Daniel 1

Study Guide 164: 2 Peter; Jude DANGER! Overview The later letters from the New Testament era show a growing awareness of dangers facing the young church. In 2 Timothy, the last letter Paul wrote before his death, we find grim warnings about false teachers and a growing pollution of the church. Now, in two other late letters, one written by Peter and one by Jude, we discover the same strong note of warning. Because 2 Peter and Jude are so closely linked, not only in theme but also in specific content, it is helpful to teach and study them together. Most believe 2 Peter was written just before the apostle’ s death, in a.d. 67 or 68. Jude may have been written as many as 10 or 15 years later. While 1 Peter deals with dangers from outsiders hostile to the Christian community, 2 Peter and Jude examine dangers that emerge from within. Each book warns us about the same two problems: the emergence of false teachers, and of false teaching. For anyone concerned today with heresy, or with recognizing false teachers and cults, these two books are extremely valuable. They are also helpful to the average Christian, for they call us back to the simplicity of a godly life, and teach us to commit ourselves to loving God and doing good.

Commentary One of my family’ s favorite TV series used to be “ Lost in Space.” The Robinsons, two passengers, and a friendly robot moved through the galaxy facing new threats each week. When the robot sensed some dark, mysterious force approaching, he would shout out, “ Danger! Danger! Danger!” In the last half the first century, a threat far more sinister than those dreamed up by TV scriptwriters assailed the churches. The two short books of 2 Peter and Jude were written to sound an urgent alarm. As we move on in time (rather than in space), we too need to be alerted to spiritual dangers and be prepared to meet them.

Peter and Jude Who were these two men, and what was the historical context in which they wrote? Peter. The writer is, of course, the most prominent of the Twelve in the Gospels and the dominant figure in the early chapters of Acts. This is the second of two letters Peter wrote to the early church. It too is a “ last days” letter, written at the end of the apostle’ s career. According to the early church historian, Eusebius, Peter was martyred during Nero’ s persecutions (about a.d. 67-68). The letter was most likely written one of these years. Heresy was clearly threatening the church, a heresy that challenged both doctrine and lifestyle. The books of 2 Peter, Jude, and 2 Timothy all contain clear teaching that combats this danger. Jude. The writer’ s identification of himself in Jude 1:1 and in early church tradition have led to the conviction that Jude was a younger brother of the James who led the Jerusalem church, and thus was a younger half-brother of Jesus. It is very difficult to establish a date for Jude’ s short letter; suggested dates range from the late 60s to the 80s. The similarity with 2 Peter does not indicate that one copies the other. Instead it suggests how widespread the threat within the church had become, and that there was a common body of teaching to help congregations deal with such dangers.

