Summary of 2 Peter
Carlos Aguilar

It is almost always a wonderful experience to listen to those who have lived a long full life speak of the things which occurred in their days on this earth. To hear them speak of the first time they heard a radio, or saw a television through a store window. Or even the beginning of a war, or of being in war. Whatever the event is, things that we have read about, come alive through the lips of experience. It is especially wonderful to listen to those who have lived a long full life in the service of the Lord, and who have been successful in their quest to be faithful and to grow. They have interesting and valuable insights into a great many areas. It can truly be a great and valuable experience. Yet, we have in our homes many such conversations, they can be daily conversations.

Aged men who offer their insight of life wrote many of the books of the Bible. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit this insight is greatly enhanced. The book of Deuteronomy contains the insights of Moses in a sermon preached just prior to his death. The book of Proverbs contains many of the insights of Solomon while at the height of his power and wisdom. The book of 1 Timothy and Titus were written by Paul just a few years before his death and 2 Timothy just a very short time prior to his death. Paul writes in 2 Tim 4:6-7, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith”. An elderly Apostle John wrote the Epistles of John. Within the book some very rich and valuable advice is given to young men and women about life and choices. 2 Peter is also such a book, written by Peter just prior to his violent death (historical account, not the from the Bible). He had known it was coming his whole life, and had obviously prepared for it. He wanted to give some valuable insight to the disciples of Christ. Verses found in chapter 1:12-15, 3:1-2, and 3:17-18 sum up his intent of writing this epistle. His plan is to give them and us the things he considers most needful to be remembered after he is dead and can no longer warn or help them personally. The heart of the epistle seems to be captured in the last few passages. 2 Pet 3:17..."since you know this beforehand..."

I want to consider the book in this manner.

1:3--Know that we have all the things necessary for life and godliness. They were given to us by the divine power of God and are contained only in the scriptures of the New Covenant: 2 Tim 3:16-17; Prov 3:5-7.

1:5-11--Never lose sight of our individual responsibility to do what God expects of us. The grace of God will not cover slothfulness and laziness.

1:12-13--Realize that no matter how well you know something and how emotionally stirring it might be to you today, that you will continually have to stir yourself up and bring to remembrance the things that make one zealous. Christians are never stagnant, they are growing hotter or colder, and they never stay the same. In baseball there is great myth. When a hitter is running to first base and the infielder is trying to throw him out, if the ball and the runner arrive at the same time, some will say, "Tie goes to the runner." There is no such thing. He is out or he is safe, there is no in between. As Christians either we are hot, serving God, or we are cold, serving the world.

1:16--Know that the Apostles were not deceived in what they wrote. In spite of the mockery of the world, these men knew what they were talking about and wrote it down. We have to accept their testimony on its face value and pattern our lives accordingly.

1:19--This eyewitness testimony does not stand alone, it is added to all the prophecies of the Bible. This brings greater power to its validity since accuracy in prophecy is beyond man's ability to accomplish.

2:1-2--Know that there will be false teachers today just as prophets of old. Realize that many will be deceived and multitudes will follow the false teachers. True Christianity will be blasphemed due to this error, and it will be hard to find and difficult to put full confidence in.

2:3--Keep in mind that not all men are as sincere as you are. Learn to assess motives and realize that some are not activated by love for souls, but instead for personal gain.

2:4-8--Remember the angels, Noah, and Lot, God always destroys the wicked and delivers the godly.

2:9--Never forget that God knows how to take care of his saints. He has always delivered the godly and punished the wicked.

2:18-19--There will be many who promise more that the Word of God authorizes them to promise. These must be avoided as false teachers.

3:3-4--Know that mockers will come making fun of God's promises and those who hold them. Don't allow them to hinder you. They have always been hindering God's people. Simply endure their persecution and continue doing what is right.

3:8--Know that time means nothing to God: Don't let if affect you either.

3:10-11--Know that as the flood took all, so again will fire take all. Those beings so, don’t get too involved in this world. Be holy, strive for godliness, they are all that ultimately matter.

3:15--Know that God's longsuffering has brought your salvation. Do not begrudge others the same opportunity. As long as there is time, preach the word and be longsuffering to all men. God's grace often gives men many chances to be saved. It was so in the crucifixion of Jesus and in the persecutions of Paul.

3:16--Some things are hard to understand. Now while the apostle wrote many things which are hard to understand, the context if referring to "these things." Which things? (1) The second coming of Christ, (2) The destruction of the world, (3) and the new heavens and earth.

Many people want to apply this passage where it is not applicable, such as the plan of salvation or the duties of the Christian life. On these matters the teaching is clear and explicit, simple and plain.

3:16 later half--Know also that those who so twist (strebloo--to turn from the proper position, to torture, to pervert), the scriptures do not harm the scriptures, but instead destroy themselves.

3:17--Knowing all the above before hand, BEWARE!! Beware is defined as...Active to guard, to watch, to keep watch, to have an eye upon, to protect, to take care not to violate. 

