Peter From the Text Final Revision 10-5-09

From the Text: 1:1-2 Peter strongly affirms the equality of all Christians. There are no second class believers within the Kingdom of God for all believers have received a faith of equal privilege as ours. God does not show favoritism within his kingdom on the basis of race, gender, age, or experience. His plan of salvation through Jesus Christ embraces all. Peter denies the existence of spiritual elitism among believers in terms of their faith or maturity. Even the capacity to believe is a gift of Christ. In this way, every temptation to claim a superior level of faith in comparison to other Christians is thoroughly denied. Peter identifies Jesus as our God and Savior. The foundation of the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity is clearly provided in texts such as this. The fact that Peter recognizes Jesus as God does not mean Jesus has replaced God. Nor does it deny monotheism in favor of an additional God named Jesus who exists alongside God the Father. Rather, it signifies that Peter has now come to understand that Jesus, along with the Father, is truly God. Later centuries of theologians struggled to define the relationship between the First and Second Persons of the Godhead. But their conclusions are grounded upon the convictions of early believers like Peter that Jesus embodies God (see also Col 2:9). Many believers approach Christianity from either a cognitive or an emotive perspective. From the cognitive side, the Christian faith is approached as a system of facts, doctrines, and codes that need to be memorized and believed. From the emotive side, the Christian faith is pursued as a source of personal fulfillment through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Peter recognizes that grace and peace is the result of a faith that touches both the heart and the head. “In our day we are rightfully warned about the danger of a sterile faith, of a ‘head’ knowledge that never touches the heart. But we need equally to be careful of a ‘heart’ knowledge that never touches the head” (Moo 1996, 39). Intellectual faith without a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is ineffective. Likewise, a personal relationship with Christ without any knowledge of who he is and what he has done is inadequate. Peter urges believers to pursue a relational knowledge of God and Jesus Christ that connects both the head and heart. As believers comply in knowledge and experience, grace and peace overflow with abundance. From the Text: 1:3-11 Peter provides a beautiful picture of what Christ has made available to believers (1:3). The all-sufficiency of Christ is clearly portrayed. It is Christ’s glory and excellence that calls us, it is the redemptive knowledge of Christ that saves us, and it is Christ’s divine power that enables us to live godly lives. Believers need no other patron or advocate on their behalf. In him we find our calling; in him we find our salvation; and in him we find the enabling power to live righteous and holy lives. Peter boldly asserts that Christ has made it possible for believers to participate in the divine nature (1:4). This is not a subtle endorsement of a Greek philosophical understanding of salvation. The Greeks believed that salvation is gained by escaping the corruption of the body and becoming unified with the divine essence that inherently resides inside of one’s being. Peter proclaims that salvation is not an innate human or divine quality waiting to be discovered, but an extraordinary gift of Christ. He has given us everything we need for salvation (1:3). Nonetheless, Peter recognizes a sense in which salvation makes believers participants in the divine nature. The corporate unity between Christ and believers is the foundation of many early Christian concepts of salvation. For instance, Paul perceives believers as sharing or participating in Christ’s fate, including both his death and his resurrection. Likewise, he depicts salvation as the believers’ participation in Jesus’ vindication by God (e.g., Rom 5:15; 1 Cor 10:16; Gal 2:20; see Powers 2001, 231-234). Similarly, John records Jesus as urging his followers to “remain in me, and I will remain in you” (John 15:4). Jesus prays for the unity of believers with God and with himself: “Father, just as you are in me and I am in you...may they also be in us” (John 17:21). Like Paul and John, Peter perceives believers as so united with Christ that they can be said to participate in the divine nature. Through this union with Christ, believers share in something of God’s own holy life, separated from the corrupt world around them. It is for this very reason (1:5) that Peter calls believers to progress in holiness and godliness. Salvation is not only a result of Christ’s work in us, but also of his work through us, which is demonstrated by a life of holiness. Holiness can be described as conformity to the image and person of Christ, both in one’s disposition and in one’s behavior. As participants in the divine nature, believers do not vie for a status equivalent with God, but declare with Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal 2:20). This attitude, along with its concomitant product of virtuous behavior, is the essence of the divine nature in which all believers are called to participate. There is a balance between God’s initiative in salvation and humanity’s response. Peter strongly affirms God’s gracious gift of salvation through Christ. God is the one who calls and elects through Christ; their divine power has given believers everything they need for life and godliness. At the same time, Peter clearly stresses humanity’s responsibility in salvation. He calls believers to make every effort to add to their faith and to make their calling and election sure by practicing and cultivating a virtuous