Brief Introduction to 2 Peter

[0:00] Peter's second book or epistle has sailed through some rough seas.

[0:22] Concerning 2 Peter, this book is not often quoted or studied or preached or discussed.

[0:45] But the worst thing is the book itself over the centuries was ignored by a lot of theologians, a lot of Bible scholars.

[1:00] And to bolster their position, they manned a tax on 2 Peter and the great book that follows, the book of Jude, which I dearly love.

[1:17] And this is where I'm going to get on thin ice because I can't pronounce this word. I meant to get Mike to help me. They claimed that this letter was pseudonymous.

[1:32] That's a big word. I can't even pronounce it. But it means that there are many that claimed these two books, 2 Peter and Jude, were forgeries and not worthy of study.

[1:47] I like what Dr. MacArthur said, now with the Lord. Those who ignore 2 Peter do so at their own peril.

[2:01] I think he made that statement for at least three reasons.

[2:13] First, Peter wrote this book to warn believers in every age, including the 21st century, that they were at high risk of spiritual deception.

[2:38] I think also Peter wanted this book to be written because he believed, and I think accurately so, that his death was imminent.

[2:53] He didn't have a lot of time left. Peter also knew, and no doubt, in my mind, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that false teachers were about to unleash their lies and demonic doctrines on the church.

[3:18] And the last point I made there concerning doctrines of devils is especially pertinent. They did invade the church, and they are still with us, in churches across our country and across the world.

[3:38] In fact, I must say that the attack by false teachers on the church is prevalent in our day.

[3:54] And this is true, I think, primarily for two paramount reasons. First, we live in a time where there has been a massive spread of almost instant information on a global scale.

[4:15] It's amazing. Second, we live in an age of many false churches wedded to many false Christs that lack discernment and have facilitated the spread of doctrinal error to sway the unbelievers and sweep the world with untruth.

[4:49] Now, both of these reasons, and I'm sure there are more, have been aided by television, cable radio, books, the internet, magazines, and seminars.

[5:10] There always seems to be a charlatan wanting to hold a seminar. These are put on by false teachers, and they are well attended, and equally well financed.

[5:32] We have seen in our day, multitudes being deceived and exchanging the truth for lies. Paul, the apostle, foresaw that day and wrote about it frequently.

[5:53] The same can be said for the other New Testament authors, including Dr. Luke, who quoted the apostle Paul in the book of Acts. Paul was about to leave for Jerusalem where he faced almost certain death.

[6:14] And he put a call out and he assembled the Ephesian elders. He had spent like three years there, but he wanted them to come to him. And he put this call out and he wanted to give them a charge.

[6:34] And here's his charge in Acts chapter 20 verses 28 to 30. Let me read it to you. Be on guard for yourselves and for the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood.

[7:11] I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in and they'll be among you. This is Paul telling them, not sparing the flock.

[7:25] And from among your own selves, men will arise speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.

[7:39] In the very extreme reaches of the charismatic movement, we have seen false teachers spread like a creeping London fog.

[7:52] I've been there during those times in London and even comes through the window sills. Windows closed and locked. It's amazing. Some of the more extreme preachers claim they were called up into the highest heaven because Jesus thought he had failed and needed their encouragement and advice.

[8:22] I'm sure there are worse blasphemies. I just can't think of one right now. And then we have the Apostle Peter.

[8:36] He had no hesitation in denouncing and condemning the deceivers that were in his day threatening the flock of God.

[8:53] Of course, the flock I'm speaking of is the church of the Lord Jesus. And they are still being threatened to this day. Peter knew who they were, they'd even been identified in the Sermon on the Mount, Beware of the false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

[9:28] That's Matthew 7.15 by the way. And then in Acts chapter 20 verses 28-32 the first part it says this, Be on guard for yourselves for all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the church of God which He purchased just with His own blood.

[10:07] I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and from among your own men will arise speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them therefore be watchful.

[10:37] There is a defense though against false teachers in the church and we need to be aware of it. We can defend our church against a false teacher or a false prophet that may come in and that defense is to know the Word of God.

[11:03] No one should be able to deceive anyone in this church. Peter knew this and that is why he penned this brief epistle.

[11:17] Peter was highly motivated to protect those under his watchful care in his day and all the days in the future of the church until the return of Christ.

[11:40] I read this a few weeks ago. I regrettably can't remember the source and it's especially pertinent to me having spent over 25 years now on the Board of Directors of Voice of the Martyrs.

[11:56] The greatest danger in the church in the 21st century is not persecution although I might add there's plenty of that.

