Overview of 2 Peter

While there some debate over whether 1 Peter was actually written by Peter, there’s even greater debate with 2 Peter. The language is different, and it seems like the letter is addressing delays in Jesus' return, with scoffers pointing to the continued deaths of believers and the unchanging nature of the world (2 Peter 3:3-4).

Those that argue that Peter didn’t write the letter would therefore place the letter around 80-100 CE. As with other pseudepigraphal letters (ones written under someone else’s name) the idea was this was a later disciple wanting to draw on the inspiration of Peter to address their context.

Meanwhile, those that still hold to Peter as the author argue for the late 60s CE just before Peter’s death.

2 Peter 1 - The call to godliness

2 Peter 2 - Warnings against false teachers

2 Peter 3 - The coming judgement and new creation

The author is writing into a context where there are false teachers impacting the faith of believers.

These false teachers were encouraging people to live how they want and compromising them in the process. These teachers argued that Jesus isn’t going to return, pointing out that believers continue to die and the world remains unchanged. Where is this promise of a transformed kingdom?

The author then wants to address this, encouraging the readers to once again pick up the godliness that they are being called to and ignore the teachers. The author reassures readers of Jesus' return, describing the ultimate renewal of creation through the coming new heavens and new earth.

2 Peter 1-3

The greeting of 2 Peter is different to 1 Peter. In 1 Peter, the letter was from Peter and to “the exiles of the Dispersion”. Here, the letter is from Simeon Peter and to those who have received the faith.

God has provided everything that the believers need to live well, through his own power. This comes about through a proper understanding of who God is. In this, God has given believers a promise that they will share in his divine nature, reflecting who he is, rather than being trapped in the corruption of the world.

Therefore, it is up to the believer to make every effort to develop their faith with good works, knowledge (which some argue here means the wisdom to know good from right), self control, endurance, godliness, mutual affection, and love.

If these things are in the believers and growing, they can’t help but be effective and fruitful in Jesus. But if someone is lacking in these, they become short sighted, forgetting the need for the sin inside them to be dealt with.

So Peter encourages the readers to live according to the life they have been called to. If they do this, they will not stumble but will receive entry into the eternal life and kingdom that Jesus offers.

He admits that he’s writing this letter to them because he is dying soon, and wants to help establish them in their faith. His goal is for them to be able to hold on to these things long after he passes away.

Peter then points to the examples of himself and the other apostles. They did not make up stories and myths about Jesus. What they brought were things they had witnessed themselves. Peter references the transfiguration that we read about in the gospels (see Matthew 17:5. Mark 9:7, and Luke 9:35), where he heard the voice of God himself call Jesus his beloved son.

Not only that, but everything the apostles have been saying lines up with what the prophets before them had been saying. This scripture is a like light in the dark and so believers should be attentive to it. Peter argues that the prophecy of scripture can’t be argued against. They’re not just human words, but the writings of men and women who were moved by the Holy Spirit.

With that said there were false prophets who rose up in the Old Testament, just as there are false teachers who have risen up in the church. Their teachings are destructive. The false teachers are morally bankrupt and often seek to exploit believers out of greed. They are active in the destruction.

So Peter points to examples of God’s judgement in the Old Testament. God did not spare the angels who were trying to corrupt humans. This is a reference to Genesis 6:1-4 and the sons of God. He also did not spare the ancient world for their corruption, but instead rescued Noah and his family from the flood that destroyed everyone else. He did not spare Sodom and Gomorrah for how they wanted to corrupt Lot and his family. Instead, he rescued Lot and his daughters while destroying these two cities.

In the same way, God will rescue his people who are righteous while punishing those who are causing trouble and corrupting the faith. This will happen on the day of judgement.

Back to the false teachers, they want to point fingers and accuse those who are righteous. He contrasts these false teachers with angels who are great and mighty but still not qualified to make such judgements.

These teachers think they are important enough to judge believers, but in reality they are like animals controlled by their nature. They don’t understand godly living and so they judge it, but they will be judged for their wrong. They are lustful and greedy, looking to draw others into sin.

