Our Father and our God, we're so grateful that you are the eternal God. From everlasting to everlasting, you are God. We thank you that you are spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable in your being. You are wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. We thank you that you are the God who is full of mercy and steadfast love and compassion for sinners in Christ. We thank you that your mercies are new every morning. We thank you that in Christ, we can call you our heavenly father and we can be assured of your love for us and that we are adopted and we can experience those great privileges of confidence in your love. the great privilege of knowing that we have a heavenly inheritance that is imperishable and unfading, kept in heaven by the Lord Jesus. We can be thankful, Lord Jesus, that you live to ever intercede and pray for us, and we can be confident that you will never leave us nor forsake us. We can be confident that you never change. You're the same yesterday, today, and forever. So we pray that you'd fill our hearts with your love through the Spirit, that you would help us, Holy Spirit, as we approach your inspired and scripturated word, that you would help us to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus, that you'll help us to see the love that you have for us in Christ, that you would help us to hear and believe and be transformed by your word. We're confident that your word will go forth and will not return void, but will accomplish your purpose and your plan and your desires for us. And pray, especially Lord, for the students and their parents, that you would continue to keep us close to you, not just serving you, but seeking you, not just serving you in your strength, but seeking you to know you better, more deeply through your word. to know that the end goal is ultimately a deeper relationship with you. The end goal of service, the end goal of reading the scriptures, the end goal of the Bible study, the end goal of meditating and memorizing scripture is all with the goal of knowing you more deeply. Help that to be our end goal. We pray in Jesus' name and all the church said, amen. Reading from 1 Peter 1, a few verses in 1 Peter 1, and then I will point you to some other verses I'd like to read as we open. This is God's word from 1 Peter 1, verse 1. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ, and for sprinkling with his blood, may grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and fading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Now, if you will, turn to 1 Peter 4. I'm going to read verses 7 through 11. 1 Peter 4, 7 through 11. Peter says, the end of all things is at hand. Therefore, be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's very grace. whoever speaks as one who speaks oracles of God, whoever serves as one who serves by the strength that God supplies, in order that in everything, God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to him belong glory and dominion forever and ever, amen. And then the final verses of 1 Peter 5, I want to read to you verses eight through 11, 1 Peter 5 verses 8 through 11. Be sober minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Thus ends the reading of God's word. Let me note a few things to you in the beginning here of 1 Peter 5. Notice that one of the important reasons why Peter is addressing the Christians is that they would understand, verse nine, that they are called to suffer as Christians. Verse nine says, resist him, resist the devil particularly. in the way that he would tear us down or discourage us in our suffering. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. Peter wants us to know as Christians that suffering is part of the Christian life. that it is the cross that we're to follow Christ carrying, the cross and then the crown. It is humiliation or humbling and then exaltation. And so he says in verse 10, after you've suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. So Peter wants us to know as sufferers, Christ Jesus, that there is an end to it when Christ returns and restores all things, that the end of our suffering will be when Christ returns. And what was happening, if you look in 1st Peter 4.11 or 4.12 I should say, in 1st Peter 4.12 The Christians were being surprised by the fiery trials. It says in verse 12, beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in so far as you share Christ's sufferings that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. And so we're to rejoice in our sufferings. We don't enjoy our sufferings. No one enjoys to suffer the mistreatment of the world. No one desires to suffer the conflict with sin and Satan that we go through. No one wants to, have the suffering of having to keep our minds constantly focused on God and his word. Those are hard callings. It's a hard calling to be a Christian. But Peter wants us to be encouraged that in our suffering, we're suffering with Christ. That is that as Christ suffered for us, so we suffer in union with him. And that we shouldn't think suffering is strange to the Christian life, rather we should rejoice by faith knowing that that suffering is ordained by the Father to make us more like Jesus. And so the suffering in and of itself, we don't like, nor do we enjoy, it's hard, but it's part of the loving, kind discipline of the Father as he trained the Son before us, our Savior, Jesus Christ, as he trained the Lord Jesus, so he trains us through suffering. And so let's look at our outline today and talk more about this. If you have your outline, the outline says New Testament Biblical Theology Class Epistles of Peter and Jude, there are three theological threads. that bind together 1 and 2 Peter and Jude. There are three theological threads that bind these three letters together in an appropriate manner. And they have to do with these three topics or threads. Number one is suffering, suffering in this present age as Christians. And that's part of beloved knowing what to expect of the Christian life. There's always joy, and there's always hope, and there's always fruit of the Spirit, but it is in the context of a life of suffering, both within, in the struggle we have in our minds and our hearts, and struggling without in times of persecution, in times of persecution that lead to martyrdom, in times of just being rejected because the world hates Christ and the world thus hates us. So suffering is number one. Number two is eschatology. Eschatology is given very practically in Peter and Jude, in the letters of Peter and Jude, in order that though we suffer in this present age, our hope will always be in Christ and the restoration of all things. That though we suffer, our eyes will be glued to Jesus Christ, that our hope will be ultimately in heaven. And the third theological thread or theme of 1 and 2 Peter and Jude are false teachers. who are particularly described as apostate and antinomian. And I will talk more about that in a moment. But 1st and 2nd Peter, particularly 2nd Peter and Jude, deal with false teachers who are apostate and antinomian. And when the appropriate time comes, I'll define both of those. So the books of Peter and Jude and the bigger story of redemption would be this, using those three themes. First is that the people