You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. - 2 Peter 3:17–18 (ESV)
Second Peter is, as the name suggests, the second letter that Peter writes to the “Dispersion” scattered across a wide area (1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 3:1). Whereas in the first letter Peter’s focus was the suffering they were experiencing, in the second letter Peter’s focus is on false teachers and the need to guard against them. Peter wants Christians to grow, but he knows that false teachers will not contribute to that. Peter’s final charge in the letter is for the believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. If they are going to do that, then they must take care that they are not deceived and led astray by lawless people who teach them false doctrine rather than true doctrine.
The Big Idea of 2 Peter
I have taught that the big idea of 2 Peter is as follows: Grow in grace and knowledge.
An Outline of 2 Peter
1:1-15: Remember the Qualities that Ought to Describe You
Peter opens the letter by reminding his readers of the kinds of character qualities that ought to describe them in an increasing way. These character qualities (virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love) are the practical effects of God’s promises that make believers partakers of the divine nature. Peter wants them to remember these things since they are the very qualities added to their faith that will keep them from falling.
1:16-22: Remember the True Words that You Have from God
In 1:16-22, Peter argues that his readers should listen to him because they are not following myths but are acting as eyewitnesses of Christ’s majesty itself. Peter is in line with the prophetic words of the whole of Scripture, which does not come from man but from God. Therefore, the people should listen to him.
2:1-22: Beware False Prophets and Teachers
In chapter two, Peter warns his readers to beware of false prophets and teachers. Peter describes them in the starkest terms, painting a picture of them as the most condemnable and least attractive to follow in their sin. After warning his readers of the false prophets and teachers’ desire to do nothing but exploit Christians, Peter argues that God’s judgment of the fallen angels, the world at the flood, and Sodom and Gomorrah all serve as evidence that God knows how to save the godly. The false prophets and teachers are inclined to nothing but the greed in which their hearts are trained. The last half of the chapter is highly descriptive of the terribly wicked and vile state of these people.
3:1-18: Remember Your End and Theirs
Peter concludes his letter by reminding his readers to consider their end compared to the ungodly and false. Peter compares the ungodly now to those of Noah’s day when people were confident in their sin and had no judgment to fear. But God judged them. People today intentionally overlook that God has judged the world, and He, therefore, will judge it again. But instead of complaining about the delay in God’s judgment, Christians should rather take it as a kindness of God not to judge before the time. God is working in history to bring His people to Himself. Since this is true, Peter’s readers should focus on remaining stable in their faith and continuing to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Benefits of 2 Peter
Peter’s second letter is another example of a book in the Bible that is full of practical instruction placed on the lowest shelf possible. It is hard to imagine a letter more clearly written or more explicitly spelled out in terms of what it wants from its readers. Christians should grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. There are evil people who seek to lead astray and destabilize by false prophecies and teachings that are contrary to Scripture.
Peter is a good example of how an over-dependence on small, selected passages can serve to obscure the issues rather than to clarify them. There is plenty in the letter that could be focused on for deeper meditation and general pondering. What does it mean to be partakers of the divine nature from chapter one? How can an entrance into God’s eternal kingdom be “richly provided”? There are other questions that could be asked and are worth asking. However, these kinds of questions are generally better to ask after they have been set in the context of the thrust of the letter in the reader’s mind.
It is amazing how prevalent are the warnings against false teachers in the New Testament. Among all of them, Second Peter stands out. Peter’s diatribe against false teachers in chapter two leaves no room for compromise. False teachers who revel in their sins and entice unsteady souls are not only headed to Hell but seeking to take whomever they can along with them.
How do we avoid false teachers? Peter’s implied answer is that it is by growing in understanding and practice of the truth already revealed in the Scriptures. We can liken it to the script of a play. The best way to know when someone is going “off-script” is by knowing the script as well as possible. False teachers may claim to be following Scripture, but their actual content is opposed to it. They do not lead people to live godly and holy lives. The result is other. They will teach and do things that reinforce and encourage deviation from Scripture rather than faithfulness to it. And they will soothe uneasy consciences by distraction from God’s Word to unfulfillable promises of their own.
Christians can benefit greatly from the warnings in 2 Peter. There never has been a time when help to respond rightly to false teaching and teachers has not been relevant. They needed to watch out for it then, and we need to watch out for it now. Otherwise, we should expect to be unstable in our faith and stunted in our growth in the Lord.