2 Peter: The Whole Story

Summary

2 Peter reads like a last will and testament. The apostle knows that the putting off of his tent comes swiftly, and so he writes to stir up the church one more time before he departs. His burden is twofold: that believers would grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that they would guard that knowledge against those who would corrupt it. The letter moves from quiet encouragement to fierce warning to bright hope, all centered on the same Savior.

Peter begins by reminding believers that God's divine power has already granted them everything they need for life and godliness. On that foundation he calls them to diligence—to supply to their faith moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly affection, and love—and so to make their calling and election sure. He grounds their confidence not in cleverly devised fables but in what he saw and heard: the majesty of Christ on the holy mountain, and the more sure word of prophecy that shines like a lamp in a dark place.

The tone then sharpens. False teachers have crept in, denying the Master who bought them, exploiting the flock with covetous, deceptive words and immoral lives. Peter draws on the judgment of fallen angels, the flood, and Sodom to assure his readers that such men will not escape, even as God rescues the godly. Finally he answers the scoffers who mock the delay of Christ's return: the Lord is not slow but patient, not willing that any should perish. The day of the Lord will come like a thief; the heavens will pass away, and a new heaven and new earth, where righteousness dwells, will appear. So Peter ends with a charge—grow in grace—and a doxology to the glory of Christ.

The Big Movements

• Growing in Grace (ch 1:1-15) — God's divine power has granted everything needed for godliness; believers are called to add to their faith every virtue and so confirm their calling and election.
• The Trustworthy Word (ch 1:16-21) — Peter anchors the faith in eyewitness testimony to Christ's majesty and in the sure prophetic word of Scripture, moved by the Holy Spirit, not the will of man.
• The Warning Against False Teachers (ch 2) — Destructive heresies and immoral lives mark the false teachers; through the angels, the flood, and Sodom, Peter shows that God judges the ungodly and rescues the righteous.
• The Certainty of the Day of the Lord (ch 3) — Against scoffers who mock his coming, Peter proclaims that the Lord is patient, the day will come like a thief, and a new heaven and earth await where righteousness dwells.

Main Characters

• Simon Peter — The apostle and eyewitness of Christ's majesty who, sensing his death is near, writes to stir up the church to grow in grace and guard the truth.
• Jesus Christ — Our God and Savior, whose divine power grants life and godliness, whose glory Peter beheld on the holy mountain, and whose coming day is certain.
• The believers — Those who have obtained a like precious faith, called to confirm their calling, heed the prophetic word, and stand firm against error until the day dawns.
• The false teachers — Those who secretly bring in destructive heresies, deny the Master who bought them, exploit the flock in covetousness, and bring swift destruction on themselves.
• The scoffers — Mockers of the last days who, walking after their own lusts, deny the promise of Christ's coming and willfully forget the word of God that judges the world.

Key Verse

2 Peter 1:3 (WEB)

seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue;

Here is the foundation of the whole letter. Before Peter ever calls us to diligence, virtue, or vigilance, he announces that God has already given us everything we need. The Christian life is not a striving to earn what we lack but a growing into what grace has provided. All our adding to faith, all our standing firm against error, flows from this prior gift of divine power, granted through knowing the One who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Big Lessons

• God's divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).
• We confirm our calling and election by diligently adding to our faith every Christ-shaped virtue (2 Peter 1:5-10).
• The gospel rests on eyewitness testimony and the sure prophetic word, not cleverly devised fables (2 Peter 1:16-19).
• All Scripture comes from God, as holy men spoke being moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).
• God knows how to rescue the godly and to keep the unrighteous under judgment (2 Peter 2:9).
• The Lord is not slow but patient, and the day of the Lord will surely come, so we live holy lives in hope (2 Peter 3:9-11).