2 Peter 3

1-13 The Promise of the Lord’s Coming

• Peter’s purpose: to encourage them to remember the words of the prophets and the apostles.
• First – understand that scoffers will ask, “Where is this Lord who promised to come again?”
• They forget the power of God’s word.
  • By it the world was made
  • By it the world was destroyed in the flood
  • By it the present earth and heavens will be destroyed by fire.
• Time means nothing to God, who is patiently waiting for all to come to repentance.
• When he does come again, it will be as unexpected as a thief in the night.
• Then the heavens and earth’s elements will be destroyed.
• In light of that, what kind of people ought you to be, as you wait for this to happen…
• …knowing we wait for new heavens and a new earth, “where righteousness is at home.” I like this NRSV rendering of what other versions merely translate as “dwells.” Heaven is not just a place where righteousness is, but where it’s comfortable. The righteousness that comes from God is certainly not comfortable in our present world.

14-18 Final Exhortation and Doxology

• While you are waiting,
  • Strive to be at peace, without spot or blemish
  • Regard the Lord’s patience as salvation. We might tend to slack off, because we perceive no urgency in the Lord’s coming again. Peter tells us, though, that we should instead look at the time we have as an opportunity to take advantage of his salvation – both ours and that of others, maybe?
• Our “beloved brother” Paul has written similar things to you.
• Some things in his letters are hard to understand, allowing some to twist his words – like they twist other scriptures.
• I have warned you not to be carried away and lose your own stability.
• But grow in grace and the knowledge of our Savior.
• To him be glory forever.

2 Peter 2

1-22 False Prophets and Their Punishment

Since this section starts with the word but, it’s good to look at the last verse of the previous chapter: “…men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (Hm-m-m! Just noticed that the NRSV includes women here. And sure enough, the Greek word is anthropos, which refers to either men or women.)

• Just as in the past, false prophets will be among you, who
• secretly bring in destruction opinions
• deny the Master, destroying themselves
• will lead many away, maligning the truth
• exploit you with deceptive words
• will be condemned, just like the false prophets before them.
• God will not spare the rebellious, just as he did not spare
• sinful angels
• the ancient world, though he spared Noah
• Sodom and Gomorrah, though he rescued Lot
• He knows how to rescue the godly.
• He will reserve punishment for the unrighteous – “especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority.”
• “Bold and willful,” they
• slander the Lord, which not even angels – greater in power – would do
• are like irrational animals, creatures of instinct
• slander what they do not understand
• revel in the daytime, are dissipated, adulterous, insatiable for sin
• entice unsteady souls, are trained in greed
• follow the steps of Balaam, who loved the wages of doing wrong
• are waterless springs, speaking nonsense
• promise freedom, but are themselves slaves of corruption
• Regarding those who have experienced freedom in Christ and followed the slanderers back into the world, it would have been better if they had never “known the way of righteousness.”
• It’s like a dog eating its own vomit, or a washed pig returning to wallow in the mud.

Whew! Peter leaves no doubt about what he thinks about those who actively defy God, and not only follow wherever their lust takes them, but encourage others to do the same. And he doesn’t have much more consideration for those who follow them.

2 Peter 1

1-2 Salutation

• From Simon Peter – servant and apostle of Christ
• To recipients of our precious faith
• Abundant grace and peace to you

3-15 The Christian’s Call and Election

• Christ’s divine power gives us everything we need to attain life and godliness, through knowledge of him.
• Through his glory and goodness he gives us the power to
• escape from the world’s corruption
• participate in his divine nature
• Therefore – support your faith with goodness, built on knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection and love – which will make you increasingly effective and fruitful in your knowledge of him.
• If you neglect these things, you’ll forget your cleansing, which gives you entry into the eternal kingdom.
• I intend to keep reminding you of these things as long as I live, so you may remember them even after I’m gone.

