THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER
2 Peter
Leader’s
Study Guide
Human Author: Peter
Divine Author: God
the Holy Spirit
Written: c. AD
66-67
Key Word: Knowledge
Key Verse: 2 Peter
3:18
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
~*~
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that
have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and
our Saviour Jesus Christ:
1:1 Simon Peter. Peter (rock), is the surname of Simon, one of the Twelve disciples
of Jesus. The Lord gave him the name of
Cephas. Peter was a fisherman when he first met Jesus. His father was Jona and his brother was
Andrew who first brought Peter to the Master.
Noted for impulsive speech and actions (Matt.
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God,
and of Jesus our Lord,
1:2 grace. Grace refers to unmerited favor being shown to the undeserving. The concept of grace was understood before Christ whereby favor was shown to those who were family members or friends. The distinctive Christian contribution to the concept of grace is to show favor to the undeserving.
There is something else. Grace is also showing sensitivity to the weak, the helpless and the ignorant. Grace is a reflection of great character because of a great heart.
Jeffrey Zaslow in Tell Me All About It shares the following story. “Years ago, my father coached a team of eight-year-olds. He had a few excellent players, and some who just couldn’t get the hang of the game. Dad’s team didn’t win once all season. But in the last inning of the last game, his team was only down by a run. There was one boy who had never been able to hit the ball—or catch it. With two outs, it was his turn to bat. He surprised the world and got a single!
The next batter was the team slugger. Finally, Dad’s players might win a game. The slugger connected, and as the boy who hit the single ran to second, he saw the ball coming toward him. Not so certain of baseball’s rules, he caught it. Final out! Dad’s team lost!
Quickly, my father told his team to cheer. The boy beamed. It never occurred to him that he lost the game. All he knew was he had hit the ball and
caught it—both for the first time. His parents later thanked my dad. Their child had never even gotten in a game before that season. We never told the boy exactly what happened. We didn’t want to ruin it for him. And till this day, I’m proud of what my father did that afternoon.”
1:2 peace.
·
Salvation brings peace with God. Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
·
Sanctification and prayer brings the peace of God. Phil 4:6 Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God,
which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
·
Being occupied with the person and work of Jesus Christ brings a true
and lasting peace. John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid.
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to
glory and virtue [valor]:
1:3 His divine power. While the divinity of Christ is mocked, ridiculed and dismissed the church maintains that Jesus is very God of very God. All the attributes that can be ascribed to God the Father are manifested in God the Son.
“All hail the power of
Jesus’ Name!
Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown Him Lord of all.
Let highborn seraphs tune
the lyre,
and as they tune it, fall
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye morning stars
of light, Who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Crown Him, ye martyrs of
your God, who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Ye seed of Israel’s chosen
race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him, ye heirs of
David’s line, Whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all.
Sinners, whose love can
ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Let every tribe and every
tongue before Him prostrate fall
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.”
John Rippon
added this
verse in 1787
“O that, with yonder sacred
throng, we at His feet may fall,
Join in the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all,
Join in the everlasting song, and crown Him Lord of all!”
Edward Perronet
~*~
The first stanza appeared
anonymously in The Gospel Magazine, November 1779. In April
1780, the same magazine published eight verses titled, “On the Resurrection,
the Lord Is King.”
It resurfaced half a dozen years later,
again anonymously, accompanied by an acrostic poem whose letters
spelled out “Edward Perronet.”
The music titled
“Coronation,” Composed by Oliver Holden; first appeared in his Union Harmony
or Universal Collection of Sacred Music (Boston, Massachusetts:
1793)
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that
by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
1:4 partakers of the divine nature. In what sense and to what extent the nature of God has been imparted to the soul is not always easy to determine. What is known is the following.
·
In love the Father has made Christians His
children. 1 John 3:1 “Behold, what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the
sons of God.” And “the love of
God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Rom
5:5).
·
The Lord rules over His creation and He has made
“us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion
for ever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:6).
·
God is a holy God and the command comes “Be
ye holy; for I am holy: (1 Peter 1:16).
To be God-like does not mean to be God, and
that is where much modern theology has erred. Some of the most blasphemous
teachings are those that declare men have been made into God or that men may
become the God of their own universe. Mormonism dares to teach, “As man now
is, God once was; as God now is man may become.” The heresy of Mormonism
continues by saying that God is a begotten creature who has a mother and
father, not to mention plurality of wives, and he has a mother and father in an
eternal procession.
To all such teaching the church must rise up
and shout, “No! A thousand times no! There is but One God and none others!” While
the redeemed can partake of the divine nature the Creator remains distinct from
His creation.
