Chapter 1:

- a straight forward general open letter teaching

Chapter 2:

- a warning against false teachers

Chapter 3:

- a warning about the Lord's return.

COMMENT :

Chapter 2 in particular, we may find rather heavy and we may wonder, "Is this relevant to me today?" The answer has got to be "Yes!" for two reasons.

First, because all Scripture is still inspired by God and useful for teaching, coreecting etc. (2 Tim 3:16,17), and second, because there will always be the threat of people teaching wrong things in the Church, and therefore we need a call to be alert to watch out for what others are saying. The twenty first century is no different from the first century in this respect.

So should you find it particularly heavy, simply ask the Lord to make it even more alive to you than usual!

Chapter: 2 Peter 1

Passage: 2 Peter 1:1,2

A. Find Out:

1. How does Peter describe himself? v.1a

2. To whom does he write? v.1c

3. How had they received it? v.1b

4. What does he want for them? v.2a

5. How will it come? v.2b

B. Think:

1. How does Peter's description of himself differ from his first letter?

2. How does his description of who he is writing to differ?

3. How does his blessing differ?

C. Comment:

Let's note first of all, the way Peter describes himself. He calls himself Symeon (oldest versions), a name only used of him in Acts 15:14 when he is described as the apostle who opened the door to the Gentiles. He thus associates fully with his Gentile readers. ‘Simon Peter' has an air of humility about it as it reminds us of the name used most when he was a failing disciple of Jesus in the Gospels. With that air of humility he also calls himself a servant (or slave) of Jesus. Then, and only then, comes the designation ‘apostle'. He comes as one who is a redeemed sinner, one who has been bought with a price and is thus a slave owned, and finally as one who was sent out by his Lord, as a slave on an errand.

To whom does he write? To all who are Christians, perhaps especially to Gentile Christians (does “as ours” mean “as the Jewish Christians had received”? v.1c). Why Christians? They alone can be described as the ones who have “received a faith”… “through the righteousness of.. God”. It is by God's righteousness that we have the faith we have.

Finally note his blessing which is unique in the New Testament in that he tells HOW grace and peace comes. Paul often says it comes from God, Peter adds from “the knowledge of God”. Ponder that!

D. Application:

1. Greater awareness of God brings greater humility.

2. Grace and peace come through the experience of “knowing” God.

Chapter: 2 Peter 1

Passage: 2 Peter 1:3-4

A. Find Out:

1. What has given us what? v.3a

2. How? v.3b

3. How did he call us? v.3c

4. What has he given us and how? v.4b,a

5. With what 2 results? v.4c

B. Think:

1. What are the resources we have according to these verses?

2. What do they bring about?

C. Comment:

In these two verses we have a wealth of truth. To start with let's consider WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US. First of all Peter speaks about God's divine power. Christianity is first of all a power religion, it is people changed, not by their own efforts or desires but by the power of God. It says how to live and then provides the power to do it.

But then he speaks about it being “through our knowledge of Him”. This is not knowledge about but of God, i.e. experiencing Him. It is as we encounter God Himself that we experience this power, for the power IS God Himself. Christianity is an encounter religion.

And so, if we are not sure of this, Peter reminds us that God has promised us these things. We know these things are for us because God has promised them in His word previously (e.g. Jer 31:31-34, Ezek 36:24-27). The Old Testament is full of God's promises now fulfilled.

So let's consider the other side of the coin, the EFFECT ON US. Because we encounter Him, it means we actually share in the divine nature (v.4), He has put part of Himself in us, that is the power we have. That power enables us to live the lives He has called us to, to be godly (v.3) expressing God in all we do and we allow His Spirit to lead us. As we do this we find we escape the distorting and polluting effects of sin in the world, because sin has no room in us, because we do not allow the old self-desires to reign in us any longer. Wow! Isn't that great!

D. Application:

1. Christianity is about “knowing” God. He is in you - fact!

2. Christianity is about letting God express Himself through you. Do it!

Chapter: 2 Peter 1

Passage: 2 Peter 1:5-11

A. Find Out:

1. What are we to seek to add to faith? v.5-7

2. What will happen if we increase these things? v.8

3. What does it mean if we don't have them? v.9

4. What does Peter exhort us to do? v.10a

5. What two things will happen if we do the above things? v.10b,11

B. Think:

1. Can you see any flow in the list Peter gives?

2. What are “negative” and positive results of doing these things?

C. Comment:

Let's consider the things Peter says we are to add to our faith.

a) goodness, that quality of being in line with God's perfect creation, i.e.

    working to be more in line with his will,

b) knowledge, the awareness of God's heart and mind to be able to co-

     operate with God,

c) self - control, that ability to bring our lives in line with his will

d) perseverance, that ability to stick at it despite opposition or delay,

e) godliness, that character of being like God Himself which comes about

    as we persevere in knowing Him,

f) brotherly kindness, that good expression of God's love to others in

   God's family, that comes about when we express God through our lives,

g) love , that perfect expression of God Himself, for he is love.

