Ephesians 1-3 is doctrine (spiritual blessings in Christ, predestination, salvation by grace through faith, Jews and Gentiles united in one body, the mystery revealed). Ephesians 4-6 is practical (the 5 “walks” or conduct Christians should have, and stand up to the devil using the armor of God).

Colossians is very similar. Both letters were written while Paul was in “house arrest” in Rome for 2 years (Acts 27,28). But in the Colossian letter Paul is fighting specific heretical teachings about Jesus. The first two chapters are doctrinal, stating the preeminence of Jesus Christ. They deal with the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ is sufficient for all our spiritual and doctrinal needs. He condemns the false teaching of asceticism, mysticism, Jewish laws being bound on Gentiles, and gnosticism (at least early gnostic thinking if not full blown gnosticism of the 2nd century). Please refer to my last blog to read that discussion and see a couple of very good short videos.

The last section of Colossians is practical. Since Christ is all-sufficient for our spiritual and doctrinal needs, we don’t need to be distracted by human philosophy, religious rules, visions, asceticism, etc. The last verse of chapter 2 gets us ready for chapters 3-4: “22 according to human precepts and teachings? ²³ These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

So, now Paul is ready to talk about the real issue facing Christians, and that is how to “stop the indulging of the flesh”. Someone can be a great debater of doctrine, or a very strict religious rule keeper, but if he/she then lives in lust, adultery, hate, jealousy, greed, etc. then all his religion is worthless.

3:1  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. ³ For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

These 4 verses set the tone for chapters 3 and 4. 2:¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.” You were raised from spiritual death and made alive in Christ. So, what should I be seeking? What should be the main priority and purpose of my living? It should be seeking the kingdom of God. It should be things that are above, i.e. spiritual things. Set (phroneó: To think, to set one’s mind on, to have a mindset) on things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, on spiritual things. Can you picture Jesus sitting at God’s right hand somewhere in heaven. He is watching everything I do and say. HIs Spirit is working on me to help me fight the flesh and be a good example of a cleansed sinner. What is he thinking about how I am acting? Is he pleased or displeased? Am I in total submission to him? What does he want me to work on in my life? What plans does he have for me?

Romans 8:⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set (phroneó: To think, to set one’s mind on, to have a mindset) their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” I like that word for “set”, i.e. “one’s mindset”. (AI) “A person’s mindset is a set of beliefs that influences how they think, feel, and act in different situations. It also affects how they perceive the world and themselves.” Is my mind set on the things of the flesh or the things of God? Do I spend most of my time thinking about materialism, pleasure, fulfilling my lusts of the flesh, eye, and pride of life? What is my mindset? Is my mindset on spiritual beliefs and things? Is that spiritual mindset strong enough to guide me and stop my from “indulging in the flesh” (2:23)?

So, if you have the proper spiritual “mindset”, here is what you will do. You will “put to death” earthly, sensual thought, deeds, words, and lusts. 3:⁵ Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” You will “put away” these things: 3:⁸ But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” You have been re-created by the grace of God into a new spiritual person, constantly cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Now act like such a cleansed sinner should act. You don’t have to be perfectly sinless in putting off these old self practices, but you must make a sincere effort to do so.

Picture being given a new white beautiful dress or a sharp all white men’s suit. Your old clothes are covered in dirt, mud, grease, paint, and holes. You are so thankful for the new clothes that were given to you out of love and compassion. You put off the old clothes and put on the new. How hard would you try to keep that new white dress or suit clean? If you wore it all the time, you would probably spill food or drink on it, or get it dirty, but you would try your best to keep it clean. And if you get it dirty, you have this magic “stain remover” that you quickly apply so that your dress or suit remain white. To me, that is the example of putting off the old self and putting on the new.

Having sincerely tried to put off the old self and old sinful practices, you will try to put on the new self and new practices. 3:¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (teleiotés: Perfection, maturity, completeness).” In the New Testament, this word is used to describe the process of becoming spiritually mature and fully developed in faith and character. A Christian who is not a loving person is not a mature Christian. He will have little influence on others for Jesus no matter how religious he is or how doctrinally sound he is.

One could do a sermon on each of these new attitudes and practices that we need to “put on”, but their meaning is quite easy to understand. How hard am I trying to work on putting on these? For example, do I have compassion for those less fortunate and the lost? That’s not just to “feel sorry” for them, but to help them. On a scale of 1 to 10, how am I doing in each of these areas? And “above all these put on love”. Would people call me a “loving person”? Love makes one compassionate, kind, forgiving, and patient.

3:¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” The peace of Christ will rule (brabeuó: To rule, to arbitrate, to decide, to govern: From the root word βραβεύς (brabeus), meaning “an umpire” or “a judge.”) in our hearts. It will be an umpire or judge to tell you, “No, your feelings for that person or the way you are treating that person is not right: change your attitude and action.” It will be an umpire that will call fouls on you when you violate the rules of Christian conduct. You were once alienated from Christ, an enemy of God due to your sin, but the grace of God has brought you into a state of being reconciled to God and peace with God. That peace is a spiritual peace with God and it brings an inner peace in your hear with your inner self and your dealings with all people. A person who has a troubled, sinful inner self will not be concerned about being kind to others. A person at peace with God and self will say, “God has been so good to me, saving me, and I want to share that peace with others and help them to find that peace.” 3:15 “and be thankful” for what God has done for you.

Let the word dwell (enoikeó: To dwell in, to inhabit) in you richly. Not just “dwell in you” but “dwell in you richly”. The way the word gets in you is by reading, studying, and meditating on the word of God. But, as the SEC radio slogan says, “it’s not that you schedule your child’s birth around college football games, it just means more than that”. It means that the word of God lives in you and influences and guides you in everything that you do. Of course, you have to know what the word says, thus the reading and studying. Once the word gets in your mind and heart, picture the Spirit of God constantly urging you to apply what the word says to your life. The Spirit through the word nudges you to not do something bad that you were about to do and urges you to do something good that you need to do. My mom wrote long letters telling how she felt about things. I read those letters at times and it is a constant reminder of what she would want me to do. Her spirit speaks to me through those written letters. It’s the same with the Spirit and the word of God. Hebrews 4:² For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” But the word is only “living and active” if you are intent on letting the Spirit energize that word to influence and guide you. I am a full preterist in doctrine and feel that I can really help people understand the Bible in context in such a way that it will increase their faith in Jesus and the word. That means a lot of the word in my mind. But I struggle to let the Spirit use the word to help me put away certain bad thoughts and deeds, and put on love, compassion, and kindness. That’s what I need to work on! How about you?

The word dwelling in you will also motivate you to teach (didaskó: To teach, instruct) and admonish (noutheteó: To admonish, to warn, to instruct) one another. A good way to do this is with singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts. Psalms were singing the 150 psalms of the Old Testament. Hymns were praise songs sung by a congregation. Spiritual songs would be any song that the Spirit led them to sing about our new life in Christ. This is not just a command for the assembly on Sunday morning. It is not a command that would forbid singing songs with instrumental music. The Greek word for psalms is psalmos and is derived from the verb ψάλλω (psallō), meaning “to pluck” or “to play a stringed instrument.” 5568 psalmós – a psalm (“Scripture set to music”). Originally, a psalm (5568 /psalmós) was sung and accompanied by a plucked musical instrument (typically a harp), especially the OT Psalms.” That doesn’t mean that we can only sing psalms with an instrument, but it certainly does not rule out using an instrument to sing psalms with. My church has made such a big issue of non-instrumental worship, even calling the use of instruments a sin, perhaps a sin that would condemn one’s soul. That is sad. It has caused division instead of eliminating it.

Finally, 3:¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” That covers it all, doesn’t it. Whatever you do in word or deed, do it by that authority and command of the head, Jesus, always giving thanks. Let a thankful heart be always in you. If someone saved my life, I would be always thinking about what they did for me and how I could show gratitude to them.

That leads Paul to state the commands for wives to submit to husbands, husbands to love their wives, children obey their parents, fathers don’t provoke your children, slaves server your masters as if you were serving Jesus himself, and slave masters to be fair and kind to their slaves.

A few personal instructions close the letter to the Colossian church. “3:² Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. ³ At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— ⁴ that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.⁵ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” This speak of God’s providence opening doors for the preaching of the gospel. Organizations like Eastern European Missions are constantly looking for and finding open doors for printing and distributing Bibles and children’s Bible story books all over the world in many languages. Paul was in prison in Rome and yet God opened a door for him to preach to the imperial guard (they guarded the emperor) (Eph 1:13). The Colossians are told to pray for God to open a door for Paul to preach the gospel. I don’t know how intercessory prayer works, but it works.