Paul’ s Concern Actually, early words of warning come from Paul in 2 Timothy, as well as from Jude and Peter. Paul warned Timothy of the teachers who have “ wandered away from the truth” (2 Timothy 2:18). He spoke of “ terrible times” when “ people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Worst of all, these people will retain “ a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:1-5). While Timothy was to teach, correct, rebuke, and encourage with “ great patience and careful instruction,” he was also to realize that “ the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.” They will instead shape doctrine to “ suit their own desires” (2 Timothy 4:2-3). Times of stress are coming. Christians must recognize the signs of danger and be prepared to protect the purity of the church. Persecution. When Paul, Peter, and Jude were writing these letters, danger signs were all around. Gentile nations had recognized Christianity as a faith distinct from Judaism, and the Jews had also become hateful and envious. Other sources of opposition existed. In 2 Timothy Paul mentioned Alexander the metalworker, who did him “ a great deal of harm” (2 Timothy 4:14). He was probably one of those whose living came from selling images of the gods. His livelihood was threatened by the growing Christian movement. Later even the butchers who sold meat for pagan sacrifices lost income because the people were forsaking the temples. The Emperor Nero would soon formally accuse Christians of “ hatred of mankind” and put many of them to horrible deaths. The Roman world was used to multiple faiths, all tolerated and existing side by side. Just as in the modern East a person may be both a Buddhist and Shintoist, the Roman world saw no problem with one person worshiping many gods or having several religions. Christianity challenged this ethos. The Christians refused to worship the emperor, which left them open to the charge of treason. They disturbed families with their insistence on total allegiance to one God. Many refused to serve in the military and to worship the legion eagles. All in all, Christians were becoming a disruptive force in society. Often in the next decades local magistrates would initiate persecutions against these strange and unpopular people. By the time of Trajan (about a.d. 100), problems caused for the empire by the spread of Christianity were serious. Pliny the Younger, governor of Bithynia around a.d. 112, executed a number of Christians. Then he wrote to the emperor asking for advice and instruction. Trajan instructed Pliny that those who admitted they were Christians and refused to give up their belief were to be executed. But the governor should not hunt Christians down or accept anonymous accusations. And, of course, any Christian willing to give up his or her faith and offer sacrifice to the emperor was to be released. Within 30 years after Jude’ s and Peter’ s letters, Christians would face a world in which their faith was itself adequate cause for execution! Yet, as we read these “ last letters” of the Bible, we note a strange thing. The danger that most concerned the apostles is not the danger from without! They were confident that, when believers were called before judges, God would stand beside them and give them the words for their defense (see Matthew 5:11, Matthew 5:44; Matthew 10:17-20; Luke 21:12-19; John 15:20-21; Acts 4:1-31). Throughout history, persecution has tended to strengthen rather than weaken the church. We see in fact that the great danger to Christians does not live in the antagonism of outsiders at all! Perversion. The great danger to the early church, as to us today, is that what is central in the life of the corporate body might be perverted. Outsiders can never prevail against the body of Christ. But if the church is to remain strong and vital, it must be strong within. And inner strength depends on sustaining sound doctrine and a godly lifestyle. Paul warned Timothy that opposition will come from “ men of depraved minds” (2 Timothy 3:8). “ There will be false teachers among you,” Peter then warned. These “ will secretly introduce destructive heresies. . . . Many will follow their shameful ways and bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2 Peter 2:1-2). Jude appealed to the church to contend for the faith, “ For certain men . . . have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (2 Peter 2:4). Each of these letters warns against the twin threats of false teaching and ungodly living within the church.

