Chapter One-hundred-nineteen
Second Epistle from Peter
Introduction and chapter one
INTRODUCTION
Taken from the NKJV "Personal Study Bible," Nelson Publishers,
1990,1995.
The second of two New Testament letters that bear the name
of Simon Peter. The two have little in common with each other, 2
Peter being briefer and written in a different style than I
Peter.
AUTHOR AND DATE
Some scholars have doubted that Peter was the author of 2
Peter. They usually point to differences in style, vocabulary,
and theology between 1 and 2 Peter, as well as to 2 Peter's
dependence on Jude. Some further maintain that Peter would never
have implied that Paul's writings were equal to "the rest of the
Scriptures" (3:15,16).
However, these arguments can be countered.
One cannot deny that the Greek of I Peter is much more
polished than that of 2 Peter. But this difference could be
accounted for if Peter used a different secretary to write the
second epistle. Differences in vocabulary can also be explained
by the differing subject matter discussed in each letter.
First Peter says that the coming of Christ is near, while 2
Peter explains why. He has not already come. This difference is
explained by the differing situations of the readers. The readers
of 1 Peter were facing persecution and needed to be encouraged to
believe that Christ could return at any time. When the second
letter was written, Peter had to explain the seeming delay of
Christ's return because false teachers had been telling there
readers that Christ was not going to come and, that there would
be no judgment.
Second Peter 2:1-3:4 appears to quote word for word from
Jude 4-19. (For a discussion of this issue see Introduction to
Jude: Date). But Paul often quotes hymns, confessions or other
pieces of literature in his epistles. Why should Peter not do the
same? It is possible that Peter and Jude used a common source or
even that Jude copied Peter.
It is entirely appropriate for Peter to imply that Paul's
writings had divine authority (see 3:15,16). The apostles wrote
with the consciousness that they had this authority. Their
writings were regularly read in church services along with the
Old Testament Scripture.
The author of 2 Peter identifies himself as Peter in many
subtle ways throughout his work. It would have taken a very
skilled forger to imitate these unconscious footprints of the
apostle. A number of second-century books were falsely attributed
to Peter. When compared with the artificiality of these writings,
the genuineness of 2 Peter becomes apparent. Peter probably wrote
in the early sixties, not long before his death.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Second Peter 3:1 seems to imply that 2 Peter was written to
the same churches in Asia Minor to which 1 Peter had been
written. Certain people were teaching that salvation freed
Christians from the necessity of living a holy life. They twisted
Paul's doctrine of salvation by grace to support their position
(3:16). Since they believed it was all right to sin, they
naturally mocked at the idea of Christ's return in judgment. For
their own personal gain they lured people by promising them that
they could be Christians and still live immoral fives.
Peter writes out of pastoral concern to counter these false
teachings and their influence on the lives of early Christians.
He is concerned that there be a check against this false teaching
and immoral living even after he is gone (see 1:12-15).
CONTENTS
The contents of 2 Peter are fully in line with the apostle's
purpose. In chapter 1 he exhorts believers to grow in the life of
holiness. Chapter 2 attacks the false teachers' deceptive methods
and immoral life-style. In chapter 3 Peter challenges all who
deny that Christ will return to judge sin.
OUTLINE OF 2 PETER
1. Exhortation to spiritual growth 1:1-21
A. Introduction 1:1,2
B. Grow in holiness 1:3-11
C. Corrupt conduct judged 2:12-17
D. Be certain of Christ's return 1:16-21
2. Wanting against false teachers. 2:1-22
A. The false teachers 2:1-3
B. God condemns falsehood 2:4-11
C. Corrupt conduct judged 2:12-17
D. Deceptive methods punished 2:18-22
C. Remember the truth. 1:12-15
3. Preparation for the last days 3:1-18
A. Be certain of the judgment 3:1-9
B. Be prepared for the judgment 3:10.18
CHAPTER ONE
Peter begins his second epistle by saying he is not only a
servant (bond slave) of Jesus Christ, but also an "apostle" - one
who is sent, the word means. He was sent to those who had
obtained like PRECIOUS faith with us (probably meaning other
apostles or other Christians in different parts of the Roman
Empire). This precious faith came through the righteousness of
God and our savior Jesus Christ.
He bids them grace multiplied through the KNOWLEDGE of God,
and Jesus our Lord.
It was through the DIVINE POWER of God, who gives all things
pertaining to godliness, and through the knowledge of Him who has
called us to GLORY and VIRTUE.
It is indeed the power of God's Spirit that works with our
mind to call us to His truths and knowledge, that we have
salvation, and it surely is GLORY and VIRTUE that we are
called to partake in.
It is by all this that we are given EXCEEDINGLY GREAT AND
PRECIOUS PROMISES: to partake of the DIVINE NATURE of God, having
now escaped the corruption that is in the world (verses 1-4).
Partaking of the DIVINE NATURE is FAR MORE than what people
ever think. As called Christians we are given the very SEED of
the NATURE of God the Father. We are BEGOTTEN AGAIN! But this
time begotten of God Himself. We are not just "adopted" children,
we are the very LITERAL children of the Father. What most
Christian people do not realize and are not taught by their
ministers, is that God the Father is REPRODUCING Himself through
mankind! Reproducing to have literal children BORN into His
family! We have seen the apostle Paul teach in Hebrews chapter
two, that Jesus is not ashamed to call US His BROTHERS!
