Second Peter: Part Three
Chapter Two begins with Peter’s contrast of the end of Chapter One; God’s voice is spoken through believers, however, there will be counterfeits. He called them pseudo (false)-prophets and pseudo (false)-teachers who follow Satan. Jesus first warned us in the parable of Wheat and Weeds (Matt. 13:24-30) with an explanation (vs. 35-43) so there was no doubt of their presence.
Jesus taught that both good seed and weeds would grow together until Judgment Day but true believers (good seed) will ‘shine like the sun’ like Jesus’ shining (same word) at His transfiguration.
For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
That’s the key to these difficult verses; we speak the truth in contrast to deception. False prophets and teachers were among God’s people in the past and they’ll be among us now. They’re pretenders or phonies who stealthily try to introduce you to ‘new belief systems’ in order to cut you off from the Lord, your Master. They ask you to choose (heresies) to follow their way or maybe just add to your Christian faith. “There’s many ways to God …” they say. Their conduct is often outrageously shocking (sensuality) but their end, Peter writes, is swift destruction since they’re driven by our enemy Satan.
When you know the way of truth (vs. 2) their blasphemy (lies) will not influence you but, be assured, they’ll experience consequences since their end is not inactive but imminent (verse 3).
Peter used the word ‘if’ four times (vs. 4-10) as he continued to write of God’s inevitable judgment and reminded us of the fallen angels, the fallen world during Noah’s time, and the evil cities of Sodom and Gomorrah who all met with destruction. His encouragement to believers is that in the same way, ‘if … then’ (vs. 9) as Noah and Lot were rescued God will in-turn deliver us from times of trials and temptations. How appropriate for us right now during the Virus of 2020?
Peter deemed it crucial for believers to remember the Second Coming (Luke 17:22-37) when we, His glorious ones (vs. 10) or image-bearers experience the opposite extreme of all the consequences (vs. 12-17) of the unrighteous.
Bold unbelievers always try to draw people into their web of destruction and even promise freedom from bondage when in reality they seek to trap the weak luring them away from Jesus, the true Overcomer. It’s a sad day for people when they have the chance to experience the life of an overcomer through Jesus Christ but instead choose to return to a life of sin (vs. 21-22).
This is a sober chapter from Peter since he had listened to Jesus give similar warnings recorded in Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Let’s take them seriously as well.
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