Lesson 43
Second Peter
Warning against dangers
facing the Church
Chapter 3
The Certainty of the
Believers Hope – The Return of Christ
Review:
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, avgaphto,j
- And as a result of this position, with all the
operating assets that are ours we should through the discernment gained from a knowledge of truth not fall prey to the false teachers,
scoffers and their heresies that they peddle.
The exhortation:
be on
your guard present Middle
imperative of fula,ssw to guard, to watch with
the sense of preserve and protect
- We are to be diligent towards both the intake
of the word and its application, using it to provide the basis of discernment
to protect you from all the apostasy out there which is so prevalent today.
Reason for being on
guard:
so
that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from
your own steadfastness,
- so that i[na mh. intros
a conditional clause, sets up a potential situation that exists if we don’t use
the doctrine we have so that we’re on guard, Peter says here’s what can happen
if you become complacent.
- with the passive voice Peter is reminding them
and us that if we are not on guard we will be influenced by association with
those who are negative to doctrine and as a result will be led astray, off of
the straight way, drifting off the course of grace.
- He also describes them as “unprincipled men” the word is a;qesmoj to be lawless, with out principles,
or norms and standards.
Why we need to be continually on guard, the second part
of the conditional statement,
and fall from your own
steadfastness,
- fall from aorist subjective evkpi,ptw this describes the potential result of
the failure to be on guard applying the truth that you know will lead to a
fall, a moving away from the grace life with all the spiritual assets
available.
- sterigmos emphasizes the firmness
and steadfastness that is the heritage of the believer with a frame of
reference of truth and using it.
3:17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, keep being on guard
for yourselves, so that having been carried away by the error of unprincipled
men you may fall from your own firmness. (having
doctrine and using it)
Observations:
1. This warning is for everyone, no matter what
their degree of spiritual advance whether a new believer, or an advancing
believer working towards maturity.
2. We must
constantly be on guard against the error of false teachers with their many
areas of deceit.
- today
there are many gimmicks presented with a
supposed short cut to a great spiritual life/status.
3. This warning is similar to the one given by
Paul in Acts 20:28-30 although there his message is directed specifically to
PT’s so that as they fulfill their responsibility in teaching the Word to their
flock they will be prepared to deal with and realize the stability in their
lives.
4. Being prepared arms the believer to recognize
the deceit pedaled by the false teachers because they have the discernment
needed to evaluate the input.
5. On the
other hand failure to exercise discernment and identify false teachers with
their distorted and twisted message will lead to a loss of the steadfastness
that you should enjoy.
- whatever it is that you think that
your gaining by following after these false teachers you will eventually
discover is not worth the divine discipline and the wasted time
6. Need to
especially be on guard for those who make their main appeal to one’s emotions
which is typical of what is seen most often on T/V these days.
- Reason is that when the emotions rule, there is no
solid thinking going on.
- Need to remember these are
unprincipled men and they will use any and all methods to gain their objective.
7. The deceived individual following the false
teachers ends up as a child, tossed by waves, carried about by every wind of
doctrine. Eph 4:14
but
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
What Peter is commanding here is okay, you’ve attained
a firm foundation, have been established firmly in the truth, but don’t stop
there, keep on growing!
grace -
is all that God is free to do for you because of the work of Christ on the
cross.
We need to remember that everything that we have that
is worthwhile as a believer depends on Him, therefore depends on grace. Neither earned or deserved!
knowledge gnw/sij this is not referring to
just any knowledge but specifically to the knowledge of our Lord and (even)
Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter closes with a doxology, a final praise focused
on our Savior.
To Him be the
glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
What’s in view
here is the glory of redemption, the glory of spiritual growth, the glory of
manifesting the symphony of grace, the glory of escape from the false teachers,
and the glory of His ultimate return—all glory belongs to Jesus Christ.
And He receives that glory both now and
forever.
Final Observations:
1. This is
one of the most important commands in Scripture for the believer.
2. Point
is without fulfilling this one can’t begin to fulfill the others since we will
be without knowledge.
3. Fulfilling
this command will provide the necessary input to combat not only the false
teachers, the scoffers but also the contamination of the kosmos system out
there.
4. The
present tense of growing,
auvxa,nw indicates that this is to be a never ending
process no matter how mature one thinks they are!
5. Mechanics to keep in mind:
a.
empowering by the Holy Spirit so that we can walk by the Spirit Gal 5:17
b.
need to be in a local church where the Word is taught systematically Heb
c.
this should lead to consistency of intake and growth 2 Pet 3:18
d.
belief in word, that is epiknowsis is the basis for
provision in time 2 Pet 1:3
e. Application, living out the
truth – Jas 1:22 But
prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude
themselves.
6. This will lead to becoming
more grace oriented recognizing the real source of all blessing.
7. Never sell your heritage or birthright for a
mess of pottage, which the appeal of the false teachers will lead since their
appeal is to the lusts of the sin nature.
8. Only as we spend time with Him, as He is
revealed in His Word, can we grow in our knowledge of Him.