There is throughout the New Testament story, a Father and
Son relationship mentioned over and over again. Jesus is called
the FIRSTBORN from the dead, the firstborn from human to DIVINE.
This GREAT MYSTERY (now Paul says is being revealed to us)
is what the angels desire to look into. They ponder it, they
marvel at it, that God the Father can take physical clay, dirt,
earth, and make man in His own image, then call them through the
power of His Spirit, and through the ONE great sin BEARER forgiving
sacrifice of Christ Jesus, and start the process, of making men
and women into His VERY LIKENESS. Yes ABOVE the likeness of
angels, above anything ever created by God, taking human kind and
making them eventually into the God kind.
God the Father will ALWAYS be the MOST HOLY ONE, the SUPREME
one. Jesus Christ will ALWAYS be our ELDER brother, next to the
Father, on His right hand, but under Christ there will be
thousands if not millions of brothers and sisters to Jesus, all
with the very DIVINE NATURE of God within them, fully perfect,
fully sinless, fully never even being able to be tempted by sin
any more. Oh, what GLORY indeed that shall be!!
You need to KNOW what the heavenly Father teaches on this
matter in His holy word. You will find on my Website an in-
depth study called "A CHRISTIAN'S DESTINY." Make sure you read
it, study it, meditate on it, come to see the GLORIOUS MYSTERY of
the GOSPEL that is NOW revealed to us in the pages of the Bible
and especially the New Testament.
Knowing this wonderful truth of complete salvation - the
full end result of our salvation - we are to ADD to our faith, be
diligent in adding to our faith, "virtue (excellence, resolution,
Christian energy) and in exercising) virtue (develop) knowledge
(intelligence), And in (exercising) knowledge (develop) self-
control, and in (exercising) self-control (develop) steadfastness
(patience and endurance), and in (exercising) steadfastness
(develop) godliness (piety), and in (exercising) godliness
(develop) brotherly affection, and in (exercising) brotherly
affection (develop) Christian love" (Amplified Bible).
Is it important that a Christian adds these attributes to
their basic faith? Can a saved Christian just sit back, relax,
put up their feet, and go through life cat-napping their time
away, until they are called home in death. Peter goes on to give
us the answer:
"For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in
you, they will keep (you) from being idle or unfruitful unto the
(full personal) knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah,
the Anointed One). FOR whoever LACKS these qualities is BLIND,
(spiritually) SHORTSIGHTED, seeing only what is near to him, and
has become oblivious (to the fact) that he was cleansed from his
old sins. because of this brethren, be all the more solicitous
and eager to make SURE (to RATIFY, to STRENGTHEN, to make
STEADFAST) your calling and election; for if you DO THIS, you
will NEVER STUMBLE or FALL. Thus there will be a richly and
abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (Amplified Bible, capital words are
mine).
If you are reading carefully you will see again the teaching
of the New Testament, that it IS possible to FALL AWAY from
Christian faith, there is no such teaching in the Bible as "once
saved always saved." A Christian must STICK WITH IT, but not only
stick with it, a Christian must be adding to their faith, and
here Peter lists what to add.
Jesus clearly taught during His ministry that "he that shall
endure to the end, the same shall be saved."
A forgiven Christian, through faith and grace, must live a
different life-style than their old way of sin, doing whatever
they wanted, when they wanted. They must be CONVERTED, turned up-
side-down, turned in-side-out, be willing to be led by the Holy
Spirit of God into walking the pathway of righteousness, walking
down the straight and narrow road of the will and mind attitude
of God. A Christian must as Paul said, "Let this MIND be IN you,
that was IN Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5). And a Christian must
live and walk this holy pathway, living by every word of God (as
Jesus taught in Matthew 4:4) to the end of their life, until they
sleep in death.
Peter said if we DO the things he listed we will make our
calling and election SURE (verses 5-11).
Peter knew the people he was writing to, knew all that he
was saying was correct, but he told them he still needed to state
it again, to give emphasis once more to them of this basic
foundational truth of salvation.
He also knew that his time to put off this physical
tabernacle was near. He knew (from the situation and from the
Holy Spirit through Christ) his death was close at hand.
He was writing this all down, so even after his death,
Christians would still have this truth.
He also told them that he and others like him, were not
teaching cunningly deceitful fables, but they had made known the
very POWER and the COMING (because He lives) of the Lord Jesus
Christ, but were EYE-WITNESSES of His glorified majesty.
Yes, we have people who lived with, walked with, talked with
Jesus, after He was raised from the dead. We today can have a
faith that is SURE, founded upon SOLID facts. God is REAL, He
DOES exist, His Son Jesus Christ DID walk this earth, did die for
the sins of the world, was dead for three days and three nights,
was resurrected to GLORIFIED IMMORTAL LIFE! Did ascend to heaven
in the sight of some of His disciples, does live today at the
Father's right hand, and will COME again to establish the Kingdom
of God on earth for a 1,000 years, and will then turn it all over
to the Father, when the Father and the heavenly Jerusalem comes
to this earth for eternity.
Peter knew personally that Jesus did receive from God the
Father HONOR and GLORY, when a voice came from heaven saying,
"This IS MY BELOVED SON, in whom I am well pleased."
