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2 Peter 1:6 – Self-control, Perseverance, & Godliness

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Will

and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;

Truth to Learn

With hard work we can develop a more Christ-like character.

Behind the Words

The word translated “self-control” (‘temperance” in some translations) is engkratia. This is a compound word made up of en, meaning “in” and a form of kratos, meaning “power or strength.” Some, today, equate this with refraining from the use of alcoholic beverages. That is not specifically what this word means. It refers to the ability to have “inward control.” In other words, controlling ourselves in whatever we allow ourselves to do in the sight of God.

“Perseverance” is translated from the Greek word hupomonē. This also is a compound word that is made up of hupo (or hypo), meaning “under” and meno, which means “to abide” or “to remain.” This is a picture of a beast of burden that remains under a load in spite of the weight.

The word “godliness” is from the Greek word eusebeia. This is another compound word made up or eu meaning “good” and a form of sebomai, which means “to worship” or “to revere.” Hence, eusebeia refers to a person who is devout, pious, and fully committed to God.

Meaning Explained

Continuing on from the last verse, you will remember that Peter is admonishing us to apply all diligence, that is to work hard and work consistently, to developing certain qualities or characteristics in our Christian faith. In the last verse we were told to increase in morality and knowledge (of God and what He has done for us). In today’s verse Peter adds three more things that we are to work hard at developing in ourselves. Let’s look at these three things.

The first of these is self-control. I like the way that Adam Clarke described this word:

It is a proper and limited use of all earthly enjoyments, keeping every sense under proper restraints, and never permitting the animal part to subjugate the rational.

The second thing we are told to develop in today’s verse is perseverance. As we develop self-control, the temptation or pressure lasts longer and we need to continue to endure it, to persevere. Like a beast of burden, we are to remain under whatever load God has placed on us without complaining. It means patience or endurance with regard to situations or circumstances, not letting yourself lose control or lose faith.

The third thing we are to develop is godliness. As we learn to persevere, we experience more of the unfaltering love that God has for us. From this personal experience we become more devout and committed to Him. This godliness refers not just to the outward show of piety, but loving and magnifying God in our hearts. This godliness begins on the inside with a deepened, total commitment to God and then evidences itself in all of our deeds and actions.

Application

Self-control, perseverance, and godliness are three essential parts of any Christian’s character. And, they come not by simply letting them happen, but by diligent, hard work.

Are you up to the challenge?

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 1:5 – Diligent Growth

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Will

And for this very reason, make all diligence in your faith to add goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

Truth to Learn

No matter where we are in our Christian experience today, we need to be growing and maturing in our relationship to God.

Behind the Words

“All” is translated from pas which means “all” or “every,” but it includes the idea of oneness, a totality or the whole. Hence Peter is telling us to use all of our effort. Today we might say “every ounce of effort.”

The word “diligence” is from the Greek word spoudē, which refers to “speed, earnestness, diligence, or zeal.”

The word translated “add” is from the Greek word epichorēgeō, which means “to abundantly furnish.” It is not a mere adding a little more of what you already have, rather it is an intensive and abundant addition. It is expressed in the imperative mood, indicating a command, not a suggestion.

“Goodness” is a translation of the word aretē, which means “manliness” or “valor.” It denotes that which is good or worthy in a moral sense.

Meaning Explained

“And for this very reason” is a connective phrase so we need to see what it is referring to. In this case, the reference is to the preceding two verses. Because He has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, because of His exceedingly great and precious promises, because one day we will be partakers of His divine nature … we need to do the following:

We need to be using all of our effort to grow in goodness and knowledge. In other words, don’t take these promises and the saving faith that you have for granted, and don’t just meander through life knowing you now have your “ticket” into heaven. Rather, apply yourself with earnestness and diligence to add some things to your faith.

Peter uses words of force here to communicate to the Christians of his day, and to us today, the need to work long and hard at growing as a Christian. Simply being a committed Christian by itself is a difficult assignment for anyone, but Peter is saying that we need to work hard at developing our Christianity. We need to be growing!

He says that there are several areas where we need to apply that effort. The first is improving our faith and developing goodness. In other words, Peter is telling us in addition to growing our faith, we need to grow in our morality (something that is rapidly slipping away in the world today). And along with this, Peter tells us that we need to be diligent in growing our knowledge of God and His promises. That doesn’t simply mean listening to a sermon once a week. We need to be doing a lot more! We need to be reading the Bible regularly, attending Bible studies or studying on our own, and applying the things we learn to our relationship with God.

Application

I heard a preacher once say that in out Christian life we are never standing still, we’re either moving ahead or we’re sliding back. Which direction is your Christian life going today?

