2Pe 1:1 | KingComments | STEP | In the second letter we have from Peter in the Bible Peter addresses the same believers as in his first letter. We can derive this from the first verse of chapter 3 of this second letter ( ). As in the first letter ‘the government of God’ is the central thought in this letter. The difference is that in the first letter it is about the government of God over the believers , while in this letter it is about God’s government over the unbelievers. God rules. He is sovereign and firmly in control of the government of the world, even if to the natural eye it appears otherwise. Therefore you should not judge the things as they present themselves to you, but you should see them all in the light of God’s Word. That’s why this letter is also of great importance in order not to be confused by the actions of the ungodly who even seem to have the right on their side. That is just an appearance and appearances are deceiving. Peter writes this letter as his spiritual testament. His departure is coming soon. In his first letter he encouraged the believers with a view to the persecutions and the sufferings they were enduring. In the kingdom of peace it will not be like that at all. That’s where he has drawn their attention to, over and over again. His second letter is full of warnings with a view to the destruction that is worked by the deceivers. This is a character of other ‘second letters’, like the second letter to the Thessalonians and the second letter to Timothy. Then the point is not that much about dangers from the outside, from the world, but more from within, from within professing Christianity. You are also to be kept from the deceivers. In both letters the coming of the Lord will change everything. Also in his second letter Peter refers to that coming. Thereby he even goes further than the coming of the Lord to establish the kingdom of peace. He writes about the eternal condition of the new heavens and the new earth. That is a great encouragement to be faithful and to see to it that the deceivers will get no chance to undermine the faith of God’s children. . The letter has been written by Peter. He is its sender. Unlike in his first letter, he calls himself here “Simon Peter”. ‘Simon’ is the name that his parents gave him. It is, you could say, his old name. The Lord Jesus has given him his new name ‘Peter’ ( ; ). That Peter introduces himself by his double name, is remarkable. It says, I think, a lot of his spiritual mind. He is at the end of his life. He knows who he is in Christ. Still, he has not forgotten his origin. Further on, in , he reminds his readers that he, who forgets what he was in the past, is blind and shortsighted. The longer a person goes his way with the Lord, the better he will know the Lord Jesus, but also the more he will understand what he himself is by nature. That will only make his awareness of grace increase. By introducing himself as Simon, he says to his readers that he is not better than them. By introducing himself also as Peter, he indicates that he addresses them as a brother among the brothers. But he comes on behalf of another, on behalf of “Jesus Christ”. He is His “bond-servant”. What he has to say, he says because the Lord Jesus orders him to. He is completely subjected to His authority. That is not a burden, but a joy. He loves to call himself like that. There is nothing more wonderful than being a bond-servant of Him Who has redeemed you from the power of sin and has delivered you from death and the judgment after death ( ). Peter, however, is not only a bond-servant, he is also an “apostle”. That means that he speaks with authority. He not only comes because he is a bond-servant, but he comes also with the authority of the Lord Jesus and speaks in His Name. Therefore, what he has got to say was mandated by the Lord Jesus and he passes that on with the authority of His Sender. Ultimately it is not Peter who addresses you, but the Lord Jesus. That will on the one hand prevent you from reading this letter as a human writing and on the other hand impress you of the power of God that speaks from this letter. Peter addresses his letter “to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours”. He mentions in addition that he and they owe that to “the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”. The faith is precious, it is of special value. Here it is not so much the fact that you believe, that is your personal faith, but more about what you believe, about everything that the faith contains. What faith contains, are all blessings that are given to you in Christ. Those blessings are not only meant for an elite, a special group of privileged believers, but they are for all believers. Peter especially addresses the Jews. They are raised with the thought that their own righteousness, the fulfillment of the law, gives the blessing of everything that God has promised. They have committed themselves to that as a people at Mount Sinai ( ). But on that basis, they forfeited the blessing and each right to it forever because of their disobedience and the rejection of the Lord Jesus. That blessing can now only be obtained by faith in the rejected and glorified Lord. In what Christ has done, the basis has been laid for God to still give all the promised blessing to everyone who believes. It is His righteousness, which means His righteous dealings, in response to the work of His Son, to give the opportunity to everyone who believes in the Son to partake of the precious value of all that faith contains. Therefore Peter speaks about the “righteousness” of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Also, by “the righteousness of our God”, you may remember that God is faithful to the promises He made to the fathers of Israel. In His righteousness He will fulfill all His promises. Because Peter speaks about “our God and Savior Jesus Christ”, you see that God and the Savior Jesus Christ are One Person (cf. ). This Name connects this verse with the Old Testament, which those to whom Peter is writing, know so well. God calls Himself ‘Savior’ in Isaiah 45 ( ). He does that with a view to the approaching end of Israel. A Savior or Redeemer is needed when the end of the existence of a nation or of a human being comes into view. Therefore this Name is fitting in this letter in which we read about the end of everything that has been created ( ; ; ; ). This Name also shows that the Lord Jesus is both Savior and Yahweh of the Old Testament. Therefore when He is presented by Peter as the origin of the precious faith, it also reminds them of the faithfulness of the God of Israel, Who has granted this faith to His people. This faith is now no longer associated with God’s earthly people, but with God’s heavenly people, in whom we find the things that God gives. In Christendom they have been revealed as truths. It is a great grace to be able to see that. . Peter concludes his introductory words by wishing his readers “grace and peace”. He does so, however, in a penetrating way. He is aware, and he therefore wants to make his readers aware of it too, that those who live by faith, will have to face heavy weather. While great dangers are appearing and increasing ( ), he is very much aware of the equally multiply grace and peace. Where the threat appears to be that great, grace and peace abound all the more (cf. ). Therefore Peter speaks about a ‘multiplication’ of grace and peace. He wants you to be more and more aware of the grace that is available to you to enable you to live your life in this end time. You do not have to go through it by your own power and with your own means. Nor can you. Entrust yourself to the grace of God. You have learnt to know Him as “the God of all grace” ( ). Therefore you will also be able to endure the toughest circumstances with an increasing peace in your heart. To this blessing Peter connects “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. Here you have the firm foundation to experience the fulfillment of the wish of Peter. By your personal relationship with God and with the Lord Jesus you will learn to know Them better and better. You gain that knowledge by reading and studying God’s Word. That’s what you are doing now and that is a good thing. God and the Lord Jesus reveal Their plans in the Bible. If you know them, you will not easily be led into confusion and despair. By reading the Word the Holy Spirit will show you everything what God’s plan is with the Lord Jesus. Christ is the center of all God’s thoughts. If your thoughts are focused on the same center, you will find the support and nourishment for your faith there. Your faith will develop itself and expand itself further and further in that knowledge. This is how the multiplication happens that Peter wishes you on behalf of Jesus Christ. Now read 2 Peter 1:1-2 again. Reflection: Which encouragements do these verses contain?

