Full Transcript

Welcome to Share the Word. Today, we’re starting Second Peter, and as always, it’s important that we start by bringing out the who, what, when, and where. But Margie goes so far beyond that and brings out a depth that serves to remind us that as Christians, the lives that we are living is not a spectator sport. Margie? Hello, I’m Margie. This is Share the Word.

We’re so glad that you joined us. Today, we’ll cover Second Peter chapter one, and the big idea is keep going and keep growing. Max Lucado tells a story that might surprise you. It did me. On the battlefield in Washington, D.C., July 21st, 1861, several Washingtonian picnickers came to observe a conflict between the Union and the Confederate armies. Their intent was to just sit there, enjoy the beautiful outdoors, eat some fried chicken, and watch the show while cheering from a safe distance.

One soldier described the crowd as a throng of sightseers that came in many manners of ways, some in stylish carriages, others in city hacks, still others in buggies, some on horseback and even on foot. He continued, It was Sunday, and everyone seemed to have taken up general holiday. A reporter from the London Times observed that the spectators were all excited while watching one lady who was sporting opera glasses. He noticed that she was quite beside herself. Oh, this is splendid! First rate!

she cheered. However, It wasn’t long before reality set in. With the sound of gunfire, the sight of blood, the screams of the wounded soldiers, the audience soon realized this was no picnic. At that point, fathers grabbed their children, husbands called for their wives, folks jumped into their wagons and onto their horses to flee. Some were caught in the stampede of retreating Union troops. One spectator, a congressman from New York, was taken by the Confederate soldiers and actually kept prisoner for six months.

That was most likely the last time onlookers took a picnic to a battlefield. I think that in this epistle, Simon Peter is encouraging the readers to not be picnickers on a battlefield. He’s warning these new believers not to rest on their laurels. He wanted them to keep going and keep growing in Christian maturity and character, even during, or perhaps especially during, the intense time of persecution that they were facing. This second letter of Simon Peter is only three chapters, but this small book packs an explosive punch. Per our usual, when we begin a new book, we will cover the history surrounding the text, the who, what, when, where, why, and how, so to speak.

As for the who’s, I’ll start by reading 2 Peter 1:1 and 2. Simon Peter, being a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who, through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, have received a faith as precious as ours. Grace and peace be yours in abundance. So, to whom it is written? Well, to those who have received a precious faith in Jesus. The same folks from 1 Peter, the dispersed pilgrims in the area of Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey.

According to the scholars, most of the early Christian churches were Gentiles, Roman converts. I so appreciate Pastor Paul’s reminder that though these little letters may not have been written to us, they are still written for us. The other who is the author of 2 Peter. Evidently, there is some controversy over its origin. It seems pretty clear to me, as he identifies himself as Simon Peter, he even used both of his names to identify himself, his Jewish name and his Greek name, much like John Mark did in his gospel. But in Simon Peter’s case, one name was given by his biological father, Jonah.

That would be his Hebrew name, Simon or Shimon in Hebrew, which means to hear, to listen, or God hears, God listens. The other name was given by his Lord Jesus. That would be his Greek name, Peter or Petros. That’s the masculine form of the word rock, meaning little stone, pebble, or small rock, which doesn’t seem too flattering, does it? Anyway, I think Simon Peter was being clear and humble by using both names to identify himself. To provide more evidence that Simon Peter was most likely the author, he also used two different names to describe his role in the early church: a servant and an apostle.

A servant or a bondservant in the Greek is doulos. Now, I keep defining words in the Greek because Simon Peter used the Greek language often in order to communicate plainly with his Greek audience. Regardless, a bondservant means a person who willingly submits to be a slave. The Bible dictionary defines it this way: an indentured servant or a slave by choice, someone who legally volunteers to serve, often because of debt or covenant. Well, in Simon Peter’s case, it was probably both: a debt of gratitude and a deep commitment to the new covenant. And he refers to himself as an apostle, apostolos.

According to popular belief, an apostle is not a term of lordship. It means one who is sent out or one who is entrusted on a mission to spread a message. In this case, it’s a message of the good news of Jesus. Though Simon Peter did not specifically identify himself as a disciple, though he was one of the twelve original disciples, he does infer that position by identifying himself as an eyewitness to the transfiguration, an event that was recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In verse 16, Simon Peter says, The voice came from the majestic glory, saying, ‘This is my Son.’ Whom I love, with whom I am well pleased.

We heard this voice that came from heaven because we were with Jesus on the sacred mountain, which perhaps was Mount Hermon. Another identifying feature pointing to Simon Peter as the author of Second Peter is the use of several repeated words and expressions. For example, he used the same opening salutation in First and Second Peter: Grace to you and peace to you be multiplied. Again, using the Greek and the Hebrew, Simon Peter offers a blessing to them. Grace is Greek, charos, for kindness and unmerited favor, where peace is Hebrew, shalom, comfort, wholeness, wellness, and healing. Simon Peter used other words repeatedly: virtue, godliness, make every effort, three times actually in this book, putting off, obtain the wages of sin, and precious, which he used seven times in these two little letters.