16-21 Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory

• We didn’t follow myths about Christ; we saw his majesty with our own eyes – when on the mountain God announced Christ was his beloved Son.
• Heed this confirmation of prophecy as you would a lamp in the darkness until “the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” We follow the light of the word in this unenlightened world until the actual Word – the true light -- comes again. In Revelation 22:16, Jesus refers to himself as the “bright morning star.”
• Scriptural prophecies are not open for private interpretation, for they were given by the Holy Spirit. This is a claim of divine revelation, not to be understood any way we choose, because they are the words of the Holy Spirit – God himself.

1 Peter 5

1-11 Tending the Flock of God

• As an elder and witness of Christ’s sufferings, I exhort other elders to:
  • tend your flocks
  • exercise oversight – willingly and eagerly
  • be examples to your flock, not authoritative lords
• You will receive a crown of glory when the chief shepherd appears
• You who are younger: Accept the elders’ authority
• All of you:
  • Clothe yourselves with humility. This is not saying “act humbly,” but to cover yourself with it; let it define who you are.
  • Be humble, and God will exalt you later
  • Cast your cares on him, for he cares for you
  • Discipline yourselves, stay alert
  • Resist the devil; he wants to consume you
  • Be steadfast in your faith, while realizing the suffering of others
  • Be willing to suffer a little while for the hope of eternal glory

12-14 Final Greetings and Blessing

• I have written this letter through Sylvanus for encouragement and testimony of God’s grace
• Your sister church in Babylon and Mark greet you. The original language does not say “church,” but rather “she who is elect with you.” Bible scholars disagree on whether this refers to a woman (possibly Peter’s wife) or to a church and on whether or not Babylon refers to the Chaldean capital or to Rome. This is consistent for those who believe Peter to be the first pope, but there’s no other evidence that he was there. The following is from the commentary by Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown:

How unlikely that in a friendly salutation the enigmatical title of Rome given in prophecy (John, Revelation 17:5), should be used! Babylon was the center from which the Asiatic dispersion whom Peter addresses was derived. PHILO [The Embassy to Gaius, 36] and JOSEPHUS [Antiquities, 15.2. 2 23.12] inform us that Babylon contained a great many Jews in the apostolic age (whereas those at Rome were comparatively few, about eight thousand [JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 17.11]); so it would naturally be visited by the apostle of the circumcision. It was the headquarters of those whom he had so successfully addressed on Pentecost, Acts 2:9, Jewish "Parthians . . . dwellers in Mesopotamia" (the Parthians were then masters of Mesopotamian Babylon); these he ministered to in person. His other hearers, the Jewish "dwellers in Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia," he now ministers to by letter.

• Greet each other with love
• Peace to you all

1 Peter 4

1-11 Good Stewards of God’s Grace

• If you want to put sin behind you, be willing to suffer as Christ suffered.
• This is when you know you put God’s will above human desires.
• You used to give in to your fleshly desires – carousing and idolatry – and your worldly friends do not understand why you’re not joining them anymore, so they blaspheme. The Greek word translated as blaspheme here is blasphēmeō, defined as “to speak reproachfully, rail at, revile, calumniate, blaspheme.” The NASV translates it “malign you,” the KJV as “speaking evil of you.”
• But they will answer to God, who judges the living and the dead, which is the reason he has always communicated his will to mankind, has urged us to live by the spirit rather than in the flesh.
• The end is near. Whether this speaks of the impending destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70), or is a reminder of the brevity of life, I don’t know. But when Jesus was alive, he also told his disciples to watch, to be on the alert (Matthew 24:42). The next verses explain what this entails.
• Therefore:
  • Be serious and be disciplined “for the sake of your prayers.” There’s that phrase again, similar to when Peter advised husbands to honor their wives (3:7). Our lifestyle affects our prayers, either by encouraging or discouraging prayer, or by affecting the way God answers them – maybe both.
  • Love one another constantly
  • Be hospitable without complaining
  • Serve one another with the gifts you have received
  • Speak the words of God
  • Serve with the strength God has given you
  • Glorify God in your service

12-19 Suffering as a Christian

• Don’t be surprised that you are experiencing a fiery ordeal, but rejoice that you’re sharing in Christ’s suffering.
• Consider it a blessing when you suffer for being a Christian; it’s better than if you suffer for doing wrong.
• Suffering now as a Christian is much better than suffering later because you did not believe.
• Entrust yourselves to a faithful Creator.

