Having just spoken about prophecy, that leads Peter to go on to mention false prophets and then warn about false teachers who will come. Let's consider the WORK OF FALSE TEACHERS.

First of all they deny Jesus. Anyone who takes you away from Jesus is a false teacher. Anyone who gives you a method to follow instead of a relationship to work out is a false teacher.

Second, their teaching is destructive. If it is not focused on Jesus, it will be focused on self, and that will end in destruction.

Third, this form of teaching will result in behaviour that is sensual and self-seeking and will be shameful and will be seen to be what it is and will bring dishonour.

Next let's consider the apparent DELAY BY God in dealing with them. Look, says Peter, these men will come and will seem to get away with it for a while, but understand two things: first God will deal with such people in time and, second, His grace can keep you in the meantime.

Peter then gives three illustrations of how God did eventually bring judgement in Old Testament history but there was a delay in each case. Yet while that delay persisted there were righteous men who held onto their righteousness in the face of other men's ungodliness and unrighteousness. So, says Peter, hang on and maintain your righteousness when such men come. Will we maintain our righteousness, even though all others fail?

D. Application:

1. God may delay but He will deal with the unrighteous.

2. We are to maintain our righteousness despite what others do.

Chapter: 2 Peter 2

Passage: 2 Peter 2:10-16

A. Find Out:

1. How are these men described in action and attitude? v.10

2. What does Peter say they are like? v.12

3. What further does he censure them for? v.13

4. What also do they do? v.14

5. Who are they like? v.15

6. But what happened to him? v.16

B. Think:

1. How would you summarise the attitude of these men?

2. How would you describe their activities?

3. What does Peter say will happen to them?

C. Comment:

Peter has just been speaking against false teachers, and now he extends it to those who follow the way of the flesh, of the sinful desire, who have not crucified their old lives (see Rom 6:6,11). These people are rebellious and despise authority, so they do whatever they feel like doing regardless of the consequences. They speak out foolishly without thinking of what they say, they blaspheme without understanding. Really, says Peter, they are just like wild animals who go by instinct alone, and as such they will end up being destroyed.

Further, these men revel publicly, openly and even at the Lord's Supper. They look for pleasure and have no moral boundaries, and so they venture into adultery, they seduce women and they are greedy. There is nothing to be said good about these men. They will be condemned. Yet there are indications through all this that these men purport a form of spirituality, but they are far from spiritual.

Peter speaks of them slandering celestial beings (?fallen angels) and being compared to the seer, Balaam. Peter's condemnation of these men is outspoken. There is no room, he is saying, in the church of God, for men like this, whether or not they call themselves teachers and leaders, they are not of Christ. Are we discerning in the days in which we live?

D. Application:

1. Teachers should be holy. There is no room for unrighteousness.

2. The unrighteous will be disciplined severely by God. Beware.

Chapter: 2 Peter 2

Passage: 2 Peter 2:17-22

A. Find Out:

1. How does Peter first describe them and their end? v.17

2. What does he say about what they say and do? v.18

3. What is contradictory about what they say and do? v.19

4. What has happened to them? v.20,21

5. How have they fulfilled the proverb? v.22

B. Think:

1. What indication is there that Peter is speaking about Christians?

2. Yet what had become their life style?

3. What does Peter say about their end?

C. Comment:

This is one of those very sobering passages of Scripture, not so much because of what can happen to us even though we may be Christians today, but sobering because it shows again the folly of the human heart in its most extreme form.

If these were people of the world, non-Christians, Peter wouldn't go to the trouble of wasting words on them, he would simply say preach the Gospel to them and if they reject it, stay away from them. But instead he talks about those who have known the Lord and then become entangled again by the world. We may try and escape the truth by saying well perhaps they weren't really Christians but Peter speaks about them knowing the Lord.

Yes, tragically, these are people who have known the Lord but gone back to a life of sin where they live to appease the flesh and its wrong desires and, even worse, to entice others to do the same.

Peter's words of condemnation cannot be stronger: “blackest darkness is reserved for them” (v.17) and “they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning” (v.20). If this doesn't mean loss of eternity it certainly means the most terrible of discipline needed to restore them. Rather than argue over the possibility of the loss of eternal inheritance, let's simply say, this is to be avoided at all costs. Take care of your life!

