1:1First Peter was written just before the time that the Roman emperor Nero began his persecution of Christians. Second Peter was written two or three years later (between A.D. 66 and 68), after persecution had intensified. First Peter was a letter of encouragement to the Christians who suffered, but 2 Peter focuses on the church's internal problems, especially on the false teachers who were causing people to doubt their faith and turn away from Christianity. Second Peter combats their heresies by denouncing the evil motives of the false teachers and reaffirming Christianity’s truths—the authority of Scripture, the primacy of faith, and the certainty of Christ's return.
Life Application Study Bible2 PeterChapter 1
2 Peter 1
New Living Translation · Life Application Study Bible · Original pages: 2138, 2139, 2140
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12 Peter 1
1MEGATHEMESTHEMEDiligence1. Guidance for growing Christians
Greetings from Peter
This letter is from Simon* Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness* of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. 2May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our LORD.
Growing in Faith
33By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 5In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ. 9But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 10So, dear brothers and sisters,* work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.
Paying Attention to Scripture
1212Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 13And it is only right that J should keep on reminding you as long as I live.* "For our LORD Jesus Christ has shown me that Imust soon leave this earthly life,* 15so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone. 16For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our LORD Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes ‘’when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”* 18We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. 19Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines* in your hearts. 20Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,* 21or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 2. Danger to growing Christians
Textual footnotes
Life Application Notes 7 notes
1:5-9Faith must be more than belief in certain facts; it must result in action, growth in Christian character, and the practice of moral discipline, or it will die away (James 2:14-17). Peter lists several of faiths actions: learning to know God better, developing perseverance, doing God’s will, loving others. These actions do not come automatically; they require hard work. They are not optional; all of them must be a continual part of the Christian life. We don’t finish one and start on the next, but we work on them all together. God empowers and enables us, but he also gives us the responsibility to learn and to grow.
1:6False teachers were saying that self-control was not needed because deeds do not help the believer anyway (2:19). It is true that deeds cannot save us, but it is absolutely false to think they are unimportant. We are saved so that we can grow to resemble
1:16-18Peter is referring to the Transfiguration where Jesus’ divine identity was revealed to him and two other disciples, James and John (see Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36).
1:16-21This section is a strong statement on the inspiration of Scripture. Peter affirms that the Old Testament prophets wrote God’s messages. He puts himself and the other apostles in the same category because they also proclaim God’s truth. The Bible is not a collection of fables or human ideas about God. It is God’s very words given through people to people. Peter emphasized his authority as an eyewitness as well as the God-inspired authority of Scripture to prepare the way for his harsh words against the false teachers. If these wicked men were contradicting the apostles anc the Bible, their message could not be from God.
1:19Christ is a “Morning Star,” and when he returns, he will shine in his full glory. Until that day we have Scripture and the Holy Spirit to illuminate it for us and guide us as we seek the truth (see also Luke 1:78; Ephesians 5:14; Revelation 2:28; 22:16).
1:20,21“Those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God” means that Scripture did not come from the creative work of the prophets’ own invention or interpretation. God inspired the writers, so their message is authentic and reliable. God used the talents, education, and cultural background of each writer (they were not mindtess robots); and God cooperated with the writers in such a way to ensure that the message he intended was faithfully communicated in the very words they wrote.
Charts, profiles & sidebars from the printed pages
Study feature · page 2138
IMPORTANCE Growth is essential. It begins with faith and culminates in love for others. To keep growing we need to know God, keep on following him, and remember what he taught us. We must remain diligent in faithful obedience and Christian growth. Christians need discernment to be able to resist false teachers. God can rescue us from their lies if we stay true to his Word, the Bible, and reject those who distort the truth. The cure for complacency, lawlessness, and heresy is found in the confident assurance that Christ will return. God is still giving unbelievers time to repent. To be ready, Christians must keep on trusting and resist the pressure to give up waiting for Christ’s return.
EXPLANATION If our faith is real, it will be evident in our godly behavior. If people are diligent in Christian growth, they won't backslide or be deceived by false teachers. Peter warns the church to beware of false teachers. These teachers were proud of their position, promoted sexual sin, and advised against keeping the Ten Commandments. Peter countered them by pointing to the Spirit-inspired Scriptures as our authority. One day Christ will create a new heaven and earth, where we will live forever. As Christians, our hope is in this promise. But with Christ's return comes his judgment on all who refuse to believe.
False Teachers
Christ's Return
Study feature · page 2139
Christ and serve others. God wants to produce his character in us. But to da this, he demands our discipline and effort. As we obey Christ, who guides us by his Spirit, we will develop self-control not only with respect to food and drink but also with respect to our emotions. 1:9 Our faith must go beyond what we believe; it must become a dynamic part of all we do, resulting in good fruit and spiritual maturity. Salvation does not depend on gocd deeds, but it results in good deeds. A person who claims to be saved while remaining unchanged does not understand faith or what God has done for him or her. 1:10 Peter wanted to rouse the complacent believers who had listened to the false teachers and believed that because saivation is not based on good deeds they could live any way they wanted. If you truly belong to the LORD, Peter wrote, your hard work will prove it. If you’re not working to develop the qualities listed in 1:5-7, you may not belong to him. if you are the LORD’s— and your hard work backs up your claim to be chosen by God— you will be able to resist the lure of false teaching or glamorous sin. What does your life say about your faith? 1:12-15 Outstanding coaches constantly review the basics of the sport with their teams, and good athletes can execute the fundamentals consistently well. Believers must not neglect the basics of their faith, even as they go on to study deeper truths. Just as an athlete needs constant practice, Christians need constant reminders of the fundamentals of our faith and of how we came to believe in the first place. Don’t allow yourself to be bored or impatient with messages on the basics of the Christian life. Instead, take the attitude of an athlete who continues to practice and refine the basics. 1:13, 14 Peter knew that he would die soon. Many years before, Christ had prepared Peter for the kind of death he would face (see John 21:18, 19). At this time, Peter knew that his death was at hand. Peter was martyred for the faith about A.D. 68. According to one tradition, he was crucified upside down, at his own request, because he did not feel worthy to die in the same manner as his Master.