1 Peter 3

1-7 Wives and Husbands

• Wives, accept your husband’s authority, so even unbelieving husbands will be impressed – not by your words – but by your purity and show of respect.
• Don’t be as concerned about your outward appearance as you are about the beauty of your inner qualities – a gentle and quiet spirit.
• Look to God’s holy women of old – like Sarah – as examples of respect for their husbands.
• Become her “daughters” by doing good and not living in fear. I’m not sure why this reference to fear is here. Maybe it has to do with being worrisome, which would certainly take away from having a quiet spirit. Maybe it refers to trusting our husbands to do what is best for the family and not worrying them with every detail. We know Abraham as a man of faith because he struck out for an unknown land at God’s bidding. Sarah obviously trusted Abraham to know what he was doing. She apparently went with him without protest, without a lot of “but what if’s.”
• In the same way, husbands, though your wives may be physically weaker, honor them as valuable in God’s eyes, for you both will receive the same gift of life.
• You can’t pray effectively to God while disrespecting your wife.

8-22 Doing Good in All Circumstances

• Definition of good: spiritual unity, sympathy, love, tenderness, humility, repaying abuse with a blessing.
• You’ve been chosen to inherit a blessing, as it has been written: if you want a good life, keep your language pure and seek peace, and the Lord’s ears will be open to your prayers.
• But if you choose to speak and do evil, his face will be against you. The choice: a father’s loving eyes or his stern face. Not unlike the choice any child has.
• Typically, you will come to no harm when you do good things.
• But even if you do, remember who your Lord is, and be ready to answer questions about your faith “with gentleness and reverence.” Confidence in your faith is no excuse for rudeness.
• If you suffer, it’s better that it is for doing good than for doing evil; remember Christ, who – though righteous – suffered in order to reconcile the unrighteous to God.
• Though his flesh was put to death, his spirit remains alive – that same spirit that was in Noah (“herald of righteousness,” per 2 Peter 2:5) as God waited patiently for Noah to build the ark.
• The flood was a “pre-figure” of baptism, which saves you. This figure has always puzzled me – how a destroying flood can be a symbol of a cleansing baptism. The only conclusion I can reach is that the flood saved Noah and his family by raising them up out of the dregs of humanity (those who could think only of evil continually, per Genesis 6:5), just as when we come out of the waters of baptism, we are set apart from the world.
• It’s not just getting wet that saves us, but an answer of [or request for?] a good conscience, because of the resurrection of Christ. Different translations of use different words. In the KJV, it’s “an answer of”; ASV calls it “an interrogation of,” while the RSV and NASV translate it “appeal to God for.” (The Greek is eperotema, which means enquiry, question, or demand.) Since I’m more familiar with the KJV, I’ve thought of this as a prick in our conscience that motivates us to obey God in baptism, but I can see how it can better mean that, in our baptism, we are appealing to, subjecting ourselves to, the only one that can take away our guilt.
• He has gone into heaven to be at the right hand of God, with authority over angels, authorities and powers.

