Second Epistle of Peter
PUT YOU IN REMEMBRANCE
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:12 (KJV)
In verses 5-11, the apostle has been exhorting his readers to diligence. Now in 12-15 he tells how he, too, as a servant of the Lord, desired to be diligent in his service for Christ.
He felt it his special duty as long as he remained in this scene to stir them up and to establish them in the things which they already knew.
"I will not be negligent"
Negligence is an awful thing. A man neglects his business and it soon goes. It is the same thing with a farmer and his farm or a home owner and his home. Some have discovered that neglect can cause the loss of a family. Many have neglected salvation and so were lost forever. Some Christians have suffered from neglect, too. They have neglected their Bibles or fellowshipping with Christians and have suffered spiritually. Far too many of us have neglected to add the wonderful virtues of verses 5-7 and so will miss the abundant entrance mentioned in verse 11. As a servant of the Lord, Peter did not intend to be negligent in the work to which the Lord had especially commissioned him – "Feed my sheep...tend my sheep." May the Lord's servants today not neglect to teach, exhort, and warn the people of God. As said to Peter, the Lord says to us, "Strengthen thy brethren."
"always in remembrance"
Christians need to be constantly reminded of the fundamental things of Christianity. They will not think something is important unless it is continually brought to their attention. Peter feels that to bring things to the remembrance of Christians is of vital importance. Some preachers think they must constantly bring something new to the people, but Peter was content to remind them of the old things. We must not forget that new converts are continually coming up and they need to be firmly grounded in the fundamental truths, lest they be carried away with every wind of doctrine. The fact that Christians must walk in the ways of the Lord, must also constantly be brought to their attention.
The human mind is a wonderful thing. No one fully understands it. It is remarkable how memories are retained there. The remembrance of some things remains for years, while others are quickly forgotten. It is usually things which have been forcibly brought to the attention that stay in the mind. Other things would be soon forgotten if not constantly brought to remembrance. Peter desires to always remind them of the important things of Christianity lest they forget.
If we preach all the counsel of God, the Lord's people will be constantly reminded of all things necessary. It is a fine practice to go straight through the Scriptures, teaching things as they are brought before us and by so doing nothing will be neglected. As we go through the New Testament, every important truth is stressed in its right proportion. In the Gospels we have the life of Christ, His death and resurrection. In the Acts and the epistles we have the purpose and importance of these events stressed. In some places one would hear very little of the coming again of the Lord Jesus; yet the New Testament refers to it hundreds of times. Other important truths are stressed over and over in order that we may not forget them.
When the Lord Jesus instituted the Lord's Supper, He said, "This do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). The purpose of this feast is that we might be constantly reminded of His person and His work for us. The bread reminds us of His body and the wine of His outpoured blood. There is little danger of a group of Christians ever going modern and falling away as long as they have this remembrance feast at least every week, as they apparently did in the early church. In one large modern-day church, it was customary to have the Lord's Supper once every three months. The preacher seemed to dislike that day and wanted to get rid of it altogether. He wrote in his bulletin, "How can we ever get rid of that blood religion as long as we have the Lord's Supper every three months?" Of course, those who really love the Lord Jesus, who believe and obey Him as the Son of God want to remember His work on the cross and are very thankful for His shed blood.
"thought ye know them"
When Peter says, "though ye know them," he is showing that he is not writing to young and unlearned Christians. He commends them for knowing the truth; they were well taught. In spite of this, he stresses the old truths, that they might have them indelibly impressed on their minds, and that they might walk according to them. "Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old" (Matt.13:52).
"established"
It is wonderful to be established in the truth; to know what you believe and why you believe it. False teachers will not be able to lead such astray because they are too well grounded. Peter desired that they might be yet further strengthened, so he goes over these important things again and again. He would have them be like what Paul writes to the Colossians, "Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving" (Col. 2:7).
"in the present truth"
Instead of "in the present truth" the Revised Version has, "in the truth which is with you." It is well to remember that when Peter wrote, the truths of the gospel were all comparatively new. They were new to both Gentile and Jew. When he said "established in the present truth," he meant that they were established in the truth of the Gospel and in all New Testament truth. How thankful we should be that we know these truths. Yet, so many all around the world and even in our own land still do not know them. May we all do what we can to propagate these truths. May we also be ready to walk according to them.
