Workers For Jesus Online Bible Study
The Book of 2 Peter

Timeline of the Bible

God creates the world. --- God destroys the world with the flood, but saves  Noah and his family.---  God chooses Abraham and his descendants to His people. ---Abraham's grandson, Jacob, has 12 sons who lead the 12 tribes of Israel.--- The Israelites become slaves in Egypt.--- God helps the Israelites escape and leads them to Canaan. ---The Israelites fight in wars and take control of Canaan.---Judges lead the Israelites, but the Israelites want to have kings instead of judges. --- David is Israel's greatest king.--- Israel divides into 2 parts: Israel and Judah.--- The people of Israel and Judah continue to sin and worship false gods.--- God allows the Assyrians and the Babylonians to take the Israelites out of Israel and Judah.---   The Israelites (Jews) live in Babylonia and then Persia. --- When Persia defeats the Babylonians, the Jews go back to Judah.--- The Jews build God's Temple in Jerusalem again.--- Greece defeats Persia, and the Greeks control Judah (also now called Israel).--- The Jews become independent for 100 years.-- The Romans take control of Israel.--- Jesus is born. At age 30, Jesus begins his ministry. ---Jesus is crucified and then is resurrected. --- A Roman named Saul is converted to Christianity and becomes Paul.--- ►Christianity spreads. --- Paul and other apostles write letters to Christians in other places.  ◄This book of the Bible happens during this time  In the year, 70 A.D., God's Temple in Jerusalem is destroyed again.

   
This book was a letter written by Peter to Christians living in Asia Minor. It was written in about 67 A.D. They were the same group he wrote to in 1 Peter.  He wrote this letter soon after his first letter because he heard there were false teachers among them.

Main points of Peter's second letter:

Warning about the dangers of false prophets and false teachers.
God punishes people who do wrong.
The Lord will return.
How Christians should behave until the Lord returns.

 


2 Peter 1 - 3

Peter encourages the believers to keep following Jesus Christ.
Peter warns the believers about false teachers.
Jesus will keep His promise to come back. He will punish the sinners.



 


2 Peter 1


Peter encourages the believers to keep following Jesus Christ.


This letter is from Simon Peter, a servant and apostle follower of Jesus Christ. This letter is written to people who have the same faith. They believe in the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
[1] Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

I pray for grace and peace to be increased through your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
[2] Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,


God's divine power has given us all things having to do with life and godliness. We get these by learning about God who calls  us to glory and good behavior.
[3] According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:


This knowledge gives us great and precious promises. Through these, you will be part of God's divine nature. You will escape the world that has been corrupted by lust.
[4] Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.


 Keep working to add these to your faith: virtue (good behavior), knowledge, temperance (self-control), patience, godliness (loving God), kindness, and charity (generosity).
 [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
[6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
[7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

If these things are in you and grow, you life will never be wasted. You will always be productive and fruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.


If someone doesn't have these things, he is not seeing clearly. He cannot see the future. He has forgotten that he was forgiven for his old sins.
[9] But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.


Brothers, keep alert to do these things. That way, your calling to Jesus is strong. You will never fail.
[10] Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:


You will have a great entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
[11] For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.


I will always remind you of these things. Even though you already know them, I will keep reminding you so you can stay strong in the truth.
[12] Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.


Yes, as long as I live on earth, I will remind you of these things.
[13] Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;


The Lord Jesus Christ has showed me that I will not live on earth much longer.  So, I will keep working so that after I am gone, you will keep remembering these things.
[14] Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
[15] Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.


When we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we weren't just making up stories.
[16] For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.


 Jesus received honor and glory from God the Father. I saw this myself on the mountain. We were with Jesus and heard God's voice say from heaven, "This is My beloved Son. I am very happy with Him."
[17] For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
[18] And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

We also heard about Jesus from the prophets.  The prophets said that we should watch. You should pay attention to them.  Pay attention like your would a light that shines in the dark.  Watch until it becomes clear and light like day.
[19] We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

This is most important -- the prophecies didn't come from man. They cam from the Holy Ghost who told them what to say.
[20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
[21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Peter 2


Peter warns the believers about false teachers.



But there were some false prophets who told lies. There were also false teachers among you. They will tell you lies.  They will deny that Jesus the Lord saved them.  They will be destroyed quickly.
[1] But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Many people will copy their evil ways. They will tell lies about Jesus.
[2] And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.


