"Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" -- 2 Peter 3:14-18

The Seventh and Final in a Series of Sermons on 2 Peter

Knowing that his life was likely drawing to a close, the Apostle Peter arranged for the composition of the brief epistle we know as 2 Peter.  Part sermon, part letter, there is a profound sense of urgency about Peter’s second letter.  In it, the Apostle makes three key points.  First, Peter urges that Christians, who are already recipients of God’s grace, manifest those moral virtues which reflect their faith in Christ.  These virtues include knowledge, self control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.   Second, Peter warns us that false teachers and false prophets will secretly introduce destructive heresies into the churches, and that Christians ought constantly to be on guard for such disruptive individuals.  These men live to indulge the flesh.  Although they attract large numbers of followers, God will punish them harshly while rescuing his people from their clutches, just as he did with Noah and Lot.  Third, even though the false teachers deny that Jesus will return a second time, it is certain that our Lord will come again to purge the present heaven and earth, removing every trace of human sin, and then creating a new heaven and earth–the home of righteousness.  While we long for that glorious day of Christ’s return, Peter exhorts us to wait patiently during this age of salvation, all the while growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

We conclude our series on 2 Peter before we turn to the short Epistle of Jude.  Although too often overlooked, 2 Peter is a remarkable letter.  It is packed with important apostolic teaching, and reflects Peter’s righteous anger toward those who speak false words and utter false prophecies so as to lead the people of God astray.  Peter opens his letter by reminding us of God’s saving grace in Jesus Christ, which not only saves us from the guilt and power of sin, but at the same time empowers us to live Godly lives.  As the false teachers and prophets seek to indulge the flesh, Christians should seek to produce those Godly virtues enumerated by Peter in the first chapter of this epistle, all the while waiting patiently for the very thing the false teachers say will not come to pass–the second coming of Jesus, the final judgment, and the creation of new heaven and earth, our eternal home.

As we take up our text, verses 14-18 of chapter 3, we will consider Peter’s concluding exhortations regarding how Christians are to live in anticipation of the age to come.  In verse 13, Peter exhorts us to anticipate a new heaven and earth where righteousness dwells.  In verse 14, Peter follows up by telling us “therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”  Although there is a danger in being so heavenly-minded that we are no earthly good, those who live their lives in anticipation of the next life, do indeed long for the new heaven and earth, where every hint and trace of sin are gone, and where everlasting righteousness dwells.  

For the Christian, then, the final judgment is not something we are to fear–because we are clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus, who has also died for all of our sins.  Rather, the final judgment is that day when every tear is wiped from our eyes, every injustice made right, and when we at long last enter the eternal state to dwell forever in the new heaven and earth described by the Apostle.  It is well worth noting that some three times in this concluding section, Peter speaks of Christians “looking forward” (prosdokaō) to events associated with the end–especially the creation of a new heaven and earth.

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"The Day of the Lord Will Come Like a Thief" -- 2 Peter 3:1-13

The Sixth in a Series of Sermons on 2 Peter

Peter has lambasted those false teachers and prophets who were secretly introducing destructive heresies into the churches, and then leading people away from Christ so as to indulge the lusts of the flesh.  As Peter has told his readers, the chief heresy being taught by these false teachers and prophets is the denial of our Lord’s bodily return at the end of the age, to judge the world, raise the dead, and to make all things new.  If, as the false teachers were contending, Jesus is not going to return, then there will be no final judgment.  And if there is no final judgment, then, as the false teachers were apparently arguing, there is no reason to restrain the lusts of the flesh.  But Peter was with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.  The Apostle was given a glimpse of Jesus’s glory which will be fully manifest when Jesus returns at the end of the age.  Peter was also present with Jesus on the Mount of Olives (the Olivet Discourse) on that fateful night when Jesus spoke of his second coming as sudden–like a thief, who comes at an hour when you least expect him.  The denial of something so clearly taught by Jesus and his apostles lies at the basis for the great irony spelled out by Peter in his second epistle–that these men who despise authority, and who are enslaved to the passions of the flesh, will find themselves facing the very same Savior on the day of judgment whose coming they deny, and in a final judgment in which they do not believe.