of God have always suffered. Since the fall, there's been suffering and there's been mistreatment of God's people. And we think of throughout redemptive history, whether from the persecution or power of foreign nations upon Israel, or Satan himself bringing temptation, or Satan himself, through the permission of God, bringing great trial and tribulation upon the saints, like Job. Job comes to mind. But secondly, in the books of Peter and Jude in the bigger story of redemption is the eschatology that the people of God were always to be looking forward to the hope of God's promise and fulfillment, that in the times of rejection, in the times of mistreatment and suffering, they were to be hoping in their heavenly reward. And beloved, the inheritance of the Israelites was typified, it was symbolically shown to them, it was pictured in the land. If you think of places like Psalm 37, the meek shall inherit the earth, the land was a symbol of Israel, believing Israel's inheritance of the cosmos, of the earth. And it wasn't merely just this earth as it is, it was a hope of a restoration of the earth. Isaiah would speak of at the end of Isaiah chapter 66 that God was pointing Israel's focus on the heavenly inheritance and hope through the land to see a new creation, a restoration of the cosmos and a new humanity. And so eschatology is in the Old Covenant whenever the land of Canaan is offered to the Israelites. But as you know, the land of Canaan, because of Israel's hard-heartedness and disobedience against God, the land would often be invaded by foreign nations who would take the land from them. or they would be vomited out of the land into exile. That's the language that God uses, that God would vomit the people out of the land. Now, that land was just symbolic of eschatology, of the eschatology of Israel, which was a new heavens and a new earth. and those who truly believed didn't see the land as their ultimate goal but saw through the land as a picture to the heavenly reality which was their eschatology. And so as we look at these three books we all remember that was Israel's eschatology was bound up in a new heavens and new earth where God comes and brings a new humanity through and Messiah. the king, the Christ, will rule and reign over a united humanity, over a restored heavens and earth. And so in the new covenant, the people of God do not have that land because they have the reality in Christ. And I'll point out more of that in a moment. The third thing having to do with the books of Peter and Jude, the bigger story of redemption, have to do with false teachers or apostate teachers. and particularly if you remember when we get into Jude, Jude will use three examples of Old Covenant people to describe the false teachers of the last days, the false teachers who were threatening the church in the time of the writing of Jude and 2 Peter. These false teachers had as their forefathers three men from the Old Covenant. Number one, Cain, in his rebellion against God and his murderous hatred of his brother, Korah in his rebellion against the teachers God had provided for them, Moses and Aaron, Korah in his rebellion. and Balaam, or Balaam, who was a hired prophet for profit. He was hired as a prophet for a profit to curse Israel. And so these three are the forefathers behind all unbelievers in the New Testament age, in the age in which we live. So the false teachers also fit into the larger story of redemption. So in these three themes or these three threads, theological threads, we see suffering throughout the scriptures by those who are faithful. And beloved, remember that not all of Israel are truly believing Israel. And so you had some of the sufferers were the prophets like Jeremiah. who suffered and wept over Jerusalem because Jerusalem, visible Israel, outward Israel persecuted him. Our Lord Jesus will talk about the suffering that the prophets went through, that they were persecuted for righteousness sake. So suffering eschatology, the hope of the land was the hope of ultimately a new heavens and new earth and the apostate antinomian false teachers or the false teachers. We can see the books of Peter and Jude in the bigger story of redemption. And so I want you to see how first Peter begins addressing the believers as part of the bigger story of redemption. Look with me again at chapter one in the first few verses, beloved. we really get a sense of what Peter is doing as writing inspired by the Holy Spirit in the last days, in the time of fulfillment as a way that's in continuity with the Old Testament story. Notice how he addresses his audience to those who are elect exiles. Beloved, that's the indicative gracious way that God identifies or calls upon his people ultimately or as elect exiles and there's a lot in that and so everything that Peter says by way of command or imperative throughout his letter is based on the fact he's writing to elect exiles, elect being chosen by God in Christ to be his people and exiles being those who have yet to make it home And you see that spiritual continuity that part of Israel believing Israel's exile was that they were often outside the land of their inheritance. The land that symbolized their ultimate heavenly inheritance. And they were in exile waiting to get back home. We know that through Abraham particularly and other faithful believers, according to Hebrews 11 verses 13 and 16, that their hope was ultimately not to get back to the land so much as get back to what the land pointed to, and that was the new heavens and the new earth. It was to get back to Zion, not a city made with hands, but the city of God that would descend from heaven. with Messiah on the throne that would reunite heaven and earth. And so we see the elect exiles of the dispersion. Now what's interesting to note here, what's very important to note, is that he's writing primarily to a Gentile audience. He's writing primarily to non-Jews. And so he identifies them with the same terminology that God identifies Israel in the old covenant as elect exiles, as those like Jeremiah who were elect and part of the exile or who were like those like Daniel who were elect exiles or those like Mary and Joseph and Zechariah and Elizabeth who were still functionally in exile awaiting for the hope and redemption of Israel. And so he addresses the believing Jews as true spiritual Israel in Christ. He addresses the Gentiles here, the non-Jews, as the true spiritual Israel in Christ. the opening. Notice what else he does. He says to those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, those were all part of modern Turkey or Asia Minor at the time, and those were places that were represented at Pentecost. So these were people who had believed and put their faith in God and may have been at Pentecost or at least were those who were recipients of the Pentecost blessing, that those who were at Pentecost went off into Asia Minor to the ends of the earth and planted these churches that were predominantly Gentile. So it's important as Peter is writing in the Bittiger story of redemption that the Gentiles know that they're true spiritual Israel in Christ. Now notice verse 3, He said, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he's caused us to be born again to a living hope. So that's