Lesson 2
Second Peter
Warning against dangers
facing the Church
Review:
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
3.
Saving Faith;
specific; where the context and emphasis is on the object of faith for
salvation, Jesus Christ.
Christ
is the only object Jn 1:12;
4.
Blending
of an emphasis on Hearing; believing; applying (Heb 4:2; Gal 3:1-5; Eph.
5. Misplaced Faith; wrong object! false criterion;
-
Mt 3:9
Jews believed in heritage from Abraham; Jn. 8:31-45
-
Jn 5:37-40 Scribes, Pharisees; thought a knowledge scripture
was sufficient; rejected the one who the scriptures pointed to.
-
1 Cor. 2:4-5 Not on the wisdom of man; the
philosophy of man.
- 2 Ths.
- 1 John 4:1 test the read out against
the std of the WOG before believing what is
heard;
many
false teachers spewing forth the doctrine of demons, very persuasive,
especially true in last days 1 Tim. 4:1
In
this last phrase we have the basis for this equally valuable faith, having the
same privileges before God.
by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
- (evn dikaiosu,nh|) - su,nh indicates
that what is in view is a quality or characteristic here of our God
and Savior, Jesus Christ.
- righteousness
/ justice speaks of God's holiness; His integrity and is the basic and
foundational attribute of God.
What is the righteousness
here?
- This
then is the righteousness that God provides to each one who believes; Imputed; credited to their account before Him.
That
Christ as Savior is found 5 times in this short epistle: 1:1, 11;
1:1 Simon
Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to the ones having obtained
an equally valuable faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Summary
1.
Peter with his opening salutation makes the point that he is a bond
slave 1st who is under authority of Christ before reaffirms the fact
that he is an apostle with authority.
2. He also makes the point that he is a slave of
Christ not the kosmos system as the false teachers that he will be dealing with
in this epistle.
3. He
addresses this epistle to: to the ones having
obtained an equally valuable faith with us. This tells us that
whether Jew or Gentile it is the same faith in Christ that saves and provides
their position in Christ.
4.
Peter initially had a hard time adjusting to the reality of the change
in the relationship of Jew and Gentile.
- Acts 10 vision, time frame 40-41 AD.
- see the result in Acts 11:17-18
- 10 years later recounted in the 1st
church conference Acts 15:6-11
- Point he was making was that
the new relationship and position of Jew and Gentile was not based on human
merit or ability but on relationship with God by faith Gal 3:26-29
5. Peter also reminds us here that the object of
faith resulting in salvation is Jesus Christ by the last phrase, by the
righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
6. Christ via his death, burial, resurrection,
ascension, session secured for the one who believes in Him whether Jew or
Gentile this unique position of being "in Christ."
7. This verse does not teach or imply that God
have them their faith but that they, as do all, will have the opportunity to
respond to God's initiation through the Gospel heard and be saved.
-
Calvinism under the principle of irresistible or efficacious grace, that God
gives the faith to the ones to be saved, basically enables one to believe.
8. Paul also says that salvation is equally
valuable to all in Eph 3:6.
9. Communicators especially P/T's must orient to
the source of their authority as a doulos and use it to speak truth.
1:2 We see Peter's desire for them and for all believers and
then the mechanics
Grace
and peace be multiplied to you
Grace (ca,rij) since he is addressing believers it refers to f2 and f3 grace all that flows
out f1 grace as does
the next one
peace (eivrh,nh) this brings into view the relaxed mental attitude that results
from epignosis being applied, that is applying known truth in the various
circumstances of life
- Grace is the fountain from
which peace flows.
- The
primary emphasis here is peace of God which is experienced in our life as we
live out our lives in Christ.
Peter's
request here is that this grace and peace be multiplied to you.
- plhqu,nw -- Aorist Pass Opt.;
to multiply, to increase, to grow
-
Optative mood (rare) expresses an obtainable wish or desire,
it is his desire that all believers realize this multiplication of grace and
peace.
- Peter
by using the optative mood recognizes a basic reality of life, that most
believers won't exploit the grace provision that is theirs in Christ.
- When
divine good is produced God vindicates His Word in you and you will be blessed
in time and in eternity.
Next Peter provides us the
mechanics of this multiplication that he has in view.
in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
Therefore the source or means is the word of God, divine
viewpoint, believed which impacts your life as it impacts your thinking and
world view.
1:2 May grace and peace be
multiplied to you all by means of the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our
Lord.