Diligence (2 Peter 3)
Lesson 4
Diligence
(2 PETER 3)
Before you begin …
• Pray for the Holy Spirit to reveal truth and wisdom as you go through this lesson.
• Read 2 Peter 3. This lesson references chapters 6 and 7 in Be Alert. It will be helpful for you to have your Bible and a copy of the commentary available as you work through this lesson.
Getting Started
From the Commentary
It is possible to have a pure and sincere mind and yet have a bad memory! Peter wrote this second letter primarily to awaken and arouse his readers (2 Peter 1:12–15). It is easy for Christians to “get accustomed to God’s truth.” Eutychus went to sleep listening to Paul preach (Acts 20:7–10)! Our heavenly Father sacrificed so that we might have the truth of the Word and the freedom to practice it, but too often we take this for granted and become complacent. The church needs to be aroused regularly lest the enemy find us asleep and take advantage of our spiritual lethargy.
Because God’s Word is true, we must pay attention to it and take its message seriously. New converts must be taught the Word and established in the doctrines of the faith, for new Christians are the apostate teacher’s primary targets. But older Christians must also be reminded of the importance of Bible doctrine and, in particular, the doctrines that relate to the return of Christ. Prophetic teaching must not lull us to sleep. Rather, it must awaken us to live godly lives and to seek to win the lost (Rom. 13:11–14).
What the Bible teaches about the day of the Lord was not invented by the apostles. The prophets taught it and so did our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:2).
—Be Alert, page 94
1. Review 2 Peter 3:1–4. Why did Peter emphasize the unity of the Word of God? In what ways were the scoffers denying the truth of the prophetic books? Why is it important to keep all the Scriptures in perspective when trying to discern God’s plan?
More to Consider: Read Jude 14–15; Isa. 2:10–22; 13:6–16; Jer. 30:7; Dan. 12:1; Joel; Amos 5:18–20; Zeph.; Zech. 12:1—14:3. What do these passages teach about the coming judgment? Why is it important to listen to the Old Testament prophets, even in light of all we know from the New Testament?
2. Choose one verse or phrase from 2 Peter 3 that stands out to you. This could be something you’re intrigued by, something that makes you uncomfortable, something that puzzles you, something that resonates with you, or just something you want to examine further. Write that here.
Going Deeper
From the Commentary
Prophetic students seem to fall into three categories: those who believe the church will be raptured (“caught up together,” 1 Thess. 4:13ff.) before the day of the Lord; those who see this event taking place in the middle of the day of the Lord, so that the church experiences the first half of the tribulation; and those who believe the church will be raptured when the Lord returns at the tribulation’s close. There are good and godly people in each group, and our differences of interpretation must not create problems in fellowship or in sharing Christian love.
Not only does the Word of God predict the coming day of the Lord, but it also predicts the appearance of the very scoffers who deny that Word! Their presence is proof that the Word they deny is the true Word of God! We should not be surprised at the presence of these apostate mockers (see Acts 20:28–31; 1 Tim. 4; 2 Tim. 3).
A scoffer is someone who treats lightly that which ought to be taken seriously. The people in Noah’s day scoffed at the idea of a judgment, and the citizens of Sodom scoffed at the possibility of fire and brimstone destroying their sinful city. If you have tried at all to witness for Jesus Christ, you have no doubt met people who scoff at the idea of hell or a future day of judgment for this world.
Peter made it clear that false teachers cultivate “the lust of uncleanness” (2 Peter 2:10) and allure weak people by means of “the lusts of the flesh” (v. 18). If your lifestyle contradicts the Word of God, you must either change your lifestyle or change the Word of God. The apostates choose the latter approach, so they scoff at the doctrines of judgment and the coming of the Lord.
—Be Alert, pages 95–96
3. Why do the apostates scoff at the coming judgment? What is their argument against Jesus’ second coming? In what ways are they willfully ignoring a great deal of evidence?
From the Commentary
How did Peter refute the foolish argument of the apostate scoffers? “God does not interrupt the operation of His stable creation!” they argued. “The promise of Christ’s coming is not true!” All Peter did was remind them of what God had done in the past and thus prove that His work is consistent throughout the ages. Peter simply presented evidence that the false teachers deliberately ignored. It is amazing how so-called thinkers (scientists, liberal theologians, philosophers) will be selective and deliberately refuse to consider certain data.
—Be Alert, page 97
4. Explain Peter’s refutation of the scoffers. What events did he cite to support his claims? Why these particular events? How might these events help convince the scoffers of the truth?