This voice from heaven, Peter says, he and James and John
HEARD when in the holy mount (Matthew 17). That was the time that
has been popularly called "The Transfiguration."
Not only that, Peter declares we have also a more sure word
of prophecy. More sure because that word is STILL WITH US, in the
pages of the Bible. The transfiguration is no longer seen, it was
for a one time only, for Peter, James and John, to see and record
for us as having seen, but PROPHECY .... that is for ALL TIME and
all ages. The prophets wrote about end time events, and their
writing are preserved still, for us to continually read, and as
we read we see the day approaching. We can see the events coming
to pass, taking shape, moving forward to the very end times of
the last 42 months, 1260 days, the times and time and half a
time, spoken about in the book of Revelation and Daniel.
We are to take heed of prophecy, as like a light that shines
in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star (Jesus)
arises in our hearts, when we shall be raised from the dead or
changed in the blink of an eye (the wonderful 1 Corinthians,
chapter 15), and meet Jesus in the air, the clouds (1 Thess.4:13-
18), and proceed down to the Mount of Olives (prophet Zachariah,
chapter 14) to reign with Him for a thousand years (Revelation,
19 and 20).
No prophecy Peter says is for PRIVATE interpretation. The
prophet spoke not by the imagination of men, but spoke as they
were inspired by the Holy Spirit (verses 12-21).
To understand prophecy correctly, you must let the Bible
INTERPRET the Bible. Prophecy CAN be understood. The time has
come for God's prophets to be understood. The Lord still has the
function of "prophets" in His church (Ephesians 4:11-13).
Prophecy will only be understood by those who are humble and who
serve the Lord with fearful respect, who will live according to
His will, who will grow in grace and knowledge, who will be
corrected, who will love the Lord God with all their heart, mind,
and life.
On Website you will find the answers to Bible prophecy.
You will know what to watch for in world events, and you will
know when it is near for the Lord Jesus to return.
...................
Written May 2007
To be continued
  Chapter One hundred-twenty:False Teachers
Chapter One-hundred and twenty
The Second Epistle from Peter
CHAPTER TWO
For many Christians today it is "just have love" and we'll
all get to heaven, you your way and me, my way. They might go on
to say, "It really does not matter about 'doctrine' - about what
is this truth or that truth, as long as we can all get along and
have love for everyone, that's what will get us to heaven."
Now, of course Christianity is showing kindness and love
towards all people. It is a religion of giving and serving
others. I do not know of a Christian "sect" that does not teach
helping and being nice and kind, doing good deeds, and indeed
showing love. But ... nevertheless, when you read the New
Testament, all of it, then it becomes clear that certain truths
of God's word ARE IMPORTANT, doctrine, or what you might call
"theology" DOES MATTER at times. Jesus warned in Matthew 24 that
MANY would come in His name, saying that Jesus was the Christ, and
would teach "Christian dogma" BUT DECEIVE MANY!
Now, I somehow do not get the message from Jesus or the
apostles, that we are to think "deception" is to do with "loving
people" or "being nice and kind to people." There are lots of
kind and nice and loving people in the Islamic religion, maybe
you have a neighbor like that. I mean even agnostics and atheists
can be "nice" - "loving" - "serving" - people.
The bottom line is that what Jesus was meaning was that MANY
would come teaching Him and Christianity, but would deceive
people in all kinds of wrong and incorrect "theology" of God the
Father and Jesus the Christ. Some of those people might be
deceived themselves, but as they say "You might be sincere, but
you can still be sincerely wrong." Then on the other hand, there
would come many who are NOT deceived, they know better, but for
money, fame, the praise of men, to get a following, and for other
not so sincere attitudes of the mind, go on teaching people
ERROR, and so do indeed deceive MANY about what is from God and
Christ.
We have seen in some of the letters of the apostle Paul,
that he at times did not pull any punches, when talking about
such deceptive teachers and preachers, that had come within the
Church of God.
And now, in this letter of Peter's to his readers, we come
to a chapter that is plain and simple. Peter is going to tell it
like it is, a "I'll put it right into your face, and tell you
what I think of these false teachers that will be right within
Christianity, right there among the true people of God."
Right off the bat, Peter says that there was always false
prophets among those who were under the banner of God, and so
there will be false teachers, now, among those who are under the
name of Christ - Christian. And notice, in this first verse of
chapter two, those false teachers will bring in, introduce,
heretical DOCTRINES! They will teach "theology" if you will, not
as it is in God's word, but FALSE ideas and false doctrines.
Hence they will as Jesus said, DECEIVE MANY!
It will be so serious a matter, that Peter says they will
DENY the very one who died for them. How do you deny Jesus? Well
yes, you can deny Him, by wrong actions, words, and deeds,
towards other people - a hating your fellow man, but as I've
said, I know of no Christian sect that out and outright teaches
you to "hate" others and do them mental, emotional, and physical
harm. Now there have been and maybe still is, those Christian
sects that teach immortality is moral, an "evil is good and good
is evil" theology. But they are not the run of the mill
"Christianity" - they are the smaller "sects" and "cults." Jesus
said that the many who would come in His name and deceive many,
would be so large and so popular, in the main stream of
Christianity, that IF it was possible, even the VERY ELECT would
be deceived! Yes, Jesus said, that, you can see it in Matthew 24.
