THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapter 1)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Timothy Sparks and Ben Bailey.
Timothy Sparks:
“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” (2 Pet. 1:2). I’m Timothy Sparks.
Ben Bailey:
And I’m Ben Bailey. Welcome to our study of 2 Peter. These
lessons are being brought to you by loving, caring members of the churches of
Christ. The
The Book of 2 Peter deals with various trials, tribulations, and sufferings that the Christians of Peter’s day were having to endure. Thus, he is writing to let them know that they have everything they need to make it to Heaven. In verse 2, Peter writes, “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.” It is clear from Peter’s statement that within the pages of God’s Word, we have everything we need to remain dedicated and faithful. If it is the case that in the Bible we have everything we need (and it is), then why would we need other manmade books? The Bible is God’s full and complete will for mankind. We read in Psalm 119:160, “The entirety of Your word is truth.” Jesus made it clear in John 17:17 that God’s Word is the ultimate and complete standard of truth. It is comforting, for those of us who are trying to follow God’s Word, to know that it contains everything we need to get to Heaven.
Timothy Sparks:
In verse 4, Peter says that Christians have received “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.” God has a relationship with us, and we have a relationship with God. This, Peter says, helps us escape “the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Peter wants us to know that we are living on a higher plane. He therefore says, “Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (vss. 5-7). Here, Peter gives us the prescription for spiritual growth, and reminds us that if we lack these things, we are so shortsighted that we are approaching blindness (vs. 9). However, if we posses these important traits, then we will not be barren and unfruitful. In fact, if we embody these traits, Peter says that we will “never stumble” (vs. 10). We do not have to fall from God’s grace. We can “keep on keeping on.” Peter gives us here (and we could label chapter one by this phrase) “ingredients for spiritual growth.” In fact, the overall theme of the Book of 2 Peter could be titled “spiritual growth.” One of the key words throughout this book is “knowledge.” It is important for us to know the Word and will of God, and to add to our spiritual nature the traits that Peter mentions here. We need to add to our faith—virtue, to virtue—knowledge, to knowledge—self-control, to self-control—perseverance, to perseverance—godliness, to godliness—brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness—love.” The “love” that Peter mentions is agape love—the highest and holiness kind of love.
Ben Bailey:
We cannot “pick and choose” from Peter’s list. The “whole package” of traits is what composes the Christian’s character. An analogy would be baking a cake. If the cook adds the sugar and eggs, but leaves out the flour, will an edible cake be the end result? Of course not. The cook must add all the ingredients in order to obtain the proper result. The same type of thinking applies to Christian character. If we leave out some of the things that Peter included in his list of admirable traits, are we going to be the kind of Christians that we ought to be? Of course not. This is not to say that we must be perfect in every area. But it is saying that we ought to be doing our best, and that we are working to improve in each of these areas. Peter says, “add to your faith….” That implies that we do indeed have a viable faith in God! If we fail to “add to our faith” the things that Peter mentions, then we become shortsighted, and we forget that we were cleansed from our past sins. One of the reasons we work to add these important traits to our character is because we have not forgotten what Christ did for us. We want to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, and we want to be pleasing to Him so that the world around us can clearly see that we are trying to do the will of God. This is why Peter says in verse 10 that if we do these things, we make our “calling and election sure,” so that we will “never stumble.” This is an important passage that clearly refutes the false concept of “once saved, always saved.” Peter urges Christians to “make their calling and election sure.” The implication to Peter’s statement, of course, is that it is possible for a Christian’s “calling and election” to be “unsure.” Thus, if a person does not put into effect into his life the things that Peter lists here in chapter 1, he can fall from God’s grace. In Galatians 5:4, Paul said, “You have fallen from grace.”
Timothy Sparks:
Peter’s whole point, of course, is that we do not have to fall from God’s grace. If we will incorporate into our lives the “ingredients for spiritual growth” that he lists in chapter 1, then we will “never stumble.” Furthermore (vs. 11), “an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The joy we have in Christianity is that we can go to Heaven! In 1 Peter 1, Peter explained how Christians should “rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of [our] faith—the salvation of [our] souls” (1 Pet. 1:8-9). In 2 Peter 1:12, Peter says, “For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.” This is another thought that is expressed frequently in the Book of 2 Peter—that the apostle wants to “remind us” or “stir up our minds.” Even though the Christians to whom he was writing already knew some of the things about which he wrote, he nevertheless wanted to encourage and exhort them to “keep on keeping on.” Paul did the same thing in 1 and 2 Thessalonians when he used phrases like “as you know” to get his point across. If we are grounded and established in the faith, then we “already know” these things. But we still need to be reminded. Thus, Peter writes to remind us about the fact that we need to continue to learn more about God and His Word. If we do that, then we can maintain our fellowship with God.