‏ 2 Peter 1:1

Introduction

In the second letter we have from Peter in the Bible Peter addresses the same believers as in his first letter. We can derive this from the first verse of chapter 3 of this second letter (2Pet 3:1). As in the first letter ‘the government of God’ is the central thought in this letter. The difference is that in the first letter it is about the government of God over the believers, while in this letter it is about God’s government over the unbelievers.

God rules. He is sovereign and firmly in control of the government of the world, even if to the natural eye it appears otherwise. Therefore you should not judge the things as they present themselves to you, but you should see them all in the light of God’s Word. That’s why this letter is also of great importance in order not to be confused by the actions of the ungodly who even seem to have the right on their side. That is just an appearance and appearances are deceiving.

Peter writes this letter as his spiritual testament. His departure is coming soon. In his first letter he encouraged the believers with a view to the persecutions and the sufferings they were enduring. In the kingdom of peace it will not be like that at all. That’s where he has drawn their attention to, over and over again. His second letter is full of warnings with a view to the destruction that is worked by the deceivers.

This is a character of other ‘second letters’, like the second letter to the Thessalonians and the second letter to Timothy. Then the point is not that much about dangers from the outside, from the world, but more from within, from within professing Christianity. You are also to be kept from the deceivers.

In both letters the coming of the Lord will change everything. Also in his second letter Peter refers to that coming. Thereby he even goes further than the coming of the Lord to establish the kingdom of peace. He writes about the eternal condition of the new heavens and the new earth. That is a great encouragement to be faithful and to see to it that the deceivers will get no chance to undermine the faith of God’s children.

Salutation and Blessing

2Pet 1:1. The letter has been written by Peter. He is its sender. Unlike in his first letter, he calls himself here “Simon Peter”. ‘Simon’ is the name that his parents gave him. It is, you could say, his old name. The Lord Jesus has given him his new name ‘Peter’ (Jn 1:42; Mt 10:2 ; Mt 16:18). That Peter introduces himself by his double name, is remarkable. It says, I think, a lot of his spiritual mind. He is at the end of his life. He knows who he is in Christ. Still, he has not forgotten his origin.

Further on, in 2Pet 1:9, he reminds his readers that he, who forgets what he was in the past, is blind and shortsighted. The longer a person goes his way with the Lord, the better he will know the Lord Jesus, but also the more he will understand what he himself is by nature. That will only make his awareness of grace increase. By introducing himself as Simon, he says to his readers that he is not better than them. By introducing himself also as Peter, he indicates that he addresses them as a brother among the brothers.

