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2 Peter 1:1-3:18

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2 Peter Greeting 1 1 Simeon 1 Peter, a servant 2 and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a a faith of equal standing with ours b by the righteousness of our c God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 d May grace and peace be multiplied to you e in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Confirm Your Calling and Election 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him f who called us to 1 his own glory and excellence, 2 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become g partakers of the divine nature, h having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith i with virtue, 1 and virtue j with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control k with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness l with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection m with love. 8 For if these qualities 1 are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or n unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he o is blind, having forgotten that he was p cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, 1 be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and q election, for if you practice these qualities r you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you s an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 12 Therefore I intend t always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in u the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this v body, 1 w to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 x since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, y as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things. Christ’s Glory and the Prophetic Word 16 For we did not follow z cleverly devised a myths when we made known to you b the power and c coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but d we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, e “This is my beloved Son, 1 with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on f the holy mountain. 19 And g we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention h as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until i the day j dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For k no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God l as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. False Prophets and Teachers 2 1 But m false prophets also arose among the people, n just as there will be false teachers among you, who will o secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master p who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth q will be blasphemed. 3 And r in their greed they will exploit you s with false words. t Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 4 For if God did not spare u angels when they sinned, but v cast them into hell 1 and committed them to chains 2 of gloomy darkness w to be kept until the judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world, but x preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought y a flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 if by z turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, a making them an example of b what is going to happen to the ungodly; 1 7 and c if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked 8 (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, d he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); 9 then e the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, 1 and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, 10 and especially f those who indulge 1 in the lust of defiling passion and g despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble g as they blaspheme the glorious ones, 11 h whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord. 12 i But these, like irrational animals, j creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, 13 suffering wrong as k the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure l to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, 1 while m they feast with you. 14 They have eyes full of adultery, n insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts o trained in greed. p Accursed children! 15 Forsaking the right way, q they have gone astray. They have followed r the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved s gain from wrongdoing, 16 but was rebuked for his own transgression; t a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17 u These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. v For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. 18 For, w speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely x escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them y freedom, z but they themselves are slaves 1 of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. 