As for the when and where, Second Peter was probably written from Rome. Many believe while Simon Peter was imprisoned there, awaiting his execution. So that would be about 65 A.D., one year after Epistle number one, and about two years before he was martyred. Please listen to the Share the Word teaching on First Peter if you haven’t already, because Pastor Paul gives an interesting and accurate profile of the Roman history at the time of these writings, and it is so good. At the time of this epistle, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus was still the emperor of Rome. He ruled from 54 A.D. to 68 A.D.

Nero was known for his unjust and intense persecution of Christians. History tells us that both Simon Peter and Saul Paul were killed, martyred for their faith during Nero’s reign. And clearly, from this letter, we can tell that Simon Peter knew the end was approaching. He even makes reference to the Lord preparing him for his murder. It is so amazing that Simon Peter, Mr. Listen Little Stone, who before the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was so afraid of death that he denied, cursed, and lied about knowing Jesus to save his own skin.

But he ends his days boldly, focused, and fearless. Tradition tells us that when Simon Peter was executed, he was indeed crucified. However, he chose to be hung upside down, as to not die in the exact same manner as his Lord. History also tells us that Simon Peter’s wife was executed at the same time. I do want to take just a minute to talk about this because it is a farewell letter of sorts that I find, well, to use Simon’s word, precious. He sounds like a loving parent with his kiddos.

Three times Simon Peter prepares them that his death is imminent. Three times he urgently encourages them to remember that they already have everything they need to live a godly life. Three times he reminds them of the divine power and promises, and to keep going and to keep growing. I witnessed this same type of urgency from my mom. When she knew her days on planet Earth were coming to a close, she was very redundant and specific about things she wanted to make sure we knew and understood. The conversation would usually end with, I don’t understand why the Lord hasn’t come to get me yet.

A year after my mother’s death, my father had the same repetitive intensity, and most of those conversations ended with, I just want to be with the Lord and Louise. Seeing someone face their mortality with confidence and conviction, with great love and other-mindedness, is a powerful testimony of faith. And I get it. I have not been feeling too well myself lately, and I am very excited about the next step. I am also hoping that those I leave behind will be faithful to live for Christ with maturity and urgency, to keep going and to keep growing, which again is our big idea. And it’s based on verses five through eleven.

Add to your faith goodness, and goodness knowledge, and knowledge self-control, and self-control perseverance, and to perseverance godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and brotherly kindness love. The why? For if you possess these qualities, Simon Peter says, in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Simon Peter is challenging them to be partakers of this divine nature, starting now, to have productive, effective, fruitful lives and ministry. He encourages them to make every effort and to be diligent. In other words, don’t wait, but keep going and keep growing in your Christian character.

Now, I’m sure that we all know the story of the two wolves by now. It’s usually referred to as a Cherokee legend. A wise old grandfather is speaking to his grandson and says, There are two wolves inside each of us, a black wolf and a white wolf. The black wolf is our natural sinful self, carnal and evil desires. The white wolf is our new supernatural reborn, transformed self. The black wolf and the white wolf are at war within us, both vying to rule.

The grandson says, Grandfather, which wolf will win? To which the grandfather replies, The wolf that wins is the wolf that you feed, my son. You must decide. Will you feed the black wolf or the white wolf? Both the grandfather and Simon Peter are saying that in order to have the white wolf rule, you must feed it. So make every effort and be diligent to have the divine nature govern the human nature.

Keep going, keep growing. You may notice that these seven big idea characteristics seemingly build upon one another, with faith as the foundation. Faith is mentioned five times in these two epistles because it is so important. Faith, well, is the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, who came and lived a sinless life, died on the cross for our sins, the sins of the world, who was raised on the third day, who ascended into heaven, and now sits at the Father’s right hand. Trusting that Jesus made a way for each and every individual that lived or will live to be reconciled with God the Father, to be given eternal life in His presence, to be part of the family of God. Well, the family of faith, so to speak.

Simon Peter is reminding the dispersed believers that accepting Jesus as Lord comes with high accountability. We are not just picnickers observing a battle. We must make every effort and be diligent to keep going and to keep growing. The first attribute listed is goodness. Well, your Bible might say virtue, meaning moral excellence, which really is supplied by the Holy Spirit who lives within the Christ follower. The next is knowledge, another reoccurring theme or word in this little book.

Knowledge appears 16 times in these three little chapters, five times in chapter one alone. There are two different forms of knowledge in the Greek. Both are used in this chapter: epinosis and gnosis. Epinosis is a personal encounter. It is a heart knowledge. Epinosis knowledge is a direct result of what Simon Peter calls the Lord’s divine power.

It’s more than an intellectual pursuit. It’s more than a mental exercise. It is not natural smarts, but supernatural smarts. It is God revealing Himself by the Holy Spirit. He initiates, He imparts, and He sustains. However, in this verse, Peter is using the other definition of knowledge, gnosis, intellectual knowledge, gaining information, getting smarter.

It’s head knowledge. Book learning requires diligence, dedication, and focus. It also takes wisdom to apply the lessons from the Bible appropriately. Studying, memorizing, comprehending the history of Judaism and Christianity, becoming educated in the context of Scripture, the Torah, the Talmud, prophets, poetical books, grasping or mastering the text, the Book of the Law, the exilic books, the post-exilic books, listening to podcasts, perhaps. In other words, being an intentional student takes every effort, but it is worth it. So keep going and keep growing.

