Conclusion of 1 Peter

So, we're wrapping up 1 Peter. And when we move into 2 Peter, there's kind of a thematic change here. I mean, 1 Peter, if we could summarize in one word, what would that be? Suffering. I'm sorry? Suffering. Suffering. Good. Trials, tribulations, sufferings. And what the walk of the believer is in those trials and tribulations we face. So, the 2nd epistle really is dealing more with, starts off kind of the virtues of the believer and then goes into false teachers. There's a lot of prophecy here in terms of the end times. And it's interesting in 2 Peter, we see Peter reflect on the transfiguration, which is really kind of neat to have him reflect back on that very special experience that he and just a few of his colleagues and friends participated in.

So let's go ahead and read the text before us. I think we're going to start with verse 10. There's a nice separation between 9 and 10. And let's just go ahead and read that. So let me get my reading glasses on here. Finally, the online version has surfaced here. It takes a while here, Roger.

The God of all grace, who had called us into his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. By Silvanus, a faithful brother of you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which we stand. The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, greeteth you, and so doth Mark, my son. Greet ye one another with a kiss of love. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. Lots of amens here. As always, please interrupt as I proceed. We can discuss further if not clearer.

So this is Peter's final thoughts from his first epistle on trials and suffering. So this is kind of the termination of an epistle that really, I think, is for us as we grow in grace around this earthly experience. So verse 10, but may the God of all grace who called us to his eternal glory by or in Christ Jesus, actually the Greek word is en. I like in Christ better than by Christ. by Christ, something is being done for us, in is our position. So I think it is a better interpretation. After you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen and settle you. So what does the God of all grace mean to you?

No volunteers. How about the modifier? All? Does it come in spoonfuls? All is all. It's abundant and infinite, isn't it? And it covers kind of a sumerial and a very kind of, if you will, jargonic interpretation. It covers every circumstance at every time. I mean, God's grace is infinite and eternal.

And when we call it all grace, it assumes grace is all, but the modifier here I think further emphasizes it. Alright, and I just kind of went to one verse, there are so many verses that we can turn to, but I like 2 Corinthians 12, 9, and he said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness. By the way, weakness in the Greek is impotent, which means no strength. Weakness is, how many times do we pray to God for help? That's ridiculous. I mean, the thing is, help what? Help our flesh respond in the right way? No, I mean, our weakness is an incapability of living righteousness.

And ultimately, His strength is made perfect in our total weakness. Therefore, most gladly, I would rather boast in my infirmities, that relates to Peter very nicely here, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. So, His grace sufficient seems like it's an understatement doesn't it here in terms of what Peter's talking about.

Well you know basically I think it kind of points to the fact that God has chosen to operate under this umbrella of grace and all his relationships with the body of Christ everything every action he takes is under the umbrella of grace so every interaction we have with him is under that operating system so to speak and so that's what's wonderful is we don't have we're not under law anymore we're under grace so it's a totally Calling him the God of all grace is totally, that's the right name to call him, because that's how he operates. So, how do we enter into this platform of grace, this self-sufficient grace?

Faith. By faith. You know, the faith to get saved is the faith to continue to be saved, and the faith of us being one day saved in his presence. I mean, salvation is one of those three verb tense verbs. I was saved, we have a date, most of us, some of us don't. We are being saved, even this morning. in the process of the Holy Spirit working at God's grace and truth in us and we will be saved once we leave these earthly bodies. What has he via all his great grace done for us? Well we could go infinitely to describe this but he's called us according to the verse he's called us to his eternal glory by or in Christ Jesus.

So eternal glory This is an aorist active participle that really is a fairly weak term. Probably if you go back to the interlinear Greek, this is being summoned. It's like a summons to appear in court. So this being called to this eternal glory is not something, oh by the way, I want to have you think about eternal glory. No, you're summoned to appear. That means this is not kind of a weak suggestion that eternal glory, gee, I'm going to think about my my life after death and being with the Lord forever. We think about that and we believe in it, but now we've been summoned. That's kind of neat if you think about it that way. You've got to appear in court if you don't you're arrested. God has summoned you to eternal glory. And you know what it does for me personally is it makes me think about my heavenly citizenship.