life. Believers have always questioned whether salvation is dependent upon God’s gracious election or upon humanity’s obedient faith and good works. The NT answers this question with a consistent and resounding, “Yes!” That is to say, both elements are essential to salvation (see Phil 2:12-13; James 2:17). Peter makes a significant contribution to this discussion. Harrington writes, The initiative is with God, and the divine calling makes it possible to become ‘partakers in the divine nature’ (1:4). Yet this great dignity demands by way of response religious and moral seriousness (the practice of and growth in the virtues) on the part of those who have been called and gifted by God. (2003, 250) Logically, God’s gracious initiative precedes and enables humanity’s response (Wesley 1979b, 508-509). But God’s initiative demands a positive human response in order for salvation to occur. Wesley explains it in this way, “First, God works; therefore you can work. Secondly, God works, therefore you must work” (1979b, 511). Those who believe that God’s grace and election eliminate any need to diligently pursue and exhibit godly behavior are near-sighted and blind (v 9). They are doomed to stumble and fall in their journey into Christ’s eternal kingdom. But to those who diligently respond to God’s grace by practicing and cultivating the moral virtues through Christ’s power, God will provide them with a lavish and rich welcome into Christ’s eternal kingdom. From the Text: 1:12-21 Peter expresses the urgent desire to remind his readers of the apostolic teachings about the Christian faith. Significantly, this is even though they know the truth and are described as firmly established in the truth (1:12). This teaches us two important lessons. First, even knowledgeable and firmly established believers need to be reminded of the basic tenets of the gospel. Believers never outgrow the necessity of being reminded of the essence of the faith. This is the function of the teaching and preaching ministries of the church as well as the all-important daily devotional reading of Scripture by believers. Second, firmly established believers who know the truth can still be vulnerable to false teaching. Even the strongest believers can stumble and fall if they do not continue to grow in their spiritual life. Believers at all maturity levels need to be reminded regularly of the truth. They need to be encouraged in their faith, lest their faith be weakened and undermined. Perhaps this is what the writer to the Hebrews had in mind when he wrote, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Heb 10:25). As members of the body of Christ, we encourage and remind one another of the truth of the gospel. Those who isolate themselves from the body become an easy prey to the false teachings of the enemy of our faith. The proper understanding of the inspiration of Scripture is that men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, people’s understanding of the inspiration of Scripture seems to gravitate toward two extremes. One group embraces the divine origin of inspiration (that is, God inspired the Bible) to the point that human involvement is virtually eliminated. The other group embraces the human origin of inspiration (that is, men wrote the Bible through their own personal inspiration) to the point that divine involvement is essentially eliminated. Peter articulates a mediating position by declaring that men spoke from God. Thus, Scripture is genuinely made up of the words of prophets themselves who chose their words deliberately and consciously according to their own vocabulary, style, and social situation. But the words they chose were also the words that God wanted them to use to communicate his message to humankind. Exactly how they were able to speak their own words but also the words of God is not explained. Peter simply asserts that this happened as they are carried along by the Holy Spirit. We will probably never understand how divine inspiration really works. But with Peter, any proper doctrine of Scripture will neglect neither the human participation nor the divine origin of the inspiration of Scripture. Peter establishes two important cornerstones for the truth of the Christian faith (1:16-21). First, he points to his own personal experience as an eyewitness of the ministry of Christ (1:16-18). Second, he points to the reliability of the inspired word of Scripture (1:19-21). Peter recognizes that his own personal experience corresponds perfectly with the promises and prophecies of Scripture. Thus, he declares that we have the word of the prophets made more certain (1:19). The important truth here is that the Word of God is not merely something meant only to be read and believed. Rather, it is meant to be experienced personally by believers. God is not only faithful in the pages of Scripture, but he is also faithful in the pages of our personal life. The confirmation of the truth of God’s Word is written large in the personal experience of believers as the Holy Spirit, the Living Christ, intimately applies Scripture in transforming ways. Peter’s own eyewitness experience of Jesus’ Transfiguration confirmed the Scriptures and made them all the more reliable and certain for him. Likewise, each believer’s life is an eyewitness account of the truth of Scripture and the faithful reliability of God to his promises. Salvation is not just a promise to be learned from Scripture, but a relationship to be experienced through Christ as mediated by the Holy Spirit. We are never more certain of the truth of the Bible than when it is experienced and lived out in our lives. From the Text: 2:1-3 Peter describes the false teachers as denying the sovereign Lord who bought them (2:1). The Reformed doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (i.e. eternal security) is often