1 Peter 2
2 Peter begins with a strong warning about false teachers who have entered the faith community. The author uses examples from the Old Testament to mention the results of those who once disobeyed God, and lets readers know that destructive teachings can also arise today from within the church. This emphasizes how important it is to protect the purity of faith and the truth.
1versePutting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking,
2verseas newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow,
3verseif indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4verseCome to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious.
5verseYou also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6verseBecause it is contained in Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious. He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”
7verseFor you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone,”
8verseand, “a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.” For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.
9verseBut you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10verseIn the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11verseBeloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul,
12versehaving good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.
13verseTherefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme,
14verseor to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well.
15verseFor this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16verseLive as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
17verseHonor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18verseServants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.
19verseFor it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God.
20verseFor what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God.
21verseFor you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps,
22versewho didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
23verseWhen he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously.
24verseHe himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds.
25verseFor you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
The Traits and Consequences of False Teachers
- Greed and debauchery: They distort the truth to fill their own desires, and lead believers astray with sexual immorality and immoral behavior.
- Deceit and mockery: They speak as if God will not judge, causing people to misunderstand God’s patience.
- Spiritual ruin: As a result of their actions and teachings, the community is destroyed, and they put even themselves at risk of coming to ruin.
Historical Examples and God’s Judgment
In the passage, examples of angels, Noah’s day, and Sodom and Gomorrah show that God’s judgment will certainly take place. However, while also highlighting God’s judgment of the wicked, it simultaneously emphasizes God’s grace in saving the righteous (for example, Noah and Lot). This suggests that God’s justice and mercy are in balance.
The Importance of Keeping the Faith to the End
In the latter part of chapter 2, it presents the tragic situation of those who once came to know Jesus Christ but then turned back to their old wickedness. It warns that faith is not something that ends with a single confession, but that it is vital for one’s life of faith to endure and live faithfully to the end.
Points for Reflection
- How can I discern false and tempting teachings that could shake my faith?
- What comfort do I gain from the fact that God does not abandon evil and will surely protect the righteous?
Putting It into Practice for Me
- In daily life, when I come across teachings that differ from the truth, I need to make an effort to discern based on the Bible and to keep the right faith.
- Reflect on whether, even in my own life, I might be living with greed or the wrong motives, and decide to trust in God’s justice and mercy and live honestly.
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