If I'm summoned to appear and basically he already has me there, that's where we all should begin, isn't it? Where we're positionally placed. And then our condition by faith ultimately gets conformed to our position. Kind of reading between the lines here a little bit, but I think we could spend three or four Sundays this time at God's great grace.

So we're called to eternal glory. And eternal glory, I was saying, let's reflect on this. I'm doing all the reflecting. Anybody else? Any thoughts here about being called or summoned to his eternal glory? Isn't his glory his essence? I'm sorry? Isn't his glory his essence? His essence, okay.

Well, I think, I can't argue with that. I think in being in his presence, we're going to really then, you know, really be responsible to his essence because we're in his position. But I think here we have that same position. Could you say that's the irresistible call? I like it. Irresistible call. I like that. So I don't know. Is that true? Is it? Why isn't it? Is it really?

Can we resist that call? Well, not not very long. Well, if you're a believer, you can resist it by the power of denial in the flesh, right? But by faith, if we are saved by faith and we're being saved by faith, why would we resist it? I know. Why would you want to? But there are people who really, even though they're believers, have walked away from the fellowship and all of that. And in fact, may even say, you know, act as if they're not believers. But it doesn't matter because you can't lose your salvation. So even those people are summoned. Yeah, we're going to look at how the summoning relates some to the trials and tribulations we're going through here in the next verse.

There's probably two aspects. We obviously, you know, every believer is called in his position. He's called and if he lives the rest of his life, goes the wrong direction, he's still called, he'll still appear in glory. So there's a positional aspect and then there's a conditional aspect. So there's kind of two things going on here. Every believer's resume has, I was called. That's not something he did. God did that. He chooses us and we choose him. That's that eternal tug of war that we see.

Trying to explain that in our own minds is very difficult sometimes. back to your point of irresistible. I think we can look at it as irresistible except that remember if you think about a simplistic analogy of being summoned to appear in a courtroom.

If you ignore that summons you could be arrested. So the Lord says I've summoned you to appear not in a punitive sense. This is what I've done for you. You're going to be appearing with me and by the way I'm here positioning you right now in this great grace. So if we ignore that, we have the option to do that. The flesh is still the flesh.

The sin nature never changes. In fact, I would suggest as we grow in grace and truth, the sin nature becomes more apparent for what it really is. I don't know about you, but as the light gets brighter, the darkness within seems even darker. The point is, thinking about being summonsed, is that we're expected to be there. And we can deny that. You can't deny that sin has a really strong draw on many people, especially young believers. So there will be times when I will resist alcohol. I love this sin, so I'm going to enjoy the sin for a while. Eventually, you'll come back.

Well, if you're a saved person, that's who you are positionally, and if the Lord doesn't leave us behind. The Spirit is there working and ultimately there can be some transition in what our life looks like. I think you are right. All five of our kids are saved. My oldest, the one I just mentioned seems to be a bit separated but I think through this grievance process etc. the light is becoming a little brighter for her so we are thankful for that. Let's move on. Some texts by the way omit Christ Jesus here. I don't know what your text is. Do you have Christ Jesus in your Bible? I just have Christ. By Christ? Yeah. But some omit it altogether. I'm not going to say whether that's important or not, but we all know that he's the vessel by which this great grace is provided.

So Christ himself said, these things I've spoken to you that in me you may have peace and in the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world and we're summoned to that overcoming position that the EM self as stated on their behalf. After you've suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. This became something I got bogged down with yesterday in preparation.

It's kind of an interesting thing. After implies patience and implies consequences. After you've suffered a while. After would again imply that there's going to be something that's going to be a consequence of that suffering. and it implies something that you're going to have to be patient for to see what these trials and tribulations are all about.

My point here is to be made perfect or established and strengthened and settled, are trials necessary? I've heard people say that they get bogged down with miles because it's always the negative message about our trials and tribulations. I think we would all agree this is an important part of growth, right?

