christian faith. Many claim to
be apart of the Christian faith, yet they neither know God
nor His promises.
(2) Peter says the believer is to "add" godly elements to the
basics. Christianity starts with a simple faith, i.e. some
knowledge of God and His promises, then other items are
diligently added to it. In that process, one must careful
not to lose what was previously gained. Christians want to
ADD to the basic faith to build it.
f. "virtue" - What is needed to be added to our simple faith? virtue!
(1) Virtue is moral excellence or purity.
(2) One of the first qualities a new Christian needs to develop is
purity, cleanness, and holiness.
(3) This means working to remove the vulgar, the obscene, the
foolish, and the immodest.
(4) It is sad to see so many who claim Christ but have not learned
the first things about living the Christian life.
Hebrews 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that
one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are
become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
g. "and to virtue knowledge"
(1) Peter continues to emphasize knowledge. There is no
substitute for getting into God’s Word and gaining knowledge
of God. As Christians make basic commitments to live for
and to honor God, He gives more knowledge and understanding.
(2) Having a knowledge of God is what began the Christian
relationship. Adding to that knowledge is what will
strengthen the Christian relationship.
h. \\#6\\ "And to knowledge temperance"
(1) Of course, knowing more means putting more into practice.
(2) Temperance is self control.
(3) When we learn that a behavior is either offensive to God or
desired by God, we must discipline ourselves accordingly.
It is no wonder that this characteristic is one of the first
qualities the Christian needs to acquire.
(4) Remember, this is our LABOR. We are the ones called upon
to "add" these qualities to our character.
(5) This addition is made by a consistent monitoring of ourselves
with a personal demand that we act according to God’s wishes.
i. "and to temperance patience"
(1) Patience is the ability to wait without anxiety.
(2) We must be patient with ourselves as we are learning. Some
change will come instantly, but some change takes time. It
is the consist effort that will change us, not the
frustration of impatience.
(3) God also requires that we learn patience in other areas of our
life. The new Christian will have to learn to be patient
in prayer, patient with others, and patient with
circumstances.
j. "and to patience godliness"
(1) Godliness is God-likeness. It is to be like God.
(2) The qualities that Peter has mentioned (i.e. knowledge,
faith, virtue, more knowledge, temperance, and patience)
are all good qualities, but that does not mean they will
make is the right kind of person. The world population
contains ungodly people who have knowledge, some virtue,
and are patient and self controlled.
(3) Peter is reminding us of our destination. The qualities that
are to be added to our character must make us more like God.
(4) We are commanded to use the Word of God like a mirror
\\#James 1:23-25\\ to see if we becoming more like the image
of God’s Son \\#Romans 8:29\\.
(5) If that is not happening, our labor is vain.
k. \\#7\\ "and to godliness brotherly kindness"
(1) Kindness is that generosity of spirit which makes it
possible for imperfect people to coexist.
(2) Having the adjective "brotherly" added to it might mean that
Peter was thinking more of Christians displaying this
quality to other Christians.
(3) I have often referred to kindness as the lubricant which
makes the church’s existence possible.
(4) Kindness is a combination of tolerance, forgiveness,
patience, mercy, restraint, graciousness, compassion, and
any other quality which will reduce the friction between
individuals.
(5) Christ was certainly kind to us. Now we must add this
quality to our character.
Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
l. "and to brotherly kindness charity"
(1) Charity is love.
(2) Once Christians have learned how to demonstrate kindness to
each other, they should add to their nature the ability to
love and care for all.
4. \\#8\\ The Blessing
a. "if these things be in you, and abound" - Christians are not only
to build these qualities into their character. They are to let
them flourish.
b. "ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ"
(1) Then they will be fruitful. Since fruit is a by-product of
the Holy Spirit \\#Gal 5:22, Eph 5:9\\, this would mean that
they are filled with the Him and that He is accomplishing
His work through them.
(2) Specifically, however, this labor will give more knowledge
of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(3) A pattern concerning knowledge has been developing.
(a) \\#2\\ It was knowledge of Him that brought salvation.
(b) \\#3-4\\ It is an increase in that knowledge that
allowed the use of God’s divine nature to grow
godliness.
(c) \\#5-7\\ It is an increasing knowledge of Him that
continually shapes believers into His likeness.
(d) \\#8\\ And by allowing that likeness to occur, Christians
insure their access to a continuing Source of knowledge.
(4) These means the growth cycle for Christians never ends.