eschatology. The thing that helps us to get through our suffering as those in exile, as those who are yet to make it home, is that we have this hope, this living hope through the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. And verse four, to an inheritance. Now, beloved, if you know your Bibles, you know that when you hear the word inheritance, the first thing an Israelite would have heard was the land. The land was Israel's inheritance. But the land, as I said earlier, was often taken from them by greater, stronger nations as a discipline and judgment of God. And the land often vomited them out. They were exiles for most of their career. They were either trying to get the land, trying to keep the land, or trying to get back to the land. But that land was their ultimate inheritance because it pointed to heaven. What Peter is saying is there is no land geographically on this terra firma, this earth, any longer. But that the inheritance is in heaven, imperishable, undefiled, unfading, kept in heaven. And so your land, my land, This land that is our land is not this present age. It's where Jesus is in the new heavens and new earth at God's right hand in the new Jerusalem. And so that's why we have to remember as elect chosen beloved exiles in this present age, that ultimately this is not our home. We're homeless and we'll be treated as such spiritually until we get home. And so Peter gives us right up front a theology of suffering as elect exiles. and also an eschatology of keeping our minds, our focus in heaven, awaiting that eschatology, awaiting that inheritance that the land of Israel just pointed forward to. And then he teaches us in several places that in light of this, being elect exiles, we must be sober-minded. Look at chapter 1, verse 13. and being sober-minded. Notice, if you will, in chapter one, verse four, or chapter, I'm sorry, 1 Peter 4, verse seven, the end of all things is at hand, therefore be self-control and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. And then he goes on to say, verse 10, as you've received a gift, as a steward of God's good grace in Christ, use it. And he gives two categories. There's service gifts and there are speaking gifts. Those who have speaking gifts, whether it's preaching or teaching or just encouraging one another, they're to use those gifts, speaking the word of God as the very oracles of God, as the very word of God, and they are to serve in the service gifts in order to encourage and edify the church, but in reliance upon God's strength. And so what we want to see in chapter five, verse eight of 1 Peter, he says, be sober-minded, be watchful. You have an adversary, the devil, who will indeed assault you and tempt you, that he's like a roaring lion, always on the hunt, seeking whom he may devour. and we're taught to stand firm, resist him, standing firm in the faith. So in this first part of your outline, beloved, you should have the three theological threads or themes of 1 and 2 Peter and Jude are suffering, eschatology, and false teachers. And I'll say more about the false teachers when we get to 2 Peter and Jude. And ultimately that believers, all believers, whether Jew or Gentile, are true spiritual Israel. Christ that all believers particularly the Gentiles to whom he's writing are true spiritual Israel by the way if you want to study this more you can look at the first Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15 and you can see how an Old Testament prophecy from Amos chapter 9 that referred to the fallen tent of David being restored you can see at the first Council of Jerusalem that James the Apostle the pastor of Jerusalem, actually says that what's being fulfilled in the Gentiles coming into the church is nothing less than Amos 9 being fulfilled. That the Fallen Ten of David is being built up as spiritual Israel takes on more fully a Gentile flavor or a Gentile people. And so you see there again that the promises that were made to Israel through the prophets are ultimately fulfilled in all believers, whether Jew or Gentile. So that's what I would have you remember in the first bigger story of redemption, is that all believers are true spiritual Israel and Christ. You can also look at 1 Peter 2, the way that Peter uses language for Gentiles that was used of Israel. In 1 Peter 2 verse 9, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people. Speaking of Gentiles, once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy, and then listen to the language of verse 11. Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. So again, we see continuity in God's people through the Jews and the Gentiles being the true spiritual Israel in Christ, who suffer in Christ, who have the hope that's not just merely earthly, the hope and inheritance, but the hope that's in heaven that's kept for us until the last time, until the return of Christ. And I'll say more about the third point on false teachers in a moment. But let's move to the date of the letters. The date of the letters has to do with the authors of the letters. So let me combine dates of letters, audience, and histories on your outline where it says dates of letter, audience, and histories. Let me just say the audience, particularly for 2 Peter and Jude, the audience is unknown. congregation or congregations, but again the two letters have to do primarily with eschatology and false teaching. They were obviously, whoever the audience for 2nd Peter and Jude, they were obviously experiencing quite a bit of threats from the evil one through false teachers. The audience for 1 Peter 1, we've already looked at verses one through three. They were the elect exiles of the dispersion. So they're those who are Gentile predominantly and are part of the new true spiritual Israel and are learning to live new lives of godliness and suffering as they await their heavenly inheritance that's been given to them. And remember, beloved, when we're talking about waiting on heavenly inheritance, when we're talking about the suffering that's real in this present age, we also want to remember that part of our inheritance has been given through the Holy Spirit. We've looked at that several times. We want to remember that the joy of the Spirit, the strength of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit, this is all ours in Christ and so we've been endowed with part of our inheritance we've been given the firstfruits of our inheritance in the Spirit already in our union with Jesus Christ so we never want to we don't want to forget to emphasize that importantly because in our weakness that's how we're strong is because of the Holy Spirit but let me talk about the date of the letters Peter was the author of first and second Peter the Apostle Peter And this is the Peter who, in Matthew 16, was the first, through the inspiration of the Spirit, to confess Jesus as the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah, this revelation given to him from the Heavenly Father. This is the Apostle Peter who was one of the 12 and who was the one to preach the first sermon on the day of Pentecost. He's the apostle often called to the circumcised, the apostle to the Jews, is how he's referred in Galatians 1 and 2. So this is Peter, who the Lord allowed to even be not just an