2nd Peter, chapters 1 - 3

• The symbol {XVIII #.} after a word/phrase means that word/phrase is given in Greek on page XVIII (2ndPet)-- scroll down (if necessary) to that #;
• the symbol  means the Greek is the same as for the same word recently covered;
• the symbol  means the word does not exist in Greek.

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Chapter 1 Peter writing

Salutation: Simon Peter, a servant & apostle{XVIII 16.} of Jesus Christ, to Those who through the Righteousness of Our GOD & Savior{XVIII 13.} Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as Ours: grace & peace be Yours in abundance through the Knowledge of GOD & of Jesus Our LORD{XVIII 21.}.

HIS Divine Power{XVIII 27.} has given Us everything We need for life & godliness through Our Knowledge of HIM who called Us by HIS own Glory & Goodness{XVIII 14.}. Through these HE has given Us HIS very great & precious Promises, so that through them You may participate in the divine nature{XVIII 32.} & escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to:

• Your faith goodness; & to
• goodness, knowledge; & to
• knowledge, self-control; & to
• self-control, perseverance; & to
• perseverance, godliness; & to
• godliness, brotherly kindness; & to
• brotherly kindness, love.
• Recall the idea, the greatest of these (faith, hope & love) is love (1stCor 13:13)?
• Note some progress (internal to external)-- said progression spurs the church.
• Some do not mature at all-- as we have seen, some remain as babes in Christ.
• Some do mature-- but hence become "dead" (we shall shortly see that such become nearsighted & blind, & has forgotten that He has been cleansed from His past sins.
• Now this is hardly the same as those that we've seen who shrink back! The major damage there is to those who do shrink back & thus never receive salvation. Remember, we are not of them who shrink back.
• That is not to say that there is no damage to those remain as babes in Christ or he who becomes nearsighted & blind, & has forgotten that He has been cleansed from His past sins.
• But the significant damage is to the church, for said malady is contagious;
• I said all that to say that a huge remedy for the need for revival in a church is the reverse-contagious seeing & remembering.
• Finally-- "practice makes perfect!"

For if You possess these qualities in increasing measure{XVIII 46.}, they will keep You from being ineffective & unproductive in Your knowledge of Our LORD Jesus Christ{XVIII 34.}-- i.e., the qualities in increasing measure maintain the purity of appreciation of Him in your heart, yielding effective & productive knowledge (for as we saw, the choices of the mind are between the heart & speech/actions). But if anyone does not have them qualities in increasing measure, He is nearsighted & blind, & has forgotten that He has been cleansed from His past sins. I.e., the decreasing qualities yield a defiled appreciation of Him in your heart, which yields ineffective & unproductive knowledge-- again, for the choices of the mind are between your heart & your speech/actions. Therefore, My brothers, be all the more eager to make Your calling & election sure{XVIII 31.}. For if You do these things (qualities in increasing measure), You will never fall, & You will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of Our LORD & Savior Jesus Christ-- for you will have treasure laid up in Heaven.

So I will always remind You of these things, even though You know them & are firmly established in the truth You now have{XVIII 44.}. So that you might remain firmly established, I think it is right (crucial) to refresh Your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it (the tent) aside, as Our LORD Jesus Christ has made clear to Me. And I will make every effort to see that after My departure from the tent You will always be able to remember these things. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when We told You about the Power & Coming{XVIII 18.} of Our LORD Jesus Christ, but We were eyewitnesses of His Majesty. For He received honor & glory from GOD the Father{XVIII 28.} during the transfiguration when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, This is MY Son whom I love; with Him I am well pleased (Matt 17:5b; Mark 9:7c; Luke 9:35b). We ourselves heard this voice that came from Heaven when We were with Him on the sacred mountain{XVIII 1.}

• Above we saw when the select disciples knew it (on the Mount of Transfiguration)-- that Jesus was the son;
• But Jesus himself knew that HE was the Father's son before time (as we know it) began; per Psa 2:7 Jesus said I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: HE said to ME, YOU are MY SON; today I have become YOUR FATHER.
• But understand also that it was God's intent to sacrifice HIS son at least when time (as we know it) began; per Reve 13:8 we have, the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

