Peter’s second epistle

(CHAPTER 1)

Enduring faithfulness

The grand theme• Knowledge (7x), Known (3x),

Knowing (3x), Know (2x), Knoweth (1x) = total 16 appearances“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledgeknowledge

of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledgeknowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 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. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledgeknowledge; And to knowledgeknowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledgeknowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1 v 2-8)

Peter’s two epistles

Study recap• Peter’s 1 epistle –primarily about an

external enemy (Nero’s oppression)• Peter’s 2 epistle - primarily about an

internal enemy (apostasy)• The subtlety of false teaching – the

only remedy is applied knowledge

• "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; 4and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths," (2 Tim. 4:3-4).

• 33 AD – Jesus Crucified• 68 AD – Peter and Paul executed• 315 AD – Constantine Converts after the Battle of the

Mulvian Bridge• 316 AD –Edict of Milan (a legal religion)• 328 AD – Council of Nicea• 384 AD – The co-emperors Gratian and Theodosius

publish their edict that the doctrine of the Trinity is  to be the official state religion.

• 413 AD – Rome is Sacked• 479 AD – Last Western Emperor – Romulus

Augustus

EARLY CHURCH HISTORY

The epistle shape

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

We are saved by We are saved by grace, through grace, through

faith, in faith, in baptism, for baptism, for good worksgood works

The early persecuted Church Teaching

The early persecuted Christian's teachings & practices

GRACE SYSTEM OF SALVATIONGrace = Source Grace = Source Faith = MeansFaith = Means

Baptism = OccasionBaptism = Occasion Good works = ResultsGood works = Results

GRACECAUSE OF SALVATION

1. GOD IS HOLY

2. GOD IS LOVE (AGAPE)

faithTWO MAIN components:

1. Assent – belief (paniniwala), mind – reason

2. Trust – relationship (pagtitiwala), heart – person

The early persecuted Christian's teachings & practices

Grace = Grace = Cause/Content/SystemCause/Content/System

Faith = MeansFaith = MeansBaptism = Occasion or Baptism = Occasion or

TimeTime Good works = ResultsGood works = Results

Chapter 1

James A. Garfield – 20th President of the United

States• Highly educated – he

could simultaneously write in Latin with one hand, and Greek with the other.

• At age 26, Garfield became president of Hiram College. A man asked if his son could short-cut his education. "The boy can never take all that in. He wants to get through quicker. Can you arrange it?"

James A. Garfield – 20th President of the United

States• Garfield: “Yes. He can

take a short course. It depends on what you want to make of him. When God wants to make an oak, he takes a 100 years, but he takes only 2 months to make a squash.”

THE GROWING PROCESS

The The FourFour (4) (4) SoilsSoils

The parable of the The parable of the SowerSower

Mark 4Mark 4

PROCESS = HOW

The Path• Hard-packed ground

– No penetration• Birds eat seed• people hear the message don’t people hear the message don’t

understand itunderstand it• the evil one comes and snatches the evil one comes and snatches

away what was sown in their away what was sown in their hearts.hearts.

Rocky GroundRocky Ground• Thin layer of soil Thin layer of soil

above rocksabove rocks• Sprouts early but Sprouts early but

fadesfades• Hear the word and Hear the word and

receive it with joy. receive it with joy. • When trouble or When trouble or

persecution comes persecution comes because of the because of the word, they quickly word, they quickly fall away.fall away.

Thorns & Thorns & WeedsWeeds

• Seed planted in Seed planted in good soilgood soil

• Good seed not aloneGood seed not alone• Weeds choke outWeeds choke out• People who hear the People who hear the

wordword• Worries of this life, Worries of this life,

deceitfulness of wealth deceitfulness of wealth make it unfruitfulmake it unfruitful

Fertile GroundFertile Ground• Good soilGood soil• Seed produces bountiful Seed produces bountiful

harvestharvest• People who hear the word & People who hear the word &

understand understand • Produce a crop, yielding a 100, Produce a crop, yielding a 100,

60, or 30 times what was sown60, or 30 times what was sown

• Good soilGood soil• Seed produces bountiful Seed produces bountiful

harvestharvest• People who hear the People who hear the

word & understand word & understand

Fertile Fertile GroundGround

Linear growing process

Cyclical growing Cyclical growing processprocess

Privilege & action

And beside thisAmplified Bible, ESV, NRSV, NKJV, RSV, Weymouth: “For this very reason”

2 Peter 1 v 2-52 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledgeknowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledgeknowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: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.5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to...Diligence

Gk. spoude = speed; this word is translated “haste” in both Mark 6 v 25 & Luke 1 v 39 i.e. we need to maintain a sense of urgency to grow

James A. Garfield – 20th President of the United

States• The first preacher to serve as President.

• A minister and elder for the Churches of Christ/Christian Churches in Ohio in the years before the rift in the Campbell-Stone movement.

• He left the eldership in Mentor, Ohio, "I resign the highest office in the land to become President of the United States.”

‘Humus’ Humble – to be brought low

The Pinnacle of the process of growth

• This growth happens in parallel (not strictly sequential), cp. the growth of a plant

• However, the pinnacle of this process is charity or love

2 Peter 1 v 5-75 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.

2 Peter 3 v 1818 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.

2 Peter 1 v 5-7 (Weymouth)

5 But for this very reason--adding, on your part, all earnestness--

along with your faith, manifest also a noble character: along with

a noble character, knowledge;

6 along with knowledge, self-control; along with self-control,

power of endurance;

7 along with power of endurance, godliness; along with godliness,

brotherly affection; and along with brotherly affection, love.

The 8 characteristics produced in the maturity stage

The desired outcome

• Parallel idea – if our growth abounds then we will receive abundance• “Cannot see afar off” = Gk. muopazo = near-sighted, short-sighted (Eng.

myopic, myopia) obsession with present things (contrast Heb. 11 v 13)• “Forgotten... he was purged” – if we forget the cleansing effect of the

atonement then we too may become complacent / self-reliant

2 Peter 1 v 8-118 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.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.10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Chapter 1

Jeremiah 23:2929 Does not my word burn like fire?”

      says the LORD.   “Is it not like a mighty hammer      that smashes a rock to pieces?