This whole portion tells us that Peter was a good servant of the Lord. Paul says to Timothy, "If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ" (1 Tim. 4:6). Peter did not serve for praise or riches, but only for Christ and the good of the Christians. A good servant will not seek the church's goods, but the church's good.
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:13 (KJV)
"I think it meet"
Instead of "I think it meet" the Revised Version has, "I think it right." It could be translated, "I think it fitting" or "important." Peter felt that as long as he was left in this scene the best work he could do was to stir up the Christians to a strong faith and a godly life; not to teach them a lot of new things, but to remind them of the important things which they already knew. Peter was getting old and he knew the time of his departure was fast drawing near and he wanted to use his time and gifts to the best advantage. He realized that after he was gone the only way he could be of service would be through what he had written.
"this tabernacle"
Peter here calls his body a tabernacle or a tent. When he says, "as long as I am in this tabernacle" he meant as long as he was in his body in this world. This must have been a common expression at this time because Paul also used it in 2 Corinthians 5:1-4. "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Cor. 5:1).
This body is a tent, a frail dwelling place for the spirit of man. This tells us that the body is not the most important part of man, as the tent in which a man lives is not as important as the man who lives in the tent. Since the spirit is more important than the body, we should not seek the welfare of the body before the welfare of the spirit. Yet some, even
Christians, make this very mistake. Folks seem to swarm after one who has gone to college and has high degrees, but far too few swarm in the same way after one who is, in a worldly way uneducated, but who preaches the pure Gospel which aims at reconciling the spirit to God.
In 1 Peter 2:11, Peter calls Christians strangers and pilgrims. What more fitting for strangers and pilgrims than living in a tent? Christians are making a journey through this scene. This is not our eternal home; heaven is our home. We will soon be through with this journey – we will pull up stakes, roll up our tent and leave it behind until the resurrection day. Of course, the Lord may come and then we will not leave our tabernacles behind, but our bodies will be made like unto His glorious body.
"stir you up"
Peter felt the need of stirring up the Christians. Out of love to the saints and a desire to fulfill the commission which the Lord gave him, he warned them of the danger of forgetfulness and sloth. It is so easy to get into a rut and come to a standstill. The ability to stir others out of this condition of inactivity is a much needed gift. Perhaps some of us are not as active in the Lord's work as we once were; perhaps we are not living as close to Him or as clean as at a former time. We need stirring up to renew our purpose and activity in His service. "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip" (Heb. 2:1).
"putting you in remembrance"
This is the second time Peter uses the expression, "putting you in remembrance" (v. 12). We have it again in 1:15 and 3:1. He feels that the way to stir them up to a renewed life for the Lord was by reminding them of the vital things of their Christian faith. We should learn from this to stir up the people of God by the same method.
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:14 (KJV)
Peter knew that the time of his departure was fast approaching. The Lord had told him very plainly that when he became old he would die and that his death would be swift and violent. The Lord had said to him, "When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkest whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. This speak he, signifying by what death he should glorify God" (John 21:18, 19). Tradition says that Peter was crucified head downward, and that he requested this, saying he was not worthy to die in the same way the Lord Jesus had died. There is little question but that he was crucified. Peter was old now and he felt his predicted death could not be far away, and he was anxious to make the very best use of his remaining days. He went forward to meet this death with courage and dignity.
"I must put off"
Notice the way Peter says, "I must put off this my tabernacle." It is like a man putting off a suit of clothes, or moving out of a house. There is no thought here of soul sleep; Peter moves out of his tent, but he lives on. Death does not end it all. Paul says, "Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better" (Phil. 1:23). In 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, Paul also talks of the body as a tabernacle and shows that while we are here in the body we are absent from the Lord, but when we say good-bye to the body we are present with the Lord.
Have you ever seen a true child of God go home to heaven? Some have said they could see a look of amazement on their face as they beheld the glory of the Lord. One Christian said of his mother: "She could not speak but just before death her arm stretched upward and she pointed a finger up and said 'I see Him, I see Him', then she fell back on her pillow and said, 'He is so precious to me' and she was gone home."
