Reading: 2 Peter 1-3, Psalm 35

Peter’s epistles, like that of James, are written to a general audience. They don’t have a city, church, or person they are addressed to, indicating that they were intended for the Christian world at large, and that their instruction is intended to be generally applied. Which is all great, but makes it really hard to pin down when and where theses letters were written. It may not matter, but for people like me who like to have all the background information, it is frustrating. The only clue we have for this letter is Peter’s knowledge of his impending death, which indicates he may have written this not long before his execution by Nero in 64 A.D. If that is correct, it certainly bears on the content of the letter, as Peter is encouraging the believers to remain committed to the things they have believed, not to be deceived by those who preach a licentious or legalistic gospel, and to endure in the face of public persecution.

In any event, Peter gives much of the same encouragement that Paul does in more detail in his epistles. There are people running around telling believers that immoral behavior is now fine, and they are even using Paul’s letters to defend their position. While this would be difficult for anyone who read Paul’s letters to believe, it is worth reminding ourselves that a great many of the people in the ancient world could not read, and depended on others to read these letters aloud to them. In many ways, we have better access to the words of the apostles than Christians in their own times did. If we hear bad teaching, almost all of us can go read the Scriptures and point out their errors. This was not an option for many early believers. This accounts for the continuous refrain from Peter, Paul, James, and whoever wrote Hebrews about holy living. Unscrupulous people who wished to have their lifestyles confirmed simply lied about what Jesus and the apostles said. Peter has nothing good to say about these people, saying they are worse than demons, and destined for a life of suffering that ends in destruction. Not a good look at all.

Peter also addresses the present persecution of the church. While persecution went up and down through the early era of the church, the late reign of Nero was among the larger upswings. This got many people asking the age old question of the people of God in the face of suffering: How Long, Oh Lord? Peter, knowing that he cannot answer this question, instead encourages his readers to endure until the judgment of God. He calls back to the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the book of Genesis, and tells the story of Noah. He posits that the world before Noah was different than it is now. It was a world built on and destroyed by water. After Noah, the world was different, which we can see in the covenant statements of God following the worldwide flood. I call it the creation reset button. Peter uses this story to encourage the believers to remain committed and endure mockery, persecution, and suffering of all sorts with the hope of another change to the world like the flood. Unlike the flood in the time of Noah, this will be a change heralded by fire, and result in a purified world. Wicked and immoral behavior is to be dissolved, but holiness and godliness will remain.

Then he offers one of the clearest explanations in the Scriptures as to why God has not yet done this. If there is a new world coming, why is it not here? Peter says it is because of patient mercy. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. Peter believes that God is waiting to bring on a new creation because he wants people to believe in the gospel. To be transformed in their lives such that who and what they are is not burned away. To know and grow in the grace of Jesus Christ. For this Peter will endure suffering, and encourages diligence in the pursuit of it from all the believers.