5. \\#9\\ The Fault
a. "he that lacketh these things" - As the last verse describes the
spiritual condition of the believer who adds the god-like
qualities mentioned to their life, so this verse describes the
spiritual condition of those who do.
b. "is blind" - This is spiritual blindness, one who cannot see
himself as he truly is before God.
c. "hath forgotten" - Not only is this person spiritually blind but
his spiritual mind is also challenged in that he does not remember
the important things of his spiritual life.
d. "hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" - He has
forgotten what he was before Christ found and saved him.
6. \\#10\\ The Command
a. "Wherefore" - Peter is going to give a command intended to help
professing Christians from falling into this spiritual condition.
b. "give diligence" - This is one of the godly labors mentioned in the
list of godly qualities \\#5-7\\. To keep oneself in proper
spiritual condition, labor is required.
c. "to make your calling and election sure"
(1) A CALLING is an invitation or call. God has called to the
saved, and they have heard and responded. Each Christian
should be certain it was God they heard. Satan often calls
to lead people on the wrong path.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they
know not the voice of strangers.
(2) ELECTION means to be pre-chosen or pre-determined.
(a) Some take this to mean that some are pre-chosen by God for
heaven or hell.
(b) Yet, Peter’s point is that those who believe they are
Christians but are not growing in Christ should make
certain that they are saved.
i. If ELECTION means pre-chosen for heaven, what good
would it do to make certain you are saved?
ii. If you are saved, you didn’t do anything to get that
way. It was a pre-determined choice of God.
iii. If you are not saved, you cannot do anything about it.
iv. At the most, if Peter’s term ELECTION means
pre-chosen to hell or heaven, one could only gain
knowledge of a condition they have no control over.
v. Personally, if I were lost and could not do anything
about it, I would rather not know it.
(c) Peter’s very command implies that sinners do have input
into their eternity.
i. Peter is challenging each person who believes he is a
Christian, to be certain that he truly
heard God
certain he heard God call and responded correctly to
it; thus making sure he is part of God’s chosen.
(d) The ELECT or CHOSEN are not those God has pre-determined
would go to heaven, but those God has determined to
invite, those—who if they will accept—God has
determined would like His Son.
Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren.
(e) How can we make certain we are of this group? If the
god-like qualities mentioned \\#5-7\\ are in us, we
are God’s. If not, we need to be certain we heard and
responded to the call of God for salvation.
7. \\#11\\ The Result
a. "so an entrance shall be ministered unto you… into the
everlasting kingdom" - Here again, Peter implies our effort will
produce an open door into God’s kingdom.
b. Growing in Christ is a proof that we are God’s.
c. A lack of growth is a warning that we may not be God’s.
d. We need to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith or not.
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your
own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except
ye be reprobates?
e. Why? So that we may do something about it! If you have not been
changed by the power of Jesus Christ, repent of your sins and be
saved.
f. If you will, God will open a door into the kingdom of His Son,
Jesus Christ.
C. \\#2Peter 1:12-15\\ Goal of Peter - What is Peter’s purpose in writing
this epistle? This small section provides the theme for the entire book.
Peter wanted to prepare the church for the now and the future. The theme
of the book is then BE PREPARED.
1. \\#12-13\\ I want you to remember now.
a. \\#12\\ "I will not be negligent" - Peter would not allow himself
to be careless about the matter at hand.
b. "to put you always in remembrance" - It was Peter’s goal to keep
some things in the minds of the believers. While Peter had been
speaking of truths related to growing in Christ, he is now moving
to discuss broader topics, including the surety of Jesus’ person and
life and of warning them of false prophets.
c. "though ye know them, and be established" - Peter knew that he was
not teaching something new or forgotten, but rather something
that was necessary if they were to be ESTABLISHED (strong, sound).
d. \\#13\\ "as long as I am in this tabernacle" - TABERNACLE means
TEMPLE. It is a building used for worship; yet Peter was not
thinking of a building of wood or brick. He was speaking of his
mortal body.
(1) Our bodies are a type of dwelling for our eternal spirits.
(2) Peter was determined to keep the necessity of Christ and
Christian growth before the church.
(3) When we forget where we came from, what Christ as done for
us, and what we must labor to become for Him, we become
worthless believers.
e. "Yea, I think it meet… to stir you up" - Peter was not going to
let that happen to these. He would keep the memories active.
2. \\#14-15\\ I want you to remember then.
a. \\#14\\ "Knowing that shortly I must put off this tabernacle"
Peter knew that the time was approaching for him to leave his
body, that is to die.
b. "as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me" - Peter had been told
by Jesus that he would "be old" and that "another shall gird
thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not."
