2 Peter, Part 2
Notes
Transcript
2 Peter, Part 2 (1:12-21)
Peter is writing to Gentile churches Asia Minor (1) “who have received a faith equal to [the apostles]. Now what we’re going to see today is their faith is equal, but their calling is not.
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord and is transformed by the Spirit of God is transferred from the world of darkness to the world of light – that is from a way of thinking and living that is different from the life of sin that controlled us; held us in slavery. Now we are free. Now God changes our desire from sin to holiness.
IMPORTANT: Peter makes abundantly clear that “holy” or righteous living is in no way the root of our faith.But it is the fruit that must be present and because of our new life with Christ, (3) we are given “everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. So, he explains what that looks like in (5-7 from last week ie the “supplements”)
Peter goes on to say that those who put in “every effort”(5) to focus on these and grow in these will be, he says, (8) kept from being useless and fruitless . “The person who lacks these things, he says in (9) is blind and short-sighted, having forgotten the cleansing from past sin.
Such were the people Peter was writing against (more detail in chs 2 and 3):
· stirring up trouble in the churches from their erroneous teaching against Jesus and His return.
· people who had once believed but fell away (apostate – heard, responded, but didn’t continue in the apostles’ teachingto the end).
And the statement on the apostle’s teachingis the difference I mentioned in calling.
Though all are equal in standing before God through faith, not all have the same calling.
Peter is arguing that the calling of God (not their calling on themselves) was to instruct the church in the meaning of all of Scripture in light of the New Covenant and establish/found churches based on the Truth that had been revealed to them. That’s a very special calling.
Paul sums up the role of all the apostles in 1 Corinthians 11:23 (the passage we often use to communicate our instruction for Communion)
23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread,
This was the exclusive role of the apostles but some refused to believe or stopped believing them. Peter will conclude this chapter by saying, (19-20)
2 Peter 1:19 “We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
19 We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
Peter is saying that the prophetic Word (and in the context is clearly the prophecies concerning “the Day of the Lord” -- 2nd coming of the Messiah to rule and reign found in the Old Testament), was strongly confirmed to them, and so we do well to pay attention to it. (That’s what we’ll look at in 16-18 today).
But more than that, (20) gives us a broader principle that we need to consider and take seriously if any of this will be of any benefit to us:
1 Peter 1:20 “No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times for you.
This is the principle behind the writing of the Word of God and why there is authority in it.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,
17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
This means that those who were given the calling to write Scripture were doing so not according to their own interpretation or desire, but as God carried them along, like a wind in a sail.
They wrote according to their own styles and recollection, but it was God who was calling to memory what to write and how to correctly interpret Old Testament prophecies in light of New Testament realities.
So the bottom line Peter is arguing to the church is that When you follow the apostles instructions for the Church, you are following God’s instruction for the Church.
That is why we say that the Bible is infallible and inerrant. The doctrines we learn in the Bible cannot fail and are without error. We know what God wants us to know.
So, for instance, when Peter says in (10) to “make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble”, we better pay attention to that because that’s coming from the Spirit of God instructing through the mind and mouth of Peter.
· (10) This growth will confirm your calling and election, not cause it.
· The confirmation will help you grow solid in your resolve to stand against false teaching and temptation to fall away in sin.
· (11) This is the way you receive entry into heaven (by grace alone through faith, and confirmed through “good works” that were prepared for us to do – Ephesians 2:8-10). So salvation is God’s word alone, but the fruit of that is a life lived differently characterized by a desire to grow in the 7 qualities we looked at last week in (5-7)
12 Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.
13 I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder,
14 since I know that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made clear to me.
15 And I will also make every effort so that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure.
Peter raises the importance of accountability. “I will always remind you, even though you know them and are established in the Truth.”
ILLUS: Parents do this all the time! Response is usually, “I KNOW, Dad!”
Never spurn accountability. It’s not an insult to your intelligence or faith – it’s a safeguard for your soul by people who love you.
Peter knows his time is short (not sure how), so he wants to keep reminding them so that after he’s gone, they’ll be able to remember them and not stumble.
ILLUS: You know something I will never doubt? That my parents loved me. Why? Because they said it so much for so long, I could never forget.
