II Peter 2:1-3

image source: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap071126.html

The next part of II Peter dove into the problem of false teachers. It goes on for quite a few verses so let's take them a bit at a time.

2 Peter 2:1-3 ...

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them - bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

How does one spot a false teacher?

There appears to be two areas they err: ideology and behavior.

What are their ideological mistakes?

Heresies are ideas that conflict with the established norm. Thus, if one claims to be a Christian, there are certain beliefs that are part of that claim, in particular beliefs about Jesus the Christ. These false teachers "denied the Sovereign Lord (Christ) who bought them!" If they didn't get the central thing right, they were definitely off to a bad start. Since Peter used the plural for heresy, there was probably other things they had incorrect. But, obviously, if the central teaching of Christianity, who Christ is, was off-line, they were false teachers.

Nothing has changed in a couple thousand years: people today have all sort of ideas about who Jesus was and is. In some cases, they don't claim to be Christians and so at least there is clarity. But, of course, the dangerous ones are those who claim to be Christians yet have odd ideas of who Jesus was and is.

Aside from ideology, there is behavior. What gave them away in 2 Peter's time?

"Shameful ways" ... "Bring disrepute" ... "Greed" ... "Exploitation" ...

Can some of these phrases be used to describe some of the scandals of religious leaders today?

Sadly, many examples can be found for each one of these.

The church is far from perfect. And so what makes an authentic Jesus folllwing community different than a group led by a false teacher?

Hopefully, we turn our shame into confession of sins and eventual reconciliation.

Hopefully, we do our best to make restitution to those we have hurt rather than continue to bring disrepute by covering up sins.

Hopefully, we are characterized by giving of our resources not gathering them in greed.

Hopefully, we are marked by a attitude of being a servant of others and not an exploiter of others.

Lord, help us, as the church who follows the living Lord Jesus, the Christ, be all this and thus true to who you want us to be. Amen.

II Peter 1:12-21

image source: http://www.markmallett.com/blog/?p=537

Previously, Peter discussed the journey of faith his readers were on. Now, he went on to discuss the truthfulness of that faith.

I once heard Greg Koukl say, "The heart cannot believe for very long what the mind rejects."

Faith isn't (and shouldn't be) believing something one knows to be false. Rather faith is trust in something we have some indication to be true and trust in someone whom we have some basis to consider reliable.

And so the Apostle Peter dived into the foundation of faith and the truthfulness of it.

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

Peter leaned upon his eyewitness testimony.

For instance, Peter recalled when Jesus told Peter about the manner of Peter's death.

This passage also specifically called upon the indelible images of the Transfiguration when for a brief moment, he, James and John got a glimpse of Jesus' glory like how Moses got a hint of God's glory up in Mt. Sinai. Peter, in a bit of self-deprecating humor, referred to his life as a tent which recalled his remark at the Transfiguration of wanting to build shelters for Jesus, Moses and Elijah.

There was a body of eyewitness testimony about the life of Jesus. Certainly, the teachings of Jesus were eagerly preserved. But also, episodes of His power and glory were part of that body of testimony. Jesus was much more than a good teacher.

And on top of the testimony about Jesus, Peter called upon the prophets of old ...

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The message of God came to humanity through the Prophets. The message of God came to us through Jesus. And indeed, the Prophets pointed to Jesus. The Christian faith holds to a unity of ideas about God and life from the Hebrew Scriptures into the New Testament.

The Scriptures contain what God wants us to know... men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. It wasn't dictation. The writers weren't robots. In their personality, with strength and weaknesses, God worked through them to get His message out.

And so, in the Scriptures, there are direct teachings of what is good and right and true but also life stories that are far short of God's standards. Yet, even those things are meant for us to gain understanding of how life is to be lived.

Lord, thank you for intervening. You have spoken through the prophets. You went even so far as to send Jesus. And now, you have preserved your message by providing Scripture. And you have asked us, flawed and weak people who call you Lord, to carry your message to the world in the way we live our lives. Lord, help me to be live it out and be bold and ready to point people to you. Amen.

II Peter 1:3-11

image source: http://forestry.about.com/b/2009/11/21/collect-and-plant-an-acorn-today-grow-an-oak-tree-for-the-future.htm

Continuing on in 2 Peter ...

