2nd Peter
2 Peter was written to Christians who were facing danger on two fronts. There was the external threat from an increasingly hostile environment, and there was also an internal threat from false teachers who had infiltrated the church. 1 Peter was written to address the external threat, and 2 Peter deals with the internal threat. The letter was written, shortly before Peter’s death, to the same group of Christians to whom he had written 1 Peter. The final two verses of the letter (2 Peter 3:17 & 18) summarize its two main themes and purpose. Peter appeals to his readers to be on their guard against error so that they “may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from [their] secure position.” (3:17) The best way to do this is to continually “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (3:18) So the two main themes of 2 Peter are false teaching and Christian growth
After introducing himself and those to whom he writes (1:1-2), Peter offers a prayer for his readers spiritual growth (1:3). He then goes on to explain the nature of Christian growth (1:3 – 11). This spiritual growth involves knowing God better, displaying godliness, and keeping ourselves pure so that we “escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” (1:4) Such progress in holiness is possible because “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (1:3) and we have also been given “his great and precious promises.” (1:4). Peter makes it clear that spiritual growth requires effort on our part (1:5), but it will be worth the effort as spiritual growth results in increasing effectiveness (1:8) and increasing assurance (1:10). Making the effort to commit to spiritual growth will mean that in the end we “will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (1:11)
Peter links Christian growth with knowledge, and this knowledge comes to us primarily through the Scriptures. But since the Bible and its trustworthiness were under attack from false teachers, Peter in 2 Peter 1:12 – 21 gives us reasons to trust the Scriptures. The Bible is trustworthy because it is based on historical facts and reliable witnesses (1:16 – 18). Furthermore, much of the teaching of the Old Testament has been confirmed as things foretold there, especially the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, came to pass (1:19). In addition, the Bible is trustworthy because it comes from a trustworthy God (1:21).
While the Bible plays an important role in leading people into a knowledge of the truth and thus building them up in their faith, false teachers and their teaching will have the opposite effect. Thus, in chapter 2, Peter is concerned to warn us about such false teachers and their teaching. In this chapter, we read of their “destructive heresies” (2:1), “their shameful ways” (2:2), their “greed” and “condemnation” (2:3). While we are assured that these false teachers will be condemned, we are also reminded that God is well able to preserve His people, as He did with Noah (2:5) and Lot (2:6), even as His judgement falls on those around them. When false teaching and sin are rampant, we are not to be afraid. We are to look to God, asking Him to protect us from the evil one, just as Jesus also prayed for us in John 17:15
In chapter 3, Peter speaks about the Second Coming of Christ. The false teachers were dismissing the idea of the second Coming and the final judgement that would accompany it. They were saying that “everything goes on as it has since the beginning” (3:4), and they seemed to think, that is just how it will continue forever. But Peter points out that things haven’t always continued as we see them do at present. To begin with, God intervened to create the world and then destroyed the world in the flood (3:5-7). Likewise, though it may seem long in coming, the day of the Lord will come (3:10). In light of that, we are called to “live holy and godly lives” (3:11). That means that we should be growing spiritually so that we will “not be carried away by the error of lawless men” (3:17). As we thus “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (3:18) we also bring glory to God. “To him be glory both now and for ever! Amen” (3:18)
Now Read it! 2 Peter is a relatively short book – just three chapters, so the whole thing can be read in just a few minutes. Once you have done that, you will want to slow down and read just a few verses at a time and take time to think and meditate upon them. The table of contents in the Welwyn Commentary on 1 & 2 Peter by Michael Bentley would suggest the following reading plan for 2 Peter:-
Day 1 – Introducing 2 Peter (1:1-2)
Day 2 - Spiritual Growth (1:3-7)
Day 3 - Continuing spiritual growth (1:8-11)
Day 4 - The importance of personal testimony (1:12-18)
Day 5 - The certainty of God’s Word (1:19 – 21)
Day 6 - The danger of false teachers (2:1-10)
Day 7 - The desires of false teachers (2:10-16)
Day 8 – The emptiness of false teachers (2:17-22)
Day 9 - Christ is coming again! (3:1-9)
Day 10 - The day of the Lord (3:10-16)
Day 11 - Growth in grace and knowledge (3:17-18)