Again I do not think Jesus was talking about some Christian sect
teaching you can and should kill people or have many wives, or
smoke pot, or get high on sniffing glue.
The truth of the matter is that Jesus, and other writers of
the New Testament, when talking about "false" teachers, were
talking about their overall "theology" and that that false
theology would be deceiving the majority of people under the name
of "Christ" or "Christian." It would only be the very elect at
the time of the close of the age, that would not be deceived. In
another place Jesus said about His true followers: "Fear not
little flock," and the Greek means VERY LITTLE flock, "it is my
Father's pleasure to give you the Kingdom."
This does not sound like to me that Jesus was talking about
and too, the ONE and A HALF ... BILLION people on earth today
who put themselves under the name of "Christian."
Well, it is time to see what Peter was inspired to write
about these false teachers. I will use the AMPLIFIED Bible.
"But also (in those days) there arose false prophets among the
people, just as there will be false teachers among yourselves,
who will subtly and stealthily introduce heretical doctrines
(destructive heresies) ... And MANY will follow their immoral
ways and lascivious doings; because of them the TRUE WAY will be
maligned and defames" (verses 1-2).
COMMENT:
The faith once delivered to the saints was ALREADY in
Peter's time, becoming corrupted. To his readers he said false
teachers would come among THEM! Just how much more corrupt would
it become 500 years from Peter's day, or a 1,000 years? How about
thinking 2,000 years after Peter. Do you really think that
today's popular "Christianity" is purer today than what Peter was
here writing about? No my friends, it just does work that way,
that is human nature does not work that way. As I've shown you,
Jesus said that before His return, deception would be so great
that IF it was possible even the elect would be deceived!
"And in their covetousness (lust, greed) they will exploit you
with false (cunning) arguments.
COMMENT:
Many of these false teachers LIVE OFF the people who send
them money. And many of them live a pretty good physical life
style. They get so they cannot give it up, it becomes an
obsession with them. Notice their "theological" teachings or
arguments are CUNNING. It is all packaged up in spiritual
sounding words, and it is what the people who follow them WANT to
hear. The apostle Paul warned about that in his letter to Timothy
(see 2 Timothy 4:1-4), and told him that people would turn AWAY
their ears from the TRUTH, and would be turned to FABLES!
If you are reading your Bible from cover to cover with
DILIGENCE, and if you are studying and searching the Scriptures
on my Website Bible Studies, you will come to know the MANY
FABLES out there in the majority Christianity of our time.
"From of old the sentence (of condemnation) for them has not been
idle; their destruction (eternal misery) has not been asleep. For
God did not even) spare angels that sinned, but cast them down to
hell, delivered them to be kept there in pits of gloom till the
judgment and their doom" (verses 2-4).
COMMENT:
The KJV here has the better overall translation: "...spared
not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and
delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto
judgment." The Greek for "hell" here is "tartaroo" and means
place of restraint. There were angels that sinned, they followed
Lucifer in rebellion. The truth of that is contained in various
studies on my Website. After their rebellion they were cast
back to earth. Jesus once said He saw Satan as lightening falling
from heaven to earth. Those angels now became demons, and they
were cursed with chains of darkness, all that is now in them is
darkness. They are in restraint, God only always then to have
freedom to do their evil work to a LIMIT. Certain things they
cannot do, God put a leash on them, they can only go so far. And
they have not yet met their final judgment. Do you remember some
demons said to Jesus, "Have you come to torment us before the
time?" When sin and death is finally "put away" - when neither
will exist, just imagine the horror Satan and the demons will
experience. With their blackened minds they will have not one
single person to darken and deceive. And who knows what else God
the Father will put on them as their eternal judgment. It is
coming, God is not sleeping. What may seem a long time to us (two
thousand years from Jesus' first coming and we still wait that
judgment) is but a blink of the eye to God.
"And He spared not the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a
preacher of righteousness, with seven other persons, when He
brought a flood upon the world of ungodly (people). (Gen.6-8; 1
Peter 3:20). And He condemned to ruin and extinction the cities
of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes (and thus) set them
forth as an example to those who would be ungodly; (Gen. 19:24).
And He rescued righteous Lot, greatly worn out and distressed by
the wanton ways of the ungodly and lawless - (Gen. 19:16,29). For
that just man, living (there) among them, tortured his righteous
soul every day with what he saw and heard of (their) unlawful and
wicked deeds - Now if (all these things are true, then be sure)
the Lord knows how to rescue the godly out of temptations and
trials, and how to keep the ungodly under chastisement until the
day of judgment and doom. And particularly those who walk after
the flesh and indulge in the lust of polluting passion and scorn
and despise authority. Presumptuous (and) daring (self-willed and
self-loving creatures)! They scoff at and revile dignitaries
(glorious ones) without trembling (verses 5-10).
COMMENT:
Mighty strong words and very chilling. Being a false teacher
of God's word is no small matter. It is a serious matter indeed
to set yourself to represent and expound the word of God to
others. That is why James said, "Brethren, do not let many of you
become teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater
judgement" (James 3:1). The examples of the wicked, the persons
in the wrong, during Noah's day and Lot's day, shows God will
eventually handout punishment. The false teachers, may not openly
scoff and revile the glorious ones of God and Christ and the
righteous angels, but in not teaching the truths of the word of
the Lord, and even, in whatever mild or hard manner they scoff at
those who do teach those truths, they have in effect scoffed and
reviled God the Father and Christ and the holy angels - the
glorious ones.