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 1:4 – Eternally Divine

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Will

Through these he has given us the very great and precious promises, that through them you may be partakers of the divine nature, escaping the corruption in the world caused by lusts.

Truth to Learn

In eternity, we will share in God’s divine nature.

Behind the Words

The expression “very great” comes from the Greek “megista,” which is the superlative form of “mega” (big or great), so the text tells us that He has given us the greatest promises which are of great value.

“May be partakers” seems to imply that there is a chance that we might not as well. This is not what the Greek says. It is from the Greek hina ginesthe koinonoi. The construction denotes the “telic subjunctive” mood of the verb, which means it is an act of purpose. That is to say, “it is certain that we will be partakers of the divine nature.”

Meaning Explained

Peter starts out this verse with “Through these,” which is one of those connective phrases that we need to look at more carefully. This phrase is translated from the Greek words di hōn, which literally mean “through which things.” Well, what “things” is he talking about? It could be “glory and virtue,” it could be the “grace and peace” referred to in verse 2, it could be all of these, or it could refer to “His divine power” and “the knowledge of him.” Why? Because Greek is very particular in that a relative pronoun (these) must agree with the noun(s) it is referring to in both gender and number. All of these things are feminine nouns and the Greek pronoun translated “these” is a feminine, plural, relative pronoun, so it can’t refer to only one of these things alone, and may refer to them all. However, as I read it, Peter seems to be referring specifically to His divine power and our in-depth knowledge of Him from verse three.

Through these things, Peter tells us, God has given us the greatest of precious promises. And what are these promises? They are promises of salvation by grace through faith, of a Savior who will never leave us nor forsake us, of eternal blessing in the presence of our divine creator, and of peace and protection in times of suffering, plus many more.

He then tells us that through these things we will “be partakers of the divine nature.” This verse is not telling us that we will be gods some day as some false religions erroneously teach. It tells us that we will experience the godliness of God in a very special way, which is reserved only for those who are saved. Peter tells us that we will experience it “… having escaped the corruption (literally “decay’) that is in the world through caused by lusts.” In other words, we will experience this sharing in the divine nature after we die and are glorified with Christ.

As if the mere thought of being in Heaven and being in His presence eternally wasn’t enough, we will also, somehow, experience the godliness of God in a unique and special way. This, alone, should make the fear of death disappear for any born-again believer!

Application

This participation in the divine nature is a privilege that is reserved only for those who have professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And, if we will share in God’s divine nature some day, shouldn’t our current behavior reflect that fact?

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 1:3 – God-given Godliness

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Will

His divine power has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness through the full knowledge of him who called us through glory and worthiness.

Truth to Learn

All that we need for life and godliness comes from God.

Behind the Words

“Divine” is translated from theios, which is derived from theos, meaning “God.” It refers to that which is uniquely God’s and proceeds directly from Him.

The verb “has given” is translated from dōreomai, which means “to give a gift” (one that is undeserved). It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect, where the emphasis is on the effect.

“Full knowledge” is the same word, epignōsis that we looked at in the previous verse, meaning complete, in-depth knowledge.

The word translated “worthiness” is the Greek word arêtes, which means “moral excellence” or “superiority.”

Meaning Explained

In this verse Peter continues his benediction by saying that it is through His Godly power that Jesus Christ has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Some have supposed that this means all things that pertain to spiritual life and godliness, but I am of the persuasion that he means all aspects of life, both earthly and eternal. As born-again Christians we have everything we need to live a successful life of faith and to expect eternal life in the grace of God, not because we have done anything, but because He has given it to us through His divine power.

As we noted above, the act of giving was accomplished in the past, but it has current ongoing consequences. The point when the giving actually took place can be interpreted either as the point in time when we accepted Christ as Lord and Savior or the point in eternity past when He chose us:

Even as he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and without blemish before him In love (Ephesians 1:4)

Peter seems to imply that we receive everything we need for life and godliness by developing the in-depth, personal knowledge of God in Jesus Christ that we talked about in the last verse. He is the one who called us, and He is the one who empowers us:

Among whom you are also called to belong to Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:6)

What I want you to see from these two verses is that God shows His grace to us and gives us peace as we recognize and accept who He is and what He has done. And because of His divinity and power, He has called us to Himself and He has given us everything we need for life and for living in a godly manner. But we only get this through understanding and thoroughly knowing who He is, how glorious He is, and how powerful He is.

Application

We must recognize that we are what we are and we have the salvation that we have solely because of who He is, not because of what we have done.

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 1:2 – Abundant Peace

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Will

According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you.