\\#John 21:18\\
(1) So Peter knew that the Lord’s coming would not occur until
he was older.
(2) But he also knew that after his death, many false teachers
would arise and lead the church astray.
c. \\#15\\ "I will endeavour that… after my decease… have…
these things always in remembrance" - He was attempting to so
ingrain importance truth into their minds, that after his decease
his labor would slow down the inevitable demise of the church.
d. Peter no doubt felt that if but one generation could be saved by
his labor, it was worth his effort.
D. \\#2Peter 1:16-21\\ Grounds of Belief - Before one can have confidence in
what they are told, they must know that what they are told is reliable.
Peter’s readers can trust what Peter has told them….
1. \\#16-18\\ Because of the certainty of what had happened.
a. \\#16\\ "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables" - What
was received was not a fable, legend, or allegory. Peter was
moving beyond the single topic of Christian growth to the very
heart of the matter, the life and person of Jesus Christ. He was
stating that the stories of Jesus were not works of fiction, but
reliable, factual records of truth.
b. "eyewitnesses of his majesty" - Peter would know this because he
was a witness to "the power and coming of… Jesus Christ."
c. \\#17\\ "he received from God the Father honour and glory" -
Peter continued to testify that God magnified Jesus Christ. He
had a specific memory in mind.
d. "there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory" - The
time being referred to was the Mount of Transfiguration when God
set the record straight about Jesus’ identity. Jesus was not
a good man or a prophet. He was and is the Living Son of God.
e. \\#18\\ "we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount" - The
writer again asserts that he knew this to be true because he was
present.
f. These verses make two important points.
(1) The accounts of Jesus that these readers had heard and were
familiar with were not fables, but true accounts of the
person, the life, the death, and the resurrection of the
Christ.
(2) That he knew the accounts to be true because he himself
witnessed them. Seeing that the writer has already identified
himself as Peter the Apostle \\#2Peter 2:1\\, there can be
no question as to who the writer was claiming to be.
g. The writer of this book was asserting that the stories of Jesus
were true because he was there to see them. Some question whether
Peter was the writer of this book. If he was not, then the whole
of the book is based upon a lie and absolutely worthless.
2. \\#19-21\\ Because of the certainty of what will happen.
a. \\#19\\ "We have also a more sure word of prophecy" - Peter turned
his attention from the past to the future. He stated that as
certain as the events of Christ’s life are, Christians can be
even more certain of what God has promised to do.
b. "take heed… like a light… until the day dawn"
(1) Therefore, Christians should hear and trust the prophecies,
as they would trust a lamp to provide light during the dark
hours of the night.
(2) Indeed, prophecy is our light in darkness. Because we know
what is going to happen, we are not given to fear or
uncertainty. Our message and our paths become clear!
c. "the day star arise in your hearts"
(1) The DAY STAR refers to the planet Venus, although it is also
metaphor used to speak of Christ’s coming.
(2) Because of the closeness of Venus (and Mars) to the sun, they
are always located near it in our sky. Both of them are
called the evening and morning stars, because the best time
to see them is either just before the sun rises or just after
the sun sets, depending on their location. When you see
Venus as the MORNING or DAY STAR, you know the sunrise is
soon to follow.
(3) Peter seems to allude to the fact that just before the new
DAY DAWNS (Christ returns), a DAY-STAR will ARISE IN YOUR
HEARTS. Because of prophecy, the believer will be able to
anticipate the coming of Christ—not a day or an hour, but
a general understanding that the time is at hand.
1 Thessalonians 5:4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day
should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are
not of the night, nor of darkness.
Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to
awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
(4) So the promises of God foretell the coming of Jesus. They
are sure and certain and should settle our HEARTS. We can
trust them like a light during the dark hours.
d. \\#20\\ "Knowing this first" - In order to receive due comfort
from the prophetic promises, we must first understand something.
(1) "that no prophecy… is of… private interpretation" - No
prophecy was recorded due to an individual’s personal
understanding or devise.
(2) \\#21\\ "prophecy came not in old time by the will of man"
The Bible is not a book of man-made summations. If so, it
would be nothing more than guesswork and certainly nothing
to comfort the believer.
(3) "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
The Bible is a book of God’s promises. God filled those who
spoke with His Spirit and they spoke and wrote what God
revealed.
Having laid the foundation of God’s reliable Book, Peter will warn his readers of
those who pretend to speak for God but do not.
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