"Whereas (even) angels, though superior in might and power, do
not bring a defaming charge against them before the Lord" (verse
11).
COMMENT:
The angels leave it all in God's hands. They know when to
speak and when not to speak, and what to speak about, BUT ...
"But these (people)! Like unreasoning beasts, mere creatures of
instinct, born (only) to be captured and destroyed, RAILING AT
THINGS OF WHICH THEY ARE IGNORANT, they shall utterly perish in
their (own) CORRUPTION (in their destroying they shall surely be
destroyed),
COMMENT:
It's like saying, "These fellows just do not know what they
are talking about." But sadly MANY of them KNOW BETTER, yet they
will not REPENT! They want the pay-check, they want the praise of
people, the crowds that follow them, and if they will not repent
of teaching false doctrines they will face destruction.
"Being destined to receive (punishment as) the reward of (their)
UNRIGHTEOUSNESS (suffering wrong as the hire for their
wrongdoing). They count it a delight to revel in the day time
(living luxuriously and delicately). They are blots and
blemishes, REVELLING in their DECEPTIONS and carousing together
(even) as they feast with you" (verse 12-13).
COMMENT:
Righteousness is defined by the Almighty as "His
commandments" - see Psalm 119:172. Many of these false teachers
do live a physically luxurious life style, many of them have
physical wealth above the average person, and because they have
so many that follow them, they think they deserve all the
physical riches they have. It's an attitude of saying something
like: "Well I've brought all these people to God and Christ
through my teaching and preaching, I deserve to live in physical
splendor. They are revelling in their deceptions, a kind of
"laughing all the way to the bank" we might say. They gather
together at "Theological seminars" for a week-end or maybe a
whole week, and live feasting, even among the very people of God
at times. This was already GOING ON in Peter's day! How much MORE
is it going on in the world today, nearly 2,000 years after Peter
wrote this?
"They have eyes full of harlotry, insatiable for sin. They
beguile and bait and lure away unstable souls. Their hearts are
trained in covertness (lust, greed), (they are) children of a
curse (exposed to curing)! FORSAKING the STRAIGHT road they have
gone astray; they have followed the way of Balaam (the son) of
Beor, who loved the reward of wickedness. (Num.22:5,7). (verse
14-15).
COMMENT:
It is hard to find the words to try and describe the full
impact and emotion of HOW and WHAT Peter was describing in his
thoughts about false teachers. His words really do speak VERY
PLAINLY and right in your face. These teachers are just simply
not on the RIGHT ROAD - they are off in left field. They may have
degrees from any number of "Theological schools" - they may be
dynamic speakers and preachers, but the fact is they are ON THE
WRONG ROAD - they are as Jesus once said about religious leaders
of His day, "Blind leaders of the blind, and both will fall into
the ditch."
It is your individual duty to follow the example of the
Bereans in Acts 17. They SEARCHED THE SCRIPTURES DAILY, to see if
what Paul was preaching was according to the Scriptures.
These false teachers, will they get away with it all, well
some for a time may, but the day will come when ....like
Balaam...
"But he was REBUKED for his own transgression when a dumb beast
of burden spoke with human voice and checked the prophets
madness. (Num.22:21-31). (verse 16).
COMMENT:
Do you see the depth of it? Peter puts the theology of false
teachers in the same category as "MADNESS." To put it in other
terms, false teachers are INSANE!!
You've had enough plain talk you may say, well Peter is not
yet finished! He is going to tell us that some of the false
teachers KNEW THE TRUTH at one time, BUT TURNED AWAY FROM IT!!
"These are springs without water and mists driven along before a
tempest, for whom is reserved forever the gloom of darkness. For
utterly loud boasts of folly, they beguile and lure with lustful
desires of the flesh those who are barely escaping from them who
are wrongdoers. They promise them LIBERTY, when they themselves
are the slaves of depravity and defilement - for by whatsoever
anyone is made inferior or worse or is overcome, to that (person
or thing) he is enslaved. For if after they have escaped the
pollutions of the world through (the full, personal) knowledge of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they AGAIN become ENTANGLED in
them and are overcome, their LAST CONDITION is worse (for them)
than the first. for never to have obtained a (full, personal)
knowledge of the way of righteousness would have been better for
them than, having obtained (such knowledge), to TURN BACK from
the HOLY COMMANDMENT which was (verbally) delivered to them"
(verses 17-21).
COMMENT:
A lot of the false teachers are indeed BOASTFUL and VAIN and
POMPOUS. Maybe you have known such teachers of the Christian
religion. They believe they have some "special connection" with
God, that all others do not have. They are often deceived by
their OWN mind. They also often promise people many desires of
the flesh, like being physically rich, healed from physical
ailments, success in the work-a-day world, a better reward in the
after-life, and even protection from all the plagues and wars to
come on earth before Jesus returns, in some "place of safety."
does this all sound familiar to some of you?
These false prophets and teachers promise LIBERTY - from all
kinds of things that people are caught in that trouble them, of
course they promise them liberty from having to OBEY God, or live
by His every word, or keep His commandments. One BIG liberty they
teach is that the 4th commandment can be ignored. If you are
wondering what THAT one is, then read Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy
5.
