If you were in a Roman prison around 65 A.D. awaiting your death, what would you write as your last letter to the church? 2 Peter addresses topics that he must have felt to be extremely important, yet they are rarely preached in most churches today. Peter warns the church of false teachers, so the church would not be led astray. He also discusses Jesus’ return and the Day of Judgment. When was the last time you heard that preached on Sunday? And a third topic rarely heard from the pulpit in many churches is the topic of a future “new heaven and a new earth.” May we open our hearts, minds and ears to grasp these things Peter felt so important for the church to understand. Notes are provided for each lesson of this five-part series for self-study, reflection, and as a resource to teach others.
As we begin our study of 2 Peter, we address the question of the authenticity of this letter, one of the last to be accepted into the canon of the New Testament. Was the apostle Peter truly its author? How should we view this letter? We then turn to Peter's opening charge: that we continue […]
Introduction to 2 Peter and Growing Spiritually (2 Peter 1:1-15) View Lesson
Peter says that just as there were false prophets in the past, there will be false teachers in the church. Therefore, we should not be surprised when they appear. Yet many Christians believe that while this has happened to other groups, false teachers could never overtake their church! In this lesson we consider Peter’s warning […]
Peter warns that corrupt teachers will come into the church, teachers who will be like Balaam. Although that Old Testament prophet was powerful in speech, the love of money and willingness to compromise led to his destruction and in leading Israel into terrible sin. Peter then compares Christians who return to their old way of […]
Here Peter gives us much to consider about Jesus' return and the associated Day of Judgment. In this lesson we explore what the Scriptures teach about Jesus' return, along with foreshadowings from the Old Testament that may provide clues. We also consider God's long-suffering character, His heart of compassion toward mankind, and how our sense […]
Peter concludes his letter speaking of "a new heavens and a new earth." He then describes how we should live, "looking forward to these things." In this lesson we examine the stark warnings of coming judgment and destruction of this world by fire, as well as the promise of new heavens and a new earth […]