Day 2459 – Anticipation of Christ’s Return – Living in Troubled Times – 2 Peter 3:14-18

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Welcome to Day 2459 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

Day 2459 – Living in Troubled Times – Daily Wisdom

Putnam Church Message – 09/08/2024 Anticipation of Christ’s Return – Living in Troubled Times 2 Peter 3:14-18 Last week, our focus was on what we should do in light of the coming day of the Lord. And we determined that we should Clean up. Look up. Speak up. These three commands alone will keep us plenty busy until the Lord returns. Today’s passage is 2 Peter 3:14-18, on page 1897 of your Pew Bibles. I will read it from the NLT for clarity of flow. ¹⁴ And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. ¹⁵ And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— ¹⁶ speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. ¹⁷ You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. ¹⁸ Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. Beware! Be ready! Those two commands could summarize the theme of Peter’s second letter. In Chapter 1 Peter warned against moral corruption, encouraging believers to beware of temptations and be ready with a virtuous life. In Chapter 2, he warned against false teachers, urging us to beware of their deceptive wickedness and be prepared to stand against their lies. Finally, in Chapter 3, Peter reminded us that scoffers would come, doubting the coming judgment. In light of this challenge, Peter encouraged us to beware of their persuasive skepticism and always be ready for the coming judgment. Peter wrote this letter to remind believers of sound teaching, to encourage diligence in the faith, and to strengthen biblical foundations of beliefs and practices. As he transitions to his final words to believers everywhere, we see him emphasize the need to read Scripture rightly, rejecting the destructive heretical interpretations of the false teachers. Only in this way will we be stable in the face of false teaching and fruitful in our spiritual growth. In these five verses, Peter leaves his readers with four strong commands:

• Be diligent (3:14).
• Be confident (3:15-16).
• Be on guard (3:17).
• Be fruitful (3:18).