Truth to Learn

Peace with God comes from complete knowledge of Him.

Behind the Words

Some translations use the expression, “through the foreknowledge of God,” which is a little misleading. The normal word in Greek for “through” is dia, but that is not the word used here. The Greek word used here is kata, which in this case means “according to” It’s a fairly minor point but it is this: grace and peace do not come as a process (through the doing of something), they are found in something (in a full knowledge of Him, and in an intimate relationship with Him).

The word translated “knowledge” is the Greek word epignōsis, which is made up of epi, meaning “over or above” and ginōskō, meaning “to know, in an absolute sense.” Therefore, it is much more than simply knowing about God. It means having an intimate relationship with Him based on thorough knowledge. It’s not the knowledge that we get by simply being exposed to Him, but the complete knowledge we get by spending time with Him, studying Him carefully and thoughtfully.

The word translated “multiplied” is plēthunō, which is derived from plēthō, meaning “to fill.” Plēthunō means “to be filled up” or “to increase fully.” It is expressed here is in the optative mood, indicating a sincere desire on Peter’s part.

Meaning Explained

Peter now offers a significant benediction to his intended readers. He proclaims that grace and peace should increase to the readers of this letter. Literally, he says, “Grace to you and peace to be filled-up.” That is, grace in the form of forgiveness of our sins by a righteous God through the sacrifice of His son, and peace, that elusive characteristic and quality that only comes to one who is firmly fixed within the body of Christ. Peter is not wishing for a little peace, but that his readers be filled with it.

If you search the New Testament carefully, you will see that God never promises Christians pleasure or comfort. Instead, He promises us peace. The Apostle Paul says that righteousness, peace, and joy are what the kingdom of God is all about:

For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 14:17)

Also, notice that Paul told the Christians in Rome that it is not just peace in general, but peace with God:

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Romans 5:1)

Now we see that Peter tells us the blessings of grace and peace come as a result of having a thorough knowledge of God, which only comes by careful study and consistent fellowship.

Application

Do you have peace with God? The more you learn about Him and the more you submit to His lordship over you, the more peace you will have no matter what may be happening around you.

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 1:1 – Humble Greetings

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Will

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those having obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ

Truth to Learn

Peter humbly greets all Christians who read this letter.

Behind the Words

“Servant” is translated from the Greek word doulos, which means “a slave.” It represents one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another, his will being altogether consumed in the will of the other. It is a person who has no rights of his own, one who exists only as the property of someone else.

The expression “those having obtained” is translated from a single Greek word lachousin. The root of this word is langchano, which means “to receive by casting of lots.” The implication is that it is something received as a gift, not as something which was earned.

“Like precious” is translated from the Greek word isotimon, which is made up of isos, meaning “similar,” and a form of timos, meaning “value or honor.” Hence it means “equally valuable.”

Meaning Explained

Peter opens this letter in a similar manner to his first letter, though with a couple of differences. He announces himself not simply as Peter (petros) but as Simon Peter (sumeon petros). Simon (or Simeon) was his given name, but Peter (petros) was the name that Jesus gave him:

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter …” (Matthew 16:17, 18a)

Peter introduces himself in this letter first of all as a servant then as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. This is similar to the way that the Apostle Paul introduces himself:

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called apostle set apart for the gospel of God— (Romans 1:1)

Though he had every right to call himself an apostle, it is out of humility that he sees himself first as a slave of God, then as an apostle.

The letter is written to “those obtained a like precious faith with us.” This is a reference to the fact that the saving faith of non-Jewish believers is just as effective and priceless as the saving faith of Christians who have come out of the Jewish faith. It appears from this statement that this letter may have been sent specifically to encourage and build-up the Gentile converts to Christianity.

The end of this verse is sometimes translated, “righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ.” This has been used by some to try to prove that Jesus Christ is separate from God. However, a more accurate rendering of the Greek is, “righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ,” which makes it clear that Jesus is both our God and our Savior.

Application

Whether you were brought up in a Jewish family, a Christian family, a family of some other faith, or a family of no faith, this letter is written to you if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 5:14 – Hugs and Peace

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Will

Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to you all who are in Christ.

Truth to Learn

Peter encourages brotherly love and offers peace to all Christians.

Behind the Words

“Kiss” is translated from the Greek word philema, which is derived from phileō, meaning “to be a friend to.” Hence, in its original form, this represents a kiss of friendship, not a sensual kiss. Some people have wondered whether this is a kiss on the cheek or a kiss on the lips. Both of these customs were practiced by the early church and still exist in parts of Europe and Asia today, although most of us in Western countries think it odd for two men or two women to kiss on the lips.