The fact is, the bottom line is, these teachers are
themselves caught in spiritual depravity, delusion, and sin. If
you are in the life habit of breaking any of God's commandments,
then you are slaves to sin and law-breaking - you are defiled.
Look at God's TEN commandments. Is there any one of them you or
these false teachers are breaking as a way of life? If there is,
Peter is speaking directly to you and to them here in these
verses.
I have known MANY in the last 40 years whom I thought had a
personal relationship with Christ, they really did know the basic
foundational doctrines of God, they seemed to be "spiritual" but
when an "organization" and "men" failed them, they were willing
to walk away from Christ and the Bible. They WENT BACK into the
world from which they came. Some of these people were very close
friends with me, and it is a shock to see them mentioned under
this passage of Peter's letter.
It is more disturbing still as we look at the final verse of
this chapter.
"There has befallen them the thing spoken of in the true proverb,
The dog turns back to his own vomit, and, The sow is washed only
to wallow again in the mire. (Prov.26:11).
COMMENT:
In whatever ways it may be, God only knows, it would have
been better for these people to have NEVER KNOWN the way of
righteousness and salvation, the way into the Kingdom of God at
Jesus' return, into the first resurrection. They could at least
have been classified as BLINDED, never being called in this life
time, and be in the same boat as the millions, nay, BILLIONS that
will have salvation offered to them in the WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT
or SECOND resurrection talked about in Revelation 20.
I can only hope and pray that all those people I have known
that have gone back into the world will one day REPENT AGAIN,
before Jesus comes back to earth. Then again Hebrews 10:26-31 is
there. I know God is merciful and very patient, I'm sure He can
have mercy upon them IF they will turn to Him again.
This chapter in Peter's second epistle, together with Jesus'
rebuking of religious leaders in Matthew 23 and that of Jude in
his letter, are the THREE most detailed and long chastisements of
false teachers in the entire New Testament. They are most
sobering chapters to read. At times God has no choice but to CRY
ALOUD AND TELL IT AS IT IS!
....................
Written October 2007
  Chapter One-hundred-twenty-one:2 Peter 3 - Christ's Coming
Chapter One-hundred-twenty-one
2 Epistle from Peter
Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
Peter was writing this epistle in part to stir up their
remembrance. He wanted them to be mindful of the prophets of old
and the commandments of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter was inspired to tell them that in the LAST DAYS,
scoffers would come, who would want to just follow their own
lustful ways, certainly not wanting to live by the words of the
Bible, as Jesus taught we should (Mat.4:4). They would scoff at
the teaching of the second visible body return of Jesus to this
earth. They would look at past history and say all is going along
as ever before on the planet, people living and dying, people at
war with each other, famine, earthquakes, deceases of all kinds
... just the wheel turning as ever before right from the
beginning of life on earth.
Peter says these people are WILLINGLY IGNORANT, they have
their head in the sand so to speak. They will not simply look
around and see the wonders of creation demand it all has a
creator. They want to be ignorant about Genesis chapter one, the
earth standing in water, then in and out of water, as God
directed in that beginning chapter of His Bible. Even with all
the evidence of modern science, the earth was at one time not
covered with water and then at some time in history it was
covered with water. There was a world at one time containing all
the "dinosaur" creatures, and then they all of a sudden
disappeared. Modern science admits this was so, but these
scoffers just do not want to see a being called "God" in any of
this.
The earth today is kept in its function for us human beings
to inhabit, we have laws that science must admit are there, like
gravity, but the scoffers will still scoff at anything having to
do with an Almighty Being that made it all, and keeps it all in
place to enact His plan for mankind and the physical earth. This
planet will keep revolving and keep being inhabitable unto the
day of the Lord that will bring a universal fire in final
judgment, that will burn up all ungodly person and usher in a new
heaven and a new earth, as the last chapters of the book of
Revelation expound.
Peter wanted his readers not to be ignorant of how the time
plan of all this, is working out. God is VERY PATIENT,
His time is not our time, a DAY to the Lord can be as a THOUSAND
years in human time, and a THOUSAND YEARS as a DAY to God. The
Almighty One is NOT on OUR time table. To us a thousand years is
a long time, to God it is but a day, and if the Lord wants to
make a short time to our thinking, into a long time, He can do so
(verses 1-8).
Verse 8 has in times past been used to try and prove God is
working on a 7,000 years plan. That idea is not new, some, many
centuries go proclaimed this teaching. Bishop Usher tried to
prove that creations of Genesis one, was in 4004 B.C. If that
could be proved to be correct (which by the way cannot be
proved), then we are OVER the 6,000 years of man, and the 7th one
thousand years should have already come to earth, and Jesus
should already have returned.
The words of verse 8, DO NOT prove such a 7,000 years plan
is what God is working on. All that verse teaches is that GOD'S
TIME OF DOING THINGS IS NOT OUR TIME! The Eternal can shorten or
lengthen the events of what He plans to work out on this earth
with human beings. Jesus gave parables that tell us the same
thing. If you read them carefully some people will be surprised
at the coming of Christ when He does come, and others will be
sleeping, thinking it is far away. Yes, certain prophetic events
must come to pass (if the nations of the world do not repent, and
there is no evidence they ever will on their own steam) before
Jesus returns to earth, but you see God the Father, can if He
wills, make certain events lengthen out before the next event of
prophecy is to manifest itself.
