2 PETER

Make Every Effort to Grow

Peter begins by reminding the believers of the incredible resources they have in Christ. God's divine power has given them "everything we need for a godly life" (1:3). Because of these great promises, they are called to "make every effort" to add to their faith a series of virtues: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love. Peter warns that if they are not growing in these qualities, they are "nearsighted and blind," having forgotten that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

The Unshakeable Word of God

As his time is short, Peter wants to cement their confidence in the truth of the apostolic message. He gives them two unshakeable foundations for their faith.

• Apostolic Eyewitness Testimony: "We did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty" (1:16). Peter recalls the Transfiguration, where he, James, and John saw Jesus' glory and heard the voice of God the Father. Their testimony is based on historical, verifiable events.
• Prophetic Scripture: Even more certain than his own experience, Peter says, is the "prophetic message as something completely reliable." He then gives a crucial teaching on the origin of Scripture:

  ✨ “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

  — 2 Peter 1:21
  The Bible is not a book of human opinions; it is God's own Word, delivered through human authors guided by the Spirit.

Their Character and Condemnation

Chapter 2 is one of the strongest polemics against false teachers in the entire New Testament. Peter warns that just as there were false prophets in Israel's past, so there will be false teachers among them. He describes them in vivid terms. They "secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them" (2:1). Their message is appealing because it caters to the "corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority" (2:10). They promise "freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity" (2:19). They are driven by greed, they are arrogant, and their teaching leads to a life of sensuality.

Peter declares that their condemnation is certain. He uses three Old Testament examples to show that God will surely judge evil: God did not spare the angels who sinned, He did not spare the ancient world in the flood of Noah, and He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. Just as God rescued righteous Lot, so He knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

The Scoffers' Question

The final chapter addresses another dangerous teaching of these false prophets. They were scoffing at the promise of Jesus' second coming. "Where is this 'coming' he promised?" they would ask. "Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation" (3:4). They were using the apparent stability of the world and the delay in Christ's return to argue that it would never happen.

Peter's Powerful Response

Peter dismantles their argument with three powerful counterpoints:

• They forget God's past judgment: They "deliberately forget" that God has intervened in history before. The same God who created the world by His word also destroyed it by His word with the flood. The present world is being "kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly" (3:7).
• They forget God's perspective on time: God does not operate on a human timetable. "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day" (3:8). What seems like a long delay to us is not a delay to the eternal God.
• They forget God's patience: The perceived "slowness" of the Lord's return is not a sign of His inability, but a sign of His mercy. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (3:9). The delay is an opportunity for more people to be saved.

Peter affirms that the Day of the Lord *will* come, and it will come suddenly, "like a thief." It will bring about the fiery destruction of the present heavens and earth.

Conclusion: Living in Light of the End

Peter's final exhortation is intensely practical. In light of the certain destruction of this world and the promise of a "new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells," he asks the critical question: "what kind of people ought you to be?" (3:11). The answer is clear: "You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." Second Peter is a final, urgent plea from a dying apostle. It's a call to be discerning, to reject the seductive lies of false teachers, and to anchor our faith in the unshakeable truth of the apostolic testimony and the prophetic Scriptures. It is a summons to grow in grace and holiness, living each day in sober readiness and joyful anticipation of the certain return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.