Ben Bailey:
We, as humans, sometimes tend to forget. God gave us the Bible to help us remember important spiritual matters, and so that we could be reminded of these great, eternal truths. Sometimes we forget things that we already know, while at other times, we neglect the things we do know. In verse 16, Peter offers a powerful reminder when he says, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” This is one of the things that separates Christianity from other world religions. Christianity is not based on fables, half truths, or gossip. The apostles (who wrote much of the New Testament) were eyewitnesses to what happened to Jesus Christ! The apostles’ knowledge was not secondhand. It did not come “from their cousin’s brother,” so to speak. Rather, they were there to witness the goings-on. This is what verifies the truthfulness of what they wrote about Christ and His powerful Gospel. Christianity was not something that occurred in a dark corner, out of the sight of humans. The events surrounding Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection were very public in nature. Remember also the singular event that occurred in Mark 9 on the Mount of Transfiguration. On that Mount, Peter, James, and John saw Jesus “transfigured” (changed) before their very eyes. Peter (ever the impetuous one!) said, “It is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Mk. 9:5). But suddenly, the voice of God spoke from Heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son; hear Him!” (vs. 7). With that in mind, read what Peter says in 2 Peter 1:17-18, “For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” Not only did the apostles and disciples not devise “cunning fables,” but, in fact, God Himself put His own stamp of approval on what was going on in regard to Jesus and the Gospel! Christianity is not a myth, a fable, or a “good 2,000-year-old story.” It is something that has been confirmed by the very Word of God Himself!
Timothy Sparks:
On the Mount of Transfiguration, three figures appeared initially—Moses, Elijah, and Christ (Mt. 17). But as the voice of God boomed out, “This is My beloved Son; hear Him!,” Moses and Elijah disappeared from the scene. When the apostles looked up from their prostrate position on the ground, only Christ remained. What was the point? The writer of the Book of Hebrews expressed it well when he said, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (Heb. 1:1-2). This is why Peter could say, “We have the prophetic word confirmed” (2 Pet. 1:19). It is full. It is complete. It is sure and certain. We, therefore, can safely place our hope in the Word of God. It is the Word of God that convicts men of sin, and it is the Word of God that can save them from that sin (Rom. 1:16). We can know that we have within the Bible the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God. Yes, critics and skeptics attack the Bible at every opportunity, claiming that it is full of errors, mistakes, and contradictions. Yet it is that very Word that will one day judge them (Jn. 12:48). God has providentially preserved His Word. Yes, there may be human errors that occur during translation processes. But they are the result of human inadequacies, not God’s. In its original text (known as “autographs”), the Bible was perfect—infallible and inerrant, just as God planned for it to be.
Ben Bailey:
Peter affirms this very fact in verses 19-21 when he says,
“We have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
Sometimes, when we talk to people about their soul’s salvation, and when we use the Bible to do so, they say, “Well, that’s just your interpretation.” No, it is not! As Peter put it, Scripture is not the result of “any private interpretation.” The only way to “interpret the Bible” is to allow the Bible to interpret itself! Consider, as just one example, the essentiality of baptism for a person’s salvation. Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved.” Peter, in his first epistle, said, “Baptism does also now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21). Ananias told Paul in Acts 22:16, “Arise, be baptized, washing away your sins.” Yet, even after reading or hearing such passages as these, some people still will say, “But that’s just your interpretation.” No, it is not. It is what the Bible actually teaches. There is no “interpreting” to it! There is nothing harsh or mean in such a statement. If we want to go to Heaven, then we simply must do what the Bible says.
Timothy Sparks:
When Peter says that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit,” he was stressing the point that the men who penned the words of the Bible did not “speak for themselves.” God’s Word did not originate with the men who wrote down that Word. As the writers were “moved by the Holy Spirit,” they penned God’s Word. It was not their words, but God’s Word! Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The idea behind the Greek words that Paul used (“given by inspiration”) is that God Himself “breathed” the material in the Bible. The men did not originate it on their own; rather, God was the Originator of His Word as He “breathed” it through the Holy Spirit, who then “moved” holy men to write it down. That, then, means that the Bible is unlike any other book. It is “the Book of books.” It is the only book that comes from Heaven, and thus is the only book that can lead us to Heaven. Jesus Himself said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (Jn. 8:32). We are not suggesting the concept here known as “bibliolatry”—where the Bible itself becomes the object of our worship. Rather, we are saying that we must come to God’s Word with an appropriate amount of respect and reverence—because it is God’s Word!