Well, don't you think everyone's trials are so different? I mean, to some people, just living on the earth and not being with the Lord is a trial. Other people, they might have financial trials, or health trials, or work-related trials, or relationship trials. I mean, everyone has different trials. To someone else, it might not be a trial to them. but it is to you. And there can be different extremes of trials, and we see it all the time. So is it essential to have trials to be perfected and established and strengthened? I think it is.

It doesn't mean it can't occur in the absence, but welcome to the earthly existence. By the way, what do you think about Christ when he left the throne and came to be born? as a virgin babe. Once in St. Philippians about what he gave up. He gave up his heavenly position to come and exist as the pure God and the pure man.

So in a sense, if we think about our position, often think if that's where the Lord has us, and that's where we are eternally, being in these earthly bodies is a trial in its own right, each and every day. And unlike the Lord Jesus Christ, we have a sin nature. But fortunately we're crucified with Christ and we live by faith. We're transformed into his image. So I think trials are necessary and I think from a very simplistic perspective if we have eternal position the earthly existence is a trial. Each and every day for all of us. Even though things seem to be going pretty well for many of us.

Next, a while. This means by the way a little. While it's not a lot, and I was just asking the class, how do we measure this a while? I don't know that we need to put a metric to it, but this doesn't have to be the death of a loved one, or it doesn't have to be an ugly divorce, or it doesn't have to be, anyway, the point is that these are little things that he's using over a short period to groom us.

It took me an hour and a half to get home on Friday. We had Bible study in our home. I'm sitting in this traffic jam at Reckon I-70 and I'm thinking, oh my goodness, is this? And I thought, from an eternity's perspective, what is this? This is conforming me to his image is what it is. Now Macaulay calls these four things the four facets of maturity. I kind of liked it. Let's look at this.

So all verbs are in the aorist active optative mood. Now who knows what the optative mood is? By the way, according to my pursuit of this, the scholarly pursuit of optative mood, this was a mood that kind of being faded out in the Greek language about the time the Bible was written. There's like 17 examples in the New Testament of this optative mood.

So let's not spend too much time here, but it really indicates a wish or a hope that closely relates to the subjunctive mood, which means it may or may not occur. I mean, even though we'd like to say these tribulations for a short time, or what may appear to be minimal, are going to grow us in grace, they may not occur. We want them to occur, and God has said they will occur, but we have to enter into this. They may not occur if we are looking at the trials through the wrong pair of glasses. perfect or make complete and I shared a verse for each one of these.

Hebrews 13.21 make you complete in every good work to do his will working in you what is well pleasing in his sight through Christ Jesus to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. So perfecting is making complete. What does making complete mean? What do you think about when we are made complete? Jack is that a hand? Like Christ? In Christ? I mean, it's the new nature. I think the completeness is having our life reflect who we are.

Next, established, and there to be made steadfast or firm, 2 Thessalonians 2.17, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good work, word and work. That verb is used in other places in Scripture also. So, firming us up, making us stand tall by faith and and who we are in Christ Jesus. Strengthen. This is the only New Testament use of this verb. But yet there are other places where we see strengthening.

Philippians 4.13. I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me. And I didn't kind of drill down on what the differences are in the Greek there, but the idea of strengthening us I think is against this earthly power system that we reviewed in the last few weeks in terms of the devil and his impact on the life of the believer. But we're strengthening, putting on the armor of God, Ephesians 6 stuff, through this process of these modest trials.

And settle, it's very similar to making stable or establishing us in Christ Jesus, Ephesians 3.17, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you be rooted and grounded with the same verb in love. Rooted and grounded really is positional truth played out in our day to day experience. So again, these little trials, these little things like a traffic jam that delays me. These are all things that God is using to complete us, establish us, settle us, and conform us to the image of his Son.

The next few verses I thought were going to be a slam dunk, but they're really not a slam dunk. Forgive my sports analogy here. The 11th is pretty straightforward, but when we go from 12 to 14 there are some little things there that I think are fun to discuss in more detail. So to him be the glory and dominion forever.

To him is autos, which means the same. We'll hear theos as mentioned in terms of the Godhead in verse 10. So this is referring back to God, to him, not Christ, but to the Godhead. And this term autos could be used for the Trinity, but here the only and true God is the best interpretation, rather than thinking about the triune God.

Because I think it refers back to verse 10, where it talks about to him is where in fact the glory should be given. Glory commonly used. many times, the kingly majesty which belongs to him as the supreme ruler, and this majesty is in the sense of absolute perfection of his deity. So this is a position of power, if you will, and really represents God in a scenario that even is referred to a dominion or kratos, and their power. So we have a throne that's based on on a kingly majesty that is a supreme ruler who ultimately has power and might over the universe and sometimes I think we doubt that in our day to day experiences but this is the God we are called to and worship and ultimately deserves all the glory and dominion and forever and ever.

What more can be said here? To him be the glory and dominion forever and ever. You just can't add to that can you? There's nothing much more that Peter could have said. about the epistle that he wrote to Silvanus, and we'll come to that here in a second.

So, turning back to chapter 4, if anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and dominion forever and ever.

Amen. So, we have one task in terms of our life live by faith isn't a spring glory to the Heavenly Father. Remember you may be the only Bible people ever see or read. So to God be the glory, great things he has done. So that's what we're talking about here.

In Revelation 22.5 there shall be no night there, they need no lamp or light of the sun for the Lord God gives them light and they shall reign forever and ever. It's not that we're just going to be there. reign forever and ever. So that same dominion, that same glory that exists in the Godhead now will be ours eternally. And in fact it's ours now. But we will experience that in real time when we're in heavenly places.

So I've got a couple of thoughts here about this verse. Constable says, to summarize, Peter exhorted the church elders to shepherd those under his care. And he exhorted younger Christians to submit to their older brethren. And he exhorted all to stand firm against Satan's attacks, armed with an attitude of submission to God and to one another. So that was kind of the position that Constable takes about, ultimately, how we're placed under this great dominion of the Godhead.

Now, first of all, by Silvanus, which is really Silas. Silas and Silvanus are the same guy. Our, some versions say a faithful brother, and some versions say I suppose him or consider him, I have written to you briefly exhorting and testifying to you that this is the true grace of God in which ye stand. So Silvanus is a faithful brother, there is actually an article before brother, so he is in my version but I think A is a better translation.

And some say, and I suppose or consider him. Now, somatis is also mentioned elsewhere in scripture, and those are just some verses we can turn to, which we'll not. But if you turn to the book of Acts, I mean, silence is all over the place in the book of Acts. We're not going to go back and re-look at that. Those who were in the Acts class last year kind of remember some of this.

It's possible that Silvanus, the way this verse is written, it's possible Silvanus was the one to whom Peter was writing this letter to be taken to the church. The verse says, by Silvanus, our faithful servant, I have written to you briefly. So is he writing to him to ultimately transmit the letter, or is this a separate dialogue with Silvanus or Silas that is occurring independent. I think ultimately that this may be the person to whom he was writing that ultimately was capable of transmitting the letter to the believers to whom Peter was writing.

Suppose or consider, I mean I think those words make you wonder if there is some uncertainty here about him. But yet I think likely not consider the scriptures that were listed above, particularly the Acts passages, and more so I think it indicates a settled persuasion. So I suppose or consider I think it's more of a of a less unclear term that really does relate not to uncertainty but just kind of a settled persuasion that consider Sylvanus as one in whom I'm going to provide this written message.

And it says I've written to you briefly and Dea is a short time spent, i.e. a few words. This is not a lengthy document, and the same few words can be seen in Hebrews 13, 22. I beseech you brethren, suffer the word of exhortation, for I have written a letter unto you in few words. So it's the same kind of scenario here. Few words means few words. It's not a lengthy document.