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

I usually try to link to some image that I think connects to the text at hand. We all have biological life, hence the plant image above. However, is there more to life than just biological existence?

Indeed, Saint Peter talks of godliness and participating in the divine nature.

God doesn't merely exist but has character. Likewise, we don't merely exist but have the potential to take after God's character or to take after "the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

Are we left on our own to fend for ourselves?

We are provided promises and power from God!

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thus, we start with faith. Another word I like is trust. When we trust someone, we will do what they recommend. When we trust the pilot of the airplane, we give over our safety to the pilot. Thus, we start with trust in God.

On top of that:
goodness
When we speak of someone is good, what do we mean? I think of a person that seeks the well being of another. Someone who strives to do what is right.

knowledge
There is "book learning" but isn't there more to knowledge than that? There is also a sense of clarity of seeing things as they really are.

self-control
The ability to recognize the impulses we have and to deal with them. We have impulses to that aren't good and self-control is the ability to refuse them. We have impulses that are appropriate but must be regulated, i.e. too much of a good thing becomes bad.

perseverance
The ability to wait. The ability to plow ahead even if positive reinforcement isn't present.

godliness
What are the characteristics of God? Are we striving for those characteristics? What does God value? Do we hold the same values?

brother kindness
The picture in my head of this is meeting another person's need. We are family and we help each other out. We are part of the human family and we help each other out.

love
There is probably no better description of love than 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient, love is kind ... It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres ...

Also, check out Eugene Petersen's interpretation of these virtues.

But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There is a tension between God's part and our part in this journey. Without God reaching toward us through Jesus, we have no hope. Now that God has done this, we respond and we strive. But as mentioned at the top of the passage, even in our responding, we need to rely on God's promises and power in our lives, thus the final destination is sure ... a welcome into the eternal kingdom!

Lord, give me power to live for you. Help me call upon your promises for wisdom and strength. Please transform my mind from its tendencies toward selfishness and discouragement. Amen.

II Peter 1:1-2

image source: http://www.mystudios.com/art/bar/rembrandt/rembrandt-apostle-kneeling.html

Moving ahead now to 2 Peter.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

What is my identity?

Simon Peter described himself as a servant.

That is certainly one of the top virtues emphasized by Jesus.

Mark 9:35, Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Peter also recognized that he did have a particular role as one of the original 12 and thus rightly claimed the title of Apostle.

Yet, in the very next breath, he diminished that distinction by saying that the faith of his readers was just as precious as his and his fellow apostles.

The reason: that faith was made possible by "the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ."

On top of the faith, grace and peace comes along because his readers know God and Jesus.

Christianity isn't just a collection of intellectual ideas, it is transformative of lives and a relationship with God.

In I Peter, this was emphasized in the context of the suffering that the believers faced. In II Peter, we will be seeing a different challenge that believers then and now, face.

Lord, it is all grace. Without what Jesus did, I'm lost. Without your preserving the faith and the faithful through the generations, I would not have heard of the message of Jesus. May more people in our cold-hearted and warring world come to know you and thus experience peace and grace. Strengthen those who follow you in difficult places. Amen.

Outline of 1 Peter

Introduction 1:1-2

Reflection on the grand scope of the new birth and salvation
1. Its future inheritance, 1:3-5
2. Its present suffering, 1:6-9
3. Its anticipation by prophets and angels, 1:10-12

Living life in the Now - Four rounds of exhortation in action/motive pattern
1. Action (prepare your minds...)
motive - God is holy, 1:13-16
2. Action (live in reverent fear...)
motive - Precious blood of Christ, 1:17-21
3. Action (love...)
motive - Born through the living and enduring word of God, 1:22-25
4. Action (rid yourselves of all malice...)
motive - Tasted the Lord's goodness, 2:1-3

Theology: our new standing in Christ
1. Metaphor of living stones on the Living Stone, 2:4-8
2. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God, 2:9-10

How then shall we live?
1. Good lives, Good deeds, 2:11-12
2. Submission
a. To authorities, 2:13-17
b. To masters, 2:18-20
c. The example of Christ, 2:21-25
d. In marriage, 3:1-7
3. Treat others well even if they don't deserve it, 3:8-12

Facing up to suffering
1. Our example is Christ's undeserved suffering, 3:13-22
2. Our example is Christ using suffering to defeat sin, 4:1-6
Summing up, 4:7-11
3. Our encouragement is that we are sharing in Christ's suffering, 4:12-19
Summing up, part II, 5:1-11
Postscript, 5:12-14

I Peter 5

image source: http://itech.dickinson.edu/chemistry/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/flock_of_sheep.jpg

Winding up I Peter ...