All these things, says Peter, should be increasing in our lives. If we don't let these things increase in us (for this is God's desire for us and what He is working for by His Spirit in us), then we are not able to grow in Christ in character, gifting and service, i.e. we will be ineffective and unproductive (v.8), and it means we are very limited in our vision and understanding about what the Christian faith is really all about (v.9).

If we allow these things to come with the help of the Spirit and we fully co-operate with Him, then we will succeed in all we do at His leading and will receive a rich welcome when we see Him face to face.

D. Application:

1. God's grace should be increasing in us daily.

2. As it does it fits us to more ably serve Him and express Him.

Chapter: 2 Peter 1

Passage: 2 Peter 1:12-15

A. Find Out:

1. So what did Peter say he would do, even though what? v.12

2. What did he feel it was right to do? v.13

3. Why? What did he know? v.14

4. So what will he do, when? v.15

B. Think:

1. Of what is Peter aware in respect of himself?

2. So what is on his heart to do?

3. What were “these things” he referred to in verse 12?

C. Comment:

At first sight these are very ordinary verses but then as we read on they become immensely significant.

Let's consider first of all Peter's FUTURE: he hasn't much longer on this earth. He is aware that his time is limited for the Lord has shown him that he must soon die. Tradition has it that he was crucified upside down for his faith, dying sometime around AD64-67 somewhere outside Rome. The amazing thing is that he is aware of his time limit and is at complete peace about it. A great example to us.

But next, let's consider Peter's PRESENT: he seems to have a single minded purpose on his heart, to keep on reminding the church of the truths of the Gospel. It doesn't matter that you know these things, he says, you need reminding of the truth again and again.

There are two things here: first there is that fact that we are frail people who so easily forget the wonder of what has happened to us and who we are and, second, Peter's pastoral heart knows men and is concerned for them so that he will keep on declaring truth to them.

Why do we so easily forget? Perhaps it is that we are constantly at war with the enemy and things happen in our lives to distract us and make us forget. Perhaps it is that we get seduced by seen, material things and forget the unseen, spiritual things. Thus we need people like Peter to remind us constantly of them.

D. Application:

1. We need reminding of the truth, again and again.

2. We should not despise hearing the truth preached again and again.

Chapter: 2 Peter 1

Passage: 2 Peter 1:16-21

A. Find Out:

1. What does Peter say they were? v.16

2. How had Jesus been honoured? v.17

3. What does Peter testify? v.18

4. What does Peter say they have, and what should they do with it? v.19

5. How didn't prophecy come? v.20, 21a

6. How did it come? v.21b

B. Think:

1. How does this passage follow on from yesterday's?

2. How would you summarise verses 16 to 18?

3. How would you summarise his point in verses 19 to 21?

C. Comment:

Peter has just said he will continue to remind us of the basics of the Gospel, and so now he takes us right back to the beginning. These aren't fancy stories made up by men, he says, we were actually there when it all happened, this is factual history we're telling you about. We were there, we heard the voice of the Father from heaven confirming His Son up on the mount of transfiguration.

Not only that, he continues, we've got the prophecies of the Old Testament that clearly portray Jesus. Again realise that those prophecies weren't man-made ideas of what might happen, but they were the words of men being inspired by God's Holy Spirit to reveal what was to come.

This passage tells us quite clearly that as Christians we have a sure foundation for belief. We have the Gospels given to us by eye witnesses that tell us exactly what happened when Jesus came. We also have the prophecies from God in the Old Testament that have now been fulfilled, showing us that this was all the clear plan of God worked out from the beginning. There is nothing speculative about the Christian message, nothing of hopeful optimism, nothing of man-inspired ideas, this is God's acts in history clearly conveyed to us. It is real!

D. Application:

1. The truth about Jesus is clearly attested to.

2. The word of God confirms the truth again and again.

RECAP: "Calling Confirmed" - 2 Peter 1

SUMMARY :

In this third group of 5 studies we have seen Peter :

- address this as a general open letter

- speak about the divine power we have to live godly lives

- challenge us to add to our faith and grow

- say how he will keep on reminding us of these things

- say how he feels he has little time left on earth

- remind us ours is an historical faith

- remind us that that history is based in prophecy

COMMENT :

As a general letter to all Christians at that time, Peter encourages and exhorts. The flow of his letter is smooth: he says we have everything we need, but then he adds that we should add to what we already have (for that is God's will).

He says we need to be reminded of these things and we need to remember the Christian faith isn't some man-made bright idea, it is the revelation of what God has done, and all that He has done is in accord with all that He previously spoke about through His prophets. We can rely on what we have, and what we have should encourage us to go on to grow in character and service. Christianity is not a “sit still religion”!

LESSONS?

1. Christianity is all about knowing God personally

2. That knowing also means experiencing His power

3. That power provides everything we need

4. That power helps us grow up in Him

5. All these things follow the wonderful death of Jesus for us.

PRAY :

Thank the Lord for the wonder of His powerful presence in your life. Ask Him to help you grow (change).

PART 4 : "Warnings"

In this final Part watch for the warnings Peter gives about deceivers (in contrast to true prophets), and then the last days and final day of the Lord. Powerful stuff!