The word which modifies “kiss” is agapē, which means “love.” But, again, it does not represent sensual love, rather the type of self-sacrificing love that only comes from God. In human terms this type of kiss is most exemplified by the love a father or mother has for his or her children.

Meaning Explained

Peter closes this letter with a command and a benediction. He tells us to hug one another (as explained in the previous verse) with a loving kiss. There is a similar expression from the Apostle Paul in the last chapter of Romans:

Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:16)

Peter then proclaims peace unto all those who are in Christ Jesus. This, it is said, was Peter’s standard way of parting. He may have been following the example set by Christ himself to declare peace upon those whom he knew and loved. In John 14:27 Christ expressed it this way,

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

After all, what greater blessing could anyone have than to be at peace! Remember that this letter was sent to Christians who were being persecuted and who were suffering simply because they had claimed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. What better blessing could they receive than the peace that passes all understanding in a time of trial and suffering?

There is a variant reading at the end of this verse. Some Greek texts have “in Christ Jesus. Amen” while others have “in Christ.” Once again we see that even though there are differences in the various Greek texts, there is no doctrinal confusion created by the different readings.

So concludes the Apostle Peter’s first general epistle to the churches in Asia Minor and, subsequently, to all Christians everywhere. It is an encouraging letter given to all of us for those times when we are undergoing suffering for righteousness’ sake.

Application

If you are undergoing persecution or are suffering because of your faith in Jesus Christ, take some time to open your Bible and read through this first general epistle of Peter again from start to finish, and be encouraged that you are not alone. God knows of your suffering and will use it to bring glory to Himself. Give Him thanks, and endure your suffering patiently.

Peace be unto you!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 5:13 – Embracing the Faithful

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Will

She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.

Truth to Learn

A greeting may come in many forms. The early church used a hug.

Behind the Words

The word translated “elect together with” is suneklektē, which is a feminine noun. It is made up of sun, meaning “together” and a feminine form of eklektos, meaning “selected one” or “chosen one.” The case of this noun indicates that it is the subject of the sentence. The definite article (the) is also present in regard to this noun. It is expressed as a singular feminine article, thus our translation of “She.”

“Greets” is from the Greek word aspadzomai, which is made up of the particle a, implying “union” and a presumed form of spaō, meaning “to draw” or “to pull.” Hence, it literally means “to pull into an embrace.” This “hug” was used as a common salutation either in greeting or bidding farewell to guests.

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is one of those that looks innocuous enough but which has been discussed and argued over almost since the day it was written. None of these issues concern any particular doctrinal view, so they become nothing but a tempest in a teapot. Nonetheless, here’s some of the discussion.

The verse literally reads (with the word order of the original Greek): “greets you the in Babylon together-elect one and Mark the son of me.”

The first thing you will notice is that there is no mention of “the church” at all in the original (some translations say “the church in Babylon …”). Hence, we get, “The together-elect one in Babylon greets you.” Some have argued that Peter is referring to his own wife who is one of the elect, as are the people to whom Peter is writing this letter. Others, however, argue that it makes no sense for Peter to single out a particular woman and, since “church” is a feminine noun in Greek, he must be referring to the church which is in Babylon. We leave it to you to decide for yourself. Either way, she offers you a greeting in the form of a warm embrace.

The second point of contention is whether Peter is referring to the literal Babylon on the Euphrates River (in modern day Iraq) or whether he is using this as a code word for Rome itself. There was a fairly large population of converted Jews in Babylon at that time and Peter, as the apostle to the Jews, could certainly have been there. Given that there is no obvious reason that he would have been trying to conceal his presence in Rome from other Christians (if he were there), it doesn’t make a lot of sense for him to use a code word. The vast majority of Biblical scholars believe that Peter was actually writing from Babylon on the Euphrates.

The final discussion point in this verse is over who Peter is referring to as “Mark my son.” Most scholars are in agreement that this is John Mark, the author of the second Gospel. It is believed that Mark wrote his Gospel account based on what was told to him by Peter. He is referred to as a son, perhaps because Peter had a significant part in Mark’s conversion.

Application

Regardless of what you believe about the contentious portions of this verse, it is clear that the early church considered hugging a proper way both to greet and to say good-by? Hugs to you!

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 5:12 – Standing Firm

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Will

By Silvanus, our faithful brother as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

Truth to Learn

It is only by God’s grace that we can firmly stand in Christ.

Behind the Words

The Greek word for the name “Silvanus” is Silounou, which is an alternate spelling of Silon or “Silas.” It is most reasonable to assume that this person is none other than Silas, the one who accompanied Paul on much of his missionary travels. He is mentioned numerous times through chapters 15, 16, 17, and 18 of the book of Acts.

