Grace Bible Church

Preaching the Living Word through the Written Word

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION TO 2 PETER

(Intro) 9/14/16

Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming

Pastor Daryl Hilbert

 

I.     RECIPIENTS

 

A.    Unlike Peter’s first epistle, he did not immediately identify his readers (cf. 1Pe 1:1). It appeared to be a general audience of, “those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2Pe 1:1).

B.    However in 2Pe 3:1 Peter wrote, “this is now my second letter to you.” The normal understanding would be that this was the same group that Peter had written in his first epistle.

C.    Therefore, just like 1 Peter, Peter’s audience was both Jewish and Gentile Christians.

 

II.    OCCASION FOR WRITING

 

A.    Peter wrote in his first epistle to believers experiencing persecution in varying degrees. He exhorted them to stand firm because God was sovereign, God was being glorified, and God’s will was being accomplished, and they were called to suffer and follow Christ’s example.

B.    In his second epistle, Peter was warning believers concerning false teachers creeping into the church. He was doing this especially in light of his impending martyrdom (2Pe 1:14).

C.    He does not identify the specific heresy and it does not have the traits of Gnosticism. But he does give a description of the false teachers.

1.     They “introduced destructive heresies” (2Pe 2:1a),

2.     “Denied the Master who bought them” (2Pe 2:1b),

3.     Were greedy (2Pe 2:3, 14),

4.     “Indulged in the flesh” (2Pe 2:10a),

5.     “Reviled angelic majesties” (2Pe 2:10b),

6.     Spoke arrogantly (2Pe 2:18),

7.     Led others into bondage (2Pe 2:19-22),

8.     Mocked the 2nd Coming of Christ (2Pe 3:4),

9.     Mocked the coming Judgment (2Pe 3:5-7).

 

III.  AUTHOR AND AUTHORSHIP

 

A.    Peter

 

1.     By the time Peter wrote his second epistle, he most definitely was one of the church’s preeminent leaders. That was why Christ stated that Peter was “petros,” a large rock, symbolizing his leadership (Mat 16:18a). However, he was not the “rock” (petra, large cliff) that the church was built upon (Mat 16:18b). That was the statement, “You are the Christ, the Son of God (Mat 16:16). Knowing that his days were coming to an end, Peter wanted to assure that false teachers would not creep in and destroy the church he gave loving leadership.

2.     Peter was one of the eye-witnesses of Christ’s Transfiguration, when Christ’s glory could not be contained in His flesh (Mt 17:1-9 cf. 2Pe 1:16-17). Therefore, Peter was a first-hand witness of Christ’s “majesty,” and knew the person of Christ. Peter was in the vicinity when Jesus died on the cross. Therefore, Peter knew of the work of Christ. Peter himself heard the attestation of the voice of the Father say, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.” Therefore Peter knew that Jesus was the Son of God.

3.     Peter was also a witness of the resurrected Christ and was commissioned by Him to be an apostle (Joh 21:15-17; Ac 1:8, 22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:39, 41).

4.     Peter understood the concept of the inspiration of Scripture from the Old Testament and now he himself was an inspired writer (cf. 2Pe 1:20-21) as was Paul (2Pe 3:15-16). The definition of Scripture (graphê) means that it is God’s very words. The Holy Spirit “moved” (pherō) God’s spokesmen to speak and write from God. Therefore, no one is permitted to take their own interpretations from Scripture. God gave His intended meaning.

 

B.    Objections to Peter’s Authorship

 

1.     No other New Testament epistle has received such scrutiny concerning its canonicity than has Peter’s second epistle.

2.     Some books were accepted by all and were called the Homologoumena. Some books were rejected by all and they were called the Pseudepigrapha. However, there were some books that were undecided upon and disputed over concerning their authenticity. They were called the Antilegomena. 2Peter was among this last list.

3.     Eusebius, the church historian (A.D. 260-340), wrote that Peter’s first epistle was accepted but his second epistle “we have been informed by tradition, has not been received as a part of the New Testament” (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, lib. ii.c.3)

4.     The fact that some church fathers (Tertullian, Cyprian. Clement of Alexandria, Muratori’s Canon) did not mention any verses from Peter’s second epistle, caused some to be skeptical.