Peter likens them to Balaam, son of Bosor. Balaam was charged with pronouncing curses over Israel, but when God refused to let him, he instead tried to corrupt the Israelites into sin (see Numbers 22-25 and Numbers 31:16). So foolish was Balaam that he was corrected by his own donkey.

These teachers speak out of their own corrupt desires, seeking to entice those who have found freedom in Jesus back into their sin. They promise others freedom to live how they want, but they are slaves to their own desires. If anyone has come to know the freedom of Jesus and then rejects that to be enslaved by sin again, it would have been better they have never known Jesus.

Peter quotes Proverbs 26:11 and a Greco-Roman proverb pointing out that such a person would be like a dog returning to lick up its vomit or a pig who has been washed, only to wallow in mud again.

He then switches to focus on the end times and return of Jesus. Peter seeks to remind the readers of what they have read in the Old Testament and what he and other apostles have taught them. There are some, like these false teachers, who will point to the fact that since Jesus' people are still dying and the world carries on the same. In other words, this promised kingdom is never coming.

Peter argues that we know God is at work in the world because the world exists. It was through God’s word that heaven and earth were created. It is by the same word they will one day be purged with fire on the day of judgement.

It might seem like it’s taking a long time to us, but a day is like a thousand years to God and a thousand years is like one day. His perception of time is completely different to us. What seems like God being slow with promises to some is really God being patient with his creation. His desire is for all to know him and be saved.

But despite that, the will come a day, when no one is expecting it when all creation will be purged with fire. Therefore, believers should pursue lives of holiness and eagerly wait on God so that they might persevere on that day of judgement.

Peter points out that in his letter, Paul wrote about similar things. He recognises that they are hard to understand, but there are clearly those who want to actively twist what Paul says so they can claim the opposite as they do with the ‘other scriptures’. Here we get perhaps the only time that someone in the Bible explicitly describes the writings we have today in our New Testament as scripture.

And so Peter closes with an encouragement to hold on to this warning, not getting carried away by false teaching but growing in grace and knowledge.

2 Peter is a warning to not turn away from the hope of the gospel, whether that’s because of false teachers or because the world still seems so dark. Instead, believers should pursue godliness and hold on the truth of the gospel.

Psalm 33

This is the first psalm we’ve read since Psalms 1-2 that isn’t attributed to king David. Instead, this psalm is anonymous. It falls into the category of praise psalm.

Psalm 33:1-3 - A call to praise

Psalm 33:4-9 - Praising the word of the Lord

Psalm 33:10-12 - Praising the counsel of the Lord

Psalm 33:13-19 - Praising the Lord’s eye and his might

Psalm 33:20-22 - concluding declaration of trust

The psalm opens with a call to those who are upright and righteous to praise God. They are to shout for joy, give thanks, sing songs, and play instruments. It then lists a number of reasons why.

The first is the word of the Lord. God’s word maintains order through righteousness and justice. It is one of the primary ways that we see God’s faithful love as we read of his promises. 

It is also through God’s word that heaven and earth and all that are in them are created. Because of this, everyone should fear God and be in awe of him.

Next up is the Lord’s counsel. His plans, purpose, and leading. While the plans of humans will often lead them to be frustrated, blessed are those allowed themselves to be counselled and led by God.

After that, we see a connection between the eye of the Lord and his might. God sees all things. Nothing is missing from his sight. He evens sees the intentions of our hearts. 

Humans might look to kings to save them, but the reality is a king isn’t saved by a great army, or strong warriors, or war horses. Might belongs to God, and with his eye he is able to see the hearts of all. Those who love him and those who do not.

And so the psalm draws to a conclusion on a declaration of trust. We will wait on the Lord as we trust in him. Finally, we end with a request of God. Be faithful and loving to us.

From this psalm, we see the power and authority of God in every area of our lives. As we read through these words, this truth should lead us to a place of praise and trust.