Twin Threats It helps us, in reading 2 Peter and Jude, to have an overview of the nature of the dangers with which they are concerned. Let’ s look at each threat separately. False teaching. There was a body of teaching or doctrine, entrusted by God to the prophets and apostles and recorded in the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:2). A number of false teachings are mentioned in these letters and in 2 Timothy. Paul pointed out the mistaken belief that the resurrection of believers had already occurred. Peter warned against those who question Jesus’ second coming and the certainty of the final judgment (2 Peter 3:6-10). However, both Peter and Jude made it clear that the critical heresy that threatened the church had to do with who Jesus is. The godless men who secretly slipped into the fellowship change God’ s grace and “ deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 1:4). Peter insisted, “ We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:16). The false teachers who secretly introduced destructive heresies were actually “ denying the Sovereign Lord who bought them” (2 Peter 2:1). The crucial doctrinal danger is to deny Jesus as Sovereign Lord. We can understand why. The New Testament teaches that Jesus is the center of our faith, our life, and hope. Continuing in a personal relationship with Jesus is the only means we have to break the hold of sin or to give us freedom from tension, fear, or guilt. Christians have no power in themselves to produce a life of wholeness. Any teaching or doctrine that denies Jesus Christ His primacy or reduces Him to less than God robs Him of His glory, and us of our hope. Such a system of belief is what Paul calls a counterfeit faith. An ungodly life. While the necessity for sound doctrine is much in the minds of Peter and Jude in these warning letters, it’ s clear that they warn against moral decline even more. Just as Paul insisted that leaders be chosen for their spiritual maturity, so Jude and Peter warned against leaders whose lifestyles mark them off as perverters. A number of terms and concepts here need explanation, lest we think an ungodly way of life is simply a life of gross and open sin. For instance, what is the “ depraved mind” Paul speaks of? (2 Timothy 3:8) And what are the “ passions” or “ evil desires” that find such frequent mention in these letters? The Greek word translated “ mind” here is nous, and is much more than intelligence, or the organ of thought. Greek scholars point out that this term refers to the sum total of the mental and moral outlook or state of being. We might call the biblical “ mind” an attitude, a perspective, a way of thinking about and approaching life. Is there a distinctively Christian life perspective? Of course there is. We are to find worth and importance in people rather than things. We are to love, not to use or abuse others. The Christian perspective measures material against eternal values, and finds the unseen more real than the visible. The Christian outlook on life enjoys holiness and finds sin uncomfortable; it rejects instinctual responses in favor of self-control. By loving God and others, a Christian finds fulfillment that no other focus for life could possibly provide. Anything that draws us from this distinctive Christian perspective on life is a dangerous threat to the church. Only by building our lives on God’ s values can we find the holiness that gives the Christian fellowship its vitality and its power. What may draw us into the world of illusion that is secular society’ s “ mind” ? Jude and Peter spoke often of passions and instinctual desires. It would be a mistake to understand these as merely sexual terms. The word translated “ passions” or “ desires” is a Greek word epithumia. In classical Greek the term is morally neutral; it simply means “ desire.” It could mean having a longing for something worthwhile, or it could imply desiring a forbidden object. When a person enters into a friendship with Jesus, he gets a new life in which the old desires, thoughts, and choices are to be transformed. The “ desires” (epithumia) that concerned Paul, Peter, and Jude are leftover drives and stirring passions of our old way of life. Peter identifies them as “ the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14). We are not to conform to them or be “ enslaved” by all kinds of passions and pleasures (Titus 3:3). It’ s not wrong for a Christian to have feelings and wants. After all, God Himself promises that He will give us “ the desires of our heart” (Psalms 37:4). We are free to move toward that which we want deeply; and as we live with God, He Himself will cause us to desire His best (see Psalms 103:5). One difficult lesson for an astronaut to learn is that his old physical reactions, adapted to earth’ s gravity pull, are inappropriate in weightlessness. He takes a normal step, and bounds off the floor, He needs to learn to shuffle his feet to keep contact between magnetic shoes and the metal spacecraft. He grasps a wrench to turn a bolt, and finds himself, not the bolt, turned by the force he exerts. In his new environment the astronaut’ s old instinctive reactions are wrong! The Christian too lives in a new environment: a kingdom ruled over by God’ s dear Son. The desires that shaped our perspective before we knew Christ produce the wrong responses now. Thus Peter and Jude warned us against men who claim to be spiritual leaders but whose lifestyles indicate that they “ follow the corrupt desire of the sinful natures” (2 Peter 2:10) and react “ like brute beasts, creatures of instinct” (Jude 1:12), their personalities shaped by the epithumia of fallen humanity. The real threat to the church is not persecution from without but corruption from within. How can we recognize this danger? Corruption from within involves a desertion of sound doctrine. When we “ reinterpret” or reject the apostolic teaching recorded in Scripture, and especially when we deny the central teaching of Scripture about the person and work of Jesus, we wander from the truth and place our generation in jeopardy. But corruption from within also involves a retreat from a holy life. When we begin to respond to life situations as instinct tells us, motivated by the old epithumia that gripped us before we knew Jesus, our whole perspective becomes warped. The Bible says it: “ Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [nous]” (Romans 12:2). We must understand that a commitment to both sound doctrine and a godly life is essential, not only for church leaders, but for all believers. Any retreat from either, and we hear, through Peter and Jude, God’ s own danger alarm. LINK TO LIFE: YOUTH / ADULT Give a minilecture summarizing the concerns of these later New Testament letter writers. Quote from 2 Timothy to illustrate themes. Then ask each person in your group to quickly read through one of these books (Jude or 2 Peter) and to circle the number of the verses which speak about either the teaching or the ways of false teachers. If you wish you may want to divide the tasks: give different members single chapters, or have half look for false teachers’ doctrines and half for false teachers’ ways. When each has finished this task, ask for first impressions of the books. How might their message be described in a single sentence? Your goal in this introductory activity is to simply familiarize your group members with the books as a whole, as a prelude to closer examination of specific themes.

