Post on 27-Dec-2015
transcript
2 Peter
An inductive study
Canon?
• Greek “Kanon” = rule / measurement
• Early church fathers examined these two books:– Apostolic authorship– Content consistent with rest of NT teaching
First Canon
• Apostle John > Polycarp > Irenaeus
• 2 Peter & Jude not part of their collections
• Marcion = Heretic: put together his own “canon”
• 170AD = 1st canon = Muratorian canon:– Jude in– 1&2 Peter, James, Hebrews out
First Canon
• 313AD Constantine declared Christianity as state religion
• Eusebius (church historian) put together another canon:– James, 2 Peter, 2&3 John out
Canons
• 367AD Athanasius (Bishop of Alexandria I Egypt) made final canon, confirmed by many councils afterward
• BUT Protestant reformation leaders like Erasmus, John Calvin & Luther doubted if 2 Peter should have been included
• All were in circulation
Apocrypha
• Lots of heresies:– 17 gospels (gospel of… eg Thomas)– 27 works of Acts (Acts of …)– 8 epistles (eg 3 Corinthians)
• Apocrypha: Greek “hidden things”
Apocrypha value
• Historic value– Peter crucified upside down– Thomas as missionary to India
• BUT use with wisdom– Contradicts NT theology– Propagated heresy– Lack of historical support
Author 2 Peter
• 1:1 Simon Peter
• 1:16-18: witness to transfiguration
• 3:15: counts Paul as fellow worker
1 & 2 Peter
• Similarities:– Christ central, 2nd coming
• 1Pe 4:5,7,17, 2Pe 3:8-13
– Noah• God’s mercy (3:20) vs God’s judgment (2:5, 3:6)
– Christian growth important• 1Pe 2:1-3, 2Pe 1:5-8, 3:18
1 & 2 Peter
• BUT:– 2 Pet 3:1 warning against false teachers– 1 Peter = about persecution, suffering
• Maybe another letter
1 & 2 PeterSame author, different OR
• Similar beginning, similar way of addressing its audience
• Messages about salvation• Eternal perspective and theme of
sanctification is NB• Repeat the elements of prophetic
confirmations on the faith – gospel• Allude to OT, both use flood motif
Date
• Church tradition - Peter was crucified upside down around 67 AD
• 1:14: in prison, awaiting death
• Future tense (Jude present tense)
Historical setting
• Pre-gnosticism:– seed of False teaching– word ‘Licentiousness’ repeated – Antinomianism = anti-law
• False teachers = ‘grace abusers’
• Excuse for licentiousness
Ch 1: True knowledge of God
• 2 types of knowledge:– Gnosis = general knowledge– Epignosis = knowledge of things divine &
ethical
• Peter: Epignosis: intimately knowing God• Fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit:
reveals Christ to us• Knowing Jesus truly as your friend
Ch 1: True knowledge of God
• 1:3: God is the Source who gives us the ability to know Him and to serve Him
• Called to:– Glory = salvation– Excellence = sanctification
Ch 1: True knowledge of God
• 1:5-7:– Faith = saving faith, being made righteous in
Christ– Supplement = contribute, nourish– Virtue: excellence, courage = sanctification– Knowledge = gnosis: general knowledge, of
His Word – nourishes relationship with Him
Ch 1: True knowledge of God
• 1:5-7– Self control: being tempered– Steadfastness = long suffering, patience: when
trials come, continue as long as trial endures– Godliness: to become Christ-like– Brotherly affection = Philadelphia – love for
the body of Christ– Love = Agape – Charity – unconditional love
for the world: called to be fruitful!
