2 Peter 1:12-21

​Growing in the Gospel

Growing in the Gospel

Tebow wake up call/ almost missed the bus.

1. We must be awakened by the gospel. 12-15

The “therefore” (dio, v. 12, NRSV) points back to all of vv. 3–11.

Christ has given believers everything they need for life and godliness and has called them by his powerful grace (vv. 3–4). Such grace serves as an incentive for a godly life of virtue (vv. 5–7), and a life of godliness is necessary for entering the eternal kingdom (vv. 8–11).

The paragraph has one basic point: to remind believers to keep pursuing a virtuous life.

The truth they know cannot be limited to mental comprehension, for the truth grasps and strengthens them; it grants them the power to live in a way that is pleasing to God. The truth “has come” (parous) to them and belongs to them (cf. ).

Reminding the readers is urgent because Peter's body was subject to death, and he would soon die. We are not surprised, therefore, that the focus is on the function of reminders. Even though believers are already firmly established in the truth, they need to be “stirred up” or “aroused” (diegeirein) by reminders.

Reminders arouse and provoke believers, prompting them to prize the gospel afresh.

Illus

***more than just a daily vitamin. The gospel changes how we see everything.

Peter thought of the future usefulness of what he wrote.

2. We must have assurance in the gospel. 16-18

Illus: eyewitness testimony--wreck happen.

Peter begins to respond to those who were deflecting his readers from their eternal reward.

The false teachers doubted the future coming of Jesus Christ, apparently maintaining that life will go on as it always has (3:3–7).

SONG:

What a foretaste of deliverance How unwavering our hope Christ in power resurrected As we will be when he comes

If there is no second coming or judgment, Peter's emphasis on pursuing godliness diligently to receive an eternal reward collapses.

Living a godly life is optional, to say the least, if one's heavenly destiny is not involved.

We see from v. 16 that the false teachers rejected the idea of a future coming of Jesus Christ as a fable.

The church is founded on apostolic tradition and teaching.

What the apostles preached, then, was the powerful future coming of the Lord.

Peter insisted, however, that the apostles did not trade in myths. On the contrary, they were “eyewitnesses of his majesty.” The apostolic teaching is anchored in history. Presumably, Peter could have replied that it is irrelevant whether Jesus would return physically. What matters is the spiritual truth that God controls the future. But Peter was concerned about historical facticity.

17

Peter was an eyewitness to the Transfiguration that's found in ; ; and

The details differ slightly but are insignificant.

What Peter emphasized is the honor and glory given to Jesus at the transfiguration because such honor and glory looks forward to and will be replicated at the second coming.

The transfiguration seems at first glance to be a strange event to verify the truth of Christ's future coming. We should note, however, that in all three of the Synoptic Gospels the transfiguration immediately follows the declaration that God's kingdom will come with power, suggesting that the transfiguration represents and anticipates Christ's powerful coming

The transfiguration, then, is a manifestation of the coming of the kingdom. Peter recalled the event because it anticipates Christ's glory when he returns.

While Jesus goes to the cross, God reveals the future glory that will belong to Jesus, a prophecy of what is to come. This glory will be manifested publicly at his future coming, and so Peter rightly appealed to it to defend the powerful coming of the Lord Jesus.

3. We must be attentive to the gospel. 19-21

Illus: OT Kings...reading of the law...lost until Josiah

We must be people of the book.

I used to hate reading....

Peter employed a second argument supporting the future coming of the Lord. The apostolic interpretation of the prophetic word (i.e., the OT Scriptures) confirmed at the transfiguration verifies that the Lord will come in salvation and judgment.

***Verse 19b contains the main point of the argument and the central point of the entire letter thus far. Since the transfiguration indicates the proper interpretation and verification of the prophetic word, believers should pay careful attention to that word, for it is like a lamp illumining the darkness.

Verse 19b contains the main point of the argument and the central point of the entire letter thus far. Since the transfiguration indicates the proper interpretation and verification of the prophetic word, believers should pay careful attention to that word, for it is like a lamp illumining the darkness.

Believers will need that word for direction until the day of the Lord comes.

The logical relationship between vv. 19 and 20 is that we must pay attention to the prophetic word and use it as the criterion of our thinking because prophecy is not a matter of private interpretation. The reason for this is stated in v. 21. Prophecy is not rooted in the will of human beings, but men spoke from God as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit.