2 Peter & Jude

Notes compiled with my BSF group

Bottom line: Both Peter and Jude are warning us about false teachers. We don’t want to follow false teachers. We don’t want to be false teachers.

Both of them gave us very clear examples of what happens when we stray away from God. Angels are beings more powerful than us. And yet, when they strayed from God, they were punished. These examples serve to show us that anyone who is not with God will be judged. We may think we are perfectly fine right now, but if our heart does not belong to God, He will find each and every one of us, and each one of us will be judged according to our sins.

God has time and time again SHOWN us what happens when we think we are all powerful. When we hear warnings like, "Follow Jesus or we will be judged," some of us become indignant and shoot back, "Well, He isn't a very loving God then if He will condemn me to Hell."

It is critical to remember the following:

1. God made us (Genesis). God made the universe. Everything we know, everything that remains a mystery to us, they were all made by God. Some people may refuse to believe this, but just because we refuse to believe in something doesn't make it not true. Similarly, just because we choose to believe in something doesn't make it true. So, rather than "just believe" or "just don't believe," seek objective evidence to support conclusions.

2. Pride leads to death. When we refuse to acknowledge we are made by God, what are we saying? Are we saying we can do better? I love Isaiah's comment, "Can the pot say of the potter, 'He knows nothing'" (Isaiah 29:16)? Every time I think about Satan and his pride, I'm amazed at how naive he is. Seriously. God MADE us out of nothing. God MADE the angels out of nothing, including Satan. Everything we have--our smarts, our talents, our looks, etc.--they all come from God. Satan, who is so proud of his powers, also got those powers from God. And yet, he thinks he can out-smart God? Really? And what about us? We have none of the great powers Satan or other angels have, and yet, we also dare to think we can rise above God? Come on. Put that pride to rest already!

3. God wants no one to perish, but He gives us the free will to choose. Again, we are made by God. We're stuck with that fact no matter what we want to think. Good news for us, our God is an awesome God. He wants all of us under His protection, under His love (2 Peter 3:9)--BUT WE MUST CHOOSE TO BE WITH HIM!

4. Hell was not made for humans. Hell was made for Satan and his followers. God will not let Satan run loose on Earth forever. He will one day put Satan where he belongs, and when that day comes, He will first remove those who have chosen to be with Him so that they will not have to suffer His wrath. Those who refused to be with Him, they have to realize that they chose to be left behind to endure the wrath.

Therefore, listen to the warnings of Peter and Jude! Learn from the mistakes of those who have already been judged. Do not be like the proud angels who went against God. Do not be like citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah who thought they were so powerful, nothing can hurt them.

2 Peter 1:4
The great and precious promises are:

1. To each one of us: Through Jesus’ death, our sins are cleansed; through Jesus’ resurrection, our souls are granted eternal life.

2. To the Israelites: Jesus will return, judge all those nations that have gone against Israel, and restore Israel unto God.
 

3. To the Gentiles: The Church is Jesus’ bride. Jesus has returned to His Father’s place (Heaven) to prepare a place for us (John 14:2‐3). When that place is ready, Jesus will return for us, and we will reign with Him as kings and priests during Jesus’ Millennial Reign on Earth.

Zondervan NIV footnote:
2 Peter 1:4 Through these. Through God's excellence - internal and eternal - he has given us great promises. Their nature is suggested in the words that follow: participation in the divine nature and escape from worldly corruption. participate in the divine nature. Does not indicate that Christians become divine in any sense, but only that we are indwelt by God through his Holy Spirit (see Jn 14;16-17 and notes). Our humanity and his deity, as well as the human personality and the divine, remain distinct and separate.

2 Peter 1:5-11

A Christian should...

- Have faith in the LORD and His promises (2 Peter 1:5).

- To that faith, add goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Peter 1:5‐7).

These characteristics are important to develop, because as we grow deeper in these characteristics, we will be more effective and productive in our knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 1:8). Furthermore, developing these characteristics would ensure us that we would not fall away from following God’s calling and be received into the kingdom of God (2 Peter 1:10).

Zondervan NIV footnote:
* 2 Peter 1:5-9 The virtues that will produce a well-rounded, fruitful Christian life (see Gal 5:22-23 and note).
* 2 Peter 1:5. faith. The root of the Christian life (see v. 1 and note).
* 2 Peter 1:6 self-control. According to many of the false teachers, knowledge made self-control unnecessary; according to Peter,Christian knowledge leads to self-control (cf. Pr 25:28; Gal 5:23).
* 2 Peter 1:7 brotherly kindness. Warmhearted affection toward all in the family of faith. love. The kind of outgoing, selfless attitude that leads one to sacrifice for the good of others (see note on 1 Pe 4:8).
* 2 Peter 1:8 if you possess these qualities. Peter does not mean to imply that the believer is to cultivate each listed quality in turn, one after the other until all have been perfected. Instead, they are all to be cultivated simultaneously. increasing measure. Peter hascontinuing spiritual growth in mind (cf. 3:18; 1Pe 2:2; Php 3:10; 1 Th 3:12). keep you from being ... unproductive in your knowledge.Christians' knowledge should affect the way they live. It does not set them free from moral restraints, as the heretics taught (see introduction to 1 John: Gnosticism). Rather it produces holiness and all such virtues (cf. Col 1:9-12).
* 2 Peter 1:9 nearsighted and blind. Since one cannot be both at the same time, Peter may have in mind a possible alternativemeaning for "nearsighted," namely, "to shut the eyes." Such people are blind because they have closed their eyes to the truth(see 1Jn 2:11).
* 2 Peter 1:10 make your calling and election sure. By cultivating the qualities listed in vv. 5-7, they and others can be assured that God has chosen them and called them (cf. Mt 7:20; Gal 5:6; Jas 2:18 and notes). When God elects and calls, it is to obedience and holiness (see 1 Pe 1:2; Eph 1:3-6 and notes), and these fruits confirm their divine source. never fall. Those who in this way give evidence of their faith will never cease to persevere.
* 2 Peter 1:11 receive a rich welcome. By producing the fruits Peter is commending to them (see vv. 5-10). eternal kingdom. Eternal life (cf. Mt 25:46).

2 Peter 1:16-21

Peter is speaking the truth about Jesus. We can know this by...

1. Comparing what Peter has said against what other apostles have said.For example, Peter said he heard God said about Jesus, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17). This event was also recorded by Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John.

2. Comparing what Peter has said against the Scripture. For example, Peter also said, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

Timothy, Paul’s protégé, also said the same thing: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Whenever we have a question about who is right and who is wrong, the Bible is the first place we go. The Bible is written by God and is therefore the only perfect standard that we have on Earth in regards to what is true. If something is true, then we will be able to find supporting evidence of that in the Bible.

Zondervan NIV footnote:
* 2 Peter 1:16 cleverly invented stories. Peter's message was based on his eyewitness account of the supernatural events that marked the life of Jesus. It was not made up of myths and imaginative stories as was the message of the heretics of 2:3 (see note there). coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Christ's transfiguration the disciples received a foretaste of what his coming will be like when he returns to establish his eternal kingdom (see Mt 16:28 and note). eyewitnesses of his majesty. A reference to Christ's transfiguration (see vv. 17-18; Mt 16:28 - 17:8).
* 2 Peter 1:19-21 Peter's message rests on two solid foundations: (1) the voice from God at the transfiguration (vv. 16-18) and (2) the still more significant testimony of Scripture (vv. 19-21). An alternative, but less probable, view is that the apostles' testimony to the transfiguration fulfills and thus confirms the Scriptures that predicted such things.
2 Peter 1:20 Two major views of this verse are: 1. No prophecy is to be privately or independently interpreted (cf. the false teachers in 3:16). The Holy Spirit, Scripture itself and the church should be included in the interpretative process. 2. No prophecy originated through the prophet's own interpretation (the sense of the NIV). The preceding and following contexts indicate that this view is probably to be preferred. In vv. 16-18 the subject discussed is the origin of the apostolic message. Did it come from human imaginings, or was it from God? In v. 21 again the subject is origin. No prophecy of Scripture arose from a merely human interpretation of things. This understanding of v.20 is further supported by the explanatory "For" with which v. 21 begins. Verse 21 explains v. 20 by restating its content and then affirming God as the origin of prophecy.
* 2 Peter 2:21 carried along by the Holy Spirit. See 2Ti 3:16 and note. In the production of Scripture both God and humans were active participants. God was the source of the content of Scripture, so that what it says is what God has said. But the human authors also actively spoke; they were more than recorders. Yet what they said came from God. Although actively speaking, "they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

2 Peter 2
The result of false teaching is dangerous for both the teacher and the student. For the teacher, he/she will be judged by God for how he/she lead His people (James 3:1). God will not look lightly on the people who mislead His people. Why not? Because of the harm they have done! For example, their students will not only be misinformed, they will also be confused. They will be misled to think what is wrong to be right, and they move through their lives thinking what they are doing is fine, even when it is totally wrong by God's standards. As if this is not bad enough, but because they have been going the wrong way all this time, they end up being judged because they never followed the Word of God! So, not only do false teachers fail to give their students the right information, but because of the wrong information they gave out instead, they would be partially responsible for sending his/her students to Hell!

Why partially? 

Teachers are supposed to teach the truth, but they are also human. They may not mean to purposely misguide their students, but when they don’t research enough about the things they teach, they can very well end up teaching false ideas. So, teachers, make sure we know what we're teaching. We are responsible for what we teach. I say "we" because we all play the role of teachers now and then. When we introduce Jesus to someone, we are acting as teachers.

Just as teachers are held accountable for what they teach, students are held accountable for what they learn. God didn't give us brains so that we can burn it all up on Xbox. When we learn from other people, we need to THINK about what they are saying. We need to ask, “Is this true?” We need to do our own homework and verify the truthfulness of the materials that were taught. Look it up in the Bible. See what the Bible says. Only the Bible is perfect, flawless, and completely correct. Trust what the Bible says, pray for understanding from the Holy Spirit, and be aware of false teachers!

2 Peter 2:1-3

False teachers will bring destruction to themselves. They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done (2 Peter 2:13).

False leaders / teachers =
- Acts 20:29-30 (I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.)
- Gal 1:6-9 (I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God's curse! As we have already said, so not I say again; If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God's curse!)
- Php 3:2 (Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.)
- Col 2:4 (I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.)
- Col 2:8 (See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.)
- Col 2:18 (Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind.
- Col 2:20-23 (Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
- 2Th 2:1-3 (Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us - whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter - asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction.
- 1Ti 1:3-7 (As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God's work - which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.)
- 1Ti 4:1-3 (The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.)
- 2Ti 3:1-8 (But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
- 1Jn 2:18-19 (Dear children, this is the last hour, and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
- 1Jn 2:22-23 (Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist - denying the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
- 2Jn 7-11 (I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.
- Jude 3-4 (Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God's holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.)


Result of false teaching = moral and spiritual destruction of those who accept them (2 Peter 2:1-3).


Zondervan NIV footnote:
* 2 Peter 2:1 false prophets. See 1Ki 18:19; isa 9:13-17; Jer 5:31; 14:14; 23:30-32 and note on 23:31; Mic 3:5, 7 and notes. there will be false teachers among you. Numerous NT passages warn of false teachers who are already present or yet to come (see Mt 24:4-5, 11; Ac 20:29-30; Gal 1:6-9; Php 3:2; Col 2:4, 8, 18, 20-23; 2Th 2:1-3; 1Ti 1:3-7; 4:1-3; 2Ti 3:1-8; 1Jn 2:18-19, 22-23; 2Jn 7-11; Jude 3-4). destructive heresies. Divisive opinions or teachings that result in the moral and spiritual destruction of those who accept them. sovereign Lord who brought them. See Jude 4 and note; does not necessarily mean that the false teachers were believers. Christ's death paid the penalty for their sin, but it would not become effective for their salvation unless they trusted in Christ as Savior. (However, see vv. 20-22, where it is obvious that the heretics had at least professed knowing the Lord). swift destruction. Not immediate physical calamity, but sudden doom, whether at death or at the Lord's second
coming (cf. Mt 24:50-51; 2 Th 1:9 and note).
* 2 Peter 2:2 shameful ways. Open, extreme immorality not held in check by any sense of shame. way of truth. See Ps 119:30. The Christian faith is not only correct doctrine but also correct living.

* 2 Peter 2:3 In their greed. They will be motivated by a desire for money and will commercialize the Christian faith to their own selfish advantage. long been hanging over them. Long ago, in OT times, their condemnation was declared (see vv. 4-9 for OT examples of the fact that judgment is coming on the wicked). destruction has not been sleeping. Although delay makes it seem that they have escaped God's judgment, destruction is a reality that is sure to come upon them.

2 Peter 2:4

God did not spare angels who sinned; God sent them to hell and bound them for judgment (Genesis 6:4; Jude 1:6; Revelation 9:14-15; Revelation 20:10).

