2nd Peter Lesson Two
A. Gift Of Experienced Knowledge. 1:3-4
1. Source of Gift: "His divine power." Jas. 1:17
2. The Sufficiency of the gift: "all things pertaining to life and godliness"
a. Life. spiritual and physical life. Relations with God and man.
b. Godliness: service and devotion to God (See Acts 17:23).
3. The medium to the gift: "through the full knowledge of Him" --Jesus is the way to experienced knowledge. Jn.14:6 Full knowledge is epignosis. experienced knowledge. Only Jesus fully practiced and experienced the knowledge of God.
4. Calling of the gift: "to or by His own glory and excellence" 1st Thess. 2:12. 2nd Thess. 2:14.
a. We are called to His glory and excellence.
b. We are called by His glory and excellence.
c. Glory here means perfection as in Romans 3:23 and excellence is moral goodness or moral integrity.
5. Promises of the gift: "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises in order that by them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in this world by lust." 1:4 (fleeing from the corruption that is in this world by lust, Concordant)
a. "By these" refers to Christ's glory and excellence.
b. On the basis of Christ's perfect righteousness we partake of God's divine nature as a promise:
(1) The Holy Spirit was promised by Jesus to his disciples and to all who will be baptized for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38-39) Jn. 14: 16-17). This is God's divine nature and He abides in the bodies of Christians ( 1st Cor. 3:16; 6:19).
(2) God's nature is also love and all of the qualities mentioned in verses 5-7. The Christian is counted as perfectly righteous by being justified by baptism (2nd Cor. 5:21;Titus 3:5) We escape the "corruption in the world by lust" by being counted "righteous" even if we remain imperfect, that is we will not experience the ultimate corruption of sin.
Since God's nature is love and perfection, the Christian also partakes of this divine nature as he grows and matures in these qualities. (2nd Cor. 3:18). God became man in order that man might become like God. The more we grow into Christ's likeness the more we partake of the divine nature, 2nd Cor. 7:1. As we actually partake of His nature, we escape the corruption in the world by lust, through the conquering of sins in our bodies.
2. In the resurrection our bodies will also be made like His, so that even our bodies will partake of the divine nature, according to the promise. 1st Cor. 15:49; Phil. 3:20-21.
B. GROWTH IN THE PLAN OF FULL KNOWLEDGE
1. Effort of Growth. 1:5a.
a. "applying all diligence" ---one cannot become like God without cooperation with God; one must work to have a good marriage and likewise must work to have a good spiritual relationship with God.
b. "supply"---this word originally meant to supply the needs of a chorus group so that they might travel around the country and sing to entertain the public. Our English word 'choreography' comes from this word. Since we are to supply these qualities in order for us to sing a song of "full knowledge" in our lives,we must do our part to develop this divine nature. God will help us if we work toward that end.
2. Goal of Growth: 1:5-7 (Octave notes for a song of full knowledge.)
a. Faith: foundation stone. Heb. 11:1-6.
b. Moral excellence: integrity & moral purity
c. Knowledge: Jn. 8:31, 32. (know how to please God)Phil. 1:9-11.
d. Self control: strength from within, which comes through prayer and trust in Christ. Phil. 4:13.
e. Perseverance: abiding under, endurance and steadfastness under persecution and suffering. Jas.
f. Godliness: reverence toward God, Prov. 3:6
g. Brotherly love, (Philadelphia love).
h. Love (agape) for the whole world, even our enemies. Matt. 5:45.
3. Importance of Growth. 1:8-9
a. Negative importance
(1) Avoid spiritual uselessness: Jas. 2:17,20.
(2) Avoid spiritual unfruitfulness. Matt. 21:19.
(3) Avoid spiritual blindness. Matt. 13:14-15.
(4) Avoid spiritual myopia. 2nd Cor. 5:7, 4:18.
(5) Avoid stumbling. Jas. 3:2; Heb. 3:12-14.
4: 9-11 (In our march toward Canaan land, we will not fall.)
b. Positive Importance.
(1) Make certain one's calling and election. Therefore, our calling and election is conditional our our continued faith in Christ. 2nd Thess. 2:14 and 1st Cor. 15:1-2.
(2) Abundant supply of entrance into the eternal kingdom. (1) here and now, Col. 1:13; and (2) future glorious phase in heaven, Acts 14:22; 2nd Tim. 4:18; which we have yet to inherit. (1st Cor. 6:10).
C. GROUND OF THE PLAN OF FULL KNOWLEDGE
1. Apostolic reminder: 1:12-13.
a. To stir up minds to remember.
b. Leave a permanent document. Mark, according to Papias, recorded the letter.
c. Death: exodus; reminds of Lk. 9:31; 2nd Cor. 5:1-8.
2. Apostolic Testimony. 1:16-19.
a. Not a myth, but eyewitness truth. Acts 5:32
b. Sight and sounds of Transfiguration. Matt. 17:1-8. (A preview of Christ's coming glory.)
3. Prophetic Word to make more Sure.
a. They saw the fulfillment of OT prophecy.
b. They saw what they prophesied. Lk. 10:23-24.
c. Apostolic prophecy is like a light in a dark place until the day dawns (Until Jesus returns; Rev. 22:16).
4. Inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 1:20-21.
a. Prophecy of Scripture is not human opinion.
b. Prophecy is the guarantee of the Holy Spirit to be God's Word.
c. Biblical prophecy is speaking for God. Eph. 2:20.
Questions on Lesson 2
1. What additional name of Peter is found in the second letter? What 2 tittles does he use (1:1).
2. How does Peter describe the recipients of the letter to them? Prove this with a verse from 2nd Peter.
3. What is the theme according to 1:2? Explain the word "knowledge."
4. Explain how "full knowledge" is a gift.
5. Explain each of the following concerning this gift? (1) the source of the gift. (2) the substance of the gift (3) medium of the gift (4) calling of the gift (5) promise of the gift (6) blessing of the gift.
6. Prove from 1:3 that all of God's revelation had been revealed by the time Peter wrote this second letter. Connect this with Jno. 16: 12-13; Jude 3 and 2nd Tim. 3: 16-17.
7. Explain the difference between in "life" and "godliness" in 1:3.
8. Explain the glory and excellence of God in 1:3.
9. Explain how we become partakers of the divine nature in 1:4; show at least 3 phases in which we partake of that divine nature.
10. Name and explain each Octave of notes in a song of Growth in full knowledge.
11. What are two blessings of growing in full knowledge,1:8?
12. What are two dangers of not growing in full knowledge, 1:9?
13. What are three marvelous results of growing in full knowledge found in 1:10-11?
14. What three guarantees do we have of the truth of full knowledge, 1:12-21?
15. How did Peter look at his body in 1:14-15? What word in Greek does he use to describe his "death"?
16. What event does Peter recall to prove that he had seen the power and glory of Christ's coming even before his return in that glory (1:17-18)?
17. What figure does Peter use to describe the Prophetic Word which he preached? 1:19
18. How did Peter consider his prophetic word even more sure than that of other Prophets? Why?
19. Explain the expression that "Scripture is not of ones own interpretation." 1:20
20. Explain the meaning of "prophecy" and "prophecy of Scripture"
21. What part does the Holy Spirit have in Prophecy.
22. How does the inspiration of the Holy Spirit give us certainty of full knowledge?
by Lane