◄ 2 Peter Devotional Commentary ►
2 Peter 1:1
Simon Peter was a recipient of God's grace and salvation, and an eyewitness of His majesty and glory. This headstrong, young fisherman, who was the first to proclaim by revelation, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God," addresses himself to fellow-believers in simplicity and humility as: "The bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ."
Simon was the one who denied His Lord three times, read more...
2 Peter 1:2
God commended His love towards us in that while we were still sinners and estranged from Himself, Christ died for us, forgave us of our sins, removed us from condemnation, came to take up residence within our hearts, and abide within us. We are positioned in Christ Who gave us His life, promised to do a good work within us, bestowed on us eternal life, and poured into us the riches of His glory, simply because we trusted Him as Saviour.
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2 Peter 1:3
The position and privileges that are ours in Christ Jesus, and all that we will ever need to live a godly life which is pleasing to the Lord, were given to us as a free gift of God's grace. Freely given through the merit of Christ's sacrificial death at Calvary and because of His omnipotent, divine power.
As His children, we are called to live a life of godliness, to live our life in spirit and truth, and to live in total read more...
2 Peter 1:4
What privilege to know that through His divine power, God has given every believer in Christ Jesus our Lord, all we need that pertain to life and godliness, and it is appropriated through a knowledge of Him.
God has already equipped us with the power to live a victorious Christian life, to live our lives as He intended us to live (in total dependence on Him). And His divine power is accessed through a knowledge of Him Who called read more...
2 Peter 1:5
The urgency of Peter's message in his second epistle is that the Christian's life, which begins with faith, must grow and develop into Christian maturity and produce spiritual fruit which is so honouring to the Father.
As believers, we are not left on our own to forge through our Christian life blindly, depending on our own personal potential, business acumen, innate abilities, or educational excellence, for to do so would cause read more...
2 Peter 1:6
Grace and peace is not only given to the child of God, but multiplied as we grow in grace and in a knowledge of our Heavenly Father and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Because we trusted the Lord Jesus as Saviour, all that we need for life, godliness, and spiritual growth is ours already, but it is accessed by faith. We started our spiritual journey by grace through faith in Christ, and we are kept throughout our life-journey by the read more...
2 Peter 1:7
We are to grow in grace - to grow in godliness and Christlikeness. We are to display the fruit of the Spirit in the bond of peace and we are to demonstrate the gracious characteristics that only come from above, in our everyday life and pattern of living.
As children of our Heavenly Father, we are to function in the divine nature that is ours, by faith in Christ. The Lord Jesus lived his life, from start to finish, in the way that read more...
2 Peter 1:8
Peter knew that the Christian life begins with precious faith in the finished work of Christ and continues with maturing faith, as it is implemented day by day throughout our earthly walk. But he also knew that spiritual growth is not automatic, for we must grow and mature in grace and in a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. And as we trust in the promises of God and depend on Him alone through all the eventualities of life, we may bear much fruit to the read more...
2 Peter 1:9
Our heavenly Father desires that all His children walk in spirit and truth. He wants each one of us to become firmly established in the faith and produce much fruit in our lives, to His praise and glory. Indeed, it is the desire of most Christians to be fruitful and to live a life that is honouring to God.
Peter points out how blessed we are that we have been given all we need to live a life of godliness, because God in His read more...
2 Peter 1:10
God knows the end from the beginning. He knows before the foundation of the world the choices that every man and woman will make with regard to their salvation. God knew Your choice, and He knew mine before we were even born. We who, at some point in our life, have chosen to accept His gift of salvation, were elected as God's children before the foundation of the world.
God has given every man and woman volition to choose their read more...
2 Peter 1:11
Our privileges and position in Christ are beyond our comprehension and we have been given all that we need for life and godliness as a free gift of grace; and it is all by faith in Him. Instead of facing God's justified wrath and eternal indignation, grace and peace has been multiplied to us, by faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour, and in Him we have been forgiven of our many sins and reckoned by our Heavenly Father as righteous.
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2 Peter 1:12
The old apostle Peter knew that his time on earth was short, but felt it necessary to continue reminding believers of the truths of the Word of God and of the responsibility we all have to become increasingly established in the gospel of Christ so that we may grow in grace and become increasingly fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Peter's heart desire was to establish believers in the gospel of read more...
2 Peter 1:13
After the customary greeting to his readers, Peter begins his letter by reminding us of our privileged position in Christ as believers, and emphases the importance of our Christian conduct, in the light of this gracious, God-given advantage we have been given.