Their false words will harm you. God will punish them.
[3] And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

God did not hold back punishment from the angels that sinner. He sent them down to hell.  They were in chains in the darkness to wait for their judgement.
[4] For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

He did not hold back punishment for the world except for Noah. Noah was the 8th person saved on the ark. God sent the flood to destroy the world and the ungodly people.
[5] And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

God punished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha. He turned them into ashes because the people who lived there were ungodly except for Lot.  God saved Lot.
[6] And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
[7] And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

Lot was a good man.  He lived in the city full of sinners. He saw and heard their sins. It made him upset to hear them everyday.
[8] (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

The Lord knows how to save good people from temptation. He will punish the bad people in the day of judgement.
[9] The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

He will punish the people who sin with lust and uncleanness. They do not follow rules. They only follow their own selfishness and sinful desires. They do not hesitate to talk about evil things.
[10] But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

Angels are more powerful then them. But even angels don't accuse them to the Lord.
[11] Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

These people act like animals. They are made to be captured and destroyed.  They say bad things about what they don't understand.  They will die because of their own bad behavior.
[12] But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

They will be punished according to their sinful behavior. They behave bad, and they are like animals that have blemishes. They eat with you, but they are dirty and sinful.
[13] And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

They are immoral. They commit adultery.  They sin constantly. They fool other people and treat them bad. They curse children.
[14] Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

Balaam was a prophet. God spoke to him, but he did not have a good heart. He turned away from God.  In the Book of Numbers, Balaam was stopped from traveling by a talking donkey.
They have turned away from following God. They behave the way Balaam did. Balaam was the son of Bosor. He was greedy. A talking donkey told him he was doing the wrong thing.
[15] Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
[16] But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.


These people are like wells that have no water.  They are like clouds that the strong winds blow around. They will always be dark.
[17] These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

They speak with bragging talk. They try to get other people to sin with them. They tempt people who have just barely escaped a life of sin.
[18] For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

They promise sinners freedom, but they are themselves slaves.  They are slaves of sin and and corruption. They are in prison by the things that they are slaves to.
[19] While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

Some people escape sin by knowing about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  But, then they sin again.  Their punishment will be worse because they already knew about sin. They would have not been punished as much if they had never heard about Jesus and then sinned. They knew about Jesus, so they should not have sinned again.
[20] For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
[21] For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

They are like the proverb, "A dog returns to his own vomit, and a pig that was washed will go back to the mud."
[22] But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

2 Peter 3


Jesus will keep His promise to come back. He will punish the sinners.


This is the second letter I have written to you. I want to remind you of how you should think. Your minds should be pure. I want to think about what the holy prophets said in the past.  Think about how we have been commanded to do by our Lord and Saviour.
[1] This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
[2] That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

First of all, I want you to know that people will come in the last days. They will be scoffers - they will not believe in Jesus. They will behave immorally.
[3] Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,


They will say that Jesus is not coming back. They will say that everything is the same as it was at the beginning of time.
[4] And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

They forget that God made the heaven and earth and water. Then, He destroyed the world with the flood.
[5] For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
[6] Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

The heavens and earth are the same. God has kept them the same until the day of judgment.  Ungodly men will be destroyed with fire.
[7] But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Beloved, know this one thing: God's time is not the same as our time. One day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.
[8] But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord will keep His promise. Some men think he won't.  He is willing to wait for us. He doesn't want anyone to die forever.  He wants everyone to repent of their sins.
[9] The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But, the day of the Lord will come silently and unexpected like a thief in the night. The heavens will pass away with a big noise. Everything will melt and burn up.
[10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

Since everything will be destroyed, how should you behave.  You should have holy conversations and godly behavior.
[11] Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

You should look forward to the day that God comes back. The heavens and earth will burn and melt away.  But, He has promised us that there will be a new heaven and a new earth. They will be places for righteous, good behavior.
[12] Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
[13] Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Beloved, you are looking for these things. Continue to behave well so that you will be able to be in the new heaven and new earth.
[14] Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

The Lord is patient, and He saves. This is also what our beloved brother, Paul, said. God gave him the wisdom to write this to you.
[15] And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

In all of Paul's letters, he wrote about these things. Some of these things are hard to understand. Some people who don't know anything and are unstable twist Paul's words. They twist other scriptures, too, and they are destroyed from that.
[16] As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Beloved, you know all of these things from the past.  Be careful so that they wicked people don't lead you awy. Be strong, but grow in grace.  Learn more about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  We give glory to Him now and forever.
[17] Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
[18] But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
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