20 For if, a after they have escaped the defilements of the world b through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, c the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For d it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from e the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The f dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” The Day of the Lord Will Come 3 1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them g I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 h that you should remember the predictions of i the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come j in the last days with scoffing, k following their own sinful desires. 4 l They will say, “Where is the promise of m his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth n was formed out of water and through water o by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed p was deluged with water and q perished. 7 But by the same word r the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and s destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and t a thousand years as one day. 9 u The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise v as some count slowness, but w is patient toward you, 1 x not wishing that any should perish, but y that all should reach repentance. 10 But z the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then a the heavens will pass away with a roar, and b the heavenly bodies 1 will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 2 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, c what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 d waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and e the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for f new heavens and a new earth g in which righteousness dwells. Final Words 14 h Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him i without spot or j blemish, and k at peace. 15 And count l the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as m our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you n according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. o There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, p as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, q knowing this beforehand, r take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But s grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. t To him be the glory both now and to the day of u eternity. Amen.

2 Peter 1:1-3:18

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2 Peter 1 1 Συμεὼν Πέτρος δοῦλος καὶ ἀπόστολος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῖς ἰσότιμον ἡμῖν λαχοῦσιν πίστιν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, 2 χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη πληθυνθείη ἐν ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν. 3 Ὡς πάντα ἡμῖν τῆς θείας δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ τὰ πρὸς ζωὴν καὶ εὐσέβειαν δεδωρημένης διὰ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ καλέσαντος ἡμᾶς ἰδίᾳ δόξῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ, 4 διʼ ὧν τὰ τίμια καὶ μέγιστα ἡμῖν ἐπαγγέλματα δεδώρηται, ἵνα διὰ τούτων γένησθε θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεως ἀποφυγόντες τῆς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ φθορᾶς. 5 Καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δὲ σπουδὴν πᾶσαν παρεισενέγκαντες ἐπιχορηγήσατε ἐν τῇ πίστει ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρετήν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ τὴν γνῶσιν, 6 ἐν δὲ τῇ γνώσει τὴν ἐγκράτειαν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἐγκρατείᾳ τὴν ὑπομονήν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ὑπομονῇ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, 7 ἐν δὲ τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ τὴν φιλαδελφίαν, ἐν δὲ τῇ φιλαδελφίᾳ τὴν ἀγάπην. 8 ταῦτα γὰρ ὑμῖν ὑπάρχοντα καὶ πλεονάζοντα οὐκ ἀργοὺς οὐδὲ ἀκάρπους καθίστησιν εἰς τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν• 9 ᾧ γὰρ μὴ πάρεστιν ταῦτα, τυφλός ἐστιν μυωπάζων, λήθην λαβὼν τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ τῶν πάλαι αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτιῶν. 10 διὸ μᾶλλον, ἀδελφοί, σπουδάσατε βεβαίαν ὑμῶν τὴν κλῆσιν καὶ ἐκλογὴν ποιεῖσθαι• ταῦτα γὰρ ποιοῦντες οὐ μὴ πταίσητέ ποτε. 11 οὕτως γὰρ πλουσίως ἐπιχορηγηθήσεται ὑμῖν ἡ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον βασιλείαν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 12 Διὸ μελλήσω ἀεὶ ὑμᾶς ὑπομιμνῄσκειν περὶ τούτων καίπερ εἰδότας καὶ ἐστηριγμένους ἐν τῇ παρούσῃ ἀληθείᾳ. 13 δίκαιον δὲ ἡγοῦμαι, ἐφʼ ὅσον εἰμὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ σκηνώματι, διεγείρειν ὑμᾶς ἐν ὑπομνήσει, 14 εἰδὼς ὅτι ταχινή ἐστιν ἡ ἀπόθεσις τοῦ σκηνώματός μου καθὼς καὶ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐδήλωσέν μοι, 15 σπουδάσω δὲ καὶ ἑκάστοτε ἔχειν ὑμᾶς μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἔξοδον τὴν τούτων μνήμην ποιεῖσθαι. 16 Οὐ γὰρ σεσοφισμένοις μύθοις ἐξακολουθήσαντες ἐγνωρίσαμεν ὑμῖν τὴν τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δύναμιν καὶ παρουσίαν ἀλλʼ ἐπόπται γενηθέντες τῆς ἐκείνου μεγαλειότητος. 