He catalogues the divine power that is ours in Christ, for in Him, God has given us all we need that pertains to life and godliness. And he reminds us of the exceedingly read more...
2 Peter 1:14
It must have been amazing to watch the apostle Peter grow in grace and mature in his Christian faith, in his advancing years. Peter grew from the young petulant man who boasted that he would die for the Lord, even though others would forsake Him... to that old seasoned saint who came to understand that the trial of our faith is more precious to the Lord than gold.
Though we are in the world, Peter understood that we are as read more...
2 Peter 1:15
By the time Peter, the big, brawny, blustery fisherman, was writing his second epistle, we discover he had matured into a modest and unassuming man who continued to express his deep devotion for his divine Master and articulate his immense gratitude for his eternal salvation. Peter continued to enumerate to others the privileges that are the right of all who trust in Him.
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2 Peter 1:16
Peter was one of the three disciples in Christ's 'inner circle'. He was a man that boasted of his loyalty and love for the Lord in the early days of faith. He walked with Jesus along the way and witnessed Christ's powerful prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. He was both astonished and bewildered when Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, girded Himself with a towel and began to wash His disciple's dirty feet - but Peter was also an eyewitness to Christ's heavenly read more...
2 Peter 1:17
The apostle Peter, was one of the men who heard the voice of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness, preparing the way of the Lord. He was one of the company who went in and out among Christ's disciples from the beginning, and readily responded to the Lord's call to, "follow Me."
He heard the gracious words that Jesus spoke, and saw despised lepers healed. He witnessed the dead being raised, the blind receiving their sight, and the lame read more...
2 Peter 1:18
In the first chapter of second Peter, members of the Body of Christ are called to develop a strong Christian character. Spiritual growth and maturing in the faith is not something we have to do in our own strength. By God's grace, we have been given everything we need for life and godliness, and the apostle Peter wants us to keep this in the forefront of our minds.
He reminds us that as born again children of God, we have read more...
2 Peter 1:19
We live in a dark world. Despite the advances that man has made in areas such as medicine and technology, nonetheless the world is a dark place where evil rules. But the Christian is called to live by faith in the Word of God and not by sight. We are to live by faith in His Word, and not to be led by our feelings, experiences, or emotions that may be induced by the world around us.
The Word of God not only tells us of our read more...
2 Peter 1:20
The Word of God is not simply a collection of so many interesting writings from antiquity. God's Word is living and powerful and has been breathed-out from the heart of the living God, to enliven those who trust in His name. Not only was it the Spirit that prompted and inspired holy men of God to script His message to humankind, but He continues to prompt and inspire all who search its pages diligently, with a desire to discover the truth within its pages, and read more...
2 Peter 1:21
God has spoken to man through the holy Scriptures, and His Word endures forever. The Bible is the singular, unchanging, and non-negotiable plumb-line for truth, and it was holy men of God who were moved by the Holy Spirit in bygone days, who were entrusted to record the sacred, inerrant, God-breathed text.
The Scriptures were not devised by the whimsical impulses of men, nor manufactured from their own creative imagination, but read more...
2 Peter 2:1
In talking to the believers of his day, Peter reminded them that although the Scriptures were written by human authors whose writings demonstrated their individual personality, their personal vocabulary, and their own indigenous style, nonetheless, the Scriptures they wrote were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit of God.
The New Testament is equally inspired of God, equally without error or contradiction, and equally written by read more...
2 Peter 2:3
It was once said that, "the devil is never more satanic than when he carries a Bible," and the Scriptures give multiple warnings to beware of false prophets and flawed teachers with their counterfeit gospel, their doctrines of demons, and a different 'Jesus', which too often results from their fraudulent greed.
Paul warns that because of their greed, these false teachers will exploit the flock of God with made-up stories, cunning read more...
2 Peter 2:4
The focal subject throughout this second chapter of Peter, is false teaching. There always has been and always will be false teaching. There will always be error and deception, side by side with the truth of God's Word. Holy men of Israel spoke the Word of God in spirit and in truth, but alongside them were those that were teaching falsehood, delusion, and deceit.
Both in the Old and New Testaments, we discover ungodly lies and read more...
2 Peter 2:5
Following the flood but before the call of Abraham, there is a brief section that gives significant insight into humanity's speedy demise into godlessness. It shows how Noah's descendants became scattered across the world and the reason for their distribution. It helps us to understand how the nation states we know today were originally established.
For 120 years, Noah had preached righteousness, spoken against the depravity of read more...
2 Peter 2:6
Peter knew his time on earth was short, and wrote his second epistle to remind Christians of the fundamentals of their faith and the need to live godly lives. He longed that his readers would grow in grace and be securely established in Christ, but he also warned of a growing apostasy and a serious decline in moral values, due to licentious living which is often rooted in ungodly teachings and doctrines of demons.
While Paul's read more...
2 Peter 2:7
Almost every New Testament epistle gives grave warnings about false teachings and their erroneous doctrines, which can cause havoc in the life of an ill-equipped believer. And much in Peter's second letter talks about the characteristics of apostates, the consequence of following dangerous dogmas, the conduct of such dissenters, and their final down-fall and condemnation.
The whole of 2 Peter 2 is devoted to exposing the read more...
2 Peter 2:9
Christians are engaged in the battle of all battles: a spiritual war between good and evil, between the Lord God Almighty and His wicked adversary, that old serpent who is called the devil and Satan. The devil has been engaged in confrontation with humanity from the moment God breathed life into man and Adam became a living being, made in the image and likeness of God.
This enemy of our soul targeted many Old and New Testament read more...
2 Peter 2:10
Like many of the apostles, Peter showed contempt and deep displeasure for the false teachers of his day. Indeed, a considerable proportion of his epistle highlights the ungodly conduct and wrong motivation of these religious charlatans. Peter made it clear that these were religious leaders who secretly taught destructive heresies to pliable believers, and even denied the Lord Jesus, Who bought them.
Peter warned that the read more...
2 Peter 2:12
Like his first epistle, an important element of second Peter is to remind his readers of the fundamentals of our faith, establish believers in the truth, and feed the flock of Christ, while addressing issues such as suffering, false teachings, and standing firm in the sufficiency of God's grace.
Although there are many similarities between the two epistles, we see a greater urgency in his second letter which builds on his earlier read more...
2 Peter 2:20
In this passage, Peter is raising a concern that those who, for a time, escape the pollution and defilement of the world when they hear about the Lord Jesus, end up in a far worse state when they return to the world's entanglements. This verse has caused many Christians to think their salvation is lost if they become discouraged, walk away from their faith for a time, or become engage in worldly carnality. It is, therefore, read more...
2 Peter 2:21
In the final three verses of his second letter, Peter is explaining that unbelievers, who for a time are enticed by false teachers into believing a fake gospel with a counterfeit Christ, end up in a worse spiritual state than at the beginning. They may have escaped the impurity of the world with its many entanglements for a short time when they came into a knowledge of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, but they never came into a saving knowledge read more...
2 Peter 2:22
Both saved and unsaved people use this well-known saying from Proverbs, to show concern for a friend or acquaintance who has returned to an unsavoury relationship or has gone back into some unwholesome activity: "It has happened to them according to the true proverb, 'a dog returns to its own vomit, and 'a sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.'"
This is an excellent description of a foolish, read more...
2 Peter 3:1
Peter walked with Jesus, talked with Him, and spent three amazing years with the lovely Lord Jesus, Whom he confessed as Christ the Son of the living God. He was one of the twelve disciples who were sent by Christ to minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, and casting out demons.
The apostle Peter was no stranger to the divine read more...
2 Peter 3:2
The apostle Peter stresses the importance of the Word of God in the life of all believers, knowing that Christendom is awash with false teachers, doctrines of demons, and a willing ignorance of the truth of Scripture.
How important it is to remember the God-breathed predictions of the Lord's holy prophets of the Old Testament, and how necessary to recollect the words, wisdom, and warnings of the Lord Jesus Himself, which has been read more...
2 Peter 3:3
God has broken into history on a number of occasions, and Peter is keen to remind us that the time is coming when, once again, God will intervene in a Christ-rejecting sinful world, in order to carry out His plans and purposes to completion.
The Lord stepped into history at the flood when He saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become, for every inclination of the human heart was continuously evil in those days. He read more...
2 Peter 3:4
We live in a world that has systematically eliminated the Creator and His Christ from every area of national, governmental, educational, social, scientific, and family life, and replaced it with a flawed system of rationalism and relative thinking.
Not only is God blasphemed and scorned in all the corridors of power at home and abroad, the Biblical prophecies of Christ's return to judge the world are treated with scorn, mockery, read more...
2 Peter 3:5
Like all New Testament apostles who were ordained by God to write the Scriptures, Peter wanted to ensure that Christian men and women remain mindful of past prophetic writings and important apostolic commandments.
As he neared the end of his second epistle, Peter expressed his deep desire that believers maintain their hope in the Lord's return, and pay heed to the signs of the times in which they live - signs which would indicate read more...