In that order, let Peter fill in the blanks and firm up his final words. — 3:14 — The first thing we notice about Peter’s clear command to be diligent is that he ties it in with the previous discussion. He begins with the logical connector, “And so,” pointing us back to his appeal to live in light of the coming judgment and Christ’s return. He just finished writing of the Christian hope for “But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.” (3:13). In light of our anticipation for these things, we should be diligent today. The Greek verb for diligent is spoudazõ, which means to be zealous or take great pains at accomplishing a task. In this case, Peter emphasizes the need for peace. Instead of squirming in panic and writhing in anxiety, we should be at peace. This psychological tranquility comes through being “spotless and blameless”—free from moral stains and without nagging guilt. When we have a clear conscience by keeping short accounts with God and applying ourselves to grow in our faith, we can face present troubles and future judgment with greater confidence. Peter considers explicitly the condition in which Christ finds us when He returns. The apostle John echoes the same kind of appeal: And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame. (1 Jn. 2:28). -3:15-16 — Whereas scoffers and mockers had been saying that the Lord’s delayed return implied that He wasn’t coming at all, Peter said that His delay was actually an expression of His mercy (3:8-9). It gives unbelievers an opportunity for “salvation” (3:15). Peter’s response is meant to encourage his readers to be confident that Christ’s delay was purposeful. Now, this kind of response might appear to be a verbal dodge—an excuse for the Lord’s delay. However, to support his claim that this is what all Christians believe about the delay in Christ’s return, Peter appeals to the parallel teaching of his counterpart, the apostle Paul. Peter reminds his readers that Paul also wrote them that the patience of the Lord meant salvation. Paul said that God “who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:4). And he asked, ⁴ Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? (Rom. 2:4). Peter acknowledges that in some of Paul’s letters, we come across things that are “Some of his comments are hard to understand” (2 Pet. 3:16). This can be encouraging to those of us who have spent a lifetime trying to decipher Paul’s meaning in particular passages. If Peter himself noticed some difficult passages in his letters, how much more should we approach the Holy Scriptures with humility and patience! However, unclear passages in Paul’s writings could have a disastrous effect in the wrong hands. Peter says that some people—the “ignorant and unstable”—distort Paul’s writings,>as well as the rest of the Scriptures, bringing destruction upon themselves (3:16). What does it mean to be “ignorant” (amathës)? The Greek word amathës appears only here in the New Testament. One lexicon defines the word as “one who has not acquired a formal education, and hence with the implication of being stupid and ignorant.”! The term “unstable” (astêriktos) refers to somebody who tends to change and waver in their views.! These terms describe the false teachers Peter dealt with in detail in Chapter 2. Now they’re back on Peter’s mind as he explains how they mishandle the Old Testament Scriptures and the burgeoning New Testament writings. Because they lack the humility to submit to formal discipleship and are wavering in their beliefs, these false teachers “twisted” the Scriptures. The Greek word for “twisted” (strebloõ) means to twist, wrench, or torture. The noun form of this same word is used for the torture device known as “the rack.” On this cruel device, a person would be fastened, then twisted and turned, often dislocating limbs as his interrogator attempted to draw information out of him. Peter’s analogy is apt. The false teachers, Scripture in hand, would wrench and torture a text until it said what they wanted it to say. They ripped passages out of context, forced and twisted otherwise clear passages to conform to cloudy texts, concealed or exaggerated evidence, and used every trick in the book to deceive people into thinking their teachings were biblical. This should serve as a warning to us all. Before jumping on the bandwagon and following somebody’s clever treatment of Scripture, we must look closely at what’s being taught. Does their “new discovery” of some undiscovered doctrine fit with the central truths of the Christian faith? Do their novel insights mesh with the rest of Scripture? False teachers thrive on being unique, nuanced, and novel. They often claim to have found things in the Bible that nobody had ever noticed. And they don’t care that fine Christians and learned scholars disagree with them. They wear their deviant teaching and divisive doctrine as a badge of honor! THE EARLY NEW TESTAMENT CANON 2 PETER 3:15-16 Nowhere else in the New Testament do we find a passage like 2 Peter 3:15-16, where a New Testament writing refers to another New Testament writing as “Scripture” on the same level as the Old Testament. In the second generation of Christians, we see an increased awareness of apostolic writings as inspired Scripture. Still, in the first century, “Scripture” referred to the accepted canon of authoritative Jewish holy writings—the Old Testament. Peter’s reference to Paul contains helpful insights about the apostle Paul and his letters. First, Peter shows that Paul’s letters had already begun to be collected by various churches. This indicates an early development of a “canon” or standard “collection” of New Testament writings within a decade of being written. Of course, New Testament books were still in the process of being written, and no single church or teacher had a complete collection of everything composed to that date. In the ancient world, it took time for these books to be copied, collected, and confirmed as authentic. However, Peter’s reference to “all [Paul’s] letters” indicates that in Rome around ad 66, Peter was aware of a growing collection of Paul’s writings. Second, Peter clearly aligns Paul’s writings with accepted Scripture. He says false teachers twist Paul’s writings just as they do with other parts of Scripture. Peter saw Paul’s writings as a smaller set of a larger category that included the Old Testament Scriptures. “Scriptures” translates graphë , the same Greek word Paul used in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God.” This indicates a very early awareness that God was in the process of adding a New Testament to the Old—a collection of distinct but equally inspired and authoritative writings that would be used as a sure source of truth in the progress of revelation. Some critics have alleged that the early Christians did not initially regard the apostles’ writings as “Scripture” and that this process of assembling a New Testament canon took several generations. What do they do with the clear evidence from 2 Peter 3:15-16 that shows even Peter assumed the scriptural authority of Paul’s writings? Reasonably, they believe that 2 Peter must have been written much later—a classic case of forcing the evidence into one’s preconceived conclusions! The fact is that Peter’s reference to Paul’s writings is an early and essential indication that, already in the first century, the concept of a “New Testament” was firmly established. This is why we must filter what we hear through the whole counsel of God —the unified voice of all the Scriptures, not just isolated texts. We can’t allow a preacher’s style or a teacher’s charisma to lure us into concocted arguments and clever conclusions. We need to think critically, comparing a person’s teaching with what Christians have believed from day one—and with the central truths that can be demonstrated clearly in Scripture. Unlike the flimsy flap of false prophets, reliable interpretations of Scripture will stand under God’s Word,| stand up to challenges, |and stand the test of time. — 3:17 — The third command in Peter’s closing words is to be on guard. We must stand watch because we know beforehand that false teachers are carrying Bibles. Peter uses a military term for taking charge of a post (phylassõ), keeping our eyes peeled for approaching enemy combatants. Because he warns us that they will sneak up on us through the dense fog of deception —wearing our uniforms, carrying our weapons,| and speaking our language —we must be alert. From this day on, nobody can plead ignorance.| Perhaps negligence, irresponsibility, and laziness—but not ignorance. The price of failing to be on guard is twofold. First, we will be dragged away by the errors of the false teachers. Like a soldier who turns his back on his post, the enemy will pounce and take us captive. Second, we will fall from our steadfast position. Peter isn’t referring here to losing salvation, but to losing sanctification—stumbling backward from the progress made in spiritual growth. Recall that at the beginning of this letter, Peter listed the virtues we must develop between faith and love—godly habits that mark us as useful and fruitful believers in Christ (1:5-8). And with this appeal: So, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. (1:10). Peter acknowledges the possibility of slipping backward—losing spiritual stability and being rendered useless and unfruitful. Don’t let your guard down for one moment. The results could be disastrous. — 3:18 — In contrast to slipping backward toward spiritual decline due to instability, Peter states his final command—be fruitful. He encourages us: you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. With this command, Peter returns to the opening blessing of the letter: May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. (1:2). The overall goal of Peter’s letter is that believers will continue to grow, to multiply in grace, and to be fruitful in their spiritual lives. In 3:18, Peter encouraged believers to grow in both grace and knowledge. The challenge for us is to keep these two in balance. They may sometimes appear to be mutually exclusive categories. It can be easy to take one to an unhealthy extreme, but they must both be maintained.