Ben Bailey:
The Bible is not God speaking only to people 2,000 years ago. It is God speaking to us today, too. This places great value on our study of the Bible, because when we come to it, we can know that it is the Word of God. Critics allege that the Bible contains errors and mistakes. That cannot be the case if John 17:17 is true. Jesus said, “Your Word is truth.” The psalmist said, “The entirety of Your Word is true” (Ps. 119:160). Peter said that “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Some have suggested that Peter’s statement was referring solely to the prophets of old, and thus does not apply to the New Testament as a whole. Yet Paul said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” What does the word “scripture” encompass? In 2 Peter 3:16, Peter wrote, “Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” Notice that phrase “the rest of the Scriptures.” Jesus spoke of the law and the prophets as “scripture.” The simple fact is that the phrase “the Scriptures” refers to all of the writings of God.
Timothy Sparks:
In Luke 8:18, Jesus teaches us, “Take heed how you hear.” We also must take heed to “what” we hear. If we hear a university professor, a Bible-class teacher, or anyone else suggest that the Bible contains errors, mistakes, or contradictions, we know immediately that such a person does not understand the concept of biblical inspiration. If we see what “appears” to be a contradiction, then we must work honestly and fairly to resolve it, knowing that “God’s Word is truth” (Jn. 17:17). One of the things that can help resolve apparent contradictions or discrepancies is to take into account “the whole scope” of Scripture, and not just a single passage or two. We received a great treasure in the gift of Christ on the cross. But we also have received a great treasure in the written Word of God, the Bible. It is the Bible that teaches us how to live—and how to die! It is the Bible that teaches us that death is not the end. Rather, it is God’s Word that will allow us (to use Peter’s words) “an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:11).
Ben Bailey:
Jesus put it so clearly in John 8:32 when He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” The Bible is the truth—God’s Word. The only way to be saved is to obey the Gospel of Christ. If you are not a Christian, we ask you to consider what we have said today. In order to become a Christian, you must believe in Jesus as the Son of God. You must repent of your sins, confess Jesus as your Savior, and be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of yours sins.
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Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST is brought to you by loving, caring members of the church of Christ. The McLish Avenue church of Christ in Ardmore, Oklahoma, oversees this evangelistic effort. For a free CD or DVD of today’s broadcast, please write to:
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1. The overall theme of the Book of 2 Peter can be expressed in two words. What are those two words?
2. In 2 Peter, the apostle was writing to let the Christians of his day know that they had all they needed to make it to a certain goal. What was that goal?
3. When Peter lists such traits as virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, and others, he is providing a prescription for something. What is that “something”?
4. What impact on the concept of “once saved, always saved” does Peter’s admonition have when he tells Christians to “make your calling and election sure” (2 Pet. 1:10)?
5. What does Peter mean, and what does he not mean, when he says that Christians will “never stumble” (vs. 10)?
6. Peter says in verse 11 of 2 Peter 1 that “an entrance will be supplied to you into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” How does one gain that entrance?
7. What is “the kingdom” to which Peter refers in 2 Peter 1:11?
8. Why was Peter writing to remind Christians of certain things, even though he admitted that they were “established in the present truth”?
9. What evidence did Peter provide in 2 Peter 1 to substantiate his claim that Christianity is not based on “cunningly devised fables”?
10. According to the writer of the Book of Hebrews (1:1-2), God previously spoke to people by prophets, but now He speaks to us by another means. What is that means?
11. On the Mount of Transfiguration (Mk. 9), Elijah and Moses disappeared, leaving only Christ. Why?
12. In 2 Peter 1:19, Peter said, “We have the prophetic word confirmed.” What did he mean by that statement?
13. Paul said that “all Scripture” is given by inspiration of God. What is the meaning of the concept of inspiration?
14. If a person wants to be sure that he “interprets” the Bible correctly, what must he or she do?
15. What did Peter mean when he said, “No prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:21)?
16. Explain the connection between John 17:17 and Psalm 119:160.
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,