Salt preserves and adds flavor. Our speech should be seasoned with salt. We should be encouragers when others are frustrated and pessimistic. We should be praising and thanking God when others are cursing. We should be peacemakers when people are arguing and fighting. We should be giving a special word to someone who needs it. We should be able to make a defense to anyone who asks us about the hope we have in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). Especially to non-Christians, outsiders, who are watching us closely to see if we really are sincere Christians.

Then some very personal comments. Several names. Tychicus would carry the letter to the Colossians. Onesimus was the runaway slave of Philemon who was converted in Rome by Paul. Philemon was a member of the Colossian church. Aristarchus was a fellow prisoner, actually with Paul on his 3rd journey and as a prisoner with Paul on the ship to Rome. Markm the cousin of Barnabas, was back in favor with Paul after Paul rejected him going on the 2nd journey b/c he left them on the 1st journey. Jesus called Justus comforted Paul in prison. Those 4 men were the only Jewish Christians that helped him in prison. Most of the Jews in Rome who came to hear Paul preach in prison rejected His gospel message. The physician Luke who traveled with Paul on his 3rd journey and was with Paul in Rome. Demas was still in grace at this time (and in Philemon 24) but later left Paul, loving the present world (2 Tim 4:10). Nympha was a member of the church in Laodicea and had a house church in her church. Archippus was told to fulfill his ministry, maybe as a pastor in the church at Laodicea. The Colossians were to pass their letter to the Laodicean church and then read the letter Paul wrote to the Laodiceans, which we don’t have. Paul wrote this letter with his own hand.

I have a blog article on Colossians that is more complete, but this is a shorter version. I encourage you to stop right now and watch this 5 minute video on the historical background of Colossians. You might hear the term “dualism” and wonder what that means. This video will help understand some of the heretical philosophy being taught and discussed in Colossae.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2UW66oBEsA&list=PLWdLxfKtLrX6IqjbPbuybN0NouIq5nzjp&index=8

The theme of Colossians is “Christology“: the study (ology) of Jesus Christ, his person (who he is) and his work (what he came to do). The first two chapters discuss the person and work of Jesus Christ. Stop and watch this 4 minute video on the first two chapters.

This slide from Marvin Willis sums up the false teaching that Paul was confronting in the letter:

Gnosticism is complicated, but basically: all flesh is evil and God cannot come into an evil fleshly body, so Jesus cannot be “God in the flesh”.

HIs answer to all this heresy is that all the fullness of God dwells in Jesus Christ. He is fully God while being fully man. That is hard to understand fully and we don’t have to understand it perfectly. In the first few centuries of Christianity there were several councils to debate the different philosophies about the nature of Jesus, such as docetism. (AI) “Docetism, (from Greek dokein, “to seem”), Christian heresy and one of the earliest Christian sectarian doctrines, affirming that Christ did not have a real or natural body during his life on earth but only an apparent or phantom one.” There were many more. The councils usually ended up deciding which view was correct, and then they declared as heretics anyone who disagreed with that view. It was a lot of unnecessary “splitting of hairs” that led to much division in the early church. We simply must believe that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus (i.e. He is fully God), that He did come in the flesh (i.e. the incarnation), that He is the only begotten Son of God (John 1:14), that He is the Christ (i.e. the Messiah: Christ is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Messiah). 1 John 2:²² Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.”

Here is another good summary by Marvin Willis of what Paul says in chapter 1 and 2:

Or this slide (a little blurred) by Ernie Varra that gives the verses:

1:¹⁵ He is the image (eikón: Image, likeness, representation) of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.” The word is used by Jesus of the image of Caesar that was on a denarius coin. Matthew 22:²⁰ And He *said to them, “Whose image (eikon) and inscription is this?” So when you see the coin, you see the likeness of Caesar himself. Jesus said, “He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9). God is a spirit (John 4:24) and you can’t see a spirit (sorry, Casper is not real). But when you see all the qualities that Jesus had, you see what the Father is like.

1:¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” Preiminent in the Greek is próteuó: To have the first place, to be preeminent. (AI) “The verb “próteuó” signifies holding the highest rank or position, being first in importance or influence. It is used in the New Testament to describe the supremacy and preeminence of Christ, particularly in relation to creation and the church.” The word is only used once in the New Testament and it fits so well in Colossians. The supremacy and preeminence of Jesus Christ. Why is He preeminent? 1:¹⁹ For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (i.e. b/c he was not just a man, a prophet, a spiritual guru: he was God in the flesh.

