2 Peter 1:1-11
Notes
Transcript
Background
2 Peter is the second letter that we have from the Apostle Peter in the New Testament, and is unfortunately, and unjustifiably, given a bad rap by modern Protestantism. The overall theme of the book is that believers ought to continue faithfully in the truth as they await Christ’s return.
1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
AUTHOR
AUTHOR
2 Peter was attributed by the early church to the Apostle Peter, who identifies himself in verse 1.
This is debated by modern liberal scholars who think the language does not match that of a Jewish fisherman, or his first epistle.
They believe it was written by someone claiming to be the Apostle in order to use his authority and credibility to influence the next generation.
This belief wrongly assumes that the purpose of the letter is to point people to the authority of the church, seeing as how the Catholic church identifies Peter as its first Pope.
At the risk of jumping ahead, we know this letter was written near the end of his life (as seen in v. 14). This means he was in Rome when he wrote it.
Why does all of this matter? Because if the Apostle Peter was not the author, then the author was deceptive and this book should be ignored.
Furthermore, it calls into question the reliability of the entirety of Scripture.
We don’t know for certain the geographic location of his recipients, but we do know they were believers, and probably Gentiles who were given a faith of the same “kind” as his (Jewish).
7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Based on 3:1, this was most likely the same audience of 1 Peter.
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen
RECIPIENTS
RECIPIENTS
As we will see throughout this letter, Peter is attempting to encourage believers to persevere (“be diligent”) in the face of false teachers, naysayers, and those lacking in faith.
Peter tells these believers that they received their faith by the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Jesus here is called “our God and Savior.” This is significant because it validates the divinity of Jesus and the Trinity.
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
What is the righteousness of Christ?
16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.
20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
We can have faith in Christ because of what He’s done for us.
We can have faith in Christ because of what He’s done for us.
Christ did the work, we just put our faith in His work, and we receive His righteousness.
We must know what He has done for us so that we can put our faith in Him.
By knowing what He’s done, and putting our faith in His work, we receive His righteousness. This enables us to live a life of godliness through our knowledge.
We are called to a life of righteousness.
It is God’s will for us to conform to Christ and His godliness.
We are promised all of this, and eternal life.
Notice that if we become partakers of these promises, it is presupposed that we’ve escaped the corruption of the world.
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Notice here that there is a list of qualities that believers are to BE DILIGENT in living out.
It all starts with faith. As we’ve seen, faith is only possible because of what Christ has done.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
We do not boast in righteous lives we live; righteousness is only possible through Christ.
From faith comes moral excellence, or virtue.
This too comes from Christ (v. 3).
Virtue leads to knowledge. This implies learning.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
Knowing God leads to greater grace and peace (v. 2).
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
It is in this sense that we are to love God with our minds.
30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
With knowledge comes self-control.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
Self-control is a result of living with the Holy Spirit.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Having self-control allows us to persevere in difficulties.
3 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
Jesus Himself said:
19 “By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Persevering leads to godliness, being like Christ, who is Himself like God.
7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you,
8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you;
9 not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example.
1 Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Imitating Christ means that we will love one another.
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Ultimately, in maturity we will love as God loves.
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
The evidence of our faith shows through in our lives.
The evidence of our faith shows through in our lives.
Peter contrasts those who possess these qualities against those who lack them - useful and fruitful, versus spiritually blind and forgetting that they’ve been purified from sin.
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
Once again we are to BE DILIGENT in what we do, so that we might be certain of God’s calling in our lives.
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Remember that we do these things not to earn our salvation, but BECAUSE of our salvation.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age,
13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,
14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Notice that maturing in Christ leads us to the blessed hope for the future - the return of Christ and entrance into the eternal kingdom. Remember this point!
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
We can have faith in Christ because of what He’s done for us.
The evidence of our faith shows through in our lives.
Next week, we will continue through 2 Peter.
Communion: We practice open communion, which means if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, you may join the church in taking the Lord’s Supper. Communion is a practice of remembering what Christ has done by eating and drinking, and we are told that we must examine ourselves in the taking of communion, so that we do not eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner. Take this time to examine yourself before we take communion together.
23 For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread;
24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.