The Book of 2 Peter: How Christians can be Equipped and Prepared for False Prophets and the Coming Judgments of God

2 Peter is one of the most powerful books in the Bible to prepare you for these last days. For many years now, I have been living in the truths of this little book perhaps more than any other in the Bible.The message of the book is very simple; yet, very profound. There are two things that are coming - false teachers and the judgments of God. In fact, the judgments of God are coming because of the false teachers And Christian believers must prepare for both.2 Peter gives an amazing revelation of how the Lord empowers and equips Christians to discern the false teachers who are here now and who are coming later. They have deceived, defeated, and even destroyed God's people (2:1-3) in the past, of which, Balaam is a prime example (2:15). They are the "scoffers" and "mockers" who "will come in the last days" (3:3). Through God's "divine power" (1:3) and "exceedingly great and precious promises" (1:4), Christians actually become "partakers of the divine nature" (1:4). This is how we "escape" the "corruption that is in the world through lust" (1:4) and the "corruptions" of false teachers (2:19-20). Christians make their "call and election sure" (1:10) by adding virtues to their lives (1:5-8) and "growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ" (3:18).God always judges false teachers and their heresies. Such "heresies" are "destructive" and bring "swift destruction" (2:1), and, unfortunately, "many will follow these destructive ways" (2:2), but "their destruction does not slumber" (2:3). The false prophets are "like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed" (2:12). There are even those who "twist the Scriptures" to "their own destruction" (3:16).To show God's judgments against false teachers and those who live "ungodly" lives, He has already judged the "angels who sinned" (2:4), the "world of the ungodly" at the time of "Noah" and "the flood" (2:5, 3:6), and "Sodom and Gomorrah," which were "condemned to destruction" (2:6). These massive judgments are set forth as "examples" of what He will do "to those who afterward would live ungodly" lives (2:6). Jude also highlights God's judgments on the "angels" (v6) and "Sodom and Gomorrah" (v7), but adds God's own "people who were saved out of the land of Egypt", but "afterward He destroyed those who did not believe" (v5). God's judgments bring destruction.The biggest judgment will come on the last day - "the Day of the Lord" (3:10). This "Day of Judgment" will cause everything in the heavens and earth to be "dissolved," "burned up," "melt," and "pass away" (3:10-12). The "scoffers" (3:4) deny and don't believe this judgment will ever come. But God's delay doesn't mean God's denial. The delay is so that more will "come to repentance" (3:9). We are assured that "the heavens and the earth" "are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men" (3:7).Christians don't live in fear but in faith. We are "looking for," "look for," and "looking forward" (3:12-14) to the "new heavens and the new earth" (3:13) because we have been "diligent" to be "found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless" (3:14) because of our "holy conduct and godliness" (3:12).This commentary opens with an introduction that takes a close look at this important apostle - Simon Peter. We also explain why Peter is the author. What follows is a verse-by-verse teaching on the three chapters of 2 Peter. We conclude with homework questions of each chapter for personal or group Bible study, a detailed bibliography review for those seeking other resources, and a Scripture index for easy referencing.