Category: 1&2 Peter Bible Study

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Wrap Up

As we wrap up our study today, think about the things God has taught you through His Word and how you might apply them to your life.

Questions to Consider

1. Was there anything new God taught you in this study that particularly impacted you? What was it, and why was it so significant?

2. How is your walk with the Lord different after this study than it was before?

3. How has this study helped you to prepare for living as a Christian under persecution? Are there any practical steps you are taking as a result?

4. What have you learned about false teachers from this study? How will you apply this to your personal spiritual life or to your church life?

5. What have you learned from this study about the sufficiency of Scripture, suffering, the church, baptism, and submission to authority?

6. Have there been any passages or concepts in this study that God used to convict you of disobedience and lead you to repentance? How will you walk differently in this area from now on?

7. What have you learned about God and His nature and character from this study?

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Homework

Spend some time in prayer this week asking God to show you how to put into practice one thing you learned from this study.

Recite all of your memory verses from this study. Which one is most meaningful to you right now?

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Read 2 Peter 3

Questions to Consider

1. Read verse 1, noticing the words “beloved” and “sincere mind”. What do these words tell you about how Peter regarded his audience as opposed to…say…how Paul regarded the Galatian Christians?

2. Compare verses 1-3 with Jude 17-19. What does it mean for someone to be a “scoffer”? Make a list of all the words and phrases Peter and Jude use to describe scoffers. Do these words and phrases sound like they are describing lost people or saved people? Examine 2 Peter 2 (or lesson 11, link above) and the remainder of Jude – which words and phrases indicate that some scoffers are false converts (people who claim to be and/or believe themselves to be saved, but aren’t)?

Describe a prototypical lost person (makes no claim to be a Christian) scoffer. Describe a prototypical false convert scoffer. (These might be people you know personally, celebrities, authors, etc.) What’s something you might say, or a question you might ask each of these people as a lead-in to a gospel conversation?

3. Verse 4- What are the scoffers scoffing about? Have you ever heard a lost person scoff at or ridicule this? Read verses 5-7. How does Peter address the argument the scoffers make? What does it mean that they “deliberately overlook” the facts Peter lays out in 5-7? Explain why, in order for a scoffer to hold an anti-biblical view (evolution, abortion, egalitarianism, sexual perversion, etc.), she must first “deliberately overlook” biblical facts or “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.”

4. Examine verses 5-13. What is the main topic this passage deals with? How does Peter compare and contrast God’s creation (and first destruction) of the earth with His final destruction of the earth? In what ways will the final destruction be like the first destruction (the Flood)? What does this have to do with the return of Christ (4)?

5. Have you ever been in a situation in which a scoffer made an argument that seemed plausible, or asked a question you couldn’t answer (ex: If God is so good and so powerful, why does He allow evil and suffering?), and you knew she was wrong, but you didn’t know what the biblical answer was? Did you feel confused and anxious? That’s kind of the situation Peter’s audience is in here. Explain each of the components of Peter’s answer to the scoffers’ argument:

5-7-

8-10-

11-13-

How would Peter’s answer to the scoffers’ argument have set the minds of his audience at ease, brought them comfort, and given them hope?

6. Read verses 8, 9, and 15a together. Compare and contrast our impatience for the Lord’s return with His patience toward the world. Why is the Lord taking so long – from our perspective – to come back?

7. Using your cross-references, what does verse 9 teach us about the heart of God toward the unregenerate?

8. Examine verses 11-18. “What sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness” considering that Christ could return at any moment? Make a list of the instructions Peter gives us for the way we should live as we await the Lord’s return:

Be sure to…                                                  Be sure NOT to…

 

 

 

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Homework

Second Peter 3:8 is often used by Old Earth Creationists and Theistic Evolutionists as a prooftext to explain how God could have taken millions of years to create the earth. Examining this verse in the entire context of chapter 3, is that what Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit, intended when he wrote this verse? What was he intending to convey when he wrote this? Explain why it’s important to always use verses in their right context when building doctrine, claiming promises, supporting an argument, applying Scripture to our personal circumstances, etc.

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Suggested Memory Verse

Be sure to come back next week as we wrap up
Living Stones: A Study of 1&2 Peter!

 

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10

Read 2 Peter 2

Questions to Consider

1. Examine the first half of verse 1. Using your cross references and these passages, which “people” did false prophets arise among? Who were some of these false prophets? Were false prophets/teachers only an Old Testament problem? What are the similarities between Old Testament false prophets and New Testament false teachers? If false teachers were a problem in the New Testament church –  while the apostles were still around teaching the church in person and writing Holy Spirit inspired Scripture to them – do you think false teachers might still pose a problem in the church today?

2. Examine verses 1-3. Explain, in your own words…

a) what false teachers will do

b) how people will respond to false teachers

c) how people will be affected by false teachers

d) what will happen to false teachers.