apostle, but in his inner circle, and one of his main three closest friends along with John and James. So it's Peter, John and James who were the three in Jesus's inner circle. Peter is very important for that reason. We also see some have said 1st Peter and 2nd Peter sound, they sound a little different and why is that? Well if you notice at the end of 1st Peter 5 verse 12, in 1st Peter 5 verse 12 Peter's using an amanuensis in Silas or Silvanus, and it says, By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I've written briefly to you. And so though Peter was inspired by the Holy Spirit to give his letter, perhaps the reason why there's some differences in the language of 1st and 2nd Peter is is because Silvanus was the amanuensis. He was writing on behalf of Peter, and so you get more of the flavor of Silas or Silvanus' way of writing. And so it says, he's a faithful brother, I've written briefly to you, exhorting, declaring that this is the true grace of God, stand firm in it. So that is a reason why the letters are different. And I think that's the primary reason why they're different. I think perhaps Peter is writing 2 Peter without an amanuensis. But the Holy Spirit and his inspiration would have been guiding Peter primarily because he's the one who wrote it through an amanuensis. And if you remember, Paul, at least with Romans, also had an amanuensis. It was typical for someone to use. secretary or an amanuensis who would write it down. So the Apostle Peter is the author of both 1st and 2nd Peter, though it sounds, it reads a little differently, the theology is the same, and it's the same person. In fact, let's just go with what Peter says under the inspiration of the Spirit, he opens both the letters saying that it's Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, and that should be enough for us. If you notice in the beginning of 2nd Peter 1, Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus, and in 2nd Peter 3, 1, he says, this is now the second letter that I'm writing to you, beloved. So Peter, the apostle, wrote the letter. And that helps us with the dates. What would be the date then of 1st Peter? The Emperor Nero rose to power in late 50s AD, and he died somewhere around 67, 68 AD. Peter was martyred under Nero somewhere around 66 to 67 AD under Nero. So Peter, tradition says he was crucified upside down because he didn't want to be crucified in exactly the same way as his Lord. So he was, tradition says, crucified upside down. We do know for a fact he became a martyr. We know that at the end of 2 Peter, he realizes his time is at hand and he's about to die. So we know that then the dating would be in the early 60s. because for 1st Peter, probably 62-63 for 1st Peter, because 2nd Peter was written later. And so if Peter died, let's say he died in 66-67 AD, circa 68-67 at the latest, then 1st Peter would have been written in 62-63 AD and 2nd Peter in 64-66 right before his death because it's in 2nd Peter again he records the fact that he's about to die. Jude commentators throughout history have focused or have pointed attention to the fact that 2nd Peter and Jude has some similarities, and that's a good thing. Under God's Spirit, both of them were obviously relying on one another. Jude and being perhaps relying on 2nd Peter, perhaps 2nd Peter relying on Jude, perhaps a little of both. But they are both considered inspired letters of the Spirit. Who is Jude? Jude or Judah in his Hebrew name or Judas in his Greek name was the half-brother of Jesus Christ and the brother of James. In, if you look at Matthew 15, I'm sorry, in Matthew 13, verse 55, in Matthew 13, verse 55, we have the crowds rejecting Jesus. And they say in Matthew 13, 55, is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary and are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas. So here's the Judas or Jude who writes the letter of Jude. The letter of Jude there is that very small brief letter between the third letter of John and Revelation. Jude tells us, under the inspiration of the Spirit in Jude 1, there's only one chapter, but Jude 1.1, Jude a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. So this is Jude, and we'll just say Jude was written in the mid-60s because there is a reliance on 2nd Peter, which we've that was written in 64 to 66 A.D. So, it seems to be the case that Jude borrowed from Peter, but it may be the other way around. But we'll date Jude in the mid-60s because of its relationship to 2 Peter. I'd also say that Jude is an inspired companion to 2 Peter that we would want to appreciate. So the dates of the letters, 1 Peter 62 to 63, 2 Peter 64 to 66, Jude mid 60s. The audience we know for first Peter, the elect exiles, predominantly a Gentile audience in modern Turkey or Asia minor, who have come to saving faith and Peter wants them to be encouraged as spiritual Israel, that they'll suffer, that they have an inheritance and to beware of false teachers. Peter, the apostle Peter and Jude writes his letter particularly against false teachers. And we'll look at that more fully in a moment. Let's go down on our outline to the primary theological themes of the books. I'm going to give you what I have come up with as the primary theological themes. I'd like you to try to remember these. Try to memorize this as best as you can. These are very simple themes, and I'm trying to do this in one sentence, and this is part of your assignment is learning how to take your Bibles, read through the chapters a couple times prayerfully, and then, or yeah, read through the books, chapters a couple times, and then be able to say in one sentence the main theme of the book. Here's the main theme for 1 Peter as I have it. and I'll repeat it a couple times. Get your pencils ready. First Peter, the main theme would be elect exiles and eternal heirs. Elect exiles and eternal heirs. Elect exiles and eternal heirs, enduring suffering in Christ. Elect exiles and eternal heirs, enduring suffering in Christ, following Christ's example until they get home. Elect exiles and eternal heirs, enduring suffering in Christ, following Christ's example until they get home. elect exiles and eternal heirs, enduring suffering in Christ, following Christ's example until they get home. Again, the language of sojourner or exile is used by Peter himself in chapter 2 verse 11, and that is the language of Old Covenant Israel. And so we see these believing Gentiles as part of the true spiritual Israel in Christ, who are also called to suffer in Christ. Let me highlight a few things. to support my primary theme of elect exiles and eternal heirs. Let's just stop there for a moment. Elect exiles and eternal heirs. You would see in chapter one, the first few verses, as I've already pointed out, that Peter addresses his audience as elect exiles, and that they have been born again to a living hope, verse four, to an inheritance. So they're heirs. Enduring suffering. Well, Peter, throughout his letter, is wanting to encourage the believers to continue to suffer. And the suffering that Peter describes, as I'll show you in a few of the passages, the suffering he's describing is not a mass, pagan persecution at this particular time. It's just the general suffering that all believers undergo. Now, this suffering will be