Gandhi was quoted as saying, God is unfathomable, unknowable, and unknown to the vast majority of mankind. Sadly, that is true for Hinduism and many other religions. They do not offer epinosis of God, a personal knowledge of God, a personal relationship with God. But because of Jesus, God is knowable both ways, intellectually and personally. After knowledge, we find self-control, defined as the ability to master our thoughts, will, emotions, passions, habits, and compulsions, putting them under the authority of God’s Word, God’s will, and the Holy Spirit’s power, which is why it comes after knowledge, because first you have to know God’s Word, will, and way. The next hallmark of growing in faith is perseverance, and here you finally get your joke.

Ready? Training for a marathon can be hard work, but it’ll be good for you in the long run. Ba-dum-tsh. Okay, back to the text. Self-control comes before perseverance for good reason. In order to have perseverance, one must employ self-control.

To keep from being tempted to give up, to fight discouragement or the desire to quit, or to say it in a positive way, to continue to run the race, to carry on, to strive forward, or to apply the big idea and keep going. While teaching the book of First Peter, Pastor Paul used the illustration of Simba from the Disney movie Lion King. Well, for Second Peter, I had a Pixar character come to mind from the movie Finding Nemo, the cute little blue tang fish, the upbeat sidekick Dory, and her motto, Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. It’s a cheerful reminder to keep going, to continue to move forward, be optimistic, be hopeful, even when things are hard, difficult, scary, confusing, disappointing, uncomfortable, and unpopular, as it must have been for those poor first-century believers.

Therefore, Simon Peter was encouraging them, inspiring them, cheering them on to stay positive and persistent, to keep going and to keep growing. The next characteristic is godliness. The Greeks frequently used this term in reference to staying close to the gods, with a little g. In other words, to be religious. Simon Peter is applying the term to staying close to the real God, uppercase G. That godlikeness is more than a religion.

It involves more than rituals. Godliness stems from a relationship with the true God. It means allowing God to influence every part of one’s being. As my husband says, for our good, for others’ good, and for God’s glory. The next to last trait is brotherly kindness, Philadelphia in the Greek, stemming from one of the three kinds of Greek love: phileo love, friendship love. The Oxford Dictionary defines kindness as the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

But your Bible might say mutual affection. Webster Dictionary calls that giving favor and showing fondness. Brotherly kindness involves effort, real, healthy, devoted, family unit type interaction. That would have looked very different from the surrounding pagan communities. And finally, the last quality in the keep going, keep growing maturity charge is, drumroll please, love, the greatest of the Greek forms of love, agape love. This is God love, Jesus love, unconditional love, supernatural love.

Jesus said to his followers, They will know that you are my disciples if you love, agape love, one another. Simon Peter wanted those followers to keep growing in agape love. Rick Warren explains in his bestseller, The Purpose Driven Life, that over 50 times in the New Testament we read about one anothering or each othering, because we are commanded to agape love, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, accept each other, serve each other, teach each other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens. Forgive each other, submit to each other, and be devoted to each other. This kind of love is truly otherworldly. Rick Warren also challenges believers to agape love because, and this is a quote, real Christian maturity shows up in relationships.

Elsewhere, Warren expounds that the Bible knows nothing of solitary saints or spiritual hermits, those isolated from other believers or of being deprived of fellowship. The Bible reminds us that we are put together, joined together, built together, members together, co-heirs together, fitted together, held together, and we will be caught up together. He continues, You are not your own anymore. You are in a family relationship with Jesus and God and the Holy Spirit, which is personal. And in God’s family, you’re all connected to every other believer, and we all belong to each other for eternity. As members of Christ’s body, we are His hands, His feet, His eyes, and His heart.

He works through us in the world, and we each have a contribution to make. Wow. Now that is a high calling. Just like the picnickers in the opening story, we cannot just be sightseers, content with licking our chicken fingers and watching the war. There is a battle raging around us, not against the government, not against other people, but with an unseen enemy who wants to keep us sitting on a hilltop, spectating, maybe planted in front of a computer or a television or behind the pages of a book. Anything.

But moving forward in Christian character, we must be alert, prepared, on guard. Or as Simon Peter says, we must make every effort to keep going and keep growing in our Christian character, adding to our faith knowledge, goodness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. The end reward will make the fight worthwhile. This is Share the Word. I’m Margie. May grace and peace be yours abundantly.

Thanks, Margie. You know, it’s clear that growing in our faith through knowledge of God and Christ is not only critical but necessary. And the way that Peter encourages them to actively cultivate virtues and character traits is inspiring. I can’t help but realize how blessed we are. Those who originally read this letter didn’t have the scope of understanding that we do today. So here’s my question: Are you a spectator in your faith, or are you truly on the field?

We are in a spiritual battle, my friends, and it has been clear that if you don’t feel the enemy, then you’re no threat to them. And I say perhaps you need to examine the kingdom that you’re fighting for.