2 Peter 3:2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles. Truth to Learn Christians need to allow God to speak to them from both the Old Testament and the New...
2 Peter 3:1 – Forward, or Reverse?
2 Peter 3:1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. Truth to Learn We all need to be reminded of Biblical truths. Behind the Words The word translated “wholesome” is the Greek word...
2 Peter 2:22 – Filthy Magnet
2 Peter 2:22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." Truth to Learn Without the God-given new birth, we will all return to our former ways. Meaning Explained For the past...
2 Peter 2:21 – Knowledge or Faith?
2 Peter 2:21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Truth to Learn Great works done in the name of God...
2 Peter 2:20 – Knowing Entanglement
2 Peter 2:20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. Truth to Learn True salvation can’t be lost, but...
2 Peter 2:19 – Corrupt Slaves
2 Peter 2:19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. Truth to Learn That which you are committed to and controlled by is your master and you are its slave. Behind the Words This word “freedom”...
2 Peter 2:18 – Symphonic Messages
2 Peter 2:18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. Truth to Learn Well written messages that are delivered by a skilled public speaker are not always...
2 Peter 2:17 – Refreshing, Cleansing Water
2 Peter 2:17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. Truth to Learn The Bible is like refreshing, cleansing water to the soul. Behind the Words The word “mists” is translated from omichlē, meaning “a mist, a fog, or...
2 Peter 2:16 – Donkey Speak
2 Peter 2:16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness. Truth to Learn Following God’s leading may be hard, but it is the best way. Behind the Words The word translated “wrongdoing” is paranomia....
2 Peter 2:15 – The Straight Path
2 Peter 2:15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. Truth to Learn Follow the path God leads you on no matter how much fame and fortune are promised you. Behind the Words...
2 Peter 2:14 – Greedy Practice
2 Peter 2:14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! Truth to Learn False teachers serve themselves, not those whom they teach. Behind the Words The word translated “seduce” is deleadzō, which means “to entrap with bait.”...
2 Peter 2:13 – Life of the Party
2 Peter 2:13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. Truth to Learn When harsh criticism is given of others,...
2 Peter 2:12 – God’s Precious Word
2 Peter 2:12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. Truth to Learn Those who do not respect God’s word will perish. Behind the Words...
2 Peter 2:11 – Lord, or Just Savior
2 Peter 2:11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. Truth to Learn We all need to recognize what spiritual authority we are under. Behind the Words “Angels” is a transliteration of the...
2 Peter 2:10 – Selfish or Submitted?
2 Peter 2:10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; Truth to Learn Some false teachers only care about their own desires. Behind the Words The words...
2 Peter 2:9 – Lord and Master?
2 Peter 2:9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. Truth to Learn If you’re a Christian, God is your master and you are his servant. Behind the...
2 Peter 2:8 – Tortured By Sinfulness
2 Peter 2:8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— Truth to Learn Living in the midst of sin is torture for a committed Christian. Behind the Words The word “tormented” comes from...
2 Peter 2:7 – Righteous Lot?
2 Peter 2:7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men Truth to Learn Living like the people of this world will corrupt your behavior. Behind the Words The word translated “distressed” is kataponeō, made up of kata, an intensifier,...
2 Peter 2:6 – Lulled Into Sin
2 Peter 2:6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; Truth to Learn It’s easy to ignore sin when everyone around is doing it. Behind the Words The word...
2 Peter 2:5 – Pre-Flood Stubbornness
2 Peter 2:5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; Truth to Learn The people of Noah’s day refused to listen to the truth and they paid the ultimate price...
2 Peter 2:4 – Held For Judgment
2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; Truth to Learn False teachers, like the angels who sinned, will be judged! Behind the Words The word “if” indicates a conditional...
2 Peter 2:3 – Snake Oil Preachers
2 Peter 2:3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. Truth to Learn Not every message delivered from the pulpit comes from God. Behind the Words The word...
2 Peter 2:2 – Ungodly Witness
2 Peter 2:2 Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. Truth to Learn Professing Christians who live un-Christ-like lives bring the whole body of Christ into disrepute. Behind the Words All of the writings from which the New Testament was translated were...
2 Peter 2:1 – False Teachers
2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Truth to Learn Beware! There are false teachers in the church...
2 Peter 1:21 – Inspired Writing
2 Peter 1:21 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. Truth to Learn The Bible is the “inspired” Word of God. Behind the Words The word translated “will” is translated from the...
2 Peter 1:20 – Spirit Inspired
2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. Truth to Learn The truth of the Bible is communicated by the Holy Spirit. Behind the Words The words translated “prophet’s own interpretation” are idias epiluseos. The first of these,...
2 Peter 1:19 – More Sure Foundation
2 Peter 1:19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Truth to Learn God’s Word...
2 Peter 1:18 – His Holy Presence
2 Peter 1:18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. Truth to Learn Holiness is in the presence of God, not the location or building. Behind the Words The word translated “voice” is phōnē, which comes from the verb...
2 Peter 1:17 – A Father Well Pleased
2 Peter 1:17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Truth to Learn God the Father is, and has always been, pleased with...
2 Peter 1:16 – His Majestic Return
2 Peter 1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Truth to Learn Christ’s glorious return is not a wishful, made-up story. It is a promise from Christ himself,...
2 Peter 1:15 – Eternal Retirement Plan
2 Peter 1:15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. Truth to Learn God has a job for us to be doing until we take our last breath. Behind the Words The expression “will make every...