2 Peter 1:1-15 by Pastor Rich Paradis

“Grow in Knowledge”

2 Peter 1:1-15

 

Peter wastes no time in getting to work on the charge to a growing knowledge of God. Like 1 Peter, he will first remind the reader of the God that they are serving. From there, this second letter will continue by discussing the attributes of the Christian nature and their benefits. He will also discuss the blindness of the believer who has not grown in these attributes. He will then continue this section with an eschatological reminder that will reinforce and give energy to this pursuit of these godly attributes. Finally, he will reinforce his commitment to sharing these things as long as he lives. There’s a lot here, but Peter will not waste any time so let’s jump on board and get going!

 

I.                 Some Introductions: Peter, the Readers, and God    2 Peter 1:1-4

a.      Even with the alleged concerns about the authorship of this letter, we have to admit that Verse 1a will give us a pretty clear picture of who wrote the letter and something about him. The writer is noted as Simon Peter. And he introduces himself as both a bond-servant and as an apostle. Both are noteworthy and worth some explanation.

                                                    i.     Bond-servant – the word here is “doulos” and it has the meaning of slave. Peter knows that his life belongs to Christ. He is first a slave and that reality and attitude is the beginning of any authority that he may have with his readers.

                                                  ii.     Apostle of Jesus Christ – But with that prerequisite met, Peter additionally has a God-given authority to speak for Him to these people that he is addressing.

b.     The recipients of the letter noted in Verse 1b have sometimes been questioned throughout the ages. Some feel that the audience is the same audience of 1 Peter. I think I would fall into this camp based on 3:1. Others believe that the group is unnamed because it is not the same group. Whatever camp you might fall into as you study this letter, you should note that they are without question believers. And there are some interesting things to note here as well regarding their faith:

                                                    i.     They received it – Their faith was not a result of a bunch of good works or activities. It was based only by and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

                                                  ii.     It was the same kind as ours – If the false teachers that will be combatted in this letter practiced some form of Gnosticism, that is a salvation by special knowledge or insights, than this little reference would be the beginning of that combatting. The salvation of these readers was the same in kind, and value to the faith of both Peter and other Christians.

c.      The conclusion of the first verse is a powerful reminder of the deity of Jesus Christ. He is not only a great teacher and person of history; He is our God and our Savior. And He alone is the Righteous One. This One is who Peter will appeal to in giving a grace and a peace that is multiplied in Verse 2. How is that peace delivered? In the knowledge of both the Father and the Son. This idea of growing in knowledge will be visited again and again in this letter.

d.     With that knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, the believer will see that everything that we need for life and godliness is at our disposal and ready to be utilized. Verse 3 again begins to combat the idea of some special knowledge or insight that is necessary to find God. It is not “God-plus this or that”; it is that God has provided EVERYTHING that we need for both salvation and the successful Christian life. A true knowledge of Him will reinforce in us the fact that it is His glory and His excellence (virtue) that makes any of this possible.

e.      It is by God’s glory and His excellence that we as believers are granted His “precious and magnificent promises”. Do you think of God’s promises, do words like these come to mind? They should! What makes these promises so “precious and magnificent”? Verse 4 brings out a wonderful truth; that by these promises the believer becomes a partaker, partner, and participant in the divine nature. What does this mean?

                                                    i.     It does not mean that we become divine in any sense.

                                                  ii.     It does mean that when we are saved, we now have the Holy Spirit indwelling us. This indwelling allows and empowers us to share in the victory over sin that Christ bought for us at Calvary. It also means that we now have power to live for Him who made these incredible promises possible on a daily basis.

f.       So, do we have any part in this process of daily Christian living and fending off any enemy that wants our ship to be wrecked?

 

II.               The Virtues of the Growing Believer and their Results   2 Peter 1:5-11

a.      Because the believer is a partaker of the divine nature, Verses 5-7 tell us to apply diligence in our faith to a number of areas.

                                                    i.     Moral Excellence – This is an attribute of God Himself, according to 1:3. It is a moral excellence or virtue that is lived out on a daily basis. What would this look like as it is demonstrated in our lives?

                                                  ii.     Knowledge – This is a diligence in knowing more about both the Person and the Word of God. How could we live this out on a regular basis?

                                                iii.     Self-Control – This means to have one’s own passions under control. The believer is not a robot; God has put passions in them, but they must be controlled by the Holy Spirit in us. What does this look like or not look like?

                                                iv.     Perseverance – This is constancy and steadfast endurance under adversity. It is not giving in or giving up. How could this virtue be exercised in the workplace? The home?

                                                  v.     Godliness – This is man’s devotion to God; a very practical awareness of God in all aspects of life. What would this look like as you interface with those around you?

                                                vi.     Brotherly Kindness – This is a fervent and practical care for the needs of others. How could this be included into the busy life that you lead?

                                              vii.     Love – This is a desire for the highest good for others. This is agape love, that love that is demonstrated by Christians.

b.     It is noteworthy to see that the list begins with our faith in Christ that is lived out toward others through love.

c.      The discussion continues in Verse 8-9 with a contrast of those that have these qualities in increasing amounts versus those that lack in these attributes. Look at the contrast:

                                                    i.     Those who have these qualities in increasing amounts – The believer is not to develop these attributes one by one. He is to have them in increasing amounts as a demonstration of the work of God in him. If he does have these attributes in increasing amounts, he or she will grow and encourage others in this knowledge of God and His precious and magnificent promises.

                                                  ii.     Those who lack these qualities – The believer that does not grow in these areas has forgotten the precious and magnificent promises of God that saved him or her from their sins. He or she is blinded by the closing of their own eyes to the truth.

d.     With the final couple of verses in this paragraph, Peter will give an eschatological prompting for growing in these virtues. Verses     10-11 remind these believers to draw near to the fact and the Person of their salvation so that they will not stumble. This is not threatened “loss of salvation” as is noted by the word “brethren”, but it is a distance from the One who provides the entrance into the eternal kingdom and a gives us the abundant life of John 10:10.

 

III.             Peter’s Investment In Them    2 Peter 1:12-15

a.      Because of the importance of these virtues and the reality of heaven, Peter now offers his commitment to continuance in the message. Verses 12-15 acknowledge this commitment even though the recipients of the letter already know these things and have been established in these truths. Sometimes adversity and hardship make us “forget” things that we once knew. Peter tells them here that he won’t let that happen.

b.     Peter believes that it is right to continually “stir up” these things in them as long as he is still alive. A hint is given to the timing of this letter in Verse 14 as he says that the “laying aside of his earthly dwelling is imminent”. How does he know this? The Lord Jesus Christ made it clear to him.

c.      But Peter’s desire is that his death will not derail the train! His diligence will hopefully have the result of people remembering these truths even after he is gone. That is what a Christian Legacy is: Leaving something that will remind others of the promises of God.

                                                    i.     Are you working toward that kind of legacy?

                                                  ii.     What things could you be doing now that would begin or continue that desire?

 

IV.            An Application For All Of Us

a.      A growing knowledge of God will be key in:

                                                    i.     Realizing grace and peace in the life of the believer.

                                                  ii.     A desire to diligently increase in the Christian virtues.

                                                iii.     A proper view of His return and His Kingdom.

                                                iv.     A desire to pass along a Christian legacy to those that you love.