Then will all that said, it still remains that God is NOT
SLACK, concerning His promises, as men count slackness, because
men look through human eyes, and forget about verse 8 that we
have just read ... time with God is not our time. God is PATIENT,
and that patience or LONGSUFFERING is often way too long for many
of us humans. How many have lived in this past 20th century
hoping to see the end of this age and the return of Jesus? Many
thousands I'm sure. How many in my generation (I'm recently, in
2007, aged 65; in September I reached what some call the golden
age - well I do get a few dollars of here and there for being
classified now as a "senior") want to live and see Jesus return
in power and glory. If my generation lives for another 20 to 40
years, maybe it will happen. But there is NO GUARANTEE that will
be the case. When I think of the last 40 years, it's hard to
imagine where they all went - went by quickly indeed, and the
older I get the quicker the years seem to go by.
Now here's ONE BIG reason why God is L O N G S U F F
E R I N G to mankind is that He wants to give the benefit of
the doubt to then. Maybe if He gives His children a longer time
to work in spreading the Gospel, more will come to repentance and
to a saving faith. God can give some extra time, if it's His
desire, He is after all the Almighty, and all things are in His
hands. He can shorted the days or lengthen the days as He wills.
We do not tell God what to do and when to do it. It is HE
that will decided when all that is written in the prophets is to
take place, and it will be He who has the final word for the "go
ahead" for Jesus to leave heaven and to return again to earth.
God is LOVE. He does not want to see ANY person PERISH. He
wishes that ALL would come to REPENTANCE, He would like that, but
it does not mean ALL WILL repent. Desiring all to repent is not
the same as all people being willing to repent. Mankind was
created with FREE agency, God cannot and will not FORCE people to
repent, they must make that choice. God sets before mankind GOOD
and EVIL, He wants them to choose the good, but each individual
of mankind must decide for themselves which way they will choose
(see Duet.30:19). And each individual must remain FAITHFUL in
that choice TO THE END (see Ezekiel 18:21-32). (verse 9).
Peter reminds us in verses 10-13 that the DAY OF THE LORD,
will come on the earth like a thief in the night - UNEXPECTEDLY -
most on earth will not be in the frame of mind to expect the Day
of God to come. Paul gave us a little more about the attitude of
mind that most will have at that time. He said that indeed the
Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night. The world will
at that time be saying "Peace and safety" then SUDDEN destruction
will come! (see 1 Thes.5:1-6).
The "Day of the Lord" is spoken about in many passages of
the Bible - Old and New Testaments. In the book of Revelation it
is called "...the GREAT DAY of His wrath..." (Rev.6:17). Before
that time period there is to come the GREAT TRIBULATION. In
Revelation 6 that is the 5th seal - the killing of many of the
saints of God. Jesus spoke about THE tribulation in Mat.24:21 - a
tribulation like no other in the entire history of mankind. Luke
records Jesus' words on this in Luke 21:20-24. It will be the
time when all that is written shall come to pass, and those in
Jerusalem better flee to the hills, for it will be a time of
anguish for the Jewish people once more. Jeremiah informs us that
it is "Jacob's trouble" (Jer.30:7). Now Jacob had 12 SONS - Judah
(the Jews) being only ONE of the twelve. The other sons finally
ended up travelling into Europe and have become most of the
nations of Western Europe, the British commonwealth and the
United States of America. The best Website to prove all that is:
www.britus.org
In a nut shell then: The coming BEAST power of Revelation,
now rising in Europe, will conquer and control the WESTERN world,
it will have its particular strange "Christianity" - its Babylon
Mystery religion (which it already has) - all will have to
worship this "beast" and its form of Christianity, which is as
far as the east is from the west, in relation to God's true
religion of the Bible. The Lord's people and probably many in the
now fundamental Protestant denominations (who will see the true
correct religion of God, through the teaching and example of the
true Church of God) will not bow down to worship this Beast power
or its form of religion. Many will then be killed for holding to the
faith once delivered to the saints.
After this has taken place, the Beast power will DECLARE
PEACE, those willing to worship the Beast system will, for a
short time, indeed HAVE PEACE, that is what Paul was referring to
in 1 Thes.5.
THEN will come the DAY OF THE LORD, or the Great Day of His
Wrath (Rev.6:17). Most on earth will not expect it. As a thief in
the night it will come on the earth.
There will be HEAVENLY SIGNS (Jesus also and Joel the
prophet spoke about that - Mat.24:29; Joel 2:30-31). Peter put
them as "heavens pass away with great noise, the elements melt
with fervent heat, the earth burnt up....the heavens on fire ...
and elements shall melt with fervent heat." All that is then to
take place is recorded in the book of Revelation from chapter 7
to 20. Certainly nothing in mankind's history will be like the
events of the DAY OF THE LORD!
I have covered in much detail the prophecy of these end time
events in MANY studies on this Website.