A Positive Christian Life In our next study we will look carefully at these books’ descriptions of false teachers and false teaching. For now it is important to note that we have protection against the influence of evil within. In a sense, there are certain commitments of the Christian which immunize him or her from the threats of false teaching!Productive lives (2 Peter 1:1-11). God has given Jesus’ people great promises and gifts. These provide “ everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him” (2 Peter 1:3). Through God’ s provision we partake of the divine nature and thus “ escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4). Our first protection against corrupting influences from within is a commitment to that godliness which God’ s work in Christ has made possible for us. Peter calls on us to “ make every effort” to develop qualities that reflect God’ s nature. These qualities are (2 Peter 1:5-7):

faithas full commitment to Christian teaching. goodnessliterally, “ virtue,” or moral excellence. knowledgeas understanding drawn from God’ s revelation. self-controlas the ability to “ hold yourself in.” perseveranceas steadfastness in the face of opposition. godlinessas conduct that shows we are aware of God’ s presence. brotherly kindnessas a real affection for our fellow Christians. loveas a real commitment to do good to others.Such qualities will “ keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8). The person who is fully committed to living for Jesus is unlikely to be drawn away to follow false teachers or false teaching. It is rather the lukewarm and indifferent Christian who is susceptible. God’ s sure Word (2 Peter 1:12-21). A parallel line of defense is full confidence in “ the truth you now have” (2 Peter 1:12). Peter reminded us how great a confidence we can have in the Scriptures, whose prophetic words about Jesus have proven true, thus demonstrating that the Spirit truly “ carried along” Scripture’ s writers so that the Word has its origin in the will of God. A vision of reality (2 Peter 3:1-13). Unlike those who scoff, we know that this present world will be destroyed. Looking forward to that great cataclysm we fix our hope not on anything in this material universe but on the new heaven and earth God will create. Our vision of the future, and values shaped by the expectation of Christ’ s return, motivate us to live “ holy and godly lives.” Persevering in the faith (Jude 1:20-22). Jude closed his letter with a description of the life to which we are to commit ourselves. As we focus on these things, we will be immune to the appeal of false teachers and false teaching. What are we to concentrate on? Praying. Keeping ourselves in God’ s love (which 1 John 5:1-4 defines as loving one another and obeying the Lord). Looking expectantly toward Jesus’ coming. Being merciful to those who waver, and seeking to snatch them from judgment even while keeping clear of all that corrupts them. If we lead lives like this, we and the church itself will be safe from all influences that would corrupt.

Teaching Guide Prepare Study 2 Timothy as well as Jude and 2 Peter, and prepare a 15-to 20-minute lecture on the background of these “ warning” letters.

Explore Have your group members read quickly through 2 Peter and Jude to identify verses that deal with false teachings and false teacher’ s lifestyles. See “ link-to-life” above.

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1. Promise that next session you will look in depth at false teachers and false teaching. Give your group members an assignment, to be completed before the next session. Each should reread these short books and try to determine: characteristics of false teachers the appeal of false teaching false doctrines that were taught a correct response to false teaching
2. Work through the four passages discussed in the commentary which teach how we can protect ourselves against false teachers and false teaching.

Apply Share: “ What do you feel is your best defense personally against false teachers or false teaching? Why did you select this particular one?”