We return this morning to our series on 2 Peter, and we have reached the third chapter of this brief epistle wherein both the tone and content of Peter’s epistle changes dramatically.  In the previous chapter, while describing the methods and consequences of the false teachers and prophets then plaguing the churches just as Jesus warned that they would, Peter’s temper flashes as he speaks of these men as blots and blemishes (v. 13), who behave like wild animals (v. 12).  All the while denying the master who bought them (2:1), Peter says the false teachers speak blasphemies against both God and the “glories” because they are ignorant of the power of the angelic beings which they are blaspheming.  These men live to gratify the lusts of the flesh, and they are constantly on the prowl for gullible Christians whom they may deceive and then exploit.  Peter says of them, better to have “never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2:21).

In chapter 3, Peter speaks much differently than in the previous chapter, and affectionately addresses his readers and hearers as “beloved.”  If God’s judgment is reserved for false teachers, then those believers in Jesus Christ who must face these people and deal with them, need to be reminded of the certainty of the Lord’s return, and the inevitable fate these false teachers and prophets will face.  Christ is both the Lord of his church and the protector and vindicator of his people.  As Peter will tell us, the doctrine of the second coming of Jesus Christ grounds the Christian life (and Christian ethics) in a final judgment.  This will be that climatic moment at the end of human history, in which all wrongs will be righted, and when at long last God’s people receive their heavenly inheritance and then enter their eternal Sabbath rest.  There is indeed coming a day when all things will be made new, and old wrongs set right.

Unlike the false prophets and teachers who spread myths and lies, Peter has first-hand knowledge of Jesus’ promise that he will return a second time.  Peter has also heard Jesus’ explanation as to how his return was foretold in the prophetic word (Scripture) made more certain.  The Apostle knows that these prophecies were fulfilled in the doing and dying of Jesus.  Since Peter has seen Jesus’ glory, and is a witness to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, then the Apostle knows that Jesus will keep his promise to return to usher in a new heaven and earth in which righteousness dwells–that is, where every hint, trace, and stain of human sin will be removed.

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"It Would Have Been Better" -- 2 Peter 2:10b-22

The Fifth in a Series of Sermons on 2 Peter

In the first three verses of chapter two of his Second Epistle, Peter warns the churches that false teachers will arise throughout the course of the age and disrupt the church.  They will do so until Jesus comes back a second time–which is, ironically, a doctrine which the false teachers mentioned by Peter denied.  According to Peter’s warning, false teachers and false prophets will arise within the churches and secretly introduce destructive heresies, utter false prophecies, and speak blasphemies against God.  Peter warns us that their motives are sinister–because of their greed, false teachers and prophets seek to exploit the people of God.  The Apostle tells us that these false teachers and prophets are like the angels who rebelled against God in the days before the great flood.  They are like those evil men who mocked Noah as he built the ark.  They are like the inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah–men who lived to gratify the lusts of the flesh.  Such false teachers and prophets will say and do anything to exploit the people of God.  But their ultimate destruction is as sure as is the prophetic word (Scripture) given by God.   

In the last half of the second chapter of 2 Peter 2, Peter describes these individuals in the harshest of terms.  The reason why Peter can speak so harshly when referring to them is the damage these people do is not slight.  They disrupt the peace of the churches.  They despise Christ’s authority and his word.  They place their own made-up prophecies above the authority of Scripture.  They seduce others so as to steal their chastity, their money, and their reputations.  The methods and attitudes of these false teachers and prophets are so callous and deceitful that Peter can say of them that it have been better for them to have never known the way of the truth, then to turn their backs upon Jesus (the master, who they claim “bought” them), while seeking to abuse and exploit Christ’s sheep.  Peter minces no words when describing these people, their shameful ways, and their inevitable destruction.

As we return to our series on 2 Peter we move into what may be one of the most difficult sections in the New Testament upon which to preach because the language is so harsh, and because this section may give us the impression that we, in turn, can use this same language of others.  The application is not that it is OK to call others “blots’ and “blemishes” or “irrational beasts.”  Rather, this is something we must leave to the Apostle who is writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, yet whose righteous anger is evident in his words.  In the first half of the chapter, Peter warns us of the false words and false prophecies uttered by false teachers and prophets.  He has described their selfish motives–these are not people who are sincere but wrong.  They are not to be trusted, nor given any benefit of doubt.  In describing their conduct in such graphic terms, Peter provides us with the reason why these individuals will be judged so harshly by the master (Jesus) whose authority they truly despise, despite their claim to be followers of Jesus.

