Lesson 1
Second Peter
Warning against dangers
facing the Church
INTRODUCTION:
1. Main Theme of
the epistle: Full knowledge of truth is necessary to withstand the subtle
apostasy in the church. (to know, knowledge 16 x's)
- really knowledge of the Word is the key to living the CWL
consistently
2. General contrast of 1st and 2nd Peter
a.
1 Peter
emphasizes Christian suffering in the devil's world; while 2 Peter emphasizes the dangers arising
from the apostasy within the church.
b.
The
first epistle is an exhortation to patient endurance and loyalty to Christ amid
undeserved suffering; the second epistle is an appeal for loyalty to Christ in
the midst of subtle heresy.
c.
1 Peter
instructs believers how to respond to external enemies; while 2 Peter
strengthens believers to resist the internal adversaries of the truth within
the church.
d.
The
first epistle inculcates hope amid suffering; the second accentuates the need
of epignosis as the safeguard against vicious error of false teaching.
e.
The
danger now to the churches will be less from without - external as seen in 1st
Peter - as it is from within resulting from error in doctrine and false
teachers.
- 2 Pet primarily future tense
-
While Jude is in the aorist - already started
3. Authenticity of 2 Peter
a.
2 Peter
is the most disputed book in the N.T. - it has the least amount of external
evidence.
b.
The
question raised most often is the one of the change of style of writing between
1st and 2nd Peter.
- Overlooks the aide of an amanuensis in writing 1 Peter
as well as the change in subject matter
- also a common style and that is
the use of hapax's
62/54
c. Reasons for its neglect and rejection:
1. It is very short
and contains few quoted phrases.
2. Suspicion arose
because of the slowness of its acceptance due to the many pseudo Petrine
writings, Pseudepigrapha,
that carried Peter's name but not written by Peter.
- also during this period
external persecution increased under Nero and it restricted communication a
great deal.
3. Some of the pseudepigrapha that was being distributed:
a. Apocalypse of Peter c. 135 AD
b. The Preaching of Peter c. 80-140 AD.
c. The Gospel of Peter c. 150-175 AD
d. Acts of Peter c. 180-200 AD.
e. The Teaching of Peter c. 200 AD.
f. The Letter of Peter to James c. 200 AD.
4. Since false
teachers were the target of the epistle they would be expected to attempt to
discredit it and they did.
4. Date of
writing: early 64 AD very close to his
death in late summer of 64
5. Place of
writing: probably
6. Recipients:
basically the same as 1 Peter but it was also intended for a wider circulation
as noted in vs:1 To
those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours.
7. Internal Evidence for Peter's authorship:
a.
The
writer calls himself Simon Peter in 1:1
b.
Clearly
alludes to his approaching death,
c.
Identifies
himself as a witness of the transfiguration 1:16-18
d.
He
refers to Paul as a respected equal and contemporary not a canonized saint of a
previous era,
e.
Identifies
himself as a writer of a previous epistle sent to the same group, 3:1.
f.
He
identifies himself with the apostles, 3:2.
8. The Occasion and Purpose for writing:
a.
Peter
predicts the outbreak of apostasy and false teaching in the Churches, 2:1-2;
3:3.
b.
The
teaching of these false teachers no absolute standards, immorality,
anti-supernaturalism.
-
make their appeal to the lust of the sin nature to gain influence
c.
Alert
believers are to counter such an attack with the application of what they
already have been taught,
d. Peter handles the growing skepticism related to the
return of Christ, the parousia, 3:8-13.
e. Peter's
exhortation is consistent with the warnings against apostasy which are
expressed elsewhere: Acts 20:28-30; 2 Ths 2:3; 1 Tim
4:1; 2 Tim 3:1-9; 4:4; 1 John 2:18
9. OUTLINE
1. Salutation and prayer for spiritual
advancement - 1:1-2.
2. Nature of this Full Knowledge - 1:3-21
a. reminder of the reality of their inheritance - 1:3-4.
b. Challenge to A/BD and move to maturity - 1:5-11.
c.
Peter's authority and responsibility to them - 1:12-21.
3. Warning against abandoning this Full
Knowledge - 2:1-22
a.
Inevitability of false teachers - 2:1-3a.
b.
Judgment of these false teachers - 2:3b-9.
c.
Characteristics of false teachers - 2:10-22.
4. The Hope of this Full Knowledge the parousia - 3:1-18.
a.
The precedent of what has been taught - 3:1-7.
b.
The Promise and reality of the future - 3:8-13.
c.
This confident expectation leads to righteous living -
Chapter One
1:1-2 Opening Salutation and Prayer for their advancement
Simon
Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
a
bond-servant (dou/loj) lit. in the first century it described those who were in bondage
to another, many were born into this relationship while others were conquered
peoples made slaves.
- The term also has
a figurative use as Peter uses it here and Paul many times in the opening of
his epistles also speaks of himself as the bond slave of Christ.
Its force
flows out of their decision repeatedly to live out the will of God.
- As we have noted in its use by Paul, it is
inseparable from true freedom in this life:
Rom
Rom
The P/T as well as all believers actually fall
into this same category of being exhorted to be willful bond slaves of Christ.
Eph 6:6 (to the will of God); Titus 2:9 (under authority) ; 1 Pet 2:16 (free
to serve)
and apostle
of Jesus Christ genitive of possession, Peter is an apostle
who belongs to Jesus Christ
- this
reaffirms his spiritual gift, as an apostle, having authority/responsibility in
the churches
He
addresses the epistle to: To those who have received a faith of the same
kind as ours,
- received (lagca,nw aorist
act participle - substantival use) not
the normal word for receiving, it speaks of what comes to someone always apart
from his own efforts; it implies
receiving as a gift
- of
the same kind (acc fem sg.) (ivso,timoj) equally
valuable; of equal honor; of equal privilege;
- So
what is the faith in view here?
- An interesting
passage with the use of (ivso,j) equal is
found in Acts
General uses of Faith in
Scripture:
1.
The Faith: as the whole body of truth; the complete revelation of God in the Canon of Scripture.
1 Tim
4:1; Eph. 4:5; Jude
1:3
2.
The Faith: as the content of what is believed;
That portion of the Canon that is personally a
part of our own F/O/R.
The principles, promises, the truths of the WOG.
Eph
It is
developed and constructed from consistent hearing; Rom
All the
exhortations "let him who has an ear
let him hear what the Spirit has to say to the churches." Rev. 2-3 7 times
More Next Week