From the Commentary
Not only were the scoffers ignorant of what God had done in the past (2 Peter 3:5), but they were also ignorant of what God was like. They were making God in their own image and ignoring the fact that God is eternal. This means that He has neither beginning nor ending. Man is immortal: he has a beginning but not an ending. He will live forever in either heaven or hell. But God is eternal, without beginning or ending, and He dwells in eternity. Eternity is not just extended time. Rather, it is existence above and apart from time.
Peter was certainly referring to Psalm 90:4—“For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.”
—Be Alert, page 99
5. Review 2 Peter 3:8–10. How were the scoffers ignorant of what God was like? Why do people tend to make God in their own image? Read Psalm 90:4. How did Peter reference this in 2 Peter 3:8–10? Why is this insight important?
From the Commentary
God’s “delay” is actually an indication that He has a plan for this world and that He is working His plan. There should be no question in anybody’s mind whether God wants sinners to be saved. God is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9). First Timothy 2:4 affirms that God “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” These verses give both the negative and the positive, and together they assure us that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23, 32; 33:11). He shows His mercy to all (Rom. 11:32), even though not all will be saved.
It is worth noting that God revealed this same longsuffering in the years before the flood (1 Peter 3:20). He saw the violence and wickedness of man and could have judged the world immediately; yet He held back His wrath and, instead, sent Noah as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). In the case of Sodom and Gomorrah, God patiently waited while Abraham interceded for the cities, and He would have spared them had He found ten righteous people in Sodom.
—Be Alert, pages 100–101
6. What is “longsuffering” (2 Peter 3:9)? If God is longsuffering toward lost sinners, why did Peter write, “The Lord … is longsuffering to us-ward” (KJV) or “us” (NKJV)? How is God’s longsuffering significant to believers and nonbelievers alike?
From the Commentary
The purpose of prophetic truth is not speculation but motivation; thus Peter concluded his letter with the kind of practical admonitions that all of us must heed. It is unfortunate when people run from one prophetic conference to another, filling their notebooks, marking their Bibles, drawing their charts, and yet not living their lives to the glory of God. In fact, some of the saints battle one another more over prophetic interpretation than perhaps any other subject.
All true Christians believe that Jesus Christ is coming again. They may differ in their views of when certain promised events will occur, but they all agree that He is returning as He promised. Furthermore, all Christians agree that this faith in future glory ought to motivate the church. As one pastor said to me, “I have moved off the Planning Committee and joined the Welcoming Committee!” This does not mean that we should stop studying prophecy, or that every opposing viewpoint is correct, which is an impossibility. But it does mean that, whatever views we hold, they ought to make a difference in our lives.
—Be Alert, page 107
7. Respond to the following statement: “The purpose of prophetic truth is not speculation but motivation.” How does this prove to be true in Peter’s second letter? How does “be diligent” summarize what Peter wrote? What sort of diligence was he calling for? How is that message appropriate today as well?
From the Commentary
Because we do not know the day or the hour of our Lord’s return, we must constantly be ready. The believer who starts to neglect the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) will gradually develop a cold heart, a worldly attitude, and an unfaithful life (Luke 12:35–48). If he is not careful, he may even become like the scoffers and laugh at the promise of Christ’s coming.
This expectant attitude ought to make a difference in our personal conduct (2 Peter 3:11). The word translated “manner” literally means “exotic, out of this world, foreign.” Because we have “escaped the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:4), we must live differently from the people in the world. To them, we should behave like foreigners. Why? Because this world is not our home! We are “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11) headed for a better world, the eternal city of God. Christians should be different, not odd. When you are different, you attract people; when you are odd, you repel them.
—Be Alert, page 108
8. What does “readiness” look like in the actions of believers? Why is it important that our conduct in this time is characterized by holiness and godliness? Why is it sometimes difficult to live that way in light of the “end times” we’re in?
More to Consider: When Jonah preached to the people of Nineveh, his message was clear: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4)! How does the story of Jonah help us better understand the relationship between God’s plans and man’s service?
From the Commentary
Second Peter 3:15 ties in with verse 9, where Peter explained why the Lord had delayed fulfilling His promise. God had every reason long ago to judge the world and burn up its works, but in His mercy, He is longsuffering with us, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). This is the day of salvation, not the day of judgment. …
For centuries, if a Gentile wanted to be saved, he had to come by way of Israel. This same attitude persisted even in the early church (Acts 15). Paul made it clear that both Jews and Gentiles stand condemned before God and that both must be saved by faith in Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ, saved Jews and Gentiles belong to the one body, the church. The church is a “mystery” that was hidden in God’s counsels and later revealed through the New Testament prophets and apostles (see Eph. 3).