CHURCH HISTORY: A BIBLICAL VIEW
Part VI - No. 36 Compiled and written by Gary Eubanks

The Protestant Reformation partook so much of past and future theology that it may best be viewed as a transition between the medieval and modern periods in church history. As such, it was a significant break with the past. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Reformation's break with the past was its emphasis upon the Scriptures as the sole source of authority and rule of faith in the believer's life. This was a radical departure from the medieval attitude that tradition, as well as the Scriptures, as interpreted and promulgated by the Roman Catholic hierarchy is the rule of life. Although the early Reformation leaders did not fully appreciate or apply the implications of their principles, the effect of their movement was to unfetter man's mind and allow him to think for himself. No longer was it enough for man to simply obey what he was told God's word said; he had to understand God's word for himself. No longer was his faith to be in a hierarchy of men but in Jesus Christ and His written revelation of Himself.

The consequences of this new attitude were immediately evident in the proliferation of sects within Protestantism. Not realizing that freedom to interpret and follow the Scriptures involved religious freedom, early Reformation leaders worked almost as hard to suppress what they considered heretical sects as the Catholic Church had worked to suppress them. They failed to see that the only weapon given to Christians for the eradication of error is the word of God (Acts 17:2,3; II Cor. 10:3,4; Eph. 6:17). In any event, they had opened the door, and slowly but surely the idea and practice of religious freedom spread and in its wake increasing realization of the truth.

The broadening of man's horizons in science, philosophy, and geography also influenced, and was influenced by, Reformation thinking. With men's advances in exploration came an awareness of other cultures which Europeans had to fit into God's scheme for men. Likewise, scientific discoveries opened men's eyes to the fact that natural law ruled the workings of nature. Natural phenomena occurred because they were dictated by natural law. They were predictable, to a degree. Nature seemed to be edging God off his throne. A remarkable instance of men's reaction to new and threatening scientific discoveries was Galileo's enforced abjuration of his heliocentric theory. Medieval thought had tied man's importance to the belief that the earth was the center of the universe.

New scientific discoveries not only enhanced man's comfort in life but also his appreciation of human potential and reason. It was becoming increasingly evident that it was to man's benefit to reason and understand. With this realization came the need to determine the proper place of human reasoning in man's life. The philosophies of the early post-Reformation period dealt with this issue - how to relate and balance faith and reason. Gone was the blind, unquestioning faith of the medieval period. Men were now free to doubt and deny. Those who believed in Christ and His claims found themselves increasingly shifting to a defensive stance and trying to accommodate human reason.

Perhaps the strongest and most prominent attack upon orthodox religion from the philosophical community of this period was Deism. Deism took a variety of forms, some moderate and some extreme. Most Deists were theists and some even believed in continuing divine providence, while others approached atheism, to say the least. Deism's greatest impact was in the place it gave to human reason in religion as opposed to revelation. The central idea of Deism is that every man is born with a certain religious knowledge or may acquire it through the use of reason. This is sometimes called "natural religion." Written revelation and ecclesiastical instruction are unnecessary and may be misleading and hurtful. Hence, Deism essentially ejected revelation, God's word, from its place of supremacy and put human reason in its place. Revelation could still be important and helpful but because traditional religion and its Scriptures, including the Bible, had become corrupted with errors it was necessary for human reason to sit in judgment and sift through it and extract that which was worthy of acceptance. Religion had digressed far from its primitive purity. Religious leaders had added corruptions to benefit themselves, though from time to time certain religious leaders, such as Socrates, Buddha, Muhammad, and Christ, arose to call men back to simple, primitive religious faith. Some Deists viewed God as the "master clockwinder" of the universe who, having set His creation in order, left it running under its own energy and laws never to interfere again.

Deism began in England where it enjoyed its heyday from about 1689 through 1742. It soon spread to France, Germany, and America. In the latter place Deists counted among their number some prominent leaders, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Ethan Allen, George Washington, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. It no doubt opened the door to the severer criticism and rejection of the Bible known as Rationalism.

There are several fundamental problems and errors involved in Deism.

(1) Primarily, it exalts human reason over divine revelation (Prov. 3:5; Isa. 55:8,9; Jer. 10:23; I Cor. 1:18-31). Though men may be born with the natural capacity to understand something of God and His ways (Acts 14:17; 17:22-29; Rom. 1:18-20; 2:14,15) apart from revelation, this is not sufficient to inform them of everything they need to know to please their Creator. This is why the Bible is needed.

(2) Deism also asserts that the Bible is corrupted (Matt. 24:35; I Pet. 1:23-25). Why would God give men the Bible and then allow it to be corrupted? A God powerful enough to give the Bible is powerful enough to preserve it.

(3) Deism puts false teachers on a par with Jesus (Jn. 14:6).

(4) Finally, Deism asserts that God no longer involves Himself in human affairs, thus eliminating prayer and providence (Phil. 4:6; Heb. 13:5,6; I Pet. 5:6,7). Why would God create the world and its inhabitants and then abandon them? 

Modesty and Warm Weather Attire

It has been a very hot summer. As the temperatures outside rose, we have seen the already low level of modesty fall even more all around us. This is a reminder to us that, as Christians, we are not to become like the world.

1Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light”

Although those about us may dress in a way which is immodest it is no excuse for us to do likewise, for we are not to be conformed to the ways of this world.

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

We encourage all Christians, men and women alike, to consider how they dress and the message their clothing gives to others. We need to remember that it is our inner person who we need to keep beautiful, and that in the sight of God.

I Peter 3:3-4 “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel. But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.”