Peter says of them in verse 10b, “bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones.”  In saying this, Peter gives theological justification for the harsh words which follow.  His words clearly echo those of Jude 8- 9.  “Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones.  But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, `The Lord rebuke you.’”  Knowing his place in the order of things, even the powerful Michael the Archangel humbly refused to offer a blasphemous judgment or mock the devil.

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"There Will Be False Teachers Among You" -- 2 Peter 2:1-10

The Fourth in a Series of Sermons on 2 Peter

It is not a question of if, but a matter of when.  False teachers and false prophets have come, they will come, and they will continually seek to introduce destructive heresies until the Lord returns.  In his 2nd Epistle–which is Peter’s “testament,” i.e., his final words to the churches–Peter warns the churches of his day that false teachers and false prophets were already working their way into the churches and wreaking havoc.  Peter tells us that these false teachers will speak false words and utter false prophecies.  They blaspheme God and they seek to secretly introduce destructive heresies.  They wilfully seek to exploit the people of God–looking for any struggling saint weak in faith, or for those who have even the slightest bit of apathy regarding the truth or Christian doctrine.  Their doctrinal errors provide justification for indulging the lusts of the flesh, instead of manifesting those Christian virtues which Peter has described in verses 5-7 of the first chapter of this letter.  As Peter has told us in verse 19 of chapter one, we have the prophetic word (the Scriptures) which is more sure than any human opinion and which is the light shining in the dark, and the standard by which we discern truth from error.

As we continue our series on 2 Peter, we come to Peter’s dire warning (in this chapter and in the next) about false prophets and false teachers who will arise, infiltrate the churches, and seek to lead the people of God astray.  There is a very good reason why believers need to be concerned with how they live, and why they should live their lives in eager anticipation of Jesus’ return–so as to contrast themselves with those who have been deceived.  The false teachers and false prophets described by Peter were undermining the very foundation of the Christian life–that God has saved us from the wrath to come, and then called us to reflect his glory through our conduct.  Even as they encourage professing Christians to live no differently than the pagans around us, the false teachers are denying one of the fundamental doctrines of Christian theology; the bodily return of Jesus Christ at the end of the age, to judge the world, raise the dead, and make all things new.

If it is true, as the false teachers claim, that Jesus is not going to return a second time, then there is no basis for Christian ethics, nor is there any foundation for the Christian life.  Not only is Christian preaching false when we proclaim that Christ will come again, but if Christ does not come again then there is no final judgment, no resurrection from the dead, no new heaven and earth, no eternal Sabbath rest for the people of God, and no heavenly inheritance.  The proper motivation for the Christian life, which is that we live our lives in gratitude in light of these things, completely vanishes.  If Christ is not returning, then critics of Christianity, like Nietzsche, are right–all we can do is live our lives carpe diem and “seize the day.”  The past is irrelevant, the future remains to be written, there are no absolute standards of right and wrong, so all we have are the realities we face and the choices we must make in the present.  And if Jesus is not coming back, and there is no judgment, then why not do as we please, indulge the lusts of the flesh, and seek to do what is right in our own eyes?  If no one is watching, why worry about anything other than our momentary needs and pleasures?

But as Peter has told us in verse 16 of the previous chapter of this epistle, “we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.”  Peter was present throughout much of the messianic ministry of Jesus.  Since Peter saw and heard Jesus in person, Peter (and the other apostles) do not need to invent myths or fables as do the false teachers and prophets.  Since Peter was an eyewitness to the majesty of Jesus, the Apostle speaks the truth, while all the false teachers can utter are clever myths which they have devised to suit their own sinful ends.  As Peter reminds his readers, he was with Jesus up on the Mount of Transfiguration.  “For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, `This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.”  Peter was with Jesus.  He saw our Lord’s glory.  He heard the Father’s voice.

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"The Prophetic Word" -- 2 Peter 1:12-21

The Third in a Series of Sermons on 2 Peter

Peter is writing to warn those reading his second epistle of serious doctrinal error in the churches.  Knowing that he does not have long to live, Peter leaves us with his testament (this epistle).  In extending to us his final words, Peter includes an exhortation that Christians must strive to manifest those God-given virtues which flow from that eternal life given to us as a gift by the power of God.  The desire to see these virtues manifest in the lives of God’s people stands in sharp contrast to the desire to serve the flesh, which is characteristic of the lives of those who have departed from the truth.  But in order to properly rebuke the false teachers, Peter must first establish his apostolic authority, as well as that of the prophetic word (the Scriptures).  Peter has seen the glory of Jesus with his own eyes.  The Apostle relates how the glory he has seen on the holy mountain is but a foretaste of much greater glory yet to come when Jesus returns at the end of the age.  In Jesus Christ the prophetic word (the Old Testament) is confirmed because all such prophecy comes from God, not from the will of men.  God’s prophets are carried along by the Holy Spirit, giving to us that to which we commonly refer as “Holy Scripture.”  