He was not a created being as the Jehovah’s Witness claim. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.” Everything is either created (from nothing, Genesis 1) or not created (eternal). The “Word” here is Jesus. 1:¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Thus Jesus created all things. Anything that was created was created by Jesus. If he was a created being, he would have to have created himself. He is the firstborn (prototokos: Firstborn) of all creation. (AI) “The term “prototokos” is used in the New Testament to denote the firstborn child in a family, emphasizing preeminence and priority in both birth order and status. In a theological context, it is often used to describe Jesus Christ, highlighting His supremacy and unique position in creation and redemption.” “Firstborn” here does not mean Jesus was the first thing created, which would contradict John 1:1-3. It means that he has the preeminence over all creation just as the firstborn son has preeminence.

All the elements that make up the earth are made up of cells with a nucleus in each cell. The nucleus has positively charged protons in the nucleus itself and negatively charged electrons that spin around the nucleus in defined shells and orbitals. Positive attracts negative. What keeps the negatively charged electrons from being drawn into the nucleus by the positively charged protons, thus collapsing the cell and destroying matter? 1:17 says that is is Jesus who holds thing together. Where does the force of gravity come from? 1:17 says it is Jesus’ power that creates gravity. There is an equation for the force of attraction between two objects: F = G * (m1 * m2) / r^2. M1 and m2 are the masses of the two objects. F is the force of attraction. G: is the gravitational constant (approximately 6.674 × 10^-11 N⋅m²/kg²). G is one of the many “constants” in physics and math that cannot be explained by random by chance atheistic explanations of how the earth came to be. But why does that equation exist and work? 1:17 says it is by the power of Jesus. Jesus created all objects. His power is the attraction between the two objects (which creates gravity and another constant, the force of gravity which is 9.8 m/sec^2). Jesus is the one who came up with the force of attraction equation and put it into effect at creation. Jesus is the one who wrote all the equations and constants that govern how the universe operates. It is by his power that they all work so consistently and perfectly.

1:¹⁸ And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” If he is preeminent over all creation, then certainly He is the head over his spiritual body, which is the church, i.e. those saved by his death, burial, and resurrection. The husband is the head of the wife, which means she is in submission. The church is in submission to follow and obey all the teachings of Jesus. Just as our physical systems of the body are controlled by our heads, so it is with Jesus and his body, the church. The pope is not the head of the church. Ephesians 4:11 lists 5 gifted leadership offices or positions: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors (elders), and teachers. Don’t you think that the position of “pope” would be in that list if Jesus wanted a pope to be the leader of the church? We must submit to Christ and Him only.

1:²⁰ and through him to reconcile (apokatallassó: To reconcile completely, to restore to favor) to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. ²¹ And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, ²² he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him.” Reconciliation emphasizes the total restoration of a relationship that was once broken due to sin. It is the restoration of a state of peace between two parties that were enemies in a conflict. Romans 5:¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. ¹¹ And not only this, but we also celebrate in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.” We were enemies of God due to our sin. It is not that we hated God. It is simply that our sins put us in a state of enmity with God. Reconciliation with God makes us at peace with God in our spiritual relationship. Romans 5:1: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus’ is our means of achieving that peace. Ephesians 2:¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace.” 2 Corinthians 5:¹⁷ Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. ¹⁸ Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their wrongdoings against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Paul continues with what Jesus did, what he accomplished. 2: ¹¹ In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities^[and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” He made us alive spiritually as we rose from immersion in baptism (the word baptism means immersion). Baptism is an act of faith, not a work to earn salvation. He was circumcised (peritomé: Derived from the Greek verb περιτέμνω (peritemnō), meaning “to cut around, the cutting around of the foreskin) cut off from the land of the living (hence the word circumcision). Isaiah 53:By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people?”

Since Christ is all we need and he is the head of the church, we should not let anyone bind rules or laws on us that Jesus did not command. Apparently there were many false teachers who were doing that. They were teaching asceticism: the denial of the body’s normal desires in order to be more righteous: don’t taste, don’t touch. They were teaching the Gentile Christians that they had to keep the rituals of the old covenant, such as the unclean food laws, the observance of Jewish feasts and the new moon. Some were saying they had visions about angels and promoted the worship of angels. They were telling the Christians that they were not fully saved unless they did these things. None of these things were commanded by Jesus. We are sufficient in Christ. Don’t let anyone judge you or mislead you or bind human traditions or philosophy on you.