So we're talking about here exhorting and testifying, and exhorting, encouraging, strengthening, the same kind of scenario we saw back in verse 10. And the term Exodius is used frequently in this epistle. 1 Peter uses this many, many times. I didn't cite the verses here, but this is something he likes.

And testifying, of course, is bearing witness to the truth of God's great grace. And that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. What other kind of grace is there, anyway, but true grace? It's kind of an unnecessary modifier, isn't it? Maybe not. Maybe it's not because if they were being you know, in any way swayed by any interlopers who, you know, who talked about God.

This is the true grace, which I've shared with you. I think that was important for him, for believers to keep saying. What did Paul say about, gee, you know, should I continue to sin that grace may abound? What did Paul say? So that may be an example of false grace applied to the life of a believer.

So the emphasis here is placed on the modifier of true grace, not just grace, in which we stand. Perfect active indicative, that means we are actively standing in this grace, it's factual, and it's an act that is a continuous act extending into the future. So we continue by faith, safe and sound, it's a fact, so believe it. So we stand in this great grace, and this is factual according to the word of God. Now here's where things get kind of fun, and unclear I think.

She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you, and so does Mark my son. Now some versions say church, but the term church is not in the Greek. So, some people think, so the question to you is who is she? Who do you think she is here? Remember you have the handout ahead so you can look ahead and answer the question. Let me look. Don't, put your handout away. So anyway, some people think this is Peter's wife. I guess it could be. But we don't have any history that Peter was married do we? We had a mother-in-law. We had a mother-in-law. It sounds like something that would probably fit, right?

However, most people feel a better interpretation is the church. And by the way, church is a feminine Greek term, so it could be interpreted as she. At Babylon, we're going to talk more about Babylon in a second. But why wouldn't Paul say the church? So I guess maybe the people you write to would interpret she as the church.

Keep in mind, no matter what version you have, the church is in italics, it is not in the original Greek. The Greek says, Thou at Babylon, elected together with you, greet you, and mark my son. Everything else in that verse is italicized, which means it is not in the original language. And I say although church is not the Greek, there are other versions, I didn't go pull these up, but other versions support this claim that are listed there for you.

Any reason to mention anything about this interlinear word thrown in, in your mind, that says co-chosen? I'm wondering about that. I'm supposed to be the equivalent. So read it in the inner one here if you have that. I'll just read it word for word so it doesn't make quite sense. The in Babylon co-chosen and Mark. So you have co-chosen in the ability of Greek. Anybody else have other versions? You have that too? Okay, co-chosen. You have that in the Greek?

That's interesting. So that would definitely apply to the church, not Peter's wife. The Inland Version I remember looking at, I don't know that I saw that. Thanks, that's helpful. The New Agostino has chosen together, which is the same idea, co-chosen. Alright, good, that's a good addition here.

So, and this area was included in the spread of the gospel throughout Asia, so the idea of ultimately this being the church at Babylon really reflects, I think, kind of where the gospel was being spread. Now, what about Babylon? Weiss says that there is a division of opinion among commentators as to whether Peter is using the name Babylon in its apocalyptic sense of Rome or whether he is referring here to the literal city on the Euphrates. The city of Babylon is more likely because at the time of this letter the pagan population of the city and its vicinity was very considerable. So that's his view of Babylon as being Babylon. But then Others, Constable believes this is Rome, because that's where John Mark wrote his gospel, and Rome was a symbol of ungodliness, and I put in parenthesis, but Babylon was too. So, anybody have any other insights here as to whether this is an apocalyptic, it's tough word to say, reference to Rome, or whether or not this is truly Babylon?

It could have been Babylon, there was a large Jewish population there. Could be. By the way, the commentators went a little bit further. I just gave you two examples. Constable and other people are split on this, too. I don't think it's really that important, but I would trust it's Babylon. That's what it says. But you could really interpret this to be either one.