Look closely at the phrase “denying the Master who bought them” (1b). Does this verse indicate that someone who is genuinely saved can lose her salvation, or does it indicate that this person is either a false convert or a fraud? Compare this phrase with “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle” (3b), and these passages. Explain what the Bible says about false converts and the spiritual condition of those who claim and appear to be Christians, yet teach a false gospel.

3. Examine verses 4-10a. This is a very long sentence. Take note of where the sentence begins and where it ends. This is also an “if/then” sentence: If X happens, then Y will happen. Chart out the “ifs” and the “then” in this sentence (it may also help to chart out the “buts” to distinguish them from the “ifs” and the “then”):

        If…                               (But…)                                Then…

(4a)-                              (4b)-                                      (9)-

(5a)-                              (5b)-

(6)-

(7)-

(If you have time, go back to the Old Testament stories of Noah and Lot to refresh your memory on the details of these events.) What are the examples Peter cites in 4-8 that “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” (9a)? What are the examples in 4-8 that the Lord knows how to “keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (9b)? In your own words summarize the point Peter is making in this passage.

4. Read 10b-11. Who are “the glorious ones”? (10b) (Don’t forget to use your footnotes and cross-references.) Explain the comparison Peter is making between false teachers and angels in terms of attitude, audacity, power, and position. Who exercises better “common sense” (for lack of a better term) and more fear of the Lord?

5. Examine verses 12-19. Think about the false teachers you’re familiar with (or explore some at the “Popular False Teachers & Unbiblical Trends” tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page) and explain the metaphors Peter uses for false teachers in this passage- how are false teachers like “irrational animals” (12), “blots and blemishes” (13), “waterless springs” and “mists driven by a storm” (17)?

In this passage, list all of the…

a) false teacher’s motives

b) false teacher’s sins

c) false teacher’s actions

d) consequences for false teachers

e) ways false teachers impact their followers

Read the story of Balaam and explain what Peter means in verses 15-16.

6. Read verses 20-22 in light of what you studied in question 1 about losing one’s salvation versus being a false convert:

Look closely at 20-22, and look at the phrase “denying the Master who bought them” (1b). Do these verses indicate that someone who is genuinely saved can lose her salvation, or does it indicate that this person is either a false convert or a fraud? Compare this phrase with “Their condemnation from long ago is not idle” (3b), and these passages. Explain what the Bible says about false converts and the spiritual condition of those who claim and appear to be Christians, yet teach a false gospel.

Why is it better for someone “never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back”? (21) Compare with these Scriptures. Have you ever known someone who lived life as a “Christian” for a while and then “left the faith” altogether? How often does someone like that later get genuinely saved?

7. Briefly review from lesson 10 (link above), Peter’s emphasis on the supremacy of the written Word over and above personal experiences, and answer this question: Why do you think Peter referred back to the Old Testament so many times in this chapter instead of telling his audience anecdotes about a false teachers he knew of at various New Testament churches?

8. In this chapter, does Peter make it sound like false teachers are rare or no big deal? Imagine you’re Peter and a reporter is interviewing you. She says, “Peter, tell me about the problem of false teachers in the church.” How would you answer?

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Homework

a) Read 2 Peter 2 and the book of Jude side by side. What similarities do you notice? What differences? Why was it so important to warn the early church about false teachers?

b) You may wish to read my article Can a False Teacher Be a Christian?

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Suggested Memory Verse

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Read 2 Peter 1:12-21

Questions to Consider

1. Briefly review lesson 9 (link above) and/or re-read verses 1-11 for context for today’s passage. Notice that the first word of verse 12 is “therefore”. What is the “therefore” there for?

2. Examine verses 12-15. What “qualities” (12) is Peter referring to? Contemplate the statement Peter makes in verse 12. Why do we, as Christians, need, so often, to be reminded of what we already know? Take a look at some of the many passages of Scripture that describe God’s people as a forgetful people. What are the dangers of being forgetful of biblical truth?

What does Peter mean by the phrases, “as long as I am in this body,” (13) “the putting off of my body will be soon,” (14) and “after my departure” (15)?

How many times, and where, do you see the words “remind” and “recall”? What methods did Peter use to remind his audience, then and now, of what he was teaching, to make sure they, and we, would be able to recall it? What does this tell you about the significance of the written Word of God and how important it is for pastors to preach the Word?

3. Study verses 16-21.

Which event during Jesus’ earthly ministry is Peter talking about in verses 16-18? (Use your cross-references, and read the entire gospel account of this event.) Who is “we” in verses 16 and 18? What did they see and hear with their own eyes and ears during this event? Put yourself in Peter’s sandals and try to imagine the weightiness of meeting two of the pillars of your current faith (Judaism), witnessing the glorified Christ, who is to be the pillar of your current/future faith, and entering into the earthly manifestation of the presence of God and hearing His voice. Let the profundity of this experience be the foundation of your understanding for what Peter is going to say about the written Word in 19-21.