God did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah (Genesis 6-9).

God condemned Sodom and Gomorrah and made them an example of what happens to the ungodly (Genesis 18:16-19:29; Jude 1:7).

Zondervan NIV footnote:
* 2 Peter 2:4-8 Three examples showing that God will rescue the godly and destroy the wicked.
* 2 Peter 2:4 angels when they sinned. Some believe this sin was the one referred to in Ge 6:2, where the sons of God are said to have intermarried with the daughters of men, meaning (according to this view) that angels married human women. The offspring of those marriages are said to have been the Nephilim (Ge 6:4; see notes on Ge 6:2,4). But since it appears impossible for angels, who are spirits, to have sexual relations with women, the sin referred to in this verse probably occurred before the fall of Adam and Eve. The angels who fell became the devil and the evil angels (probably the demons and evil spirits referred to in the NT). sent them to hell. See NIV text note. Tartarus was the term used by the Greeks to designate the place where the most wicked spirits were sent to be punished. Why some evil angels are imprisoned and others are free to serve Satan as demons is not explained in Scripture. judgment. The final judgment, probably associated with the great white throne judgment of Rev 20:11-15.
* 2 Peter 2:5 ungodly people. See. Ge 6:5, 11-12. preacher of righteousness. A description of Noah found nowhere else in Scripture. However, similar descriptions are used of him in Josephus (Antiquities, 1.3.1), 1 Clement (7.6; 9.4) and theSibylline Oracles (1.128-29). seven others. Noah's wife, three sons and three daughters-in law (Noah was the eighth; see 1Pe 3:20).
* 2 Peter 2:6 condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. See Ge 19.
* 2 Peter 2:7 distressed by the filthy lives. See Ge 19:4-9. How Lot could be so distressed, how he could be called a "righteous man," and yet offer to turn his two daughters over to the wicked townsmen to be sexually abused is difficult to understand apart from a knowledge of the code of honor characteristic of that day (see note on Ge 19:8).
* 2 Peter 2:9 States the point made in vv. 4-8 - the wicked whose coming Peter predicts will surely be punished.

2 Peter 2:17-22  

I think the reason why people are willing to listen to false teachers is because they don’t like what the truth is. For example, a lot of people don’t like the idea of Hell. Instead of trying to understand more about it, they tell themselves that it’s not real, that it’s all made up. Well, it’s not. God made it very clear that Hell is very really. Unfortunately for these people, they don’t care! They simply do not want to hear from people who would try and explain to them that Hell is real, because THEY DO NOT WANT TO HEAR IT! They would rather hear lies just so they can feel better, because the lies allow them to continue to live in a lie. They would rather live in a lie because it is convenient, comfortable, easy.

Another reason people are willing to listen to false teachers is because of laziness. Jesus didn’t tell us to just trust what teachers tell us to be true. Jesus didn’t tell us to just listen and believe everything that pastors tell us. No. Jesus told us to be aware of false teachers and lies. That is, each one of us is responsible for making sure what we digest are well-balanced solid food (1 Corinthians 3:2) and not spiritual junk food. This means homework. This means research. This means thinking. This means studying the Bible. For people who are more interested in making money, for gaining power, for building a name for themselves, they don't have time for this! With the time they spend on studying God’s Word, they would rather be spending that time making more money or socializing with high‐power people who would promote them to higher places. And so, they don’t do their homework. They don’t research. They don’t think. They don’t study the Word of God. They just go to Church once a week (if at all) and believe everything their pastors tell them. And if that pastor is not preaching the right things, if that pastor is a false teacher, they wouldn’t know, and they wouldn't care. They think God is an insurance policy. If they feel guilty about something, the step into the Church, have a few elders pray over them, and they walk out ready to keep on sinning because they think they've got "protection."

People also readily listen to false teachers because of excuses and blame-shifting. Unfortunately, saying, "My pastor led me astray. It’s not my fault that I went the wrong way,” is a weak argument. Plenty of warnings have been written throughout the Bible to warn us against false teachers. Furthermore, this blame-shifting is just like what Adam and Eve did when God asked them why they ate the fruit from the tree (Genesis 3:11-13). Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed Satan! He didn’t think he was wrong for eating the fruit. He blamed Eve for giving it to him! And look what happened to Adam, Eve, and Satan. Not one of them escaped judgment (Genesis 3:14-19), because not one of them was righteous. WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR OWN ACTIONS. Again, Jesus told us to discern. If we don’t do our own work and we get misled, we have only ourselves to blame. Oh, yes, those people who teach the wrong things will be punished as well, but hey, we will get punished as well for our choice to walk down the wrong way.