17 λαβὼν γὰρ παρὰ θεοῦ πατρὸς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν φωνῆς ἐνεχθείσης αὐτῷ τοιᾶσδε ὑπὸ τῆς μεγαλοπρεποῦς δόξης• ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός μου οὗτός ἐστιν εἰς ὃν ἐγὼ εὐδόκησα, 18 καὶ ταύτην τὴν φωνὴν ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἐνεχθεῖσαν σὺν αὐτῷ ὄντες ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ ὄρει. 19 καὶ ἔχομεν βεβαιότερον τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον, ᾧ καλῶς ποιεῖτε προσέχοντες ὡς λύχνῳ φαίνοντι ἐν αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ, ἕως οὗ ἡμέρα διαυγάσῃ καὶ φωσφόρος ἀνατείλῃ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν, 20 τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκοντες ὅτι πᾶσα προφητεία γραφῆς ἰδίας ἐπιλύσεως οὐ γίνεται• 21 οὐ γὰρ θελήματι ἀνθρώπου ἠνέχθη προφητεία ποτέ, ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ πνεύματος ἁγίου φερόμενοι ἐλάλησαν ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι. 2 1 Ἐγένοντο δὲ καὶ ψευδοπροφῆται ἐν τῷ λαῷ, ὡς καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν ἔσονται ψευδοδιδάσκαλοι, οἵτινες παρεισάξουσιν αἱρέσεις ἀπωλείας καὶ τὸν ἀγοράσαντα αὐτοὺς δεσπότην ἀρνούμενοι. ἐπάγοντες ἑαυτοῖς ταχινὴν ἀπώλειαν, 2 καὶ πολλοὶ ἐξακολουθήσουσιν αὐτῶν ταῖς ἀσελγείαις διʼ οὓς ἡ ὁδὸς τῆς ἀληθείας βλασφημηθήσεται, 3 καὶ ἐν πλεονεξίᾳ πλαστοῖς λόγοις ὑμᾶς ἐμπορεύσονται, οἷς τὸ κρίμα ἔκπαλαι οὐκ ἀργεῖ καὶ ἡ ἀπώλεια αὐτῶν οὐ νυστάζει. 4 Εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἀγγέλων ἁμαρτησάντων οὐκ ἐφείσατο ἀλλὰ σειραῖς ζόφου ταρταρώσας παρέδωκεν εἰς κρίσιν τηρουμένους, 5 καὶ ἀρχαίου κόσμου οὐκ ἐφείσατο ἀλλʼ ὄγδοον Νῶε δικαιοσύνης κήρυκα ἐφύλαξεν κατακλυσμὸν κόσμῳ ἀσεβῶν ἐπάξας, 6 καὶ πόλεις Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρρας τεφρώσας [καταστροφῇ] κατέκρινεν ὑπόδειγμα μελλόντων ἀσεβεῖν τεθεικώς, 7 καὶ δίκαιον Λὼτ καταπονούμενον ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ἀθέσμων ἐν ἀσελγείᾳ ἀναστροφῆς ἐρρύσατο• 8 βλέμματι γὰρ καὶ ἀκοῇ ὁ δίκαιος ἐγκατοικῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας ψυχὴν δικαίαν ἀνόμοις ἔργοις ἐβασάνιζεν• 9 οἶδεν κύριος εὐσεβεῖς ἐκ πειρασμοῦ ῥύεσθαι, ἀδίκους δὲ εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως κολαζομένους τηρεῖν, 10 μάλιστα δὲ τοὺς ὀπίσω σαρκὸς ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ μιασμοῦ πορευομένους καὶ κυριότητος καταφρονοῦντας. τολμηταὶ αὐθάδεις, δόξας οὐ τρέμουσιν βλασφημοῦντες, 11 ὅπου ἄγγελοι ἰσχύϊ καὶ δυνάμει μείζονες ὄντες οὐ φέρουσιν κατʼ αὐτῶν παρὰ κυρίῳ βλάσφημον κρίσιν. 12 Οὗτοι δὲ ὡς ἄλογα ζῷα γεγεννημένα φυσικὰ εἰς ἅλωσιν καὶ φθορὰν ἐν οἷς ἀγνοοῦσιν βλασφημοῦντες, ἐν τῇ φθορᾷ αὐτῶν καὶ φθαρήσονται 13 ἀδικούμενοι μισθὸν ἀδικίας, ἡδονὴν ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τρυφήν, σπίλοι καὶ μῶμοι ἐντρυφῶντες ἐν ταῖς ἀπάταις αὐτῶν συνευωχούμενοι ὑμῖν, 14 ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντες μεστοὺς μοιχαλίδος καὶ ἀκαταπαύστους ἁμαρτίας, δελεάζοντες ψυχὰς ἀστηρίκτους, καρδίαν γεγυμνασμένην πλεονεξίας ἔχοντες, κατάρας τέκνα• 15 καταλιπόντες εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν ἐπλανήθησαν, ἐξακολουθήσαντες τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ Βαλαὰμ τοῦ Βοσόρ, ὃς μισθὸν ἀδικίας ἠγάπησεν 16 ἔλεγξιν δὲ ἔσχεν ἰδίας παρανομίας• ὑποζύγιον ἄφωνον ἐν ἀνθρώπου φωνῇ φθεγξάμενον ἐκώλυσεν τὴν τοῦ προφήτου παραφρονίαν. 17 οὗτοί εἰσιν πηγαὶ ἄνυδροι καὶ ὁμίχλαι ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνόμεναι, οἷς ὁ ζόφος τοῦ σκότους τετήρηται. 18 ὑπέρογκα γὰρ ματαιότητος φθεγγόμενοι δελεάζουσιν ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις σαρκὸς ἀσελγείαις τοὺς ὄντως ἀποφεύγοντας τοὺς ἐν πλάνῃ ἀναστρεφομένους, 19 ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς ἐπαγγελλόμενοι, αὐτοὶ δοῦλοι ὑπάρχοντες τῆς φθορᾶς• ᾧ γάρ τις ἥττηται, τούτῳ δεδούλωται. 20 εἰ γὰρ ἀποφυγόντες τὰ μιάσματα τοῦ κόσμου ἐν ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τούτοις δὲ πάλιν ἐμπλακέντες ἡττῶνται, γέγονεν αὐτοῖς τὰ ἔσχατα χείρονα τῶν πρώτων. 21 κρεῖττον γὰρ ἦν αὐτοῖς μὴ ἐπεγνωκέναι τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἢ ἐπιγνοῦσιν ὑποστρέψαι ἐκ τῆς παραδοθείσης αὐτοῖς ἁγίας ἐντολῆς. 22 συμβέβηκεν αὐτοῖς τὸ τῆς ἀληθοῦς παροιμίας• κύων ἐπιστρέψας ἐπὶ τὸ ἴδιον ἐξέραμα, καί• ὗς λουσαμένη εἰς κυλισμὸν βορβόρου. 3 1 Ταύτην ἤδη, ἀγαπητοί, δευτέραν ὑμῖν γράφω ἐπιστολήν, ἐν αἷς διεγείρω ὑμῶν ἐν ὑπομνήσει τὴν εἰλικρινῆ διάνοιαν 2 μνησθῆναι τῶν προειρημένων ῥημάτων ὑπὸ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑμῶν ἐντολῆς τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος, 3 τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκοντες ὅτι ἐλεύσονται ἐπʼ ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν [ἐν] ἐμπαιγμονῇ ἐμπαῖκται κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν πορευόμενοι 4 καὶ λέγοντες• ποῦ ἐστιν ἡ ἐπαγγελία τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ; ἀφʼ ἧς γὰρ οἱ πατέρες ἐκοιμήθησαν, πάντα οὕτως διαμένει ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς κτίσεως. 5 Λανθάνει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο θέλοντας ὅτι οὐρανοὶ ἦσαν ἔκπαλαι καὶ γῆ ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ διʼ ὕδατος συνεστῶσα τῷ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγῳ, 6 διʼ ὅν ὁ τότε κόσμος ὕδατι κατακλυσθεὶς ἀπώλετο• 7 οἱ δὲ νῦν οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ τεθησαυρισμένοι εἰσὶν πυρὶ τηρούμενοι εἰς ἡμέραν κρίσεως καὶ ἀπωλείας τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀνθρώπων.