D. Application:

1. Christians CAN move away from knowing the Saviour. Beware.

2. Christians CAN be enticed back into the folly of the world. Beware.

Chapter: 2 Peter 3

Passage: 2 Peter 3:1-7

A. Find Out:

1. Why has Peter written his two letters? v.1

2. What two things does he want them to do? v.2

3. Who will come when, doing what? v.3

4. What will they be sceptical about? v.4

5. But what had happened? v.5,6

6. And what will happen? v.7

B. Think:

1. How has God's word come to us?

2. What is the cry of the scoffers that Peter speaks about?

3. What is Peter's answer to that?

C. Comment:

In the previous chapter Peter had been speaking about false teachers coming, deceiving others into following their self-centred ways. Now he speaks about those who scoff at the teaching that has come. The teaching came first through the prophets in the Old Testament, and now the apostles in what is now becoming the New Testament. The command he refers to in verse 2 must be to live holy lives and, in the light of what follows, the warning that Christ will return to judge the world.

Now, says Peter, be aware that in the last times before Christ does return there will be those saying that his return is a false promise. These scoffers will use his delay in returning as an excuse to live wild, unrestrained lives.

Not so, says Peter, look at history and learn from it. God made the world and the world went on. Sin grew and grew in the world (see “In the Beginning” in this series in the early chapters of Genesis) and men seemed to be getting away with it. Eventually God used the very world He had made to destroy them. Judgement will come upon the earth and God will use the earth to bring judgement on sinful man who refuse to heed His warnings. Merely because He delays it doesn't mean He won't come. He will! Be prepared!

D. Application:

1. God has clearly spoken through his prophets and apostles.

2. God's delay in coming does not mean He's not coming.

Chapter: 2 Peter 3

Passage: 2 Peter 3:8-13

A. Find Out:

1. How is time with the Lord? v.8

2. Why isn't the Lord slow? v.9

3. How will he come and what will happen? v.10

4. What question should that leave us with? v.11a

5. What answer does Peter give? v.11b,12a

6. What does he say will happen but what can we hope for? v.12b,13

B. Think:

1. How does Peter portray the end of the earth?

2. What effect should that have on us?

3. Yet what hope does he give?

C. Comment:

Remember Peter has just been speaking about scoffers who say God won't come back, because He has delayed so long. Ah, says Peter, but God's timing isn't like ours. We expect everything to be instant but God works in the long term and is in no rush; in fact His delay is simply because He wants to give everyone opportunity to repent and not be condemned.

It's the same in the Old Testament. Read the story of God warning Israel to repent through Jeremiah. He delays judgement again and again giving them opportunity to repent and then eventually after many years of warning He brings the judgement and Israel are carried off into exile.

Peter is quite clear, the judgement of God WILL come, but it will come quickly and unexpectedly when it does come. It will involve immense destruction. In this Peter is completely in line with the prophecies of Isaiah and of John in Revelation. The end is going to be cataclysmic destruction. Yet, says Peter, there will be a new heaven and a new earth for the Lord's people (see also Rev 21).

Why tell us all these things? To warn us and prepare us. We can do two things: first we can live holy lives as desired by God so that we won't perish, and second, by doing this we'll hasten that time (see Rev 19:7,8).

D. Application:

1. God's timing is perfect. He wants as many as possible saved.

2. Yet God's judgement will come on increasing sinfulness of man.

Chapter: 2 Peter 3

Passage: 2 Peter 3:14-18

A. Find Out:

1. So what does Peter exhort them to do? v.14

2. Why is the Lord patient? v.15a

3. How did Paul write? v.15b,16a

4. Yet what did Peter say happened with Paul's letters? v.16b

5. So what does Peter challenge them to do negatively? v.17

6. What does he exhort them to do positively? v.18

B. Think:

1. How do these verses flow on from the previous ones?

2. With what does Peter equate Paul's letters?

3. How do these verses reflect much of the previous chapter?

C. Comment:

Peter has just said that judgement will come on the earth and there will be a new heaven and earth for the righteous. So, he says, in the light of that, make sure that your lives are blameless and (inferred) that there is nothing to disqualify you from the inheritance of the righteous. Remember, merely because the Lord delays His coming that does not mean He won't come, it just means He is patient and wants salvation for as many as possible.

Look, he goes on, check it out with Paul as well if you want, his many letters say the same thing. Paul's letters may sometimes we somewhat meaty and not always easy to understand but (inferred) don't be put off by that. Some people had distorted Paul's teaching but, again, don't be put off by this. (NB. Peter equates Paul's writing with the “other Scriptures”, i.e. he gave full authority to Paul's writings).

Once more Peter warns against false teaching (error) of lawless men (who don't submit to God's authority). Don't get caught up with them, he says, but instead just focus on knowing the Lord and growing in your relationship with Him. Are we careful about our company?