There is much to apply to today concerning the Christology that Paul presented. There are a lot of Christian denominations and cults that deny that Jesus was God, such as Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witness, and many others. There are many denominations that make their members observe the unclean food laws, such as the Seventh Day Adventists. Some groups have leaders that deceive the members with visions they claim to have seen. Some groups emphasize the teachings of their latter day prophets to the exclusion of making Jesus Christ the core of their teaching.

In other words, we have a lot of the same false teaching as the Colossians did.

Change of pace. Shift gears. My wife and I go to McDonalds every Sunday morning for Egg McMuffins and senior coffee. Around $10. About $2 of actual ingredients or less, but that’s eating out. Then my granddaughter told me about the McDonalds app, which everyone in the world already uses that except me. We get a 2nd breakfast sandwich for $1 now and save $3. That makes it taste better to me. Don’t tell me that I am cheap. I already know that.

But as we sit this morning eating at MdDonalds, I look out the window and see some muhly grass, small cypress plants, some pansies, and some mulch. A sparrow or two. Do you think those plants or birds are worried about the future? Here is your Bible thought for the day: Matthew 6:²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? ²⁷ And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?^[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, ²⁹ yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ³⁰ But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹ Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. ³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” ³⁴ “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Are you a worrier? I am. I worry about not having anything to worry about. I think, “things are going too good; surely something bad is going to happen!” I am a “what if” person. What it this happens, what if this or that goes wrong. People hate to travel with me b/c I stress them out with my worrying. Anyone out there like that?

Jesus wasn’t telling us to not even try to work hard and provide for our needs. The birds don’t “sow or reap or gather into barns”, but they do constantly look for bugs to eat and to carry back to their chicks in their nests. But they don’t store up in barns for the future. They live day to day. And your (our) heavenly Father feeds them. How much of my time and energy is spent on planning for the future, for retirement, for possible catastrophic events? Again, nothing wrong with insurance and retirement plans. That is just good stewardship of what God has given us. But that should not be my main focus. I need to be focused on just enjoying each day that God gives me.

The sad thing is that, compared to most third world countries, I really don’t have anything to worry about. I have money, a nice house, stocked pantry, food in the fridge and freezer, and a credit card to go to a grocery store that in over stocked with food. I have a family doctor and we have hospitals and medical help for any sickness. I have medicare A and B and a supplemental policy to pay for it. I have nice cars. In the meantime, some child is walking 3 miles one way to get dirty water from a pond that the animals drink from and waste gets into. I. saw a “Water for Life” commercial raising money for drilling wells for clean water in Africa. A lady’s baby had died from drinking contaminated water. The mother could do nothing to get clean water and they did not have money for medical help. She had a 2nd baby and was afraid to let that baby drink the only water she had, the dirty water, for fear that child would die also.

Maybe a good New Year’s resolution for me would be to try not to worry so much. As Jesus said, worrying about something doesn’t help one bit, and it is a lack of faith. Seek first the kingdom of God and let God provide. What can I do today that would be the kingdom living that you read about in the sermon on the mount? What can I do today that will help someone find the kingdom of God and salvation. That’s what I need to be focussing on.

Have a great new year.

I saw an image of 2 Peter 2 that is really good. From another blog. Dave Owens https://guamdaveo.blogspot.com/2018/12/devotional-beware-false-teachers-2.html

2 Peter 2:1 But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ² Many will follow their indecent behavior, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned; ³ and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

3 traits identify false prophets or false teachers: 1) Immoral “indecent” sexual behavior, often taking advantage sexually with followers, like David Koresh who claimed that all the married women in his Branch Davidian cult were his wives, no longer to have sex with their husbands; 2) power; they “exploit” you, which implies taking control over followers, a power or pride thing; 3) greed; money is almost always involved; TV evangelists like Joel Osteen net worth $100 million, Joyce Meyers $8 million, Pat Roberson $100 million, Kenneth Copeland $300 million, Benny Hinn $60 million. BTW notice the phrase “even denying the Master who bought them”. Calvinism: TULIP. The L is “limited atonement”: since God only predestined a certain number to be saved, then Jesus only died for them, not for the whole world. But 2 Peter 2:1 says that Jesus “bought” these false teachers with his blood, so he died for them also and “Limited atonement” is wrong. False teachers will be judged and destroyed.