The purpose of the great and precious
promises have been given not to exalt individuals with absurd pride but to
allow a way to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.
If the flesh is mortified, if Christ is
loved, if the gospel is obeyed, if righteousness is pursued the promise of
eternal will be given and a way of escape will be found from the pollution and
power of sin in the soul.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and
to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to
patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness
charity.
1:5-7
Growing in Grace
· Faith, more persuasion
· Virtue, valor or excellence
· Knowledge
· Temperance, self control
· Patience, cheerful endurance
· Godliness, holiness
· Kindness, love of the brethren
· Charity, an affection of benevolence
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye
shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
1:8 knowledge. There are different types of knowledge.
·
There is academic knowledge whereby empirical data is stored and
analyzed.
·
There is metaphysical knowledge whereby concepts of the mind are
explored. .
·
There is practical knowledge whereby the lessons of life are learned
through trial and error of behavior.
·
There is spiritual knowledge where those ideals and concepts reach out
to touch the divine.
To the question, “Does God exist?” the
resounding answer returns, “Yes, God does exist.” Moreover, He is not
silent. God has provided a way to know Him in and through the person of Christ.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God…. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth.
In as far as Christian virtues are pursued
the soul will not be barren nor unfruitful in spiritual knowledge which find
ultimate consummation in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Unfortunately, the desire
for true spiritual knowledge is often lacking, if the truth were known for
Christ is not desired as He should be. For the heart that might protest the
lack of intensity and yet the frustration of not having more spiritual fruit
consider an incident in the life of Socrates, the Greek philosopher of Athens,
(469-399 BC).
One day a proud young man
came to Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the muscular philosopher
and said, “O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge.” Socrates
recognized a pompous numbskull when he saw one. He led the young man through
the streets, to the sea, and chest deep into water. Then he asked, “What do
you want?” “Knowledge, O wise Socrates,” said the young man with a smile.
Socrates put his strong
hands on the man’s shoulders and pushed him under. Thirty seconds later
Socrates let him up. “What do you want?” he asked again.
“Wisdom,” the young man sputtered, “O great and
wise Socrates.”
Socrates crunched him under
again. Thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty. Socrates let him up. The man
was gasping. “What do you want, young man?” Between heavy, heaving
breaths the fellow wheezed, “Knowledge, O wise and wonderful...”
Socrates jammed him under
again Forty seconds passed. Fifty. “What do you want?” “Air!” he
screeched. “I need air!” “When you want knowledge as you have just wanted
air, then you will have knowledge”
(M. Littleton in Moody Monthly, June, 1989).
In like manner, when the
Christian is obedient to the gospel commandments of 1 Peter 1:5-7 there will be
a knowledge of Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off,
and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
1:9 is blind. It has been observed that a person who will not read is no better off than a person who cannot read. A person who does not use the spiritual eyes that God grants in grace to see and seek after spiritually matters is no better off than the unconverted who are spiritual blind and remain in darkness. What must the Christian never forget? The believer must never forget he has been purged or washed off from his old sins.
While the believer retains a sin nature even after conversation (1 John 1:8) there has been a divine washing from sins which emanate from the sin nature. Time and again in Scripture the
exhortation comes to the believer to remember what Christ has done on the behalf of those for whom He has died.
“Remember
Christ, our Savior
Who paid the debts you owed
To God the Heavenly Father
And to you mercy showed.
When others sin
against you
Be ready to forgive.
Since you have been forgiven
With them in peace now live.
Go first to find your
brother,
Your sister or your friend.
Do not reveal to others
The hurt you need to mend.
Confront in humble spirit
The one whose sin caused pain
That he might seek forgiveness
And you a friend regain.
When bitter anger tempts you
To nurse your broken heart
With brooding thoughts of hatred
And vows of vengeance start.
Pray to the Lord of Pardon
For power to release
Each selfish act against you
That rage might in you cease.
O Father, Son, and Spirit,
O Patient Trinity,
Who lifts from us sin’s burden
And from its debt sets free.
Grant us the will to pardon
All those who us offend
That we might enter heaven
With them when ages end.”
Robert E. Smith, 1991
~*~
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence [haste] to make your
calling [invitation] and election [selection] sure: for if ye do these things,
ye shall never fall:
1:10 election sure. The assurance of salvation does not
come apart from a changed life characterized by holiness and spiritual growth
in grace and virtue. It is not enough to tell God how sorry the heart is for
sin and then return like a dog to its vomit or a pig to its wallowing in the
mud. In Scripture, many fearful warnings are given to the religious
hypocrite. Tragically, the biblical warns will go unheeded if the heart is
completely hardened. Job 8:13 So are the paths of all that forget God; and
the hypocrite's hope shall perish.