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Notes

Grow in the Grace and Knowledge in Jesus An introduction to 2 Peter - 20th September What is 2 Peter? 2 Peter is a short book found towards the end of the Bible (in the New Testament). Originally, it was a letter. Who wrote it, and to whom? The apostle Peter wrote 2 Peter. He was one of Jesus’ disciples and closest friends, became one of the key leaders of the early church. Peter also wrote 1 Peter, which was an earlier letter. He wrote both letters to a group of early churches scattered across what is today Turkey, referring in 2 Peter to his earlier letter (3.1). He introduces himself at the start of the letter, and also refers in 1.16-18 t Jesus’ transfiguration, of which he was one of the eyewitnesses (see Matthew 17.1-8). When was it written? The ESV Study Bible writes, ‘Peter probably wrote this letter from Rome not too long before his martyrdom, sometime during A.D. 64–67. Elements within the letter lead many scholars to conclude that Peter wrote during a time of persecution by Rome (perhaps during the persecution by Nero, who died in A.D. 68), while Peter himself was in a Roman prison awaiting imminent execution (cf. ).’ Why was it written? Firstly , Peter tells us his purpose fairly clearly, saying that in both his letters he wrote to ‘stir up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.’ (3.1-3). He writes in the beginning (1.2) and end (3.18) of the letter that they would ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus’. Thus, we can summarise why Peter wrote this second letter like this: Peter wrote to encourage faithful Christian living, by encouraging Christians to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, in the face of false teachers and distorted counterfeit gospels. We can summarise the following five themes in 2 Peter, all of which connect with each other: A) Growth in grace and knowledge . Peter writes at both the start and end of the letter about growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (1.2, 3.18), since through his gospel God has given us ‘all things that pertain to life and godliness’ (1.3). So Peter is urging Christians to continue growing up into who they are in Christ, to furnish their lives with all that has been given to them in Jesus. This call is for all Christians, since all of us have ‘a faith of equal standing’ with Peter’s (1.1) and have the privilege of sharing in God’s very life (1.4). In our series we will reflect on what really means to ‘grow in the grace and knowledge in Jesus ’. B) The nature of Scripture. Peter refers a great deal to the Old Testament; both generally to prophecy and promise (e.g., 1.4; 1.19-20; 3.2), also to specific parts of the Old Testament (e.g., 2.4-10; 2.15-16). In addition, about how Scripture came about in the first place; ‘men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit’ (1.21). Finally, he refers to Paul’s letters as ‘Scripture’ (3.15-16). In our series we will learn more about how the Bible interprets itself, thus giving us a clear model for how to think about and read the Bible for ourselves. C) False teachers and false teaching. Whilst we don’t know precisely what the false teaching was, it’s clear that false teachers, their false message, and their false ethics are very much on Peter’s mind (e.g., 2.1-22; 3.3-5; 3.16). In our series we’ll learn more about the nature of false teaching, and distorted ‘counterfeit’ gospels. D) Godliness flows out of the true grace of God in Jesus. When Peter calls Christians to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, he is simultaneously calling them to godliness, since godliness flows out of the grace in Jesus (note, for instance, the progression in 1.2-11). What this godliness ‘looks like’ is detailed in various places in 2 Peter. It includes the list of wonderful virtues (1.3-11); it includes waiting and patience (3.11-12); it includes diligence and sincerity (1.10, 3.1, 3.14). In our series we will reflect repeatedly on what we mean by godliness, and - crucially - where the power for godliness and godly change really comes from. E) Coming judgment on the earth, rescue for Jesus’ people , and the ir glorious future hope. From the opening verse, where Peter mentions ‘our God and Saviour Jesus’ (1.1), the letter has salvation in mind. Repeatedly, the coming judgment and destruction of false teachers is referred to, and examples of God’s rescues in history support this confidence (2.9-10; 3.5-10). In the final chapter Peter reminds Christians of where we are headed, through the gospel: a new creation (3.13). In this series we will keep reflecting on the judgement and the rescue that Jesus is bringing with him when he returns. How are we going to go through 2 Peter at GCG? God-willing, in these chunks: Overview, focusing on 1.1-2 and 3.17-18 (20 th September 2020) 1.3-4 (27 th September) 1.5-11 (4 th October) 1.12-18 (11 th October) 1.19-21 (18 th October) 2.1-10a (25 th October) 2.10b-22 (1 st November) 3.1-7 (8 th November) 3.8-13 (15 th November) 3.14-18 (22 nd November)

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