Lastly, people also willingly listen to false teachers because their heart has become hardened. What I mean by this is, every time our heart rejects Jesus, it becomes a little bit harder to receive Jesus. The next time we hear about Jesus, and we reject Him again, we will be more likely to reject Him the next time when we are given the chance. And as time goes on, our heart would become so hard against Jesus that we simply do not hear His word anymore. This is why Isaiah said the Isaelites had eyes but could not see and had ears but could not hear. It wasn’t that they were physically blind or physically deaf but that they were spiritually blind and deaf! They couldn’t see or hear God because they had rejected Jesus so many times, their heart had completely hardened against Jesus!

The above are only some of the many reasons why we choose to listen to false truths. The key to avoid being deceived by false truths is to first recognize that we willingly allow ourselves be deceived. Next, be honest with ourselves and determine why we would rather not hear the truth. Is it fear? Is it pride? Is it hate? What is it? Once we can pinpoint the root cause that is preventing ourselves from facing the truth, we can then continue to be honest with ourselves and seek help. Seek God, seek true friends, seek true family.

To ensure we continue to follow the Truth, diligently study the Word of God. Research to understand what God means instead of guessing what God might be saying, or ignoring what I don’t like to hear, and paying attention only to the nice things God has to say. We would all be diabetics if we only listened to our parents when they give us candies and feed us fast-food. We would have all sorts of health problems if we never listened to our parents about eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. God’s Word is a well‐balanced meal for our souls. Do not just digest the good parts because it's easy to understand and ignore the "bad" parts because it's hard to accept or comprehend. Digest the WHOLE thing, otherwise we’d be spiritually malnourished!

Zondervan NIV footnote:
* 2 Peter 2:17 springs without water. A picture of cruel deception. The thirsty traveler comes to the spring expecting cool, refreshing water but finds it dry (see Jer 15:18 and note). So the false teachers promise satisfying truth but in reality have nothing to offer. mist driven by a storm. Gone before a drop of moisture falls.Blackest darkness. Their destiny is hell.
* 2 Peter 2:18 mouth empty, boastful words. Words that sound impressive to the new convert but in reality have nothing to offer.people who are just escaping. New converts who have just broken away from pagan friends. Thus the depraved false teachers prey on new converts, who have not yet had a chance to develop spiritual resistance.
* 2 Peter 2:19 They promise them freedom. Probably freedom from moral restraint (cf. 1Co 6:12-13; Gal 5:13 and notes). The very ones who promise freedom from bondage to rules and regulations are themselves slaves of depravity. Freedom from law resulted in bondage to sin, and liberty was turned into license.
* 2 Peter 2:20-22 Some point to this passage as clear proof that genuinely saved persons may lose their salvation. They know the Lord; they escape the world's corruption; they know the way of righteousness. Then they turn away from the message and go back to their old way of life. Their knowledge is said to have been genuine; their change of life was real; and their return to their old way of life was not superficial. Others insist that the knowledge of the Lord and of the way of righteousness could not have been genuine. If such people had been truly regenerated, they would have persevered in their faith. It is argued that the teaching of Jn 10:27-30 (especially v. 28) and Ro 8:28-39 makes it clear that no genuinely saved person can be lost. Thus, according to this view, the persons described here could not have been genuinely saved. See 1Jn 2:19.
* 2 Peter 2:20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world. A reference to false teachers who had once apparently been believers in Christ. Their professed knowledge of Christ had at least produced a change in lifestyle. again entangled in it and overcome. A complete return to the old sinful pattern of life.
* 2 Peter 2:21 better ... not to have known the way of righteousness. Knowledge of the way increases people's responsibility and their hardness of heart if they then reject it. In its early days, Christianity was known as "the Way" (Ac 9:2 [see note there]; 18:25; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). sacred command. The whole Christian message that people are commanded to receive (cf. note on Jude 3).
* 2 Peter 2:22 A dog returns ... A sow ... goes back. In both cases the nature of the animal is not changed. The sow returns to the mud because by nature it is still a sow. The change was merely cosmetic.