As we continue to work our way through 2 Peter, we come to that section of this letter identified by some as Peter’s “purpose statement” (to use a modern expression), or better his “testament.”  We read in verse 14 of the first chapter that the Apostle is well aware of his impending death.  In light of this fact, verses 12-15 serve several important purposes.  In his farewell “testament” Peter refers back to his previous “mini” sermon in verses 3-11, in such a way as to assure his readers that the exhortation in verse 10 (“therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall”) is intended as a pastoral reminder, and is not intended as a threat to those Christians with a troubled conscience.  Peter’s testament also serves as a literary bridge from the previous discussion of those virtues which ought to be manifest in the Christian life (vv. 5 -7), to the lack of such virtues apparent in the lives of those who teach false doctrine, or who have been taken in by it (chapters 2-3).  The contrast between the virtues spelled out in verses 5-7, and the godless conduct described by Peter in the second chapter of this epistle could not be greater.

A “testament” such as we find here is not unusual in the ancient world.  Peter’s “testament” mirrors several of those found in the Old Testament, like those of Jacob (Genesis 49), Moses (Deuteronomy 33), Joshua (Joshua 24 ), and David (1 Kings 2).  There are also a number of extra-biblical testaments which may have been known to Peter, or to those reading this short epistle.  These “testaments” include the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs, and the testaments of Job and Moses.  There are also final testaments in the New Testament, for that matter.  We think of Jesus’ “farewell” discourse given in the upper room shortly before Jesus’ arrest and trial (John 13-16), and even Paul’s “farewell speech” to the Ephesians elders recounted in Acts 20:17-35.  

Such farewell speeches usually include the following elements:  1). A prediction of death, 2). A prediction of future crises for those the dying person leaves behind, 3). An exhortation to greater virtue, 4). The promise of God’s blessing or the giving of a divine commission, and then finally, 5). A reference to the legacy the departing dying person leaves behind.  The structure of this epistle and its obvious differences in style and speech from 1 Peter, can be easily explained if 2 Peter is the Apostle’s “testament” (final words) to the churches.  To fulfill his apostolic office, Peter is compelled to warn the churches of the dangers of false doctrine.

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"Make Your Calling and Election Sure" -- 2 Peter 1:3-11

The Second in a Series of Sermons on 2 Peter

There is a reason why Peter’s second epistle and the small book of Jude are not well-known, or widely read and preached upon in the churches.  In both these letters, we find emphatic warnings about false teachers and the dangers of false doctrine they spread.  For those who embrace the church-lite ethos of American Christianity, the message of 2 Peter and Jude will not be appreciated, nor warmly received.  While many preachers and churches wish to emphasize the positive, 2 Peter and Jude remind us of the negative.  There is truth, and there is error.  If we believe the one (truth) we are going to encounter the other (error).  When contemporaries tell us that doctrine does not matter, 2 Peter and Jude remind us that it does.  If our contemporaries seek unity and avoid controversy to the point of fostering a willingness to make peace with false teaching, then 2 Peter and Jude both warn us of the great dangers of doing exactly that.  

This is not to say unity is a bad thing–Christians are to seek unity around the truth of those doctrines passed down to us by Jesus and his apostles in the pages of Holy Scripture.  Reformed Christians identify our own doctrinal standards as the “Three Forms of Unity” for a very important reason.  We believe particular doctrines, and unite around them by confessing a common faith–a faith which we believe to be biblical and which is clearly and concisely summarized in our confessions.  Unity is very important, so long as it grounded in the truth of those things taught in God’s word.  

The Psalmist tells us “behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” ( Psalm 133:1).  Jesus prays that his people would be one (John 17:11).  Paul likewise speaks of Christians standing together because we are one body and indwelt by the same Holy Spirit.  We have one common hope, one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Eph 6:4-5).  We may each be different parts, but we are all members of the body of Christ.  This is precisely why false doctrine is so dangerous–it is as though one part of the body has cancer, or has become gangrenous.  Such seriously illness in one part of the body must be dealt with immediately when it arises, and even perhaps removed, to maintain the health of the whole.
 