heightened and will increase toward the end of Nero's life, and Peter will be the brunt of that. He will die as a martyr under that mass neurotic persecution throughout the empire. But what Peter's talking about in suffering here is just the good old-fashioned suffering that we all deal with in trying to keep our minds focused on heaven, trying to fight against our sins and be holy, trying to resist the devil knowing he'll flee, and just taking the the hardship or experiencing the rejection of the world because we're not of the world. And so ultimately, Peter wants us to understand our suffering is just as Christ was, that the suffering is defined by God's good purpose, as it was with Christ, that our suffering should be understood as, of course, part of God's plan, That our suffering should be understood as that which helps us to depend more upon Christ. That the suffering that we go through is the suffering of testing and temptations from the evil one as our Lord before us was tested and tempted. So we are tested and tempted. Look at chapter two. Verses 19 and following. Peter says, this is a gracious thing when mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it, you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. And this verse 21, very importantly, for to this you have been called. because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth, and when he was reviled, he did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed, for we were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseer of your souls." So Peter is talking about elect exiles, eternal heirs, enduring suffering in Christ, particularly following after Christ. Notice in chapter 4, again, verse 12. Chapter 4, verse 12. Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings. that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. And so then he goes on to think of the way that the world treated Christ and the way the world treats us. He says in verse 14, if you're insulted for the name of Christ, you're blessed because the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. And then verse 19, he says, therefore, let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful creator while doing good. So we're never to mind the suffering or our circumstances, beloved. We're always to mind Christ and our inheritance. And remember that the suffering has a purpose and plan. And it's part of our trials and testing to be more like Christ, to be more dependent upon him, to grow stronger and more humble. And verse 19 tells us ultimately the purpose, that when we suffer according to God's will, we entrust ourself to a faithful creator, just as Christ did before us. while doing good, while continuing to do good, even to our enemies. And then at chapter 5, he tells us in verse 9 again, I'll read that again, that in this enduring suffering, He tells us, resist the devil, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. So, this suffering is not just isolated, it's not just merely in the Roman Empire, it's throughout the world. It's a general suffering just for being a Christian, being associated with Jesus. And verse 10, after you've suffered a little while, that little while of your life, really. That's what he has in mind. He doesn't mean that you'll just know a particular, you might know a particular time of suffering in your life. No, he says, tribulation and suffering is what defines the Christian life because you're in elect exile and your inheritance is not here. And so we have to remember that the little while he means is when Jesus returns, and we experience his exaltation and glory, his glory, his resurrection power, and we receive our living hope, which is our heavenly inheritance in him, when there's no more suffering, no more sin, no more evil. So Christ himself will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. So 1 Peter, the primary theme is this, you ready? Elect exiles and eternal heirs, enduring suffering in Christ, following Christ's example until they, until we get home. All right, I think that summarizes 1 Peter and gets at the main reason, the main theme of 1 Peter. Elect exiles and eternal heirs, enduring suffering in Christ, in Christ, Underline that twice, just to be reminded that it's in suffering, in companionship, in union with Christ, in communion with Christ, following Christ's example until we, until they get home, until believers get home. Second Peter, let's turn to second Peter. 2 Peter starts strong, and we wanna look at the primary theme of 2 Peter. Let me highlight a few passages from 2 Peter. In Peter, we not only have up front a strong, wonderful passage about growing in grace and knowledge of the Lord, but then we're given two chapters, one addressing false teachers and one addressing eschatology. All right. So let's look at 2 Peter together. In 2 Peter 1, we're told it's written by Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus, to those who've obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. So what makes a believer what ultimately defines a believer is being an exile, an elect exile, and put differently is those who have a standing before God based on the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. And so he greets them with peace. And then verses three through 11, a wonderful passage that teaches us how to live in this present age. He says in verse three, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he's granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that's in the world because of sinful desire. And so he says, because you've escaped that sinful corruption because of God's salvation, because you've been granted the divine power of the Holy Spirit in union with Christ, he says in verse 5, make every effort then to supplement your faith, to grow, to mature. He says, supplement your faith with virtue, and your virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that He is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. And then verse 10. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and your election. For if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. For in this way, there'll be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Peter goes on to say that this gospel truth of not only the grace of God in Christ, but the growing in grace, growing in the grace of God in Christ is a necessity. It's both our faith and our works that are given in our union with Jesus. That it's not just faith to believe, it's faith to grow and mature, adding or supplementing our faith with knowledge and virtue and self-control and brotherly kindness and love. And so Peter says, as in verse 12 of chapter 1, I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right as long as I'm in this body to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And so he says, I will make every effort so that after my departure, you may be able at any time to recall these things. So Peter, as he's dying, he knows that most importantly, the believers need to know that their faith that's been given to them by God is a fruitful faith. It's a growing faith. It's a faith that should be maturing so that believers would never be ineffective and unproductive in their knowledge of the Lord Jesus. And he says, These are his most important