And We have the word of the prophets{XVIII 35.} made more certain, & You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the Day of the LORD 1st dawns & the morning star rises in Your hearts. The Day of the LORD continues through the N.T., until the Day of GOD begins the 1,000 yr. reign (the 1st resurrection of the 20th ch. of Reve). Above all, You must understand that no prophecy of Scripture{XVIII 47.} came by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but holy men spoke{XVIII 2.} from GOD as They were carried along by the Holy Spirit{XVIII 3.}. Now, let me say this, that no prophecy of Scripture came by the prophet's own interpretation is most significant-- for there are those who believe the choice of a vow of celibacy makes them special (e.g., a prophet). True, Jesus himself indeed did say, For some are eunuchs because they were born that way (they never even contemplated marriage); others were made that way by men (not allowed to marry); & others have renounced marriage for the kingdom of heaven (have chosen to make a vow to temporarily/never marry, so that fthey can dedicate their time/energy for the Lord). The key word here is "chosen." May I repeat-- prophecy never had its origin in the will of man. Now never did Jesus nor any Scripture say it's a stupid choice (never implying it's good); but there is ample Scripture that says marriage is good (e.g., see 1st Cor 7)-- ample implying it's better. Why better? Because it's the Will of GOD that there be an ever-increasing Family of GOD with eternal life! Now Jesus did say (Luke 20:34-35,38), The people of this age marry & are given in marriage. But Those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age & in the resurrection will neither marry nor be given in marriage. HE is not the GOD of the dead, but of the already living. But as a reminder, I suppose, that we are far, far removed from agreement among the denominations & sects: the other day I was in a group discussion, & looking at the north pole I pointed out that someone had missed his calling by not making a vow, & before I even finished my sentence, someone turned to the south pole (amongst laughter) & pointed out that some Catholic had broken her vow! But then I know some sympathized with my immediate consternation.

Chapter 2 Peter writing

But there were also false prophets{XVIII 52.} among the people, just as there will be false teachers{XVIII 52.} among You. They will secretly introduce{XVIII 45.} destructive heresies{XVIII 8.}, even denying the Sovereign LORD who bought Them (the false teachers, bought with a price)-- bringing swift destruction{XVIII 50.} on themselves. Swift, but: Many will follow Their shameful ways{XVIII 9.} & They (the false teachers) will bring the way of truth into disrepute{XVIII 40.}. In Their greed these teachers will exploit You with stories They have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over Them, & Their destruction has not been sleeping{XVIII 10.}. The subject of false prophets was referred to in the O.T.: beginning in Isa 44:25, which says that they overthrow the learning of the wise; Jer 14:14 says they are prophesying lies in MY Name. I have not sent them or even spoken to them; Jer 23:16 says, they fill You with false hopes, they speak visions from their own minds, not from the Mouth of the LORD; etc. In the N.T., we have: Jesus saying, they come to You in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves; in Acts 13:6 we have about a specific false prophet, Bar-Jesus; 3x in Reve we have about a specific false prophet (Rev 16:13; 19:20; & 20:10). In stark contrast we only 2x have false teachers alluded to: 1stTim 1:3a, 4b says to command certain men not to teach false doctrines-- these promote controversies; & IstTim 6:3-6a says, If anyone teaches false doctrines & does not agree to the Sound Instruction of the LORD Jesus Christ & to godly teaching, He has an unhealthy interest in controversies & quarrels about words that result in envy... a constant friction between men who have been robbed of the truth & who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. Considering that there is no mention of false prophecy between Bar-Jesus (early church in Acts) & Revelations, it seems the counsel of 1st Timothy was more about the false prophet(s) to come, then about the pursuit of finance now-- the constant friction between men who have been robbed of the truth & who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But note that we shall soon see (v. 10), This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature & despise authority.

BTW, just as throughout this work all pronouns referring to Jews (whether they become Christian or not) are capitalized, all pronouns referring to bought with a price Christians are capitalized-- including the false teachers destined for concrete condemnation & destruction.

For:

• if GOD did not spare the angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment;
• if HE did not spare the ancient world when HE brought  the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah a preacher of righteousness{XVIII 30.}, & 7 others (his family);
• if HE condemned the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, & made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; &
• if HE rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men condemned & worthy of not being spared (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in His righteous soul by the lawless deeds He saw & heard)--

if all this is so, then the LORD knows how to rescue those who remain godly men from trials & to hold the unrighteous{XVIII 51.} false teachers for the day of judgment{XVIII 24.}, while continuing Their punishment through the Day of the LORD to the Day of GOD (when the false prophets are judged). During this Day of the LORD the false teachers will be judged,  repent & be forgiven. But not the false prophets-- recall what Jesus said, that every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven (Matt 12:31). The deceived & repentent false teachers will be will endure condemnation & await judgment, but due to repentence, they will only experience the blackness of darkness-- not hellfire & brimstone.