based upon the idea of limited atonement. It is the belief that the salvational effects of the death and resurrection of Christ are limited to only those individuals God predestined to be saved through Christ’s death. Within the framework of this doctrine, Christ “bought” certain individuals through his death on the cross, and these individuals are eternally secure. A popular form of this doctrine is often referred to in everyday language as “once saved, always saved.” But Peter’s words in 2:1 do not support this teaching. Peter describes the false teachers as denying the sovereign Lord who bought them. The phrase who bought them means that Christ also died for the false teachers. Christ bought them through his death, but they denied him and thus are heading for destruction. Wesley notes that the Lord bought them “with his own blood. Yet these very men perish everlastingly. Therefore Christ bought even them that perish” (1981, n.p.). 2 Peter 2:1 “remains one of the strongest in support of unlimited atonement” (Chang 1985, 61). True Christianity is not merely a matter of embracing correct doctrine. Believers also need to adopt a morally disciplined way of life. The truth of the beliefs Christians accept is made known and exemplified in the way they live their daily lives. Although it may not always be immediately apparent, people notice the way believers live. Throughout history, there have been countless testimonies about how a believer’s life—an act of kindness, a word of compassionate concern, an unexpected expression of sacrificial love—has influenced another person to place his or her faith and trust in Christ. Conversely, “the truth can also be maligned by the way we choose to live and can become a source of ridicule for those who have yet to accept the way of truth” (Watson 1998b, 346). All believers must pose the heart-searching question: Does the example of my life lead people closer to Christ or push them away from Christ? Many people have been drawn to Christ by the Christlike conduct of Christians. But how many people have rejected the Christian faith because of the poor behavior of unfaithful Christians? The path to destruction is marked not only by examples of false teaching, but also by misleading examples of a false Christian lifestyle. From the Text: 2:4-10a As Green writes, “Peter faced a curiously modern predicament” (1987, 115). There were people in the church who lived sexually immoral lives, and they tried to justify it. Mocking the teachings of the church as well as the example and authority of Christ, they rejected the idea that God would bring judgment upon them for following after their passionate desires (v 10). What was worse, the infection of their immoral behavior was spreading. The situation Peter faced could have been taken from the front pages of today’s headlines. As in Peter’s time, today’s society flaunts sexual promiscuity, homosexual behavior, and a blatant disregard of a virtuous and moral lifestyle. Many people scoff at the idea of personal accountability or a Day of Judgment for their conduct. Often the hollow excuse is that God (if he even exists) would not want to deny the fulfillment of a person’s pleasure or desires, regardless of how depraved or self-obsessed they might be. Peter reminds believers that people cannot do this and get away with it in God’s world; God’s judgment of sin and sinners is certain. As Peter builds his case, he reminds his readers of God’s retribution on the fallen angels as well as the wicked people of Noah and Lot’s days. The pattern of God’s destructive judgment on wickedness and sin is firmly established in the pages of Scripture. There the certainty of the Day of Judgment is like a dark cloud that hovers insistently (although sometimes imperceptibly) above every human who ever lived. The justice of God may be delayed, but it cannot be avoided. But alongside this dark pattern of judgment is a bright and promising pattern of God’s deliverance of the righteous. The silver lining of that dark cloud is the promise of God’s grace. As with Noah and Lot, God will rescue those who seek and follow after him. The description of Lot as a righteous man is somewhat surprising. But there is subtle comfort and encouragement in Peter’s selection of Lot as an example of God’s deliverance. The OT does not portray Lot as a sterling example of what it means to be a righteous man. As a matter of fact, the shortcomings of Lot are well documented in the narrative of the Genesis account. But God rescued Lot! Even though he was surrounded by moral decay and depravity, Lot never lost sight of the Lord. Peter says that Lot was distressed and tormented by the sinfulness around him. Despite the perverse attraction that the sinfulness of his world exerted on him (Gen 19:16), Lot turned away from his life in Sodom, and God rescued him. Peter could have used Abraham as his example of God’s deliverance of a righteous man in the midst of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18). Instead, Peter used the example of the weak and often-tempted Lot. Perhaps Peter selected Lot because his readers could identify with him. Very seldom do believers feel they can measure up to the standard of faith and righteousness exemplified by Abraham. It is much easier to identify with Lot, who was distressed, tormented, and even tempted by the sinfulness that surrounded him. The story of Lot is a story of God’s indescribable grace. If God could rescue Lot, he can be trusted to rescue us as well. From the Text: 2:10b-22 Peter’s criticism of the false teachers is extremely harsh and negative. Viewed from the perspective of Jesus’ command to “love your enemies” (Matt 5:44), Peter’s disparagement of the false teachers can even appear unchristian. In this regard, a couple of observations should be considered. First, it was