last words he wants to get across by way of reminder. And beloved, let me remind you not only to daily remind yourself of these truths of that gracious, the fact that you've been clothed in the righteousness of Christ, the fact that you've been called a chosen exile or an elect exile in Christ, that you're to live a holy life, that we're to live holy lives, that we're to live growing in our faith in reliance upon his grace so that we'll be fruitful, we'll be productive, Our knowledge will be meaningful to our families, our churches, and to the world. And so we'll be productive and faithful in reliance upon his grace. So the first thing Peter says in his letter is the importance of growing in Christ. In chapter two, he addresses false prophets and teachers. He uses the entire chapter to address these false prophets and teachers. Again, in the bigger story of redemption, Israel has always had those from inside and outside who would threaten God's people with false prophecy. and ungodly lifestyles or ungodly living. So Israel's always had the problem of false teachers, and Peter is saying that they continue until the return of Christ. If you look at chapter 2 on false prophets and teachers, you'll also have in Jude, keep your finger there in 2 Peter 2 and go to Jude, you'll see similar warnings against false teachers in Jude 1, or again, it's the only chapter, but Jude verses 3 through verse 16. And then Jude, so again, one of the reasons for 2 Peter and Jude is the important reason of resisting false teachers I'll go over the false teachers in just a moment, but let me give you a working theme, a primary theological theme for 2 Peter that I am using. 2 Peter, the theme would be godly living with hope and confidence, godly living with hope and confidence, that godly living that's described in the first chapter of growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord. Adding to our faith virtue and knowledge and self-control and steadfastness and brotherly kindness and love. Godly living with hope and confidence in the last days. Godly living with hope and confidence in the last days. Godly living with hope and confidence in the last days, comma. Resisting and opposing apostate false teachers. Resisting and opposing apostate false teachers. resisting and opposing apostate false teachers, comma, waiting the judgment and restoration of the cosmos. Waiting the judgment and restoration of the cosmos. I think that's a useful definition or main theme of 2 Peter. And you'll see some of this also in our theme for Jude in just a moment. Second Peter, let me repeat it again. Godly living with hope and confidence in the last days. Godly living with hope and confidence in the last days. Resisting and opposing apostate false teachers. Resisting and opposing apostate false teachers, comma, awaiting the judgment and restoration of the cosmos. I hope you can see how these threads in 2 Peter particularly are about the eschatology and the false teachers. The eschatology and the false teachers. That last part that I put down here of the resisting and opposing apostate false teachers, awaiting the judgment and the restoration of cosmos comes from chapter 3 of 2 Peter. Chapter three is where Peter, again, is helping the people of God to keep their eyes on the new heavens and new earth that will be revealed. But let's go to 2 Peter chapter two. 2 Peter chapter two. Let's look at a few of the characteristics of these false teachers that Israel dealt with in the Old Covenant and that the New Testament Church has dealt with and will continue to deal with until the coming of Christ. The false teachers, let's read some of 2 Peter 2, if you'll turn there to 2 Peter 2. If you remember some of the final words to the elders at Ephesus that the Apostle Paul makes when he leaves with tears, he says that false teachers will rise from among you. And so, the first thing you want to know about these false teachers, then and now, are that they are those who are often very knowledgeable in the Scriptures. Look at the way Peter says it in chapter 2, verse 1. False prophets also arose among the people. just as there will be false teachers among you who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." Now, I would have you do this. Read at your leisure, prayerfully and carefully, 2 Peter 2 and Jude. and write down all of the characteristics you can find about these false teachers. And beware, because that's the reason why the inspired scriptures have them, is that we can identify them. But there are two characteristics I want you never to forget, that I think are the predominant two characteristics of false teachers, both in the Old Covenant and the New, especially in these last days. Their false teachers are, number one, they're apostate. They're people who have a knowledge of true faith. They're even members of a local church oftentimes. They were members of Israel. They were very important people in Israel. You can think of Caiaphas and Annas, for instance. You can think of the prophets, all the false prophets who led Israel in Baal worship in the Old Covenant, compared to just the few remnant prophets or faithful prophets. So false teachers first are apostates. They're people who know better. They are those who know the truth and deny it. That's what apostasy means. It means that you're not someone from far away, but you're actually someone who has been a part of true spiritual Israel, the church. and has departed from that. So that's important. They're apostate first, and second, they're antinomians. Second, they're antinomians. They have a disregard for obedience to Christ and his word. So there's two characteristics among many that you can find in 2 Peter and Jude. The two that I want you to remember primarily are that they're apostate people. They're people who once were part of Israel or the church, and had a great deal of knowledge, and two, they are those who are antinomians. Let me highlight a few things. First of all, notice that in 2 Peter 2, the false prophets arose among the people, that they brought in destructive heresies as false teachers who are claiming to be teachers to the congregations. Verse 2, many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed, they'll exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle. Their destruction is not asleep." Okay? So the two very important characteristics of these false teachers that both 2 Peter and Jude address are those who are apostate. They rise up from among the believers. And two, they are antinomians. If you see verse two, they'll follow their sensuality, their sinfulness. Look at Jude. Keep your finger there in 2 Peter 2 and look at Jude. In Jude, he tells us in verse 3, Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered from the saints. Verse 4, very important. For certain people have crept in unnoticed. who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our Master and Lord Jesus Christ. So again, these people are part of the congregation. They're what you would call professing believers. They're apostates. They're those who do not hold to the truth that was once and for all handed down to the saints, but they are in the midst of the true church, deceiving. And number two, if you notice again, they pervert the grace of God into sanctuality and deny our Master and Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, they don't see Jesus as both a Savior and a Lord. They profess to acknowledge Jesus as a savior from their sins, but not as a Lord who gives them the spirit to live obediently and resist their sins. So they acknowledge Jesus as savior and deny him as Lord and lead others astray into sensuality and sexual sins of different kinds. Look at how a couple of the places that how Jude addresses the problem in the New Testament church with Old Testament revelation. In verses 5 through 7 he says, Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day. Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. And then in Jude 10, he further speaks of the false teachers in language from the Old Covenant. He says, these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they're destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. Woe to them. They've walked in the way of Cain. They've abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam's error or Balaam's error and perished in Korah's rebellion. And it says in verse 13b, these are those for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. He goes on to say in verse 15, the Lord will come to judge, verse 15, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of their deeds of ungodliness they've committed in such an ungodly way. And of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him, that is Christ. These are grumblers. malcontents, following their own sinful desires, their loudmouth boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. And then he says, verse 17, for the true believer, you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, in the last time there will be scoffers following their own ungodly passions. It is these who cause divisions, worldly people devoid of the Spirit of God. And so for 2 Peter, let me repeat the theme and then I'll read Jude's theme. 2 Peter's theme is godly living with the hope and confidence, with hope and confidence in the last days, resisting and opposing apostate false teachers and awaiting the judgment and restoration of the cosmos. both Peter and Jude point the attention of the local church to the importance of resisting these teachers, of exposing them, of being able to recognize them by their unfruitfulness, by their dark fruits, or by their dark works, I should say, and to know that there is a judgment coming. Jude, the primary theological theme of Jude would be this. Jude would be contending for the faith, contending for the faith, and that's the once and for all faith of the scriptures, contending for the true faith, contending for the faith in the love of God with eschatological eagerness against false teachers and apostate antinomians. Jude would be contending for the faith, fighting for what's true, as revealed in the scriptures, in the love of God, with eschatological eagerness, that is, awaiting the judgment day, knowing that ultimately we can never rid the church and the world of false teachers, but doing what we can to be eschatologically eager. So, with eschatological eagerness against false teachers and apostate antinomians. contending for the faith with eschatological eagerness against false teachers and apostate antinomians." Now, there are other characteristics, and I would encourage you to read 2 Peter 2 and Jude prayerfully and note all the characteristics of false teachers and seek to be able to recognize them well. That's why the scriptures have been written, so that we can recognize them well. and do something about it. And in the application part I'm moving to now, I wanna say how we might be able to do that better by God's grace. But the two characteristics I want to share with you about false teachers as part of the three primary threads of the epistles of Peter and Jude are the two of apostasy and antinomianism, apostasy and antinomianism. Let me put it this way, apostasy is not just leaving the faith. by walking out on the true church, it's leaving the faith first in what one is teaching. And so it's leaving the faith first from the heart when one decides that they're going to reject the teaching of scripture or the teaching of faithful scriptural teachers. And so before one commits apostasy and leaves the visible congregation of God, they usually remain, or they usually, or they first, I should say, not usually, they do, they first apostatize from the heart in no longer believing the truth of God's word, very simply. So some application, how should we then live as we move toward the end of our class today? How can we live? First Peter tells us particularly how to live in a relationship with the triune God. His emphasis is that we know that through our suffering, we can enter into a deeper communion with God, that there's more to God than merely serving him, that suffering causes us to seek him. And in seeking, we find him. And in finding him, we find a friend. and we find a strength, we find a father. And so 1 Peter really stresses that we have these relationships to the triune God that then work themselves out. This relationship with the triune God works itself out faithfully in holy living, in family, in church, and in submission to governments, even tyrannical governments, as Peter was writing under. So, 1 Peter, an application, a very important one, is that the relationship that we have to the Triune God, to make sure that we have a relationship to God. Looking at 1 Peter 1 again, notice how Peter highlights that communion of the Triune God. In 1 Peter 1-2, he says, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling of his blood. So a relationship to the triune God with one another and the family and the church and to governments, right submission to government when they do not command us something that's contrary to what the scripture teaches. Another application of 1 Peter is obvious. It's about suffering. Suffering with joy as heirs. And so Peter wants us to come to the place where we can rejoice in Christ, in our sufferings. In 1 Peter 1.8, he says, though you've not seen him, you love him. And though you do not now see him, you believe in him or rejoice with joy that's inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your soul. So it's that inexpressible, glorious joy that we can have in our suffering as spirit-filled heirs. So those are a couple things from 1 Peter. One other very important application as congregations, as churches, would be 1 Peter 5. 