Peter finishes on that note which is almost the same as his blessing at the beginning in 1:2. It's all about knowing God through Jesus. Knowing, not just knowing about.

D. Application:

1. Jesus will return. Be ready when he comes. Live holy lives.

2. Beware deceivers. Reject them. Look to your relationship with Jesus.

RECAP: "Warnings" - 2 Peter 2 & 3

SUMMARY :

In this last group of 6 studies we have seen Peter:

- warning against false prophets and false teachers

- encouraging that God can keep the righteous

- warning that God will deal with these false people

- warning against scoffers who will come

- declaring that God WILL come with judgement

- explaining that God's delay is simply His mercy

- declaring there is hope for the righteous

- exhorting them to live lives worthy of their futures

- speaking of Paul confirming these things

COMMENT :

This second part of Peter's second letter is really serious stuff! We may not find it the most uplifting of Scriptures but his warning are valid for every age and especially the end of the twentieth century when we are not very good at challenging the weird and wonderful!

Peter speaks out very strongly against those who will teach a very loose form of Christianity that says it's all right what sort of lives you live, those who live morally lax lives. These men will be held severely accountable to God. He also speaks out against those who scoff at the thought that Jesus will be coming back and that God will judge the earth. These things WILL happen and if God appears to be delaying, it is simply that He wants as many as possible to be saved before He comes. May we not fall into the above categories!

LESSONS?

1. All teachers of Scripture are not necessarily of God.

2. Lifestyle should match the holy demands of Scripture.

3. Reject scoffers who reject the teaching of Scripture.

4. We are to live holy lives awaiting Jesus' return.

5. We are to continue to grow in grace while we wait.

PRAY :

Thank the Lord for your salvation. Ask Him to help you grow in His grace and wisdom, and to be able to discern what is false teaching or what are false lives. Praise and worship Him as Lord.

SUMMARY

a) First Letter

In this first letter we find Peter writing:

Chapter 1

- to encourage Christians in Asia Minor

- on the wonder of God's salvation

- about how it was spoken of by the prophets

- about living holy lives as children of God

Chapter 2

- of Jesus as a cornerstone or capstone

- of our calling as members of the royal family

- calling us to submit to every authority

Chapter 3

- encouraging wives with unsaved husbands

- encouraging good community attitudes and behaviour

- on coping with suffering for being righteous

Chapter 4

- on living for God

- on suffering for being a Christian

Chapter 5

- to elders on being servants

- to young men on being submissive

- on resisting the devil.

b) Second Letter

In this letter we have seen Peter writing

Chapter 1

- a general letter

- on confirming our calling by building on faith

- to remind his readers of the basics of their salvation

- of his credentials for writing, an eye witness

- of it being based in the Old Testament prophets

Chapter 2

- to warn against false teachers

- to warn of the judgement that will be theirs

Chapter 3

- against scoffers who will deny that the Lord is coming again

- to exhort his readers to be ready when the Lord returns

CONCLUSIONS

As we come to the end of this set of studies in Peter's letters the following at least, stand out in his writings:

1. Holy People are to Lead Holy Lives

Peter, as an encouragement, reminds us again and again of the basics of our salvation. It is a work of God brought through the death of Christ, worked out in daily life by the power of the Spirit, in accordance with the declared word of God.

God chose us, not the other way round. He seeks again and again to remind us of what we are and then because of what we are , how we should live. God has done what we cannot do, and now we must do what God cannot do. God puts His Spirit within us to empower us, but we need to make an act of will to decide what sort of lives we will live.

Will we commit ourselves to live lives that stand out for their goodness, purity and righteousness? THAT is holy living.

2. Holy People will be Persecuted

Peter was writing in a time of impending persecution; perhaps it was already there. Peter confronts this reality and gives his readers clear guidance on how to deal with it. They are to hold a righteous attitude towards those who bring suffering against them. Very often that suffering will come through those in authority.

Well, says Peter, respect the authority position even if you can't the person. Holding a right attitude towards people wrongly using their authority, is a key issue in a godless society.

Can we determine with God's grace that we will shine as lights, despite ungodly opposition?

3. Holy People need to hold to the Truth

Not only will the people of God suffer persecution, they will also suffer false teachers and scoffers, both of whom do a disservice to the truth.

False teachers subtly undermine the truth by substituting a distortion for what is from God.

Scoffers undermine the truth by spreading doubt. As the people of God we need to ensure we firmly hold onto the truths of Scripture without distortion or doubt.

Can we determine to set our hearts and minds on God's word in a new way, to become those who can stand in the face of deception and doubt, and live according to the truth?