[12:08] The greatest danger is apostasy in the pulpits and in the pews. It is a fitting conclusion as to why this book should be included in the canon of Scripture and why it should be studied in every age such as ours maybe even especially ours.

[12:39] This particular year I'll be using a lot of the Legacy Standard Bible and also the ESV. The Legacy Standard Bible was authored by Dr.

[12:54] MacArthur and the professors at the Masters University and Seminary. He selected men that were experts in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, the languages of both the Old and New Testament.

[13:11] And let me say to you that Dr. John Murray may have been the foremost Reformed theologian of the 20th century.

[13:28] He was born in 1898 in Scotland. My wife and I have been there a few times. He fought for the Royal Highlanders.

[13:40] We may never heard of that, but most of you in here have heard of the Black Watch. That's what these soldiers were called. Fought in France.

[13:54] He actually lost an eye in combat. And after the war, he returned to Scotland and pursued studies at Glasgow University.

[14:06] the University. When he received his master's degree, he then moved to the United States and pursued a Ph.D.

[14:17] in theology at Princeton University. And after graduating, he taught systematic theology, but within a year, he left Princeton and joined the faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary.

[14:35] And he taught there with Professor J. Gresham Mason, great minister of the gospel who was essentially kicked out because his denomination had gone liberal, and Cornelius Van Till.

[14:54] And their stated purpose was to maintain the old Princeton tradition, and that translated as Reformed Calvinism. These teachings were represented in the early days at Princeton by Dr.

[15:09] Charles Hodge, his son A.A. Hodge, and Dr. B.B. Warfield. In my opinion, Dr.

[15:22] Murray's greatest work was the book Redemption Accomplished and Applied. I read my copy many times, in total or in part.

[15:37] I actually taught out of that book, in this room, for two and a half years, in a series we called Salvation God's Way.

[15:50] Well, I've now misplaced the book, and I've got to buy another one. But here is a quote from Dr.

[16:02] Murray concerning the everlasting significance of the atonement. The father did not spare his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[16:17] he spared nothing that the dictates of unrelenting rectitude demanded, and it is the undercurrent of the son's acquiescence that we hear when he says, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.

[16:40] But why? It was in order that eternal and invincible love might find the full realization of its urgent purpose and redemption by the price and by power.

[16:58] Of Calvary, the spirit is eternal love and the basis of eternal justice. It is the same love manifested in the mystery of Gethsemane's agony.

[17:10] It is the same love manifested there at the foot of the cross. Calvary's a cursed tree that wraps eternal security around the people of God.

[17:29] He who indeed not spare his own son, but delivered him over for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things, who will bring a charge against God's elect.

[17:46] God is the one who justifies, who is the one who condemns. Christ Jesus is he who died, yes, rather was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us, who will separate us from the love of Christ, will affliction or turmoil or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword, just as it is written, for your sake we are being put to death all day long.

[18:29] We are counted as sheep for the slaughter. But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us.

[18:42] For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[19:16] That of course is the concluding words to the greatest book, the greatest chapter, Romans chapter 8. I am bringing a devotion, I think it is next week at the VOM board meeting, and I am going to be quoting that.

[19:38] Chapter 8 verse 1 begins with no condemnation and it ends in no separation. And I love the Holy Spirit words here, nothing in life, nothing in death, nothing in all creation can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

[20:01] If it's nothing in life and nothing in death and nothing in all creation, what else is there? What else is there? That is the security which a perfect atonement secures and it is the perfection of the atonement that secures it.

[20:30] The greatest gift that the Father has bestowed upon sinners who believed is eternal life through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

[20:40] we have to be careful when we say the believers who believed, we didn't conjure up belief.

[20:54] We didn't even conjure up faith. The Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul told us in Ephesians chapter 2, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves.

[21:09] it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one may boast. So Peter opens this second epistle with the certainty of salvation in view.

[21:31] And he next gives us three great truths concerning salvation. And these three truths are this, the source of our salvation, the substance of our salvation, and the sufficiency of our salvation.

[21:58] And I have good news for you guys that are early to bed, early to rise. this is where we end tonight, and we'll pick up our study next week, covering these great truths, and I'm sure some others as well.

[22:16] So let's close with a word of prayer. Most gracious and holy Father, Father, we are here present before you to study your word, to study your son, to study the great truths of the Bible.

[22:43] Lord, may we have a good year of study, and may all that we do and think and say bring honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ, to the Holy Spirit, to the Father.

[23:00] And may we be found faithful to the church you have put us in. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.