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Peter, guided by the Spirit, ended this letter with an admonition about the role of being a shepherd to the flock. This message would have had a great emotional connection to him.

One of the episodes in his life that undoubtedly seared Peter's heart was being told by Jesus that he would deny Jesus. Peter, of course, insisted, no way, no how, not going to happen. But, as Jesus had predicted, Peter when challenged, denied Jesus three times.

Later on, Jesus restored Peter in John 21. Excerpt:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"

"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"

He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

Peter wound up the letter with a few more quick hits on living life ...

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older.

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Saint Peter then came back around to the topic he had been addressing in chapters three and four: suffering.

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Looks like the letter has ended!

But we get a bit of a postscript into the personal life of Peter ...

With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.

Some scholars speculated that Peter, the lowly fisherman, would have been unable to write in Greek and thus Silas may have helped draft this letter. Perhaps Silas was the secretary who wrote down what Peter said. Perhaps Silas had a larger role in composing the letter.

In a sense, speculation about Silas's role mirrors the discussion on the human role in God's inspiration of the Scriptures. Scholars debate what it actually means for the Scriptures to be inspired. Was God dictating the words to Peter, Paul, Moses, etc.? Or was it some kind of partnership where God implants the ideas but the words come from the personalities and experiences of the human participant?

Whatever the mechanism of inspiration, the key question for us is: do I take the Scriptures as as authoritative guide for living?

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Babylon might be a symbol for Rome?

In the historic Jewish experience, Babylon was the dominating world power that conquered Jerusalem in 586 BCE. In Peter's time, Rome was the world power.

Mark is believed to be the Mark who wrote the Gospel of Mark.

And so ends, I Peter.

Lord, grant wisdom to those who are shepherds of churches today here in the USA and around the world. Give them courage to preach the truth of Jesus. Help us who want to follow you to take comfort in the story of Peter in how you worked in an ordinary fisherman and who had his share of blunders. Your grace is truly beyond our imaginings. Please work in you me today. Amen.

I Peter 4:12-19

image source: http://www.indianolapres.org/joomla/images/candles-big.jpg

1 Peter 4:12-19 ...

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you.

When Peter wrote this, I wonder if he was thinking about the teachings of Jesus found in places like Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21?

Mark 13:9, But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them.

But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

I also wonder to what extent the Apostles were familiar with each other's writings?

This verse reminded me of Philippians 3:10-11 where Paul believed he could in share in the sufferings of Christ and thus, like Christ be vindicated in resurrection, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians is estimated to have been written in AD 61, while I Peter dates prior to 67/68, the time he died. Thus, it is possible that Peter might have known about Paul's letter to the Philippians. However, another possibility is that the theme of sharing in the sufferings of Christ was simply a widely held attitude among the early believers and Peter is simply reminding his readers of this.

If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

The idea of being blessed for suffering recalls the part about suffering in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:11-12, Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

What is the believer's response to suffering?

On one hand, those who suffer for their faith could throw up their hands and simply give up in resignation to the karmic fates that have fallen them. On the other, one could say, there is so much suffering, I should eat, drink and be merry while I can and have a blast while I last.

Instead, Jesus followers are challenged to go a third way, yes, we are to have an acceptance that suffering is a part of life but we are also to have a zeal for doing good amidst it.

Lord, help me to be a faithful to you. I don't like the idea of suffering. And certainly, here in the USA, there isn't much suffering for having faith; maybe some ridicule. Yet, even that I fear. Lord, have mercy upon me and give me courage. And may you give an extra measure of courage for your followers who in other parts of the world suffer and die for calling you Lord. Give them a vision of your faithfulness and assurances that they will be welcomed into your kingdom with honor for their endurance. Amen.

I Peter 4:7-11

Continuing on ...