But he comes on behalf of another, on behalf of “Jesus Christ”. He is His “bond-servant”. What he has to say, he says because the Lord Jesus orders him to. He is completely subjected to His authority. That is not a burden, but a joy. He loves to call himself like that. There is nothing more wonderful than being a bond-servant of Him Who has redeemed you from the power of sin and has delivered you from death and the judgment after death (Heb 9:27).

Peter, however, is not only a bond-servant, he is also an “apostle”. That means that he speaks with authority. He not only comes because he is a bond-servant, but he comes also with the authority of the Lord Jesus and speaks in His Name. Therefore, what he has got to say was mandated by the Lord Jesus and he passes that on with the authority of His Sender. Ultimately it is not Peter who addresses you, but the Lord Jesus. That will on the one hand prevent you from reading this letter as a human writing and on the other hand impress you of the power of God that speaks from this letter.

Peter addresses his letter “to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours”. He mentions in addition that he and they owe that to “the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ”. The faith is precious, it is of special value. Here it is not so much the fact that you believe, that is your personal faith, but more about what you believe, about everything that the faith contains. What faith contains, are all blessings that are given to you in Christ. Those blessings are not only meant for an elite, a special group of privileged believers, but they are for all believers.

Peter especially addresses the Jews. They are raised with the thought that their own righteousness, the fulfillment of the law, gives the blessing of everything that God has promised. They have committed themselves to that as a people at Mount Sinai (Exo 19:8). But on that basis, they forfeited the blessing and each right to it forever because of their disobedience and the rejection of the Lord Jesus. That blessing can now only be obtained by faith in the rejected and glorified Lord. In what Christ has done, the basis has been laid for God to still give all the promised blessing to everyone who believes.

It is His righteousness, which means His righteous dealings, in response to the work of His Son, to give the opportunity to everyone who believes in the Son to partake of the precious value of all that faith contains. Therefore Peter speaks about the “righteousness” of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Also, by “the righteousness of our God”, you may remember that God is faithful to the promises He made to the fathers of Israel. In His righteousness He will fulfill all His promises.

Because Peter speaks about “our God and Savior Jesus Christ”, you see that God and the Savior Jesus Christ are One Person (cf. Tit 2:13). This Name connects this verse with the Old Testament, which those to whom Peter is writing, know so well. God calls Himself ‘Savior’ in Isaiah 45 (Isa 45:15). He does that with a view to the approaching end of Israel. A Savior or Redeemer is needed when the end of the existence of a nation or of a human being comes into view. Therefore this Name is fitting in this letter in which we read about the end of everything that has been created (Lk 1:47; 1Tim 2:3 ; 1Tim 4:10; Tit 1:3 ; Tit 2:10 ; Tit 3:4; Jude 1:25). This Name also shows that the Lord Jesus is both Savior and Yahweh of the Old Testament.

Therefore when He is presented by Peter as the origin of the precious faith, it also reminds them of the faithfulness of the God of Israel, Who has granted this faith to His people. This faith is now no longer associated with God’s earthly people, but with God’s heavenly people, in whom we find the things that God gives. In Christendom they have been revealed as truths. It is a great grace to be able to see that.

2Pet 1:2. Peter concludes his introductory words by wishing his readers “grace and peace”. He does so, however, in a penetrating way. He is aware, and he therefore wants to make his readers aware of it too, that those who live by faith, will have to face heavy weather. While great dangers are appearing and increasing (Mt 24:12), he is very much aware of the equally multiply grace and peace. Where the threat appears to be that great, grace and peace abound all the more (cf. Rom 5:20b).

Therefore Peter speaks about a ‘multiplication’ of grace and peace. He wants you to be more and more aware of the grace that is available to you to enable you to live your life in this end time. You do not have to go through it by your own power and with your own means. Nor can you. Entrust yourself to the grace of God. You have learnt to know Him as “the God of all grace” (1Pet 5:10). Therefore you will also be able to endure the toughest circumstances with an increasing peace in your heart.

To this blessing Peter connects “the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord”. Here you have the firm foundation to experience the fulfillment of the wish of Peter. By your personal relationship with God and with the Lord Jesus you will learn to know Them better and better. You gain that knowledge by reading and studying God’s Word. That’s what you are doing now and that is a good thing.

God and the Lord Jesus reveal Their plans in the Bible. If you know them, you will not easily be led into confusion and despair. By reading the Word the Holy Spirit will show you everything what God’s plan is with the Lord Jesus. Christ is the center of all God’s thoughts. If your thoughts are focused on the same center, you will find the support and nourishment for your faith there. Your faith will develop itself and expand itself further and further in that knowledge. This is how the multiplication happens that Peter wishes you on behalf of Jesus Christ.

Now read 2 Peter 1:1-2 again.

Reflection: Which encouragements do these verses contain?