It’s so important to say the important things over and over and nothing is more important than the gospel!
Peter not only knows that falling away can happen because he is an inspired apostle, but also from personal experience!
Peter understood the risk of falling away (he himself had denied Jesus 3 times) and seen how Judas had walked with Jesus for 3 years but still betrayed Jesus.
Part of what we do every Sunday is to remind each other of what we know and have confessed to further strengthen us in our resolve to stand against the never-ending attacks of the Enemy (Satan).
In (16-18), Peter gives his strongest argument for why Christians should believe that Jesus is coming again. (ie weaponry to stand firm against doubt)
Before that, why does it matter if Jesus comes again?
1. He said he was and if He’s not, he’s a liar
(John 14) “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe[a] in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also.
Some were arguing that Jesus was a liar in that it wasn’t true that he was coming back since he hadn’t. This was his great concern Peter talks of in: (2 Peter 3:3-4 )
3 Above all, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days scoffing and following their own evil desires,
4 saying, “Where is his ‘coming’ that he promised? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.”
Peter will answer that argument in chapter 3.
2. Then this is as good as it gets. All the promises of the glory of living forever with Jesus are false and this broken world breaking apart more every day is all we have.
3. Then how you live your life doesn’t matterand there will be no One to answer for our sin-filled lives (which was part of the false teacher’s argument)
But Peter says Jesus IS coming and it does matter, and we will answer for our lives and only those who Believe and confirm their belief through a changed life will enter into heaven, receiving “richly” (11) more than we ever deserved.
Isn’t it crazy Peter is already having to defend this?
Think about this: the apostles are still alive and people are already forgetting and turning away from the Truth they had been taught.
ILLUS: There are some odd ideas out there I find strange: that people…
· disbelieve the moon-landings.
· Believe the earth is flat.
· Think socialism is a good thing.
See, as people who experienced these things begin to die off, we can find ourselves open to arguments against the truth related to them.
Peter seems to be aware of this reality and, knowing he as one of the original apostles who walked with Jesus will soon be gone, he reminds them again of what is true and why they should believe him.
So Peter is going to give his best argument for why we should believe this is true in (2 Peter 1:16 )
16 For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!”
18 We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
(16) The apostles weren’t following myths when they established the churches, but their teaching of the return of Jesus was confirmed by what they had seen. They were eye witnesses!
There is power in an eye witness. This is one of the greatest apologetics of all time.
It’s very similar to Paul’s argument for the same reason (to strengthen the church) made in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8
1 Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.
7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.
8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time, he also appeared to me.
Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel I preached to you, which you received, on which you have taken your stand 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve. 6 Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers and sisters at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one born at the wrong time,[a] he also appeared to me.
Paul tells of what he saw on the Damascus road. Peter writes a letter while he’s still alive saying, I SAW THIS!
What was it they saw that led them to be certain of the returning of Christ?
(16b) Jesus’ majesty when he was transfigured before them on the mountain!
1 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.
2 He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light.
Similar description that we see in Revelation. So, Peter is arguing that the second coming is certain because of what he saw during Jesus’ first coming.
The majesty that Peter saw in Jesus on the mountain is a similar description of how John described seeing Jesus in the Revelation.
The transfiguration was a preview of the glory that will be on full display when Jesus comes back.
This was a clear picture of what’s coming!
5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!”
6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified.
While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered[b] them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified.
This is what Peter reminded the church of in 2 Peter 1:17-18
17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased!”
18 We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son,[e] with whom I am well-pleased!” 18 We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.
The transfiguration is like a window to see what Jesus will look like when he comes back as the glorious conquering King. On that day, everyone will have to give account for themselves. For those who hold fast to Peter and the other apostles teaching and grow in the faith God has given them, there will be great joy, while those who have played the religion game will pay for denying the Jesus they will stand before.
What does that do for you? Provide excitement and anticipation or fear and dread?
Peter wants you to experience the joy and anticipation he feels by encouraging us to confirm our calling through how we live our lives – the effort, itself, is an act of faith because we wouldn’t care otherwise.
But don’t let yourself be confused or disillusioned by false teaching; by doubters; by mockers. Hold Fast. Stand firm! Live what you believe or don’t claim to believe it.