But Peter doesn't really. wax apocalyptic. I mean his whole epistle has not dealt with the apocalypse. Now in the second epistle we're going to see more about the end times and he's going to be describing that in more detail. So maybe this is an introduction to that. I think one thing Lee said too is that they didn't begin to refer to Rome as Babylon until you get to Revelation. Okay that's good. That's what Lee said. So he's thinking it's Right, and so again, as I just said, Peter hasn't really dealt with that aspect in this epistle, so I think that one's likely correct, but it really doesn't make any difference. We're thinking about two areas where there are lots of unbelievers, ungodliness and pagan lifestyles, so it could reflect either. I believe there is Babylon on the Euphrates so it was the city. Rome is not on the Euphrates is it? No. Last time I looked at the geography map. Alright and so does Mark my son. So is Mark his son? Spiritual son.

Peter and Mark were likely very close brother. There is a lot of scripture showing that they hang out together. Just one example, Acts 12, and when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark. Remember, this is John Mark, where many were gathered together praying. This is exemplary of the fact that these guys knew one another and were probably involved in joint mission activities at times. So his son is a spiritual son. And later on, possibly a spiritual son of Paul later on, because bring to me Mark, where I found it very...

I forget what the exact description was, but it was a closing remark in one of Paul's letters. It might have been 2 Timothy. Bring to me Mark, where I found it very suitable for the ministry. Do you remember that? Yeah. But that's Paul's comment about John Barclay. It didn't reflect directly the relationship that Peter had with John Barclay.

I sense that all these people we read about on the apostolic roots of Acts are people that touch base once in a while with one another in various journeys. We study that in Acts. I did not go back and re-review that for today. So kind of a terminal kind of parting greeting is greet one another with a kiss of love, peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. So this is used frequently in many other epistles and so they're listed there for you, this kind of closing an epistle with a kiss of love. As stated by Gill, a kiss of love is not only opposite to everything that is lasciviousness and impure, but is expressive of true love and affection, and is hearty and sincere, and such a love the Jews call, I mean the Jews call this that type of kiss, as the apostle does here. So this is kind of a Jewish tradition that's now being brought forth into the epistles and party words of many of the epistles that we see listed here.

Alright, and peace to all who are in Christ Jesus. Let's turn to Philippians 4, 6 and 7. And whoever gets that, just go ahead and read it. In fact, let's start with verse 4, I think it would be better. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice.

Let your devil spirit be known to all men, the Lord is dear. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all comprehension will guard your hearts and your minds, protects Jesus. So is that peace of God qualified here, you think? This surpasses all understanding. It magnifies that piece, right? The piece of God which surpasses all comprehension.

And so on. And guard your heart. And so on. So let your moderation be known to all men. How many times has that been misused? Moderation and all things? Does it require us to in fact be anxious for nothing? and in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God? Well the letter on here I've got says forbearance and not moderation. Okay. I'm sorry. Oops, oops, oops. I didn't jump a verse. Yeah, rejoice still says rejoice. Okay. Again, is that peace of God based on our being anxious for nothing? No, absolutely not. Peace of God is something we all have, right?

And I guess if in fact as we live on a day to day basis in this age of grace, ultimately as we respond to what Paul has said to the Philippians by faith, being anxious for nothing, putting everything into perspective, ultimately that peace is even more substantiated in our life, right?

So the peace of God in Romans 3, remember where that's given more depth, that peace is there by our salvation, but the peace experientially is really dependent on our faith and how that's worked out in our life. That's what the Epistle of Peter has been all about, isn't it? We're called the trials and tribulations, and then by that we're in fact given that peace of God that extends your earthly circumstances.

And for those, for the chosen in him before the foundation of the world. Remember, the qualification here is peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. This isn't some kind of plastic peace that the world gets when they throw up a prayer to the Lord and have no idea who's hearing and how he's dealing with that. We're talking about the believer who's in Christ Jesus. That's from whence the peace comes.

Ephesians 1, 3, and 4 remind us how very special we are. I'll go ahead and read that and give you a second to turn to it. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings and heavenly places in Christ according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

The problem with Ephesians 1 is there are no periods. There is comma after comma after comma after comma so the entire chapter is almost without There are a few semicolons too. You can just continue to read on and read on. That's one long sentence. Where's that term again? I think it's verse 14, isn't it, where the period is? Anyway, all that aside.