What word does verse 16 start with? What does “for” refer back to? Review your answers to the final question of #2 and to question 3 from lesson 9 (link above), and view verses 16-21 through the lens and context of Peter’s emphasis on the written Word. What is Peter saying about personal experiences versus the written Word? Compare all three of these passages to 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and explain how and why Scripture – not personal experiences, feelings, opinions, dreams and visions, “God told me,” etc. – is preferable to subjective experiences and sufficient for the Christian for “all things that pertain to life and godliness.”

Personal experiences, feelings, etc. come from __________, who are sinful and fallible, but Scripture comes from __________, who is perfect and holy.

Outline the major concepts in 16-21 that Peter is trying to get across about his (and the other apostles’) teaching:

Our teaching is not based on __________ (16a) but on our own __________ (16b, 18). And even weightier and more reliable than our own eyewitness testimony is the __________ (19a)- which does not come from __________ (20-21a), but from __________ (21b).

Compare the idea in verse 19 to these verses. Explain how Jesus is the living Word that gives light to us in a dark world. We will need to commune with Jesus through the written Word until what happens (19b)? Why will we not need to depend on the written Word when Christ returns?

How do these concepts about God’s written Word give you a greater confidence in, and love for Scripture?

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Homework

Re-read verses 12-15. Peter knew he was not going to live much longer. How might that knowledge have helped him focus his energies on what was most important for his children in the faith to know? Imagine your doctor told you that you only had three months to live. Write a letter to your church, your children, or someone you’re discipling emphasizing the spiritual truths you think will be most important for them to remember “after your departure”. (I really mean this only as an exercise, not that you should necessarily deliver this letter to your church, children, or disciplee, but you may choose to deliver it using biblical wisdom and discretion.)

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Suggested Memory Verse

Previous Lessons: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Read 2 Peter 1:1-11

Questions to Consider

1. Briefly review your notes from the introduction to 2 Peter in lesson 8 (link above). What is the main theme or purpose of 2 Peter?

2. Examine verses 1-2. How does Peter credential himself? (1) How does he characterize the audience of his letter? (2) Compare the greeting of 2 Peter to the greetings of several other epistles (ex: 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, Jude, Ephesians, etc.). What similarities do you notice? Differences? What is the significance of Peter’s characterization of his audience as: “those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours” (2)? What does this statement demonstrate about Peter’s view of himself? What would it have said to the Christians of his day who might have viewed him as a “celebrity”?

3. Study verses 3-4. What has God given us? (3a) Through what (in what way, by what means)? (3b) How do we obtain “knowledge of Him”? Is the following a fair statement based on concepts in verse 3 (and 19-21): “God gives us everything we need for godly living as we gain knowledge of Him. And the way we gain knowledge of Him is through the study of His Word.”? Why or why not? Read 3-4 alongside 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What similar concepts do both passages express about the primacy and sufficiency of God’s Word for living the Christian life?

How do we know what God’s “precious and very great promises” (4) to us are? What does it mean that we are “partakers of the divine nature”? (4) (Hint: Use your cross-references.)

4. Study verses 5-11. Verse 5 begins with, “For this very reason…”. For what reason (3-4) is Peter about to give the instructions in 5-11?

What does it mean to “supplement” something with something else? (Maybe think about taking a vitamin supplement.) Give a brief definition for each of the qualities Peter mentions in 5-7. Then, explain why each quality needs to be supplemented with its partner. (Ex: Why does faith need to be supplemented with virtue? Why does knowledge need to be supplemented with self-control? etc.) What is the difference between “brotherly affection” and “love”?

Peter states 8b in the negative (keep you from being ineffective…unfruitful). Restate this part of the verse in the positive (ex: help you to be…), to explain the reason Peter gives for increasing in the qualities in verses 5-7. What is the effect when a Christian lacks these qualities? (9) Therefore, because of 8 and because of 9, do _____ (10), and ______ (11) will be the result.

Compare verse 10 with 2 Corinthians 13:5. What does verse 10 mean when it says to “make your calling and election sure”? Is verse 11 saying that we are saved (entrance into the Kingdom) by our good works or by trying to be people of good character? How do you know?

5. How are verses 1-11 foundational to the theme of 2 Peter: “Avoiding false doctrine and false teachers”? Why is it important to be well grounded in sound doctrine and sound Christian character qualities if we want to be able to identify, avoid, and warn others away from false doctrine and false teachers?

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Homework

How would you explain to a Mormon friend that “partakers of the divine nature” (4) does not mean that we become gods when we die? Or to a New Apostolic Reformation friend that this verse does not mean that we can speak things into existence like God can? Get a Christian friend to role play the discussion with you, and don’t forget to use your cross-references.

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Suggested Memory Verse