1 Peter 2

1-10 The Living Stone and a Chosen People

• Therefore (because you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth), get rid of malice, guile, insincerity, envy and slander. All these negative qualities have to do with relationships: resenting each other, putting on a false face, being envious, and speaking evil of other people.
• Long for the pure spiritual word of God as a baby longs for milk. This indicates a passion for his word.
• We are to be like spiritual stones, building a spiritual house, with Jesus the God-chosen cornerstone – setting the pattern of our spiritual structure.
• His teaching made the Jews falter, and they rejected him, as God knew they would, “as they were destined to do.” (Here’s that word “destined” again in the NRSV: the Greek tithēmi, which means set, fixed, established. In 1:2, the Greek word is prognōsis (foreknowledge or forethought; in 2:11, it’s promartyromai, to testify beforehand.) It’s interesting that the NRSV translates three different Greek words as the same English word. The ASV translates them as “foreknowledge” (1:2), “testified beforehand” (1:11) and “appointed” (2:8).)
• You are
• a chosen people
• a royal priesthood
• a holy nation
• God’s own people, who proclaim his acts
• called out of darkness into light
• now God’s people
• receiving God’s mercy

11-17 Live as Servants of God

• Abstain from desires of the flesh
• Behave honorably among Gentiles, so they will glorify God
• Accept the authority of human institutions – they are there to punish evildoers
• Live freely, which is not a freedom to sin
• Honor everyone, including the emperor, love believers, fear God.

18-25 The Example of Christ’s Suffering

• Slaves, obey your masters, whether they are kind or cruel
• If you endure unjust punishment, you will receive God’s approval, as following the example of Christ
• Christ entrusted himself to the just judge, bearing our sins on the cross, that we might be healed of our sins
• Though you were straying, now you have returned.

1 Peter 1

1-2 Salutation

• From Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ
• To exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia

• Who have been chosen, destined and sanctified. Other versions do not use the word destined, but rather foreknowledge, e.g. The American Standard Version:

according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

3-12 A Living Hope

• Blessed be God, who has given us
• a new birth
• a living hope, through Jesus’ resurrection
• an imperishable, undefiled, unfading inheritance waiting in heaven
• protection by the power of God
• salvation ready to be revealed. This is an interesting phrase: Had not the salvation in Christ already been revealed at this point? John Gill’s explanation:

…salvation is already obtained for them, by the obedience and sufferings of Christ, and is applied to them in conversion, by the Spirit of Christ; but the full enjoyment of it, which is here intended, is reserved for them in heaven; and to this they are kept, being heirs of it, and shall certainly possess it:

• You rejoice in this salvation, even if it means that for a little while you must suffer persecution.

The result will be praise, glory and honor when Christ is revealed. (See verse 5 - “salvation…revealed…”)

Though you have not seen him, you love him, believe him and rejoice in the outcome of our faith: the salvation of your souls.

Both prophets and angels longed to know of this salvation, brought to you through those sent by the Holy Spirit.

13-25 Call to Holy Living

• Instructions:
• Prepare your minds for action
• Discipline yourselves
• Set your hope on Christ’s grace
• Be not conformed to your former ignorant desires
• Be holy as he is holy (separate from the world as he was separate)
• Live in reverent fear during your exile
• You were ransomed, not with money, but with Christ’s own blood.
• He was destined ("foreknown” in the ASV) before creation, revealed now for you; through him you know God.
• Now that your souls are pure from obedience to the truth, love one another, for you have been born as spiritual, not physical, beings.
• Our flesh is temporary, but God’s word will endure forever.

1 Peter - Introduction

For a brief introduction to the epistle, read notes from Dr. Thomas Constable (Dallas Theological Seminary). Recently I've read a number of very long explanations on whether or not the apostle Peter is the author of this book. I think Dr. Constable puts it into perspective:

This epistle claims that the Apostle Peter wrote it (1:1). Since there is only one Peter who was an apostle, we may be confident of the identity of the writer.1 There is only one Peter that the entire New Testament mentioned. Scholars did not question Peter's authorship until the nineteenth century when destructive biblical criticism became popular.

"The epistle has been well known and consistently acknowledged as Petrine from the second century well into modern times. . . .

"Aside from the four Gospels and the letters of Paul, the external attestation for 1 Peter is as strong, or stronger, than that for any NT book. There is no evidence anywhere of controversy over its authorship or
authority"3