So, let's just reflect a little bit on the epistle to 1 Peter. Roger and Jeremy and myself have brought forth to you. What are some things that were important to you personally in terms of this study? And Jeremy, before you came, I kind of said 2 Peter is going to kind of take us off a little bit different direction with the virtues of the believer, starting the epistle and then moving somewhat into plus teachers and then into prophecy. So Peter is going to take a little bit different route through 2 Peter. And it also reflects on the transfiguration, which is something you've personally experienced. And I think you kind of see him recall something that we have a more extensive account for in the gospel. First, Peter, I'm going to give you a minute or two to find a verse that you think was particularly important to you in this study.

And there are many, so, and there's no right or wrong answer here. I think it was from a paraphrase, but I just always loved that verse that says, You like what we studied today, verse 10? Because I think it's a maturity. The work of God in our life, day in and day out, even through small trials, or short-lived trials. What verse is it? 5.10. I know I have heard, but I want to hear from others. I don't have a specific verse that I remember but I just think we must go through the suffering in order to grow in Christ and I think that's a necessity because we don't otherwise we just kind of go our own way.

Right again as I said earlier Winnie I think if we think positionally just living in the human existence is a trial in its own right. Right? I mean we unlike the Lord himself have a sin nature and although we are positioned before God totally righteous. He was made the righteousest for us who do no sin that we might be made righteous before God because of him. So all that aside I think the suffering and trust begin with our separation from our heavenly position. But then beyond that we all have many other things that come up. Other thoughts? Versus? I think that, yeah, first year, one, three. One, three? One, three and four, and actually five.

May blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you. who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed the last time.

Good. That's great. Even though we're going through suffering, this establishes us. This isn't going to change at all. I like 8 and 9 in that same chapter. Go ahead and read it. And though you have not seen him, you love him. And though you do not see him now, you believe in him. You greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls. Okay, good. Other verses. Don't be shy. Just sneakily. There's so much meat here. I kind of like 21 through 24 in chapter 2. For even warrants were recalled, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again. When he suffered, he threatened not, but committed himself to him that judges righteously.

In verse 24 particularly. Who his own self bore our sins in his own body of the tree, that we be we being dead to sins should live unto righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. Any other verses to share here? I like the way he talks to us about suffering. He says, I would think it not strange concerning the fiery trial and so forth, but rejoice, much as you are partakers of Christ's suffering. that when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad with exceeding joy. Oh boy. And it should be reposed for the living of Christ, hath the reader. He's teaching us how to live in this lasting hour now.

It's so critical, I think, that's a really good verse to kind of reflect in summary what this epistle is all about. And again, I've said this many times even today, if we think positionally first, And then these trials were put into a position of expectation of the Lord that we could, by faith, step into these trials and come out victorious. And who gets the glory? Not Margaret, not Tom, not me, not Jack. The Lord gets the glory. And I've said this before, and I clearly believe it.

When we're paying attention to how well we're doing in trials and tribulations, who's getting the focus of how we're walking by faith? Us. Today's Hungry Heart, if you read it, says on what basis is your walk really happening. The flesh can often take control and although we think we are living righteously, when we are acknowledging that, that's not the God's glory, although it may be perceived as such.

So we will let the Lord be the judge of that. Alright, well good, it's been a great book and we're moving on to 2nd Peter. Who's teaching next week? Actually, Josiah had some extra time, so I let him. Oh, I saw he was included in the LSD class, so he's on board next week. Yep, he's on board next week.

Alright, so let's close in prayer. Tom, close us please, would you? Thank you, Holy Father, for this wrap-up of your 2nd book, Notification to Peter, through your words. what he is to say to the churches close at hand and further apart. And thank you that it's true, not just for those churches way back then, but walk by walk, moment by moment, your grace is appearing and doing the job through this work, as you can see. Praise and thanksgiving. Amen.