But after and beyond all of that GREAT Tribulation and the
Day of the Lord, there is promised a new heaven and new earth, a
NEW AGE to COME, as the apostle Paul once termed it. All will not
be lost, the earth and some of mankind, will remain. Peter is
using a "general" statement in this passage of verses 10-13. Many
other passages in other prophetic books of the Bible, show not
all is lost or destroyed. Jesus did say (Mat.24 again) that if
the days were not shortened then all flesh would be obliterated
from planet earth, but the days will be shortened. Jesus will
come and usher in a new age, a new heaven and a new earth during
the 1,000 year period mentioned in Revelation 20, and as told by
the holy prophets of old in many passages such as Isaiah 11 and
Zechariah 14.
Peter is NOT here in these verses talking about the passages
of Revelation 21 and 22. A new heaven and a new earth that will
come at the END of the 1,000 year period. Many have thought Peter
was referring to those passages of Revelation. There may be a
DUAL aspect of what Peter is stating here, but the main thought
is the prophetic DAY OF THE LORD, as in many other passages of
the Bible. Peter's context has been that many would scoff in the
last days concerning the teaching that Jesus Christ is to return
to earth again. He is telling his readers that God is patient,
God is not stack concerning that prophetic event of Christ coming
back to set up the Kingdom of God on earth. Then he proceeds to
relate how the Day of the Lord will come (as a thief - surprising
most) and the heavenly signs to announce it, then the restoration
- a new age, a new heaven and a new earth under Christ who has
indeed come as promised.
If the you have not yet studied my in-depth study called
"Armageddon and the New Age" then I encourage you to do so. There
is so much that has been promised from God concerning the age to
come, the Kingdom of God on earth, that my study of it, is only
the tip of the iceberg. You can continue the study by reading all
the prophetic books of the Bible, and noting especially the
context where the phrase "day of the Lord" is used.
As we look for all these things to come to pass, as we know
those promises are sure, then we are to be DILIGENT, having
peace, without spot, and blameless. We can only do all of that,
by being in a humble repentant attitude of mind, continually
wanting to serve God, obeying Him, living His WAY of life, living
by His every word, and just love Him with all our heart, mind,
and life (verse 14). John the Baptist's parents were counted as
"blameless" before God. Not because they were sinless, only ONE
has ever been sinless (Jesus Christ) - they were counted as
blameless because they did what I've just stated above and
because they had a humble repentant attitude of mind.
Peter again states that the LONGSUFFERING of the Lord is
SALVATION. So if all things promised do not come to pass in our
life time, if Jesus does not return before we physically fall
asleep in death, then we need to remember that it may be that the
Lord is continuing to be longsuffering with the people on earth,
that MANY more might find salvation and be a part of the FIRST
resurrection.
Peter mentions Paul taught the very same thing ... God is
longsuffering! He also points out to us that some of Paul's
writings are quite deep "theologically speaking" and may be hard
to understand at first. They who are unlearned and unstable (not
meaning a little mental, or psycho) but unlearned and unstable in
getting to know how to study the Scriptures, in a way that puts
them all together to obtain the results of the truth of the
matter on any particular Bible subject.
Such persons end up TWISTING the Scriptures, come to the
WRONG understanding of things written in the Bible, and it all
leads in the end to their destruction, and if when God gives them
the light to see and obtain the truth, they still will not accept
it, then it will mean, sadly, their final destruction in the
second death, as told us in Revelation 20.
I want you to notice what Peter is saying in context about
the writings of Paul, the epistles of Paul, these unlearned
people wrest Paul's writings as they do OTHER SCRIPTURES (verse
16)!!
By the time Peter was writing this epistle, all true
Christians and ministers, HAD COME TO SEE THAT THE WRITINGS OF
PAUL WERE NOT JUST HIS IDEAS, HIS "THEOLOGY," BUT WERE ACCEPTED
AS **SCRIPTURE** - the New Testament was being INSPIRED to be
written, and the apostles KNEW what letters were INSPIRED. The
New Testament was BEING FORMED during the FIRST century A.D. The
idea that it was the Roman Catholic church that formulated the
cannon of New Testament Scripture in the 2nd to 4th century, is
totally blown to shreds by this verse here in the second epistle
of Peter.
An old book (1984) but a book I recommend you read is "The
Original Bible Restored" by Ernest Martin. Maybe your local
Library will have it, or Internet Websites like Amazon.com or
Barnes and Noble.com carry it somewhere on their file selling
bookstores. Maybe one day I may upload the entire book to this
Website.
Peter gives us all a warning in verse 17. We may know these
things he has written about, we may know them very well, maybe
we've studied them for years, but that does not mean we cannot
FALL AWAY from righteousness back into the error of the wicked,
or be LED ASTRAY by the errors of the wicked, or those
"unlearned" in the Scriptures. We are to be on guard all the time
that we do NOT FALL from our STEADFASTNESS! Paul also taught the
same, and so did Jesus, for He said, "Those that endure to the
END shall be saved."
One way to make sure you endure in steadfastness is to GROW
IN GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...."
(verse 18).
You need to love to love the truth of the matter. You need
to hunger and thirst after righteousness. You need to study the
Scriptures, read the Bible from cover to cover. You need to
meditate upon God's word, and PRAY to the Lord for guidance. Pray
to the Lord that you will not be one of the "unlearned" in the
Scriptures, and be led away by the errors of the wicked.
And so we have done the full circle again, which brings us
back to making sure you GROW in grace and knowledge of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be GLORY both NOW and FOREVER. Amen!
................
Written October 2007
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