2 Peter 3:1-10

Peter wrote this to stimulate WHOLESOME THINKING (2 Peter 3:1). What is wholesome thinking? Thinking that was promoted by Jesus, by God’s prophets, by God’s apostles (2 Peter 3:2). Knowing that God loves us all, no matter who we were, no matter who we are. God is patient with His grace and wants to save us all, for “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

More importantly, I think there is a lot of insight to be gleaned from Peter’s warning: “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, ‘Where is this coming he promised?’” (2 Peter 3:3-4).

If we study the Bible carefully, we will know that we are in the last days. Events prophecied by Ezekiel and Daniel are coming true, and that means only one thing: Jesus is returning very soon, and those who refuse to accept Jesus have very little time left. An example of some of these prophecies coming true is this one that Peter is talking about. Today, we have a LOT of doubters who “scoff” at Christians. They laugh and think Christians are crazy for believing in God, for believing that very soon, Jesus will return to rule the Earth. They indeed go on following their own desires. Even people who say they are “nice people,” they don’t care about hearing God’s word. They just want to go on living life the way they want to, without having to care about God. Why should they? They can bathe themselves in material wealth, something that God warns them it will all be destroyed in one hour in the last days? Who would want to hear that? And yes, even these “nice people” scoff at Christians. My heart fears for them. The Day of the Lord will come. The Day of the Lord means when Jesus returns on Earth to rule as King. And this day is coming very soon. And when Jesus returns, those people who are not with Him will be judged and thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation). So much for materialistic wealth.

Ezekiel tells us that in the last days, the whole earth would be judged. Great cities will be destroyed in a day. Imagine, the glory of a great city like NYC, all destroyed in one day! Since everything of this earth will be judged, Peter told us to live holy and godly. This is so that we will continue walk in God’s way. This is so that we can continue to be declared righteous because of our following of Jesus. And because we are declared righteous through Jesus, we will not be judged. Instead of living through the horrors of God’s judgment on Earth in the last days, we will be Raptured. Jesus will take us up to Heaven BEFORE God judges the Earth, so that we will not have to live through the terrible times of His judgment! During this terrible time, wars would break out. Diseases would be everywhere. Food will be scarce, so scarce, what we earn in one day will only be enough to buy one loaf of bread (Revelation 6:6)!

So, to be sure that we can be taken up into Heaven BEFORE this horrible time destroys Earth and non‐believers, Peter tells us to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Jesus (2 Peter 3:14). Be on our guard so that we are not misled by false teachers and be led away from God (2 Peter 3:17). Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (2 Peter 3:18).

Zondervan NIV footnote:
* 2 Peter 3:5 they deliberately forget. Ignoring the flood as a divine intervention was not an oversight; it was deliberate. They did not want to face up the fallacy in their arguments.
* 2 Peter 3:6 By these waters also the world ... was deluged and destroyed. Peter points out the fallacy of the scoffers' argument. There has been a divine intervention since the time of creation, namely, the flood (see note on Ge 6:17).
* 2 Peter 3:7 By the same word. The word of God that brought the world into existence (v. 5) and that brought watery destruction on the wicked of Noah's day will bring fiery destruction on the world that exists today and on its wicked people.
* 2 Peter 3:8 a thousand years are like a day. Cf. Ps 90:4-5 and note. God does not view time as humans do. He stands above time, with the result hat when time is seen in the light of eternity, an age appears no longer than one short day, and a day seems no shorter than a long age. Since time is purely relative with God, he waits patiently while human beings stew with impatience.
* 2 Peter 3:9 God's seeming delay in bringing about the consummation of all things is a result not of indifference but of patience in waiting for all who will come to repentance. Thus the scoffers are wrong on two points: 1. They fail to recognize that all things have not continued without divine intervention since creation (the flood was an intervention, vv. 4-6). 2. They misunderstood the reason for apparent divine delay (God is a long-suffering God).
* 2 Peter 3:10 like a thief. Suddenly and unexpectedly. The heavens will disappear with a roar. Apocalyptic language, common to books like Daniel and Revelation. Due to the figurative nature of such writings, we must not expect complete literalism but recognize it as an attempt to describe the indescribable, a task as impossible as it would have been for a first-century writer to describe the phenomena of our atomic age. What may be referred to is the destruction of the atmospheric heavens with a great rushing sound (see v. 12). elements. Refers either to the heavenly bodies or to the physical elements - in the first century, such things as earth, air, fire and water. earth ... laid bare. See NIV text note. Either the earth and its contents will disappear and not be seen anymore or the earth and all human works will appear before God's judgment seat.
* 2 Peter 3:11 Since everything will be destroyed. The transitory nature of the material universe ought to make a difference in one's system of values and one's priorities. The result should be lives of holiness (separated from sin and to God) and godliness (devoted to the worship and service of God). Cf. 1:13-16; Mt 25:13; 1Th 5:6, 8, 11.