Sadly, we know too well those overzealous folk who apply the label “heretic” to anyone with whom they have the even slightest doctrinal disagreement.  It is one thing to defend the truth from error.  It is quite another when ill-informed, or just plain ornery people, all-too easily declare others to be heretics, without serious consultation of the perceived heretic’s entire body of work, consideration of their character, and often without any regard to the disruption of the peace of the church, or the creation of schisms and factions which can result from such rash declarations.  Defend the truth we must.  Identify false teachers we must.  Repudiate and refute their teaching we must.  But there is a right way to do this.  And there is a wrong way.  Peter and Jude will lead us in the right way.

For good or for ill, as the case may be, Peter and Jude wrote before the advent of the self-professed internet theologian–typically a bright and witty (or even a caustic) person, who, having no formal theological training, who writes on doctrinal matters they may not fully understand but with the certainty of a papal decree.  The good thing about such people is that they challenge and lampoon sacred cows and pomposity which cry out for such treatment.  They often are often the first ones to smell the smoke of false doctrine, which, if not extinguished, can lead to a serious and destructive fire.  But all too often, the internet theologian engages in gossip, speaks authoritatively to matters about which they only know little, and often times in open violation of the ninth commandment, casting their opponent in the worst possible light.  Internet theologians can be brave behind the anonymity of their computers and tablets, but rarely if ever do they thoroughly investigate, personally consult, or properly research those whom they engage from behind the safety of their IP address. 

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"The Righteousness of Our God and Savior Jesus Christ" -- 2 Peter 1:1-11

The First in a Series of Sermons on 2 Peter

We begin an eight-part study of the Second Epistle of Peter, continuing our larger series on 1 and 2 Peter, and Jude.  From the moment we open this all-too often overlooked, but very important letter ascribed to the Apostle Peter, it soon becomes apparent that there are a number of problems to faced by anyone who attempts to preach through this letter, or treat it as a genuine apostolic document that belongs among those God-breathed writings which make up the canon of the New Testament.  In fact, the problems we encounter with this epistle are significant enough that the vast majority of biblical scholars dismiss even the possibility that this epistle was written by the Apostle Peter–in spite of the opening words in which the author claims to be “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.”  Despite the judgment of so many scholars to the contrary, I think a good case can be made for Petrine authorship of this short epistle, and that it does indeed belong in the canon of the New Testament.

A sermon is not a good (or really even an appropriate) place to tackle complicated questions of New Testament introduction.  Since these difficulties are so apparent in 2 Peter, and since we will spend several Sundays in this letter, we cannot ignore the matter.  So, we will address the questions of authorship and authenticity, and then survey some of the theological themes in this epistle, before we conclude by briefly taking up the opening greeting from Peter found in the first two verses.

Called the “ugly stepchild” of the New Testament–because there are so many issues surrounding its authenticity–the reader of this epistle will soon notice two important difficulties.  First, even upon a cursory reading, it is clear that there significant differences in the style of writing and choice of words between 1 and 2 Peter–a problem which must be addressed if the Apostle Peter is responsible for both epistles.  As Richard Bauckham has pointed out, there are some fifty-seven words in 2 Peter not found anywhere else in the New Testament (so-called hapax legomena), as well as thirty-two words used in 2 Peter which are not found in the LXX.  This means that many of the words the author uses are not “biblical” in the sense that they are not drawn directly from the Old Testament.  Since many of these unique words are widely used in Hellenistic Greek writings, this fact suggests to many that the author was someone more cosmopolitan than a man like Simon Peter, a Galilean fisherman.  

Even John Calvin had reservations about this epistle on this same ground, noting “there were some who were led by the diversity of style to think that Peter was not the author.  Although some difficulty can be traced, I admit that there is a clear difference which argues for different writers.”  Yet, despite such reservations, Calvin accepts the epistle as genuine on the grounds that the “majesty of the Spirit of Christ expresses itself in all parts of the epistle, [therefore] I have a dread of repudiating it, even though I do not recognize in it the genuine language of Peter.”  Calvin raises the question many others have asked as well.  How could the same writer produce two letters so different in both style and wording?

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"Grow in the Grace and Knowledge" -- 2 Peter 3:14-18

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon, the seventh and final in a series of sermons on 2 Peter

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"The Day of the Lord Will Come Like a Thief" -- 2 Peter 3:1-13

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"It Would Have Been Better" -- 2 Peter 2:10b-22

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