—Be Alert, pages 111–12
9. Review 2 Peter 3:15–16. Why did Peter make reference to Paul’s writings? What “new thing” was Jesus doing at this time in history? How was God’s longsuffering important to all Gentiles (non-Jews)? How is it important to our world today?
From the Commentary
The word translated “beware” means “be constantly guarding yourself.” Peter’s readers knew the truth, but he warned them that knowledge alone was not sufficient protection. They had to be on their guard; they had to be alert. It is easy for people who have a knowledge of the Bible to grow overconfident and to forget the warning, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).
What special danger did Peter see? That the true believers would be “led away together with the error of the wicked” (literal translation). He is warning us against breaking down the walls of separation that must stand between the true believers and the false teachers. There can be no communion between truth and error. The apostates “live in error” (2 Peter 2:18), while true believers live in the sphere of the truth (2 John 1–2).
The word wicked (2 Peter 3:17) means “the lawless.” Peter’s description of the apostates in 2 Peter 2 reveals how lawless they are. They even speak evil of the authorities that seek to enforce God’s law in this world (vv. 10–11)! They promise their converts freedom (v. 19), but that freedom turns out to be lawlessness. …
The stability of the Christian comes from his faith in the Word of God, his knowledge of that Word, and his ability to use that Word in the practical decisions of life.
One of the great tragedies of evangelism is bringing “spiritual babies” into the world and then failing to feed them, nurture them, and help them develop.
—Be Alert, pages 114–15
10. What are the four “beloved” statements in 2 Peter 3 that summarize what Peter wanted to get across in this letter (vv. 1, 8, 14, 17)? What was Peter’s main fear about the Christians he was addressing? What does it mean to fall away from steadfastness? How does this happen even to strong believers?
Looking Inward
Take a moment to reflect on all that you’ve explored thus far in this study of 2 Peter 3. Review your notes and answers and think about how each of these things matters in your life today.
Tips for Small Groups: To get the most out of this section, form pairs or trios and have group members take turns answering these questions. Be honest and as open as you can in this discussion, but most of all, be encouraging and supportive of others. Be sensitive to those who are going through particularly difficult times and don’t press for people to speak if they’re uncomfortable doing so.
11. How do the words of the Old Testament prophets speak to you? How do their prophecies of Jesus’ second coming and the end times affect your daily faith walk? How do you line up the prophecies in the Old Testament with the revelation in the New?
12. Do you feel ready for Jesus’ return? If so, what gives you this confidence? If not, what is holding you back from being ready? What role does the Holy Spirit play in preparing us for Jesus’ return?
13. Have you ever fallen away from your faith? If so, what prompted that? What are ways you could have prevented that falling away?
Going Forward
14. Think of one or two things that you have learned that you’d like to work on in the coming week. Remember that this is all about quality, not quantity. It’s better to work on one specific area of life and do it well than to work on many and do poorly (or to be so overwhelmed that you simply don’t try).
Do you want to take action to be ready for Jesus’ return? Be specific. Go back through 2 Peter 3 and put a star next to the phrase or verse that is most encouraging to you. Consider memorizing this verse.
Real-Life Application Idea: Peter preached the importance of diligence in study and also in preparation for Jesus’ second coming. What are some ways you practice diligence in your own life? Consider all the places where your faith intersects with daily routine, such as work, caring for your family, interacting with friends and neighbors, spending time online, and so on. If you find areas where you’re lackadaisical rather than diligent about growing your faith, decide a course of action to change that. Practice good habits wherever your faith life matters most so you can grow closer to God and discover His will for your life.
Seeking Help
15. Write a prayer below (or simply pray one in silence) inviting God to work on your mind and heart in those areas you’ve noted in the Going Forward section. Be honest about your desires and fears.
Notes for Small Groups:
• Look for ways to put into practice the things you wrote in the Going Forward section. Talk with other group members about your ideas and commit to being accountable to one another.
• During the coming week, ask the Holy Spirit to continue to reveal truth to you from what you’ve read and studied.
• Before you start the next lesson, read 2 John. For more in-depth lesson preparation, read chapter 8, “A Faithful Family,” in Be Alert.