5.     Jerome included 2Peter in the Latin Vulgate but maintained that many questioned Peter’s authorship because of “a difference in style from 1 Peter.”

6.     External Evidence - However, there were early traces of 2 Peter in other early church fathers.

a)    “They have left their true way” cf. 2Pe 2:15 (Hermas, A.D. 140 author of the Shepherd of Hermas, Vision 3:7). Also 2Pe 2:13, 20.

b)    “The Lord making it known that he does not abandon those that trust in Him, but appoints those otherwise inclined to Judgment” cf. 2Pe. 2:5-9 (Clement of Rome, A.D. 96, Epistle to the Corinthians ).

c)     “The day of the Lord is as a thousand years” cf. 2Pe 3:8 (Justin Martyr, A.D. 100-65).

7.     Internal Evidence 

a)    Peter’s name and title had a direct claim of authorship (2Pe 1:1 cf. 1Pe 1:1).

b)    He stated that he had already written to his readers (2Pe 3:1).

c)     He stated that he along with others (“we”) witnessed Christ’s transfiguration (2Pe 1:16-18).

d)    He stated that his martyrdom was coming soon (2Pe 1:13-14).

8.     Stylistic Evidence – There are numerous “pet” words that were used in both epistles.

a)    “Precious” (timê or timios) in 1Pe 1:19; 2:7 cf. 2Pe 1:4.

b)    “Excellence” (aretê) in 1Pe 2:9 cf. 2Pe 1:3, 5.

c)     “Apothesis” only used twice in NT, once in 1Pe 3:21 (“removal”) and once in 2Pe 1:14 (“laying aside”).

d)    Peter’s greetings were the same, “charis umin kai eirênê plêthuntheiê” in 1Pe 1:2 (“grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure”) and 2Pe 1:2 (“Grace and peace be multiplied to you”).

e)     The similarities in style between the two books are just as striking as the differences. Both books are filled with hapax legomena, words that occur only once in the New Testament. Of the 686 hapax legomena in the New Testament, 1 Peter contains 62 and 2 Peter has 54more, proportionately, than most New Testament books their size (Homer K. Ebright, The Petrine Epistles).

f)     Stylistic differences could have come from a different amanuensis. “Silvanus” was Peter’s amanuensis in 1Pe 5:12. Either a different amanuensis or Peter himself physically wrote his second epistle.

g)     Several words used in Peter’s sermons in Acts are repeated only in 2 Peter.

(1)   “Punish” (kolazō) in Act 4:21 and 2Pe 2:9.

(2)   Act 1:18 (misthou tês adikias) and 2Pe 2:15 (misthon adikias)

h)    Both epistles speak of the Lord’s Second Coming. In his first epistle, Peter encouraged suffering Christians with the Second Coming. However, in his second epistle, Peter warned false teachers concerning judgment when the Lord returns. This explains some of the difference in aspects of the Second Coming.

 

IV.  DATE AND PLACE OF WRITING

 

A.    Nero died in A.D. 68. Tradition records that Peter was put to death by Nero in Rome. Since by his own comment in 2Pe 1:14, Peter’s death was “imminent,” it is generally accepted that Peter was put to death in 67 or 68.

B.    Most likely, Peter was imprisoned before his martyrdom. It is quite possible then that Peter wrote his second epistle from prison in Rome.

 

V.    THEOLOGICAL THEMES

 

A.    God’s truth is gained by the knowledge of Christ in His Word.

 

1.     The word “know” or “knowledge” is used some 16 times in this epistle.

2.     It comes the Greek word gnosis which refers to God’s knowledge (Rom 11:33; 2Pe 2:9), man’s intellectual comprehension of things (2Pe 3:3; 2Pe 2:21 “epignōskō” “full knowledge”), and the knowledge of Christ revealed in His Word (2Co 4:6; 2Pe 1:2, 3, 8; 2:20; 3:18).

 

B.    Sufficiency of Divine Promises (God’s Word) (2Pe 1:3-4)

 

1.     Peter began his epistle showing that God’s Word is sufficient for everything the believer needs “pertaining to life and godliness.”