* 2 Peter 3;12 speed its coming. That day may be hastened by God's people as they speed up the accomplishment of his purposes. Since he is waiting for all who will come to repentance (v. 9), the sooner believers bring others to the Savior the sooner that day will dawn (cf. Ac 3:19-20). Prayer also serves to hasten the day (Mt 6:10), as does holy living (v. 11). 2 Peter 3:14 at peace with him. Believers have peace with God as a result of being justified by faith (see Ro 5:1 and note), but they may displease him bay failing to live as he desires and thus not receive his commendation and his reward when he returns (cf. 1Co 3:10-15; 2Co 5:10 and notes).
* 2 Peter 3:16 ignorant and unstable people. The ignorant are simply the unlearned who have not been taught basic apostolic teaching and thus may be easily led astray (cf. 2:14 and note).other Scriptures. Peter placed Paul's writings on the same level of authority as the God-breathed writings of the OT (see 1;21; 2:Ti 3:16 and notes).
* 2 Peter 3:18 grow in ... knowledge. Peter concludes by again stressing knowledge (see 1:2-3 and notes; see also 1:5), probably as an antidote to the false teachers who boasted in their esoteric knowledge.

Jude

Reasons for writing between Peter and Jude are similar in that they both are warning us against false teachers. Peter takes the perspective of our inner selves, what we can do to make sure we do not fall prey to false teacher (e.g., to remember the Truth told to us by Jesus, by God’s prophets, and the apostles). Jude, on the other hand, takes the perspective of external sources, directly pointing out that the godless men have secretly slipped in among us and describing their deeds so that we may be aware of them (Jude 1:4).

Zondervan NIV note:
* 2 Peter => Purpose

In his first letter Peter feeds Christ's sheep by instructing them how to deal with persecution from outside the church (see 1 Pe 4:12); in his second letter he teaches them how to deal with false teachers and evildoers who have come into the church (see 2:1; 3;3-4 and notes). While the particular situations naturally call for variations in content and emphasis, in both letters Peter as a pastor ("shepherd") of Christ's sheep (Jn 21:15-17) seeks to commend to his readers a wholesome combination of Christian faith and practice. More specifically, his purpose is threefold; (1) to stimulate Christian growth (ch.1), (2) to combat false teaching (ch. 2) and (3) to encourage watchfulness in view of the Lord's certain return (ch. 3).

*Jude => Occasion and Purpose
Although Jude was very eager to write to his readers about salvation, he felt the he must instead warn them about certain immoral men circulating among them who were perverting the grace of God (see v. 4 and note). Apparently these false teachers were trying to convince believers that being saved by grace gave them license to sin since their sins would no loner be held against them. Jude thought it imperative that his readers be on guard against such men and be prepared to oppose their perverted teaching with the truth about God's saving grace.

Jude 1:5

The Lord delivered His people out of Egypt but later destroyed those who did not believe (Exodus).

Jude 1:6

God did not spare angels who sinned; God sent them to hell and bound them for judgment (Genesis 6:4; Jude 1:6; Revelation 9:14-15; Revelation 20:10).

Jude 1:7

God condemned Sodom and Gomorrah and made them an example of what happens to the ungodly (Genesis 18:16-19:29; Jude 1:7).

Jude 1:8-13

False teachers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. They speak abusively against whatever they do not understand. They are like Cain, who murdered his brother, Abel, just because he was jealous of the righteous. They are blemishes. They are selfish who feed only themselves. They bring nothing of use, and they bring nothing but shame. They would die twice. They die twice because they die a physical death, and they die a spiritual death. That is, when they die, their bodies wither, and their souls go to Hell.

Jesus will judge them, to convict them of all the ungodly acts they have done. And when we die physically without receiving salvation freely offered through Jesus, we will be cast into Hell and be condemned to eternal suffering. Sound unfair? Please re-read "Bottom Line" from the beginning of this post.