December 16 2 Peter

December 16, 2014

2 Peter “book-ends” well with 1 Peter.

If we imagine that in Peter’s two letters, he is attempting to fulfill the Lord’s re-commissioning in John 21:17 to “Feed Christ’s sheep,” then we can see how well he did. In his first letter he sought to help Christians deal with persecution from outside the church. In his second letter, he teaches them how to deal with false teachers and evildoers that have crept into the church.  

If one were to outline this letter, it would follow the chapter divisions: In chapter one, Peter seeks to encourage Christian growth. I love the emphasis Peter places on the scriptures (1:19-20) and his (Peter’s) place as an eyewitness of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (1:16-18). In chapter two, he deals with false teachers and their destructive heresies directly. This particular heresy, once again, seems to be some brand of licentiousness, that Christian are free to sin. In chapter three, Peter encourages us to be watchful for the coming of the Lord. He deals deftly with those who castigated Christians even then about the “delay” in Christ’s coming. His answer is summed up in v. 8: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.” Our job is to remain watchful!

Your fellow traveler through the New Testament,

Pastor Gary