Like Peter, we cannot foreknow the time or manner of our death, but if the Lord does not come we shall surely die. Someday a storm will come along and blow our tent down or years will take their toll and it will become uninhabitable. The stakes of our frail tent can be quickly and easily removed. Peter's time was short and at best ours is not long. One day our loved ones will call the undertaker, some preacher will preach our funeral sermon and they will lay our bodies in the grave to return to dust. But you say, "I have many years yet to live." You know nothing about it; today may be your dying day. In comparison to eternity, even 70 or 80 years is a very short time. Let us redeem what little time we have. Let us make living for Christ the main business of our lives.
Only one life, twill soon be past
Only what's done for Christ will last.
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:15 (KJV)
In view of his soon death, Peter was not thinking of his own welfare, but only of the Christians whom he was leaving behind. His desire was that they might be firmly established and that he leave them a strong impression of truth which they would not easily forget.
"I will endeavor"
The word here translated "endeavor" is exactly the same as the one translated "diligent" in verse 10. He would do everything in his power to see to it that the important truths were firmly embedded in his reader's minds, so that they might always be remembered. Do we show a similar concern for others? Is it our aim to propagate and perpetuate the great truths of Christianity? Is it our chief ambition to see souls saved and strengthened in the things of God? Will the world be better for our having lived in it? Will souls rise up in glory and call us blessed? These are the great and important things in life – things which are really worthwhile.
"after my decrease"
The word Peter here uses for "decease" is not the ordinary one used for death. It is exodus in the Greek, the same word used to name our second book in the Bible. If literally translated it would be "a road out." It has the sense of "going out." In the book of Exodus the children of Israel went out of Egypt. Peter did not believe he would cease to exist at death. He was moving out of his temporary house and going home to be with the Lord. In verses 13 and 14, he refers to the tent of his soul and in verse 15 he refers to moving out of the tent.
It is interesting to notice that in these few verses Peter uses two words which are also used in connection with the transfiguration of Christ. He writes of the transfiguration in the next few verses. Peter said to Christ at the time of the transfiguration, "Let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias" (Luke 9:33). He uses the same word "tabernacle" in connection with his own body in verses 13 and 14. In verse 15, he speaks of his own decease. In Luke 9:30, 31 we read, "And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." This word "decease" is used only in these two places in the New Testament. Peter was present at the transfiguration and his use of these two words just before writing of the transfiguration is convincing that Peter is the author of this second epistle.
How calmly Peter speaks of his death. Though tradition says that it was violent and painful, nevertheless he calls it a departure and manifests no concern or fear. He realized that it was a sweet release to be "absent from the body, present with the Lord." Many Christians have been equally composed facing eternity. They, too, often counsel dear ones as to various things after their decease. Some plan their own funerals as well as advising concerning the temporal and spiritual welfare of those left behind.
The story is told of a king who was highly pleased with his jester and gave him a wand saying, "You are the greatest fool in the world; if you ever find a greater one give him this wand." One day the king was very sick and said to his jester, "I am going on a long journey." "When are you coming back?" "I will never come back." "Have you made any preparation for this journey?" "No," said the king, "absolutely none." "Here is your wand" said the jester, "you are a greater fool than I am." Every one of us may at a moment's notice be called upon to make that long journey. Have we made preparations? If not, how foolish. If saved, let us be wise and live in the knowledge that at any moment we may have to say good-bye to this world and face our Lord.
Everyone leaves either a mark for good or bad on future generations. If we are leaving a good impression on them by our counsel and life, we are leaving them a legacy of more value than silver or gold. If Christianity is to advance in the world then each Christian must propagate it by lip and by life. One toils to establish a reputation, another a business, another an estate, but like Peter we should be anxious to bequeath to the world an influence which ennobles and enriches lives to the glory of God. By influencing one soul for good, that one may in turn influence another and that one still another and so you may start a long chain of good. "Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have spewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come" (Ps. 71:18). May we have an ambition similar to the writer of this Psalm.
When Peter wrote this verse he may have been thinking especially of his written ministry, hoping that it would be an influence which would keep the important things of Christianity in the minds of Christians. He probably had no thought that his two epistles would be of help to all succeeding generations as well as to those to whom his epistles were originally written. Through his speaking he won many to Christ, but through his writings he won many more. While living, he influenced many Christians for good, but through his epistles he has helped many more. He lived for 60 or 70 years, but his books have lived for over 2000 years. Like Abel, "He being dead yet speaketh" (Heb. 11:4).