Christian growth
Saved: called to glory
Makes a stand: excellence
Grow in character
Knowledge Self control Steadfastness
Fruit of HS: godlinessTo be like God / Christ
Philadephia Agape
Ch 1: True knowledge of God
• Emphasis on fruitfulness / effectiveness
• #7 mentioned: number of completeness
• Make calling & election sure: not by works, but by making relationship with God meaningful
1:19 – “morning star”
• Oracle of Balaam: Num 24:17
• Predicting Messiah
• Revelation 22:16: Jesus is called “the Bright Morning star”
• ‘Day’ refers to 2nd coming (Ch 3 focus)
Contrast: Ch 1 vs 2
• Chapter 1– Jesus pulls people by
his light out of the world
– Ends with truth of Jesus
• Confirmed by eyewitnesses
• Confirmed by prophetic word
• Chapter 2– False teachers pulls
people back into the world
– Begins with lies of false teachers
Ch 2: False Teachers
• Colourcode:• Note false teaching
– Money (orange)– Immorality (green)– Speech (blue)– Rebellion (brown)
• Box-in the historical examples of judgement # Sodom & Gomorrah
Ch 2: False Teachers : sins
• For money (greed): Balaam (2Pe & Jude)• For immorality: Sodom & Gomorrah (2Pe &
Jude). A good person is mentioned also: Lot (2Pe)
• For speech: False Prophets (2Pe) and a good example is given: Michael the archangel (Jude). & maybe also: Ancient world of Noah (2Pe) that was doomed but then also an example of a good person is given: Noah (2Pe)
Ch 2: False Teachers : sins
• For rebellion: Angels who sinned (2Pe) & Hebrews in wilderness right after their exodus (Jude). Korah (Jude)
Ch 2: False TeachersOT judgement
• Balaam was rebuked for his greed• False prophets in the OT were destroyed and
Noah’s world got flooded because of slander• Sodom & Gomorrah went up in smoke because
of their immorality• The Israelites died in the wilderness (Jude), the
angels left the heavens because of rebellion (2Pe)
Example #1: False prophets in OT
• False prophets in OT > also in NT• Found out by prophesies not being fulfilled• False teachers, that is where the real
danger lies… • False prophets are judged because slander,
even angels would not dare to do such a thing (2Pe 2:11), even Michael would not do such a thing (Jude 9)
Example # 2: Angels sinned2 Interpretations
• Source: book of Enoch
• Gen 6:1-4: angels procreated with humans
• Math 22:30 contradicts this view (Jesus says angels do not marry)
• Revelation: fall & rebellion of Satan
• Luke 10:18, Rev 12:4 & 9 • Jewish literature have
accepted a Greek myth pertaining hell reserved not only for humans but also angels. This hell was called Tartarus
• Jude 6 & 2 Pet 2:4: punishment for bad angels
Example #3: The people during Noah’s time sinned
• Punishment on the unrighteous
• Salvation of the godly (Noah)
Example #4: Sodom & Gomorrah
• God judges the ungodly and rescues whomever He can
2:10b-19: Nature / character of False Teachers
• 2:1– False– Act in secret– Bring destruction
• 3:5-8– willfully ignore the facts– scoff at the idea of 2nd coming
2:10b-19: Nature / character of False Teachers
• 1:18-2:1– twisted OT’s and Pauline writings– Twisted doctrine of free grace (Jude 4 )
• 2:14– entice unsteady souls– prey on the weak– promoting their lifestyles on them
2:10b-19: Nature / character of False Teachers
• 2:10, 3:17:– despise authority– antinomianism = “anti-law”
• 2:1:– deny the lordship of Jesus
• slaves of corruption
• live licentiously
Metaphors: False Teachers
• 2:12 – Irrational animals – ruled by passions & instincts, destined to be killed & eaten > judgement
• 2:13 – Blots & blemishes - impure• 2:17 – Waterless springs – think you can
find water, but empty• 2:17 – Mist driven by wind – mist that
looks like rain, but ends in nothing
Danger of False Teachers
• Math 7:15 – looks true
• Acts 20:29 – wants to devour, personal gain, a promotor, people pleasers
• 2:20: loose salvation?
Ch 3: Judgement Day
• 3:5-6 – world that was
• 3:7-9 – world that is = “we are here”
• 3:10-13 – world that is to come
Ch 3: Judgement DayGrace of God
• 3:8: Don’t try to fit God into our time tables!• 3:9: God’s heart: ALL to be saved – never too
late!• “like a thief in the night” = unexpectedly• Forshadow of judgement:
– Flood
– Sodom & Gomorrah
• New heavens, new earth, only righteousness!
Ch 3: Called to be holy
• Spot or blemish:– Ef 5:27– Ex 12:5
• GROW IN THE GRACE OF GOD