1 Peter 5, especially when we're thinking about false teachers, is that we want to be faithful to pray for our elders and our teachers who are faithful in the church. We want to pray for our elders. In 1 Peter 5, Peter writes as a fellow elder, and he tells us in verse 5 that you who are younger be subject to the elders. He's talking here, of course, about orthodox elders, faithful elders, elders faithful to the scriptures, because he highlights the apostasy of false teachers, but here he's talking about faithful elders like himself. So he says, you who are younger, be subject to the elders and clothe yourselves with humility toward one another. One way of clothing ourselves with humility is by submitting in the Lord to faithful biblical teaching elders. And the elders, you can recognize, verses two and following, that they're to exercise oversight, willingly, eagerly, being examples. and awaiting the great shepherd to appear, always reminding themselves. We want to always remember as elders that we are those who serve under the greater shepherd. We're under shepherds appointed by him. But pray for elders, why? Because in the larger scriptures, particularly with 2 Peter having to do with, and Jude having to do with false teachers, you remember that the elders are ultimately the doorway into the congregation. They're the ones who are to interview people and to exercise oversight over the sheep to make sure that there's no apostasy in the congregation. They're to give themselves diligently with a concern for the true faithful teaching and contending for the faith that's once and for all handed down to the saints. And so the elders, if you will, are God's appointed shepherds as doorways into the congregation. And so they not only provide for the sheep in the gate, they stand at the gate, and they fulfill that task faithfully by staying true to God's Word, contending, that is, fighting for the truth. when they have to. What are a couple of applications? So pray for your elders. That's the third application for 1 Peter. Pray for your elders. Encourage your elders. Tell them you're thankful for their faithfulness if they've been faithful. And if they are faithful according to Scripture, the next time you hear of them having to undergo the very painful process of disciplining someone, Try to think with love that even though you don't know all the details, maybe they're addressing apostasy of some sort or antinomianism, some kind of ungodly living. And if they are, then encourage them and commend them, though it breaks your heart with theirs that they have to discipline those who are professing Christians. In 2 Peter and Jude, we really have a sound orthodox biblical eschatology. It's very important to have eschatology that understands that our inheritance ultimately, while we've been given the spirit now, we wait for our heavenly inheritance. As Peter says at the end of his letter, we wait for the restoration of the cosmos. So the second application, particularly drawn from 2 Peter and Jude would be, we need to have a sound biblical orthodox eschatology. And though we may differ on how the return of Christ will happen, I think we won't know for sure until we get to heaven. Though good men disagree about these things, what an ultimately biblical, sound, faithful, orthodox, biblical eschatology is just knowing this, as 2 Peter 3 says in verse 9 and following. Let me read this. 2 Peter 3, 9. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn, But here's the sound, orthodox, faithful eschatology. Verse 13, but according to his promise, that is God's promise, we're waiting for new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells. This will be a place where we dwell with God permanently in a new heavens and new earth without sin, without suffering, without pain. And let us be looking forward to that with great eagerness and anticipation. We are part of already a new humanity, and there will be a day when Jesus returns, when he will restore the cosmos and the heavens and the earth, and the new Jerusalem, the new Zion will come down from heaven and will unite heaven and earth together, and a new humanity in the presence of God, through Christ, by his spirit, we'll live forever with him, forever and ever, amen, with no sin, no pain, no suffering. And that's ultimately what the land pointed forward to, beloved. That's ultimately our inheritance as elect exiles. One day we will get home. Today, remember that the end is at hand. And so in that, be sober-minded, be self-controlled for the sake of your prayers. Continue to love one another eagerly and show hospitality without grumbling. And as you've been given gifts, why, see it as the very stewardship, the very grace stewardship of God himself, that if you're speaking, speak with the very oracles of God. And if you're serving, serve with the strength that God provides. But remember, the end is at hand. And that's a robust, sound, orthodox, faithful eschatology. I'm going to end with Jude's last words, that you be faithful as well, that, beloved, as you suffer, as you hope in that eschatology that's sound and biblical for the restoration of the cosmos and the return of Jesus Christ. And as you deal with false teachers, you're able to recognize those who are apostate and antinomian, those who are sinful and turn the grace of God into a license to sin. That's what an antinomian is. Remember these words in verses 20 and 21 of Jude and then verses 24 and 25. In verses 20 and 21, But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And then verses 24 and 25, Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless, but for the presence of his glory with great joy, To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time now and forever. Amen. The three theological threads that bind together Peter and Jude are suffering, eschatology, and false teachers. Primary characteristics of the false teacher is apostasy and denominism. And that's all for today. Come next week, we'll do the epistles of John, and it's appropriate we'll be closing this class by looking at the love of God in Christ and how we can love one another as he has first loved us. Let us pray. Our Father and our God, we're so grateful to learn about suffering in Jesus Christ today, and we pray that you would give us strength to endure by your grace as those who are awaiting a homeland, one whose designer and builder is you, our Heavenly Father, and one who has a great purpose and plan in suffering. As our great Savior, you, Lord Jesus, suffered before us, we now suffer in you. And by your strength, we're made strong, even in our weakness. Your grace is sufficient. Help us, we pray, as we suffer in temptations, and we suffer against the hostility of the world, and we suffer internally and fight against sin and our own slothfulness. Lord, being sober-minded and self-controlled are very, very difficult, and that's part of our suffering. It's hard to keep our minds focused on you. We admit that. Help us, we pray, that we would be at all times girded up in our minds, that we'd be ready for action, that we would be always on alert, We'd watch and pray that we fall not into temptation. Help us, Lord, because the struggle is hard, the suffering is hard, but we know that you've given us the spirit and we can have joy and we can become more like Christ. And we know our, we pray for a pure and orthodox eschatology that what we're waiting on is your return and the restoration of all things and the time when the suffering will be passed away. and that will be restored and established fully forever and ever. And so help us, Lord, give us wisdom, help our elders and our pastors who are faithful to your word to recognize apostasy and antinomianism and to address it, to use the scriptures to shepherd the sheep eagerly and as examples. Help us as elder pastors to exercise proper oversight, seeking to be careful of apostasy in our own hearts. and watching for apostasy in the churches. Make us faithful and continue to help us to stay in your love for us this day. We pray in Jesus' name, amen.