Oct 23 2015

Whatever Overcomes you, Enslaves You – 2 Peter 2-3

Peter warns again of false prophets in chapter 2, noting that their appearance among them is assured. And in verse 18, he begins a long train of thought on those who use the enticement of sensual passions:

They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

English: End of the Second Epistle of Peter and beginning of the First Epistle of John in the same column of the codex. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In verse 21, Peter gives us a dire warning: “For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.” It is certainly not possible for someone who has “fallen away” to come back to the Lord, but it is very difficult, as Hebrews 6:4 says: “they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.“

Peter closes the send epistle with caution about the scoffers that will come. they become smug in their denial of the Lord’s coming as more and more time passes by. Time does not matter so much in the Lord’s scheme, as he is “not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”

/Bob’s boy

Bible Reading Schedule for this month
Click links below to read or listen to audio of one of this week’s chapters in Colossians and Luke

1 Peter 4, 1 Peter 5, 2 Peter 1, 2 Peter 2, 2 Peter 3

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please visit this site’s menu item “The Author’s Books” for info on the author’s books, website, and Facebook page.

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading any commentary, you should always refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word.

Oct 20 2015

Eyewitness Testimony – 2 Peter 1

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) – The Flagellation of Our Lord Jesus Christ (1880) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In chapter one of his second epistle, peter gives us a laundry list of qualities to strive for, in order to supplement our faith:

…make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith and virtue are the building blocks, but knowledge is the bridge to all of the others. That knowledge, of course, is to come from God’s word.

In verse 16, he reminds them that the teachings of himself and the other apostles are not from “cleverly devised myths.” They were eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

/Bob’s boy

Bible Reading Schedule for this month
Click links below to read or listen to audio of one of this week’s chapters in Colossians and Luke

1 Peter 4, 1 Peter 5, 2 Peter 1, 2 Peter 2, 2 Peter 3

___________________

some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please visit this site’s menu item “The Author’s Books” for info on the author’s books, website, and Facebook page.

All of my comments in this blog are solely my responsibility. When reading any commentary, you should always refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word.

May 25 2014

Knowledge and Self-Control – 2 Peter

In his second letter, Peter uses his standard form of opening, identifying himself in this case as Simeon Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. In the opening chapter, he also declares his witnessing of the transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16-18), which was recorded in Matthew 17:1-8. It is evident that Peter knows that his death is eminent, as we can see from 2 Peter 1:12-15. Many scholars believe that he wrote this second letter during the Roman persecution which occurred before Nero’s death in 68 A.D. This would make for a date of the writing of this letter from 64-67 A.D.

16th-century map of Anatolia from Münster’s Cosmographia showing “Capadocia” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is a shorter letter, and a passionate one, as Peter probably knows that it will be his last communication to these churches. He is addressing the same churches that he wrote to in the first epistle (Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia), as we can see from 2 Peter 3:1. The second chapter may be the source of Peter’s urgency in writing this letter before his martyrdom. In that chapter, he warns of false prophets and teachers that have already been a problem in other churches. And there is a reference to some sort of sensual activity that is being held up as an acceptable lifestyle for Christianity.

Most of the rest of the letter deals with the requirement for the Christian to endure in their godly lives, and to reassure them that “the day of the Lord” will come. He reminds them also in the first chapter of his eyewitness account of the things they have been taught; and that he and his fellow apostles can be trusted to have delivered to them the truth – not the myths of man.

He reminds them also of the precious gift of godliness that has allowed them an escape “from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” In verses 5-9 of the first chapter, Peter gives a most beautiful summary of the timeless advice for Christian living:

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”

(This year’s reading plan for Luke, Acts, and 1 and 2 Chronicles averages just 15 verses per day – 5 days per week!)
Schedule for this week

/Bob’s boy

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some images © V. Gilbert & Arlisle F. Beers

Please note: I did not design the reading plan that I am following in my blog. All of my comments in this blog, however, are solely my responsibility. When reading ANY commentary, you should ALWAYS refer first to the scripture, which is God’s unchanging and unfailing word. Reading schedules, as well as a link to the site where you can get the reading plan that I’m currently following for yourself can be found on the “Bible Reading Schedules” page of my website at http://graceofourlord.com.