Livingstone - 1 & 2 Peter and Jude

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Life Application Bible Commentary: 1 & 2 Peter / Jude

Copyright 1995 by The Livingstone Corporation. All rights reserved.

Contributing Editors: James C. Galvin, Ed.D., and Ronald A. Beers

Cover photograph of bridge and path copyright by Alyn Stafford / iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Cover photographs of woman with a laptop and man holding a pen copyright by Dan Wilton / iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Cover photo of man reading copyright by Ronnie Comeau / iStockphoto. All rights reserved.

Interior illustrations of cornerstone (1 Peter), wolf (2 Peter), and signpost (Jude) copyright 2004 by Tracy Walker. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

(No citation is given for Scripture text that is exactly the same wording in all three versionsNIV, NKJV, and NRSV.)

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

TYNDALE, Life Application, New Living Translation, NLT, Life App, the Life App logo, and Tyndales quill logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

1 Peter, 2 Peter, and Jude / Bruce B. Barton... [et al.].
p. cm. (Life application Bible commentary)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8423-3031-2
1. Bible. N.T. PeterCommentaries. 2. Bible. N.T. Jude
Commentaries. I. Barton, Bruce B. II. Series.
BS2795.3.A18 1996
227.9207dc2095-37612

Build: 2020-09-21 12:41:50 EPUB 3.0

The Life Application Bible Commentary series provides verse-by-verse explanation, background, and application for every verse in the New Testament. In addition, it gives personal help, teaching notes, and sermon ideas that will address needs, answer questions, and provide insight for applying Gods Word to life today. The content is highlighted so that particular verses and phrases are easy to find.

Each volume contains three sections: introduction, commentary, and reference. The introduction includes an overview of the book, the books historical context, a time line, cultural background information, major themes, an overview map, and an explanation about the author and audience.

The commentary section includes running commentary on the Bible text with reference to several modern versions, especially the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version, accompanied by life applications interspersed throughout. Additional elements include charts, diagrams, maps, and illustrations. There are also insightful quotes from church leaders and theologians such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Wesley, A. W. Tozer, and C. S. Lewis. These features are designed to help you quickly grasp the biblical information and be prepared to communicate it to others. The reference section includes an index and a bibliography.

Watch out! Beware! On guard!

Warnings alert us and urge us to prepare. Potential danger lurks nearby, so we need to be ready by bolstering our courage, building our defenses, and designing our response.

First Peter, Second Peter, and Judethree small books tucked near the end of the Bibleconvey crucial warnings to believers:

• Watch out for persecution. Let your suffering build your faith, not crush it. Be strong! (1 Peter)
• Beware of false teachers, those who would draw you away. Keep focused on Christ. Be alert! (2 Peter)
• Guard against heresy, twisted truth, and outright lies. Stay close to Gods Word. Be faithful! (Jude)

Besieged on all sides, the early church faced external and internal threats. Followers of Christ could easily have been defeated or diverted. A distinct minority in a pagan society, they could have capitulated to their culture. But challenged by God through these holy writers and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they stood fast, even to death.

We, too, live in a hostile environment, a God-denying culture where many would enjoy eliminating all traces of Christian faith. Crossing the centuries, these short and profound letters have been written for us. Watch out! Beware! On guard! Be prepared!

Remember when the attacks began? At first, they were subtlejunior high friends decided that going to church was stupid. In the later teen years, you found that your Christian lifestyle contrasted sharply with that of most of your peers, and often they would make fun of your purity and stand for Christ. As you grew in age and experience, you discovered that the attacks increased, especially when you spoke up against wrongdoing, took time to help those in need, and shared your faith. Your strong witness by life and word cost you friends and threatened your job.

Regardless of your personal persecution, you probably have not come close to what first-century believers experienced. A quick perusal of Acts will reveal stonings, beatings, imprisonments, murderous plots, and executionsall for spreading the truth about Christ. Some of the most severe of the persecutions came at the hands of Nero. This Roman emperor became obsessed with eliminating Christians and their faith. The Roman historian Tacitus said, Besides being put to death, [Christians] were made to serve as objects of amusement; they were clad in the hides of beasts and torn to death by dogs; others were crucified, others set on fire to serve to illuminate the night when daylight failed (Annales 15.44). The price for following Christ was high.

First Peter was written to persecuted Christians, to those living in Rome and throughout the Roman province of Asia. This letter encourages believers to remain strong; it explains how to live during difficult times; it offers hope to all who suffer for the faith. First Peter speaks to believers in all agesthose in the first century and in our century. God tells us how to respond to our tough times, especially when we are persecuted for what we believe. Read 1 Peter and discover courage, strength, and hope.

Peter: apostle of Christ, one of the original twelve disciples, outspoken leader, and courageous preacher.

We first meet Peter when his brother, Andrew, brings him to Jesus (John 1:40-42). The sons of John (John 1:42; 21:15-17) and probably from Bethsaida in Galilee (John 1:44), Peter and his brother were fishermen on the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16) and partners of James and John (Luke 5:10). Peter and Andrew first followed John the Baptist. When John pointed out Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29), Andrew accepted his teachers testimony and immediately left to get his brother, Simon, to introduce him to the Messiah. Jesus addressed Andrews brother as Simon son of John and then changed his name to Peter, meaning rock or stone (John 1:42).