• This is especially true of Those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful & despise authority.
• Bold & arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger & more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the Presence of the LORD{XVIII 43.}.
• But these men blaspheme in matters They do not understand{XVIII 12.}. They:
  • are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct{XVIII 7.}, born only to be caught & destroyed, & like beasts They too will perish.
  • will be paid back with harm for the harm They have done-- hence the saying, "what goes around, comes around." Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.
  • are blots & blemishes, reveling in Their pleasures while They feast with You.
• With eyes full of adultery, They:
  • never stop sinning;
  • seduce the unstable;
  • are experts in greed-- an accursed brood!
  • have left the straight way & wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But He was rebuked for His wrongdoing by a donkey-- a beast without speech --who spoke with a man's voice & restrained the prophet's madness. Here we have an example of a true prophet gone berserk-- 1 step away from becoming a false prophet; see Num 22:1-31).

These men are springs without water & mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for Them forever{XVIII 23.}-- recall I said above that the judgment awaiting is not hellfire & brimstone; also, this word, forever, does not appear in the NIV, but the Greek for it is indeed used. For They mouth empty, boastful words &, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature{XVIII 22.}, They entice people who are just escaping from those non-Christians who live in error. Note the 2-way street-- they appeal to those yet with lustful desires. May this be a huge warning to those just escaping about avoiding becoming false themselves! They promise Them freedom, while They themselves are slaves of depravity{XVIII 17.}-- for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have finished escaping-- If They have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing Our LORD & Savior Jesus Christ & are again entangled in it & overcome, They are worse off at the end that They were at the beginning of the new birth. It would have been better for Them not to have known the way of righteousness{XVIII 41.}, than to have fully known it & then to turn Their backs on the sacred command{XVIII 4.} that was passed on to Them at the start of escaping. The sacred command?-- Deu 6:5; 10:12; 11:1,13,22; 13:3; 19:9; 30:10) has:

• Love the LORD Your GOD with all Your heart... soul... strength;
• walk in obedience to HIM,
• hold fast to HIM-- HIS Commands, Decrees & Laws;
• listen to HIS Voice;
• turn to the LORD with all.

Speaking of sacred:

• in Matt 7:6 Jesus said, Do not give dogs what is sacred... they may trample them under their feet, & then tear You to pieces;
• in 1stCor 3:7 we have, If anyone destroys GOD's Temple, GOD will destroy Him; for GOD's Temple is sacred, & You are that Temple.

Of Them the proverbs are true; A dog returns to its vomit (Pro 26:11a) & A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud (Pro 25:26 has Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way to the wicked).

Chapter 3 Peter writing

Dear friends, this is now My 2nd letter to You. I have written both of them to You as reminders to stimulate You to wholesome thinking{XVIII 19.}. I want You to recall the words spoken in the past{XVIII 48.} by the holy prophets{XVIII 5.} & the Command given by Our LORD & Savior through Your apostles{XVIII 20.}. 1st of all, You must understand that in the last days through the Day of the LORD to the Day of GOD scoffers will come, scoffing & following Their own evil desires. They will say, "Where is this 'coming' He promised? Ever since Our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." But They deliberately forget (purposely do not factor in the equation) that long ago by GOD'S Word{XVIII 36.} all the heavens existed & the earth was formed out of water & by water. By these same waters the entire world was deluged & destroyed. But there was no re-creation, as Noah & the 7 others (Gen 7:13; 1stPet 3 :20) left the ark, when the waters receded, into this destroyed world. By the same Word the present heavens & earth are reserved for fire{XVIII 39.}, being kept for the day of judgment & destruction{XVIII 33.} of ungodly men in the Day of GOD. But do not forget this 1 thing, dear friends: With the LORD a day is like 1,000 years, & 1,000 years are like a day. The LORD is not slow in keeping HIS Promise to answer your prayers, as some understand slowness-- like when the prayers are not soon answered. HE is patient with You, not wanting anyone to perish by misinterpreting the answers, but everyone to come to repentance. Recall the matter of Jonah, the preacher of righteousness who ran from the Lord?:

• 1st he was in the turmoil of the ship (which we shall call sleeping in the auditorium seats);
• then he was in the greater turmoil of the sea (which we shall call the orchestra pit);
• from this pit-- In My distress I called to the LORD; I called for help; I said, "I will look again toward YOUR Holy Temple"; My prayer rose to YOU, to YOUR Holy Temple;
• later, when he was in the peaceful fish (which we shall call on the stage), he prayed again, describing the time in the pit-- importantly saying, "But now I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to YOU. What I have vowed I will make good-- salvation comes from the LORD."
• After being in the peaceful fish 3 days & 3 nights, the LORD commanded the fish, & it vomited Jonah beyond the pit, even beyond the auditorium, unto dry land.

But the end of the Day of the LORD{XVIII 25.} during the 1st part of the millenium reign of Reve will come like a thief. 1stThe 5:2 adds that it will come like a thief in the night-- i.e., when many will be sleeping & not alert (the time will be past for becoming reflexively alert. Remember the gunslingers of old, how some had acquired the skill to suddenly wake up & defend themselves?). Jesus often referred to this-- e.g., in Matt 24:43. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, & the earth & everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed{XVIII 37.} in this way, what kind of people ought You to be? You ought to live holy & godly lives{XVIII 6.} as You look forward to the Day of GOD{XVIII 26.} during the millenium pd. of Reve & speed its coming.  That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire {XVIII 42.}, & the elements will melt in the heat{XVIII 49.}.

• Now it might appear that there is just 1 Greek word used, both for the blackest darkness destruction of the false prophets (described above in ch. 2), & the fire destruction here-- but very significantly there are 2 radically different: the 1 above can remain rendered destruction, but here we have a unique Greek word that often is rendered dissolved.
• But in keeping with HIS Promise that we wouldn't experience the hellfire: We are looking forward to a new plural Heaven & a new earth{XVIII 29.}, the home of righteousness. I'm glad this judgment by fire was covered here-- if confirms what was said in ch. 2 about false teachers among You (some who are indeed true teachers now are presuming that they cannot become false & suffer consequences).
• I went to an event recently that was purportedly a sincere Christian Outreach, but it was very reminiscient of the 60s & 70s when there were cults arising fueled by mantras. During this outreach we were being led to sing the exact same 3 godly words-- repeatedly for 10 minutes, followed by the 4 others repeated for 15 minutes. But at that time I was only irritated because having worked intensely earlier that day, after 5 minutes I sat down & never arose again (same with my supervisor & co-worker). But the guy leading the charade repeatedly looked over with an angry look because, sitting in front, we were bad examples. So tempted was I to stand up & rebuke him-- I just didn't think I ought to do that in front of all.
• They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign LORD who bought Them. Blackest darkness is reserved for Them-- as opposed to the by fire described here for those not bought.

So then, dear friends, since You are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless & at peace with HIM. Bear in mind that Our LORD's Patience means salvation{XVIII 38.}, just as Our dear brother Paul also wrote with the wisdom that GOD gave Him. Now quite unlike the 2 uniquely differing Greek words described recently for destruction via blackest darkness vs. the final dissolution by fire: there are only 3 Greek root-words that are rendered salvation; these 3 are very similar-- they differ only a little, as 1 is a noun that is used by Paul 19x (salvation), 1 is an adjective used by Paul 1x (Ephe 6:17, helmet of salvation-- i.e., salvation helmet), & 1 is a verb used by Paul 1x (Titu 2:11, brings salvation). Therefore, Our LORD's Patience is but a moment in the ABCing (admitting, believing, confessing) of salvation-- because of GOD's omniscience (in HIS all-knowing HE knows precisely when/where we're going to do what). Also, Our LORD's Patience means salvation could be written Our LORD's Patience is a hallmark of salvation. He (Paul) writes the same way in all His letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant & unstable people distort, as They do other Scriptures, to Their own destruction{XVIII 11.}-- having become false teachers, to their blackest darkness. Therefore, dear friends, since You already know this, be on Your guard so that You might not be carried away by the error of lawless men & fall from Your secure position to this same blackest darkness. But grow in the Grace & Knowledge of Our LORD & Savior Jesus Christ. To HIM be Glory both now & forever{XVIII 15.}! Amen.