2 Peter 2:⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, held for judgment; ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; ⁶ and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example of what is coming for the ungodly; ⁷ and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the perverted conduct of unscrupulous people ⁸ (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), ⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, ¹⁰ and especially those who indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and despise authority.

The main premise is “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment“. 3 examples of God judging and punishing the unrighteous: 1) the angels that sinned (when Satan led them in a rebellion against God) who were already in hell awaiting judgment; 2) the ungodly world before the flood; 3) the ungodly people in Sodom and Gomorrah by reducing them to ashes; 2 examples of God rescuing the godly from a trial: 1) He saved Noah and 7 others from the flood; 2) He brought Lot out of Sodom safely; Lot was oppressed by the perverts in Sodom, his soul tormented day and night by their deeds; we have to ask why he moved into Sodom if he was so against their sins; I assume he could get richer faster than living in the land that Abraham allowed him to pick (Genesis 12) but it cost him as he lost all his possessions, his wife turned to a pillar of salt, his 2 daughters got him drunk and committed incest with him.

2 Peter 2:Reckless, self-centered, they speak abusively of angelic majesties without trembling, ¹¹ whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. ¹² But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, ¹³ suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions as they feast with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having hearts trained in greed, accursed children; ¹⁵ abandoning the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the reward of unrighteousness; ¹⁶ but he received a rebuke for his own offense, for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

Again, the 3 traits of false teachers and false prophets: 1) sexually immoral, revelers in the daytime, eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin; 2) power: they revile angelic authorities, abusive speech control of followers, deceptive; 3) greed, money; hearts trained in greed, following the way of Balaam. The story of the prophet Balaam is in Numbers 22-24. He was hired by the Balak the king of Moab to curse Israel as they passed through the land of Moab on the way to the Promised Land. He agreed to go but his donkey spoke to him on the way rebuking him. He apparently would have cursed Israel and received his pay, but 4 times the Spirit made Balaam bless Israel instead of cursing them. The 4th time Balaam even predicted the coming of the Messiah in the distant future. Balaam did eventually get his pay at Peor (Numbers 25) when he advised Balak to get the Israelite men to have sex with the Moabite women which led to God killing 24,000 Israelites. The killing was stopped when Phinehas stuck a spear through an Israelite man and a Moabite woman having sex brazenly in the Israelite camp. Balaam was a prophet for hire just like the false prophets in 2 Peter 2.

2 Peter 2:¹⁷ These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved. ¹⁸ For, while speaking out arrogant words of no value they entice by fleshly desires, by indecent behavior, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, ¹⁹ promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. ²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. ²² It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

Another trait of false prophets is that they entice followers to engage in fleshly desires, promising them “freedom” to sin. A great example of this is the David Berg cult The Children of God, the Family Interntional who practised free sex and used sex to draw in new members (flirty fishing). Peter then adds that if someone has escaped from sin (i.e. has been saved) but then is overcome by sin, the latter state is worse than the first (he is worse than if he never became a Christian). In other words, he was once saved but fell from grace and ended up lost again. Does that imply degrees of punishment? Peter says it is like a dog returning to his vomit or a washed clean pig returning to wallow in the mud. That’s a pretty simple example, and yet Calvinists still say that you can’t fall from grace!

The Christian churches has been and continues to be filled with false prophets and false teachers for the past 2,000 years. Joseph Smith of the Mormons; Russell and Rutherford of the Jehovah’s Witnesses; Ellen G White of the Seventh Day Adventists; David Koresh of the Branch Davidians; Jim Jones of the People’s Temple; David Berg of the Children of God; Marchall Applewhite of the Heaven’s Gate suicidal cult; Mary Baker Eddy of the Christian Scientists; the false teachers and preachers of the LGBQT movement; the numerous false prophets who predicted the coming of Christ at certain dates that did not come true; the pope who claims to be the head of the church, who claims that God still gives inspired doctrines through him; the mega church TV evangelicals who are worth 10-100 million dollars. In the church I grew up in, a preacher of some denomination who taught different than my church on some minor doctrines like instrumental music in worship were considered to be false teachers, but I don’t agree with that. Always examine the motives of any teacher. Search the Scriptures to see if what they are teaching is the word of God. Have the attitude of the Bereans: Acts 17: ¹¹ Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

Many question whether Peter really wrote 2 Peter. He says in 2 Peter 1:A lot of uncertainly about exactly when Peter wrote 2 Peter and when he died