2 Peter 3:6
The problem of false teachers and the predicted increase in scoffers in the last days, is given significant attention in Peter's last letter. He prompts his readers to hold fast to the text of Scripture, and to cling tightly to the glorious gospel of God and the unchangeable fact; that Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
He wants to stir up our hearts by reminding us that Scripture is the product of holy men of God who read more...
2 Peter 3:7
The very God Who created the world is the same Almighty God Who has promised a great, final, fiery judgment upon this fallen world. This fire will be a cleansing, purifying flame that will sweep across the earth and heavens, and bring an end to all wickedness. It is a very sombre thought to realise that a day is coming when the world as we know it, will be utterly destroyed.
In the final chapter of his second epistle, Peter tells read more...
2 Peter 3:8
In contrast to Peter's earlier dialogue of the multitudes of mockers that scoff at the fast approaching Day of the Lord, when God pours out His wrath on a Christ-rejecting sinful world during the Great Tribulation, Peter outlines a truth that has escaped the notice of many: "That one day with God is as 1000 years, and 1000 years as a single day."
Some do not believe the Lord will ever return because of the centuries that read more...
2 Peter 3:9
Humanity is tethered to time and enclosed in space, unaware of the eternal, unrestricted perspective of the Father. We are hooked into a world of the moment and a life of the limited, while God is unfolding His plans and purposes for the benefit of mankind, which He knew in the eternal council chambers of heaven before the creation was spoken into being. God is not slow to fulfil His promises to us, and any perceived delay in the mindset of man cannot invalidate read more...
2 Peter 3:10
The Day-of-the-Lord is a topic that is widely discussed in both the Old and New Testaments. Unlike certain Church-age doctrines like the Rapture, the dispensation of the grace of God, or the new-man-in-Christ, which were hidden from past ages and generations, the Day-of-the-Lord is openly taught throughout the Word of God.
The Day-of-the-Lord covers a time that starts with a seven-year period of great trouble and tribulation for read more...
2 Peter 3:11
As the apostle Peter neared the end of his life, he taught about the coming 'Day of the Lord' and warned the little flock of Christ that in the last days, mocking men would ridicule the truth of Christ's return demonstrating their ignorance of the God's Word, and their foolish assumptions that things are going to continue on ad infinitum. God stepped into the pages of history many times to pronounce His judgement on a Christ rejecting sinful world following an read more...
2 Peter 3:12
Peter had an understanding of the future; not only the immediate future, the Rapture of the Church, and the future millennial rule of Christ, but also the far distant future, when this fallen world will be destroyed by intense fire and replaced with a new heaven and a new earth. He knew that having an understanding of future events would help motivate believers to separate themselves from sin and worldly desires, and live godly lives.
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2 Peter 3:13
Both Peter and Paul give some excellent information about the 'Day of the Lord'. It begins with the prophesied 'Time of Jacob’s Trouble', continues into the Millennial reign of Christ on earth – and on into the eternal ages.
The 'Day of the Lord' reaches its climax at the end of the Millenium, with the destruction of the first, fallen heaven and cursed earth, and continues with the creation of a new heaven and a blessed, new earth – before read more...
2 Peter 3:14
As Peter nears the end of his earthly life, there seems to be an increasing urgency to warn the Body of Christ of the mounting danger of false teachers, whom the apostle identified as rebellious, mercenary, animalistic, and deceitful men who are persistent sinners.
Although he reassures us that such false teachers will finally be deposed and destroyed at the Second Advent of Christ when He returns to set up His Millennial Kingdom, read more...
2 Peter 3:15
Peter was eager to stir up the minds of the saints to whom he was writing. He was keen to bring to their remembrance everything he had taught them. He also wanted them to pay attention to the words spoken by prophets of old, the apostle Paul, and Christ's other holy apostles.
Knowing he was soon to die, Peter was motivated to remind his readers about the great and terrible 'Day of the Lord'. This period of time will begin after read more...
2 Peter 3:16
The one thing that so many Bible expositors fail to do is to teach the Scriptures literally, grammatically, historically, and in context. What is the topic under discussion? Who spoke the word or penned the sacred text, and to whom is a particular passage addressed, and why?
In this final letter just before his death, the aged apostle Peter wrote to all Christians: "To those who have obtained like precious faith read more...
2 Peter 3:18
The grace of God spills over the pages of Peter's epistles like so many sparkling jewels, and in the final words of his letter, we are encouraged to grow in the grace of God that has been so freely bestowed on all who believe in His free gift of salvation. We are to dig our roots down deep into the depths of His Word, and we are to reach out into the farthest extremities of His grace, which are higher than the heavens above and deeper than the ocean depths.
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