The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

There is a branch of Biblical Studies called textual criticism. Since the Bible is so old, what we have are copies of the lost originals. From what I have heard, the copies are quite good for documents of such antiquity. Now, some, Bart Ehrman being most famous, feel it isn't good enough. Interestingly, his teacher, Bruce Metzger, who died a few years back, who has access to the same scholarship as Ehrman, believed the Bible copies to be reliable.

I'm just a "blogger in pajamas" so I am not qualified to assess those claims in a rigorous way. However, I will say, that even reading the Bible in English, I do wonder if some "editing" and "cutting and pasting" did happen?

This passage is an example. Read by itself, it looks like St. Peter is winding up the letter and closing it out. But I Peter actually goes on for a bit more! Thus, is this the end of the letter and the material following was edited in? Or was Peter ending the letter and then decided to write more?

Would it bother you, if you are a believer in Jesus, if some editing did take place?

I think there is a difference between editing and fabrication. Fabrication would be problematic. But of course, a skeptic will say, how do we know? They would ask, if there are edits, are they authentic to Peter (and other alleged Bible writes) or added much later?

Thus, to the extent textual criticism helps us get to the "originals," we are using the minds God gave us. Then, with the best reconstructed original we have in hand, we ask, is it authentic and authoritative for our lives? Now, that question is a matter of faith.

Now, back to the text with the trust that it is authentic and authoritative ...

For Jesus followers, the arrival of Jesus and his resurrection changed everything. It marked the beginning of the end. And with that reality in mind, Peter in rapid fire fashion summarizes how we are supposed to live. Theological belief must manifest itself in life ethic.

1. Be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray
2. Love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins
3. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling
4. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others

Lord, thank you that the status quo has been overturned with your sending Jesus. Now, overturn the status quo of how I live my life. Give me clarity instead of a distracted mind. Help me to love rather than linger in selfishness. Strengthen me to choose a hospitable attitude over a distrustful one. Embolden me to use the gifts you have given me to serve others thus resisting the tendency to inaction. To you be the praise, glory and power for ever! Amen.

I Peter 4:1-6

1 Peter 4:1-6 ....

Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because those who have suffered in their bodies are done with sin. As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.

Done with sin?

Seems a bit much to say that!

Please remember that the English Bible we have is a translation from the Greek and in some cases the Greek could be tricky to interpret. Check this translation out: Christ, then, having suffered for us in the flesh, ye also with the same mind arm yourselves, because he (Christ) who did suffer in the flesh hath done with sin. The boldfaced part is my addition to the text based on one commentator I read. Theologically, we believe that Christ died on the Cross for our sins and thus has done away with sin and death. Thus, Peter was trying to draw a parallel to Christ with a relationship between suffering and the defeat of sin.

Suffering in our lives does have a transformative effect on our values and attitudes and perspectives. People who have had a brush with death often share they are more grateful for life and more attuned to what is the really important stuff. Individuals who have experienced suffering sometimes say they find greater compassion for the weaknesses and difficulties of others.

For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. They are surprised that you do not join them in their reckless, wild living, and they heap abuse on you. But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Makes me think of the saying, youth is wasted on the young!

Leaving behind the old life can leave the new believer the object of ridicule. But the reality is that we all eventually have to stand before God and death is the equalizer.

For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit.

Is this preaching to the dead?

This idea was hinted at in the previous "spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:19) if one takes that phrase to mean those who have died which is a debatable interpretation.

A second option for this passage is "those who are now (spiritually) dead."

A third option is offered by Eugene Peterson: Listen to the Message. It was preached to those believers who are now dead, and yet even though they died (just as all people must), they will still get in on the life that God has given in Jesus.

I think the third option fits in with what has gone on in the verses before.

Anyway, what do you think of these six verses?

Seems a bit "stream of consciousness" here?

Peter started off with how suffering helps wring out the sin in us. Peter then described the life of sin that the Jesus followers reading the letter had left behind. Peter then connected that to how preaching the Gospel gives life. I guess it comes sort of full circle: the preaching of the Gospel involves sharing the suffering of Christ.

Lord, thank you that you did not leave us to our mis-directed ways but rather you sent Jesus to suffer on our behalf, to even die on our behalf so that we may have new life. Amen.