2.     Like false teachers today, the false teachers of Peter’s day may have been teaching that the Scriptures were not enough for the Christian. He needed other sources of knowledge to meet his needs.

 

C.    Christian Virtues For the Believer (2Pe 1:5-9)

 

1.     The believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit and gave him a new nature.

2.     That Holy Spirit and the new nature enable the believer to live and grow in Christian life and its virtues.

3.     These Christian virtues will keep the believer from becoming “useless and unfruitful.”

 

D.    Inspiration of Scripture (2Pe 1:20-21)

 

1.     Peter understood what the inspiration of Scripture means. He answered the question of how can a mere man write God’s Word.

2.     The answer is that it is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to “move” (pherō) God’s chosen men to speak (and write) from God.

3.     Therefore, the Bible is “God-breathed” (theopneustos, 2Ti 3:16), which means it originated from God, not “by an act of human will.”

 

E.    Destiny of False Teachers

 

1.     The word “destruction” or “destroy” is used some 11 times. Because they reject Christ (2Pe 2:1b), and teach “destructive” heresies, leading others into error, they will bring swift “destruction” upon themselves (2Pe 2:1c).

2.     One of the Greek words used, particularly in the “destruction” of the false teachers, is apōleia, which means the eternal punishment of the wicked (2Pe 2:1, 3; 3:7, 16).

 

F.     Second Coming of Christ

 

1.     Peter teaches the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ.

2.     The false teachers and mockers are sarcastic concerning Christ’s coming (2Pe 3:3-4).

3.     Peter gives arguments for why Christ has not yet come, specifically, the Lord’s longsuffering results in the salvation of men (2Pe 3:5-13).

4.     Christ’s Second Coming should be a motivation for believers to live spotless and blameless lives (2Pe 3:14-16).

G.    God’s Truth Against False Teachers

 

1.     Besides the fact that Peter warned of the reality of false teachers (2Pe 2:1), the description of false teachers (2Pe 2:2-3, 10-19), and the diagnosis of false teachers (2Pe 2:4-9), Peter showed that God’s truth guards against false teachers.

2.     Therefore, one of the theological themes is found in the key verses 2Pe 3:17-18 which reads, “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen”

3.     By “knowing [these truths, the ones expounded upon in this epistle] beforehand” the believer will be on guard against doctrinal error.

4.     Instead of falling into error and falling away from the Lord, the believer is to grow in truth, namely the “grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

 

 

VI.  OUTLINE

 

(Key Verse: 2Pe 3:17-18)

 

 

GOD’S TRUTH AGAINST FALSE TEACHERS

 

I.     GOD’S TRUTH ESTABLISHES THE BELIEVER (1:1-21)

 

A.    Salutation (1:1-2)

B.    Efficacy of Divine Promises (1:3-4)

C.    Excellencies For the Believer (1:5-9)

D.    Eternal Calling Made Certain (1:10-11)

E.    Established by the Truth (1:12-15) – KEY VERSE (2Pe 1:12)

F.     Eyewitness of Christ’s Majesty (1:16-19)

G.    Exaltation of Scripture (1:20-21)

 

II.    GOD’S TRUTH EXPOSES FALSE TEACHERS (2:1-22)

 

A.    Dictum on False Teachers (2:1) – KEY VERSE (2Pe 2:1)

B.    Description of False Teachers (2:2-3)

C.    Diagnosis of False Teachers (2:4-9)

D.    Description (Further) of False Teachers (2:10-19)

E.    Destiny of False Teachers (2:20-22)

 

III.  GOD’S TRUTH ENSURES AGAINST FALSE TEACHING (3:1-18)

 

A.    Stirred Up Remembrances (3:1-2)

B.    Sarcasm Against the 2nd Coming (3:3-4)

C.    Statements For the 2nd Coming (3:5-13)

D.    Standard Because of the 2nd Coming (3:14-16)

E.    Safeguard Against False Teaching (3:17) – KEY VERSES (2Pe 3:17-18)

F.     Benediction (3:18).

 

 

 

 

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd ·  PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516