GRACE	KNOWLEDGE
Keeps you tolerant and loving	Keeps you strong and confident
Gives you mercy and compassion	Gives you discernment and discrimination
Helps you believe and accept	Helps you question and critique
Results in vulnerability	Results in stability

To monitor your own spiritual growth, continue to ask yourself some probing questions. Am I keeping grace and knowledge in balance? Do others notice a measurable change in my character? Have I come to the place where old temptations no longer have the same strong appeal? Am I demonstrating more discernment when it comes to counterfeit claims? Peter’s very last words recorded for Christians living in both the first century and the twenty-first century are words of praise to Jesus Christ. This final doxology to His Savior stands as a profound testimony from a man who had once fallen from his own steadfastness, only to be restored to a place of spiritual strength unmatched by most believers since. He grew from a headstrong Galilean to a humble apostle, from a simple fisherman to a legendary fisher of men. We, too, can follow him on his remarkable journey of spiritual growth as we heed his warnings, recall his reminders, and embrace his promises, applying diligence and hope, and relying on the provision of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When we do this, we will be able to defeat false doctrine and avoid moral compromise, joining Peter in his passionate praise of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen. APPLICATION: 2 PETER 3:14-18 We have a Living HOPE in Second Peter Using each of the letters of hope, let me share four essential tips on maintaining the diligent, alert spirit Peter desires believers of every age to exhibit. H—Heed what you already know (1:12-13; 3:1-2). Many of us have learned enough truth in our lives to hold us strong and keep us faithful. For most of us_; the problem isn’t a lack of biblical knowledge but a lack of personal application. We can get so caught up in learning more biblical truth that we forget to heed the truth we already know. Because we so easily forget the basics, we must often return to these as the foundation of our Christian beliefs and practices. If you’ve gotten into the rut of acquiring biblical, theological, and historical knowledge without a lifestyle that reflects it, take a step back and give attention to the basic disciplines of the faith—prayer, confession, fellowship, and worship. Heed what you already know. O—Open your eyes and ears (2:1-3; 3:17). Discernment is a developed skill. New Christians sometimes soak up ideas and habits that have nothing to do with authentic Christian belief and practice. Part of the growing process involves developing a better ability to filter these things through a more mature grid. Pay attention to your sources of information. Give further attention not only to what teachers say but also to what they don’t say. Study the life of preachers who claim to be teaching the Word of God. Are they living it? Do they affirm the authority of Scripture, or do they push their own or somebody else’s authority above the Bible? Aids to help us interpret and apply