PAUL HARCOURT (ALL SAINTS WOODFORD WELLS) New Wine 2 Peter/Jude outlines SEMINAR ONE (intro and 2 Peter

r 1) Why these two letters? They speak relevantly to moderns: Issues of authority Nature of the Christian hope Tolerance of pluralistic doctrines Sexual permissiveness Yet theyre neglected and often attacked why? Late to be included in canon Reflect later post-apostolic period? Questions of authorship? Why these two together? High degree of dependence on each other Address very similar concerns? Intro to 2 Peter For now, say author = Peter, writing around AD67 (near death) Setting written from Rome to all the little churches of Asia Minor Context these churches were plagued with false teachers Comparison with 1 Peter: 1 Peter is a letter written to a church facing persecution 2 Peter is a letter written to churches afflicted by false teaching that results in immorality 1 Peter develops the theme of salvation with its accompaniment of hope and resurrection. 2 Peter stresses sanctification with its emphasis on holy living and the need to refute error. 1 Peter looks back to the great events upon which the Christian faith is based. 2 Peter looks forward to the return of Christ and the warnings and hopes that promise raises.

2 Peter 1:1-2 Claims name of Peter (and SIMEON Peter archaic use, rather than Simon) Introduces his readers people like us! Christology v1 cp v2 n.b. v16-18 argues that Jesus is Son of God (not yet Word or Trinity) Abundance Through knowledge of God and JX - glory of HS is to mediate our knowledge of God 2 Peter 1:3-4 SUMMARY OF PETERS GOSPEL (v3-11)

has given everything for life and godliness through our knowledge called us by his glory and goodness given us his very great and precious promises participate in the divine nature escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires 2 Peter 1:5-7 Make every effort to ADD (Greek chorus) Ladder of virtues (danger of ladders in commentaries!) Very Hellenistic except Christian distinctive virtues 1st and last Begin with FAITH AIM at (aspire to) LOVE 2 Peter 1:8-11 keep you from being ineffective and unproductive v9 implies the Cross remains key the way in is the way on assurance do the basics and be ok NOW (not fall) and FUTURE (into KG) 2 Peter 1:12-15 written to people who know the truth Peters days are numbered (but Christian hope of life beyond death, view of body) established believers need repeated reminders about Gods promises Peters last will and testament, his bequest is a reminder of these things (verse 15s future tense may refer to the gospel of Mark?) Verse 16: Note the following three points. the word coming in verse 16 definitely refers to his second coming. The Greek word parousia refers to the second coming 18 times in the New Testament and never to the first coming. the power and coming of Christ were part of the essential teaching of the church and it had already been made known. This isnt peripheral doctrine tacked on the end. confidence in the second coming is based not on speculations but on an eye-witness experience of Jesus majesty in the past. What we believe is not myth, legend or speculation but a result of historical observation. This is why knowledge is so important in 2 Peter. If the key note of 1 Peter is hope in view of the present sufferings, the key note of 2 Peter is knowledge in view of present dangers. Real Christian faith flourishes in truth; sects flourishes in ignorance. Verse 17 to 18: The eye-witness experience is that with James and John on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter could have told how he saw Christ after his resurrection or how he saw him ascend into heaven but on neither occasion did Jesus appear in his majesty as verse 16 says. Since he wants to remind us of the majesty and greatness of Jesus second coming, Peter reminds us of his majesty at the transfiguration.

Questions of authorship: why is Peters authorship sometimes questioned? reasons for believing that Peter is indeed the author The canon of scripture and other writings Questions raised by The Da Vinci Code and Gospel of Judas How was the canon decided? Verses 19-21: what does made more certain mean? Probably Peter means that the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiahs second coming are now more sure because they have been confirmed on the Mount of Transfiguration in an eye-witness preview. Verse 19 and 20 are closely linked although the link is obscured in the English. Verse 20 should probably begin Knowing this first. Verse 20 therefore means that the meaning of the scripture is objective not subjective. It does not change with every new reader or every new reading. Therefore listening to scripture we need to understand that there is a true meaning and there are false meanings. As verse 21 explains further, we cant fill the words of scripture with our ideas because God intends that they carry His ideas. Whenever we go to the scripture we should remember that these are not the mere words of men, they are the words of God. Seek Gods meaning and you will find hope in His promises (compare Romans 15 verse 4). Illustration from John Piper Suppose that you are a platoon leader and have been trapped with your platoon behind enemy lines, and your commanding officer smuggles a coded message to you to inform you how to get out. What do you do with that message? Do you pass it around the platoon and collect everyone's impressions and then flip a coin to decide what it means? No. You sit down and you labour to break the code. Why? Because the impressions of your platoon are not what you need. The mind of your commander makes all the difference. The interpretation of that message has one aimwhat did the commander wish to communicate? And to that end you submit yourself to the severe discipline of memory and analysis and construction until you have assurance that his meaning and not your own has been found. And then you stake your life on it. Three things to sum up what we need as we approach the scriptures: We need to learn the discipline of learning to read the Bible. Secondly we need humility in order to interpret it, especially when it goes against our natural inclinations. Thirdly, we need the Holy Spirit to make us sensitive and submissive to what is in the text. It was through people carried along by the Holy Spirit that God spoke in the scriptures and therefore today it will be people yielded to the Spirit who hear His voice most clearly in them.

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