The Book Of 2nd Peter
Who wrote the book of 2nd Peter: Peter When was it written: 66 A.D
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Peter wrote this second letter to the same people he was writing to in 1st Peter—Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire (Asia Minor).
Peter’s primary focus in this second letter is to warn his brothers and sisters in Christ against false teachers.
Peter had been one of Jesus’ constant companions throughout his ministry here on earth. Peter knew the truth because he had:
Learned the truth by the very one who IS the truth
Seen the truth in witnessing the miracles and signs of Jesus
Seen the truth in witnessing the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Experienced the truth of Jesus’ sacrifice by being forgiven and reinstated as a disciple and apostle following his denial of knowing Jesus
Spoken the truth when Jesus asked Peter who he believed Jesus to be
Spoken the truth on the Day of Pentecost, which was the birthday of the New Testament Church
Shared the truth with countless others throughout the known world
Lived the truth in his establishment and overseeing of the Church and its various congregations
Died for the truth as a Christian martyr at the hands of Nero —crucified like Christ had been, but hanging upside down because he would not ‘raise himself to Christ’s level’ by being nailed to the cross in the exact same way Jesus had.
Peter’s passion for the truth was the fuel that fed his energy and devotion to ensuring the truth persisted and prevailed in the Church.
He would give his very life to make sure that happened.
What We Learn From The Book Of 2nd Peter
Our faith is valuable and precious. There is nothing comparable to it. (1:1)
God is the provider of everything we need in this life. (1:3)
promises, which are the promises we base our faith on, save us from corruption and make it possible for us to achieve moral excellence. (1:4)
Faith on its own is not really faith. Real faith is demonstrated and complimented by goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, kindness, and love. All of these put together ‘equal’ godliness. (1:5-7)
When we live faithfully, demonstrating godly character, we produce ‘good fruit’ for the kingdom of God here on earth.
We are productive and effective in sharing the message of the Gospel through our words, deeds, and attitudes. We are a reflection of who Jesus is. (1:8)
Those who call themselves Christians, but fail to live productive lives for the kingdom are described as ungrateful and blind to the gift of salvation. (1:9)
Even though we may be firmly established and rooted in the truth of God’s Word, we need to continually study to gain even more wisdom and knowledge of the same. We can never know too much about the Bible or be too close to God.
By continuing to grow in knowledge and wisdom of God’s Word we are better equipped to fend off any false teachings that are presented to us. (1:12-16)
False teachers will be present in this world until the day Jesus returns. Some will blatantly and boldly deny the holiness and sovereignty of the LORD. Other false teachers will worm their way into the church.
They will use deceitful, seemingly-correct teachings to lure people away from the truth. They will also create divisions in the Church when some choose to follow these teachings. (2:1-3)
We are warned that God will have no mercy on false teachers. They will receive the same punishment the angels who rebelled against him did…hell, (chapter 2) NOTE: This passage of scripture is an important one in the fact that it describes the full nature of God.
All too often people are content to keep God in a nice, neat little box labeled LOVE. They choose to see him as nothing more than a glorified Santa Claus or genie in a lamp. But when things go bad, they are quick to deny his being. “A loving God would never do that,” they say.
So which is it? God is love, but love in its purest form includes justice. Think about it…how loving would you think God is if he tolerated evil? The evil that would negatively affect your life?
Our concept of time is entirely different from God’s. To God a day like a thousand years. But know this: Jesus is going to return. We don’t know when, but it will happen. (3:8)
God is just and will punish the evil and those who don’t accept Jesus as Savior, but he is patiently waiting for as many as possible to be saved. (3:9)
When Jesus comes back there will be no doubt in our minds about what is taking place. (3:10)
We need to live in readiness for the day of Jesus’ return and the final judgment. (3:11-15)