The expression “as I consider him” is the Greek word logidzomai, which means “to reckon” or “to put to someone’s account.” This is the same word that appears in James 2:23 where it is translated as “counted to him,”

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness, and he was called friend of God.

Peter is not speculating about Silvanus’ faithfulness, he is absolutely confirming it.

“Exhorting” is translated from the Greek word parakaleō. This is made up of para, meaning “to the side of” or “alongside” and kaleō, meaning “to call.” Thus parakaleō literally means “to call alongside” as a coach would an athlete in order to encourage or challenge him or her.

Meaning Explained

This verse and the two that follow are the closing salutation of this letter. Peter indicates that he believes this is a fairly short letter; “I have written to you briefly…” He tells us at the beginning of this verse that this letter is by Silvanus. As mentioned earlier, this is Silas who is commonly accepted to be the same Silas who accompanied the Apostle Paul during much of his missionary travels. But what does Peter mean, “by Silvanus.” Some believe that Silvanus (Silas) was the scribe who wrote the words which Peter dictated to him. Others believe that he was the messenger who carried this letter to the believers in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (see 1 Peter 1:1). Either one or both of these may be true, though we don’t really know for sure. It certainly would make sense for Peter to send this letter to these churches by Silas, since he travelled with the Apostle Paul through much of this area (current day Turkey), and these Christians knew Silas.

Peter then tells his readers that he, himself, is exhorting and testifying that which is contained in this letter is a representation of the true grace of God. That is, Christianity is the one true religion, not Judaism, nor paganism, nor humanism, nor any other “ism.” It is this true belief in Jesus Christ by the grace of God in which we Christians stand.

Some translations have this last phrase as a command, “Stand firm in it!” This is because there is a variant reading regarding the tense of the final word of this verse. One Greek version has this as a command and another expresses this in the perfect tense implying completed action with a resultant state of being. The important thing is not the tense of this verb, but the fact that it is only by God’s grace that we can stand firm in Christ.

Application

Is that where you are today, firmly standing by the grace of God? Do you recognize that you cannot earn your salvation? The only way we can be righteous in God’s eyes is by His gracious gift of salvation. And, God’s grace, through the blood of Jesus Christ, is greater than our sins.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 5:11 – Our Eternal God

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Will

To Him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Truth to Learn

God is mighty in position and power, deserving of our worship now and for all eternity.

Behind the Words

Some translations begin this verse with “To Him be the glory and the dominion …” The best Greek manuscripts, however, do not contain the Greek word for glory, so we have left it out in our translation.

The word translated “dominion” is the Greek word kratos, which literally means “strength” or “might,” but it carries more of the meaning “especially manifested power” or “dominion.” It is, again a recognition of God’s superiority in terms of power and authority. It is recognition that God is great and powerful having supreme authority and power, and we are small and weak having little, if any, authority and power.

The expression “forever and ever” comes from the Greek eis tous aionas, which literally means “unto the ages.” An age refers to a period of time or the collection of events within that period of time. The Greek expression, eis ton aionon (unto the ages) is interpreted as “unto eternity” or “until the end of the ages.”

“Amen” is a transliteration (a word brought directly from one language into another) of the Hebrew word meaning, “to be firm, steady, or trustworthy.” It is sometimes translated as “it is truth.” At other times it is translated as “verily,” as in “Verily, verily, I say unto you.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse starts with “To Him.” The obvious question is “To whom?” The answer lies in the first part of yesterday’s verse, “The God of all grace.” So, we could read today’s verse as, “To the God of all grace be the dominion throughout all eternity. Amen”

Peter is, as we all should be, ascribing praise, worship, and reverence to the one who is most powerful and mighty and who shall be so throughout all of time and eternity!

He closes his benediction with the word amen, which, as we noted above, is not a Greek word but a Hebrew word. It is not simply a formula type word for ending a prayer as we so flippantly use it today. In the New Testament it is often translated as “verily” or “truly.” Its most basic meaning, however, is, “this is true with absolute certainty!” It is not so much a period on the end of a prayer as it is an exclamation point.

To the God of all grace be the dominion throughout all eternity. Amen

Application

How easily and carelessly we toss about a verse like this. Think about what it means. First of all, we are recognizing that God is supreme and we are but lowly creatures. By implication we are recognizing that He is the one who made everything that exists out of nothing. Next, we are saying that He deserves recognition for who He is, and that recognition includes worship and praise. Finally, in expressing this, we admit that He transcends time and that His exalted position will continue long after time has ceased. This is the truth!

In God's service, for His glory,