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered [fully supplied] unto you
abundantly [richly] into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ.
1:11 everlasting life. There is not only a quantity of life that can be measured in terms of minutes, months and years but also a quality. When Christ comes to a person He offers the abundant life. John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Someone has calculated how a typical lifespan
of 70 years is spent. Here is the estimate:
Sleep 23
yrs 32.9%
Work 16yrs 22.8%
TV 8
yrs 11.4%
Eating 6
yrs 8.6%
Travel 6
yrs 8.6 %
Leisure 4.5
yrs 6.5 %
Illness 4
yrs 5.7 %
Dressing 2
yrs 2.8%
Religion 0.5
yrs 0.7 %
______ _____
70
yrs 100 %
Our Daily Bread
November 25, 1992
~*~
Tis’ one life
and soon shall pass,
Only what is done for Christ will last.
~*~
12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance
of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present
truth.
13 Yea, I think it meet [right], as long as I am in this tabernacle
[body], to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
1:13 remembrance. The Christian is called upon to remember many truths and doctrines not the least of which is the atoning work of Christ.
“Where He may lead me I will
go,
For I have learned to trust Him so,
And I remember ’twas for me,
That He was slain on Calvary.
Jesus shall lead me night
and day,
Jesus shall lead me all the way,
He is the truest Friend to me,
For I remember Calvary.
O I delight in His command,
Love to be led by His dear hand;
His divine will is sweet to me,
Hallowed by bloodstained Calvary.
Onward I go, nor doubt nor
fear,
Happy with Christ my Savior near,
Trusting that I some day shall see,
Jesus my Friend of Calvary.”
~*~
William C. Martin
“Improving one’s memory is not all that difficult. Most of us simply don’t expend the time or effort required. ‘The true art of memory,’ wrote an English historian, ‘is the art of attention.’ We can improve our memories by simply putting our minds to it and by following a few simple rules:
· Remember to remember. Telling yourself that you want to remember this or that fact and concentrating on it will improve your memory immediately. We remember what we WANT to remember.
· Sharpen your observation. Pay close attention to what you see and hear. Use images. Shut your eyes and try to SEE it. Notice details. Really LOOK at things. Few people actually do.
· Practice recall. Forgetting is most rapid soon after learning. It helps, therefore, to make a deliberate effort to repeat and review immediately. Repetition will help fix the fact or image in our minds.
· Concentrate. Eliminate distractions. The mind is at its best when it is centered on one thing at a time.
·
Avoid such things as fatigue, noise, and
competing visual images during the time you are trying to learn.”
Bits and Pieces, October, 1989
~*~
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even
as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
1:14 put off this tabernacle. For the Christian death holds a different perspective for it provides an entrance into heaven. The courage of Peter and the other apostles to die for the faith has been a source of inspiration to countless souls over the centuries. “I am not come hither to deny my Lord and Master” said Anne Askew on July 16, 1545. She was burned at the stake after torture on the rack, at the age of 25.
“No, not cold beneath the grasses,
Not close-walled within the tomb;
Rather, in our Father’s mansion,
Living, in another room.
Living,
like the man who loves me,
Like my child with cheeks abloom,
Out of sight, at desk or schoolbook,
Busy, in another room.
Nearer
than my son whom fortune
Beckons where the strange lands loom;
Just behind the hanging curtain,
Serving, in another room.
Shall
I doubt my Father’s mercy?
Shall I think of death as doom,
Or the stepping o’er the threshold
To a bigger, brighter room?
Shall
I blame my Father’s wisdom?
Shall I sit enswathed in gloom,
When I know my loves are happy,
Waiting in another room?”
Robert Freeman
~*~
1:14 hath shewed me. Most people would probably not
want to be shown they are going to die soon or of some terrible disease. Such a
revelation can be very frightening. On August 3, 2005 I was diagnosed with
malignant lymphoma, which can be a deadly disease. By God’s grace many forms of
cancer are treatable. Perhaps mine will prove to respond to chemotherapy and
radiation. After the initial shock of the hearing the diagnosis the grace of
God came to my heart and a peace that passes all understanding. May it be said
of all Christians as John Wesley said of the Methodist of his generation, “Our
people die well.” If the Lord is pleased to shew a Christian when they
shall die
it is in order to prepare for the grand departure
and be a faithful witness to others. (Stanford E. Murrell)
15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to
have these things always in remembrance.