a commonly accepted practice in the first century to portray one’s enemies in the worst possible light. It was socially acceptable to associate one’s opponents with a variety of negative images to undermine their influence and diminish their appeal. Thus, Peter’s attacks against his opponents conformed to the social parameters of his time. Obviously, the social customs of the 21st century are very different from those of Peter’s time. Believers must speak out against false and dangerous teaching. But it needs to take a form that is effective within the social parameters of our own culture and times. The kind of negative portrayals that Peter applies to his opponents would be considered by most people to be inappropriate and unacceptable in our own time. Sadly, a possible exception is the mud-slinging and perverting “spin” of many modern politicians. Thus, the language and style of Peter’s denunciation of his opponents should not be propagated as the normative response of believers toward their opponents. Similarly, Peter’s denunciation does not justify arbitrary and vengeful tirades against every form of opposition. Second, despite Peter’s shocking language, one must not forget the insidious threat the false teachers represented to the Christian faith. It is bad enough that they opposed the teaching of the apostles while they shamelessly taught and practiced an immoral lifestyle. But they also targeted the most vulnerable Christians: recent converts and young believers who were yet unstable in their faith. In his harsh attack, Peter used a socially accepted method of his time to oppose this serious challenge to the faith. Although the methods will undoubtedly vary, today’s believers must also oppose false teaching and challenges to the faith (see 1 Pet 3:15-16). Contemporary Christianity faces the problem that relativism has eroded the conviction that falsehood should be opposed. Even more threatening is the treacherous doubt created by relativism that falsehood even exists. It is frightening to think that our objection to Peter’s flagrantly negative language might not be so much against his language as it is an objection to the fact that Peter even dared to call the false teachers wrong! The false teachers are berated for their behavior as much as for their teaching. This is not to say that wrong teaching is less serious than wrong behavior. Rather, it emphasizes the fact that what people truly believe will ultimately affect the way they behave. This observation is immediately apparent in the example of the false teachers. The false teachers do not believe in the Second Coming or the Day of Judgment that Christ’s return will inaugurate. As a result, they engage in sexually immoral behavior and mock the idea of accountability for their actions. Likewise, belief and behavior are interconnected for believers. In ch 1, Peter proclaims that genuine faith in Christ (“true knowledge”) will result in a virtuous life 1:3-9). Thus, Peter’s letter reminds Christians of their responsibility to be faithful stewards of Christian tradition and teaching. The grandiose-sounding doctrine of the false teachers is denigrated because it is empty. It is all show and no substance like a waterless spring or an evaporating mist. Believers must be sure to establish their teaching on the solid rock of Scripture. Fine sounding arguments or lofty words can never be substituted for the rich substance of the faith as taught in Scripture. The fruit of our teaching will become evident in the lifestyle and behavior of our hearers. The innate connection between belief and behavior is also evident in Peter’s undeniable assertions that Christians can backslide in their faith. Salvation is not only dependent upon a profession of faith; it is also exemplified in righteous and virtuous behavior. If salvation were merely a matter of a profession of faith, the false teachers would not be subject to condemnation, for they certainly continued to claim salvation through Christ. However, their immoral behavior betrayed their lack of genuine faith and true salvation. Good works and righteous behavior are the inevitable fruit of salvation. This is why believers are urged to diligently pursue the virtues in order to prevent their “knowledge of Christ” (i.e., salvation) from becoming ineffective or unproductive (1:8). The false teachers selfishly despised authority while they pursued greed, the exploitation of others, and ethical misconduct instead of the virtues. Consequently, they lost the salvation they had once experienced. The same danger of apostasy lurks for every believer who falls prey to the erroneous idea that people can be saved while they continue to engage in sinful behavior. All believers can slip and fall into sin. But true believers do not try to justify or accommodate the existence of sin in their lives. Rather, they confess their sin to God, seek Christ’s forgiveness, and pray for the Spirit’s power to avoid and defeat that sin. From the Text 3:8-10 God’s timetable cannot be equated to our human timetable. Believers tend to despair of God’s promises when they do not happen as quickly as expected. Noting the danger of our impatience, Watson writes, “We may not scoff verbally, but our prayer life, church attendance, and overall life-style may begin to suffer as we despair of God’s promises” (1998b, 358). But God’s timing is not our own. Peter reminds believers of God’s patience and faithfulness to fulfill his promises. God’s work can sometimes appear slow from our impatient, finite perspective. But as believers pause to recall the faithful record of God’s actions in the past events of their life, it is discovered his timing is always perfect. Peter declares that the Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (3:9). God wants all people to be saved. But this does not mean all people will be saved. God has made provision through Christ for all people to repent and be saved. But some will exercise their God-given freedom to exclude God and reject his offer of salvation. In his great sovereignty, God created humanity in his image with the freedom to accept or reject his offer of love and salvation. Unless God would take away this freedom to choose, some people will be saved and some will indeed perish (3:7). But those who reject God’s salvation do not perish because God wills it. Indeed, as Peter reminds his readers, God does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. From the Text: 3:11-16 Peter urges believers to live holy and godly lives (3:11). Holiness is not a special hobby for a few extremely devout believers. Rather, Peter calls all believers to a lifestyle of holiness as the only appropriate way for Christians to prepare for the coming of the Lord. Believers anticipate a new heaven and earth that will be the home of righteousness (3:13). Consequently, they must make every effort (3:14) to live holy lives that are fit to dwell in this new world. Peter describes what holy and godly lives look like in 1:5-7, where he urges his readers to seek after and practice the moral virtues. If believers want to live in the glorious home of righteousness, their faith must demonstrate itself in a holy lifestyle. This is the foundational principle of the Biblical call to holiness of heart and life. Anticipation and preparation are closely connected. Since the false teachers denied the return of Christ, they had no anticipation of his coming. Consequently, they sensed no need for preparation. Instead, they opted to appease the immoral desires of their physical bodies with selfish and lustful behavior. For them, the day of the Lord will come like a thief, exacting its destruction unexpectedly and disastrously. By contrast, true believers anticipate the day of Christ’s return. Consequently, they prepare themselves by making every effort to live holy and godly lives. In this way, they will be found pure and blameless like Christ himself at the day of his return. For them Christ’s return will not bring condemnation or fear, but confirmation and reward. For this reason, believers eagerly look forward to the day of Christ’s coming with the echo of John’s maranatha prayer on their lips: “Come, Lord Jesus, come!” (Rev 22:20). Anyone can accidently misinterpret and misunderstand a passage of Scripture. But this threat is greater for those who do not actively pursue a holy and godly lifestyle. Sin blinds us to the truth. As with the false teachers, sin tempts us to change the truth of Scripture to match our behavior instead of submitting our behavior to the truth. For this reason, believers must always be on the guard against convenient interpretations of Scripture. One of the indispensable benefits of regular corporate worship is the opportunity it offers to examine one’s understanding of the Bible within a Christian context. Without the corrective influence of corporate worship, believers become vulnerable to sin’s subtle delusions. From the Text: 3:17-18 The last verses of Peter’s letter can be summarized with the commanding motto: Wait, watch, and work. Ever since the ascension of Jesus and the promise of his Second Coming (Acts 1:11), believers have been waiting for Christ’s return. As the delay in Christ’s return extended, false teachers—both present and past—have denied and mocked the notion of his return. Peter boldly calls Christians to wait. The delay in Christ’s return is not due to any deficiency on God’s part. Rather, the delay is due to God’s patience and desire to see more people brought to salvation (3:9, 15). While they wait, however, Christians also need to watch. Peter strongly urges believers to be on your guard (3:17). The time of waiting, regardless of how long it might extend, should not be a period of inattentiveness or carelessness. In his first letter, Peter warned his readers to be alert because the devil “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8). Likewise, in this second letter, Peter commands his readers to be watchful lest they be carried away by the deceitful error of lawless men who would ultimately cause them to fall. As the delay in Christ’s return approaches the end of its second millennium, the danger of inattentiveness has grown even more threatening. Jesus’ warning to “watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (Matt 26:41) has never been more relevant than it is for believers today. Peter reiterates the same commanding warning. As they watch, Christians are also called to work. Believers should not only remain alert, but they should grow more in the grace and knowledge of Christ (3:18). It takes effort and persistent work in order to grow, and Peter calls believers to do it. One way to grow is by pursuing the moral virtues described in 1:5-7. Peter urges believers to pursue and possess the virtues “in increasing measure” so that they can remain effective and productive (1:8). There is never an appropriate time for believers to stop in their growth or to fall back on the imagined laurels of their secure position of salvation. Christians must continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord (epignōsis) and in their knowledge of the Lord (gnōsis) until the very end. Additionally, Peter declares that Christ’s delay is a sign of God’s patience so that more people can come to salvation (3:15). Believers are not only called to work out their own salvation, but to extend the promise of salvation to others along the way. Thus, believers are called to wait, to watch, and to work. Peter’s commanding challenge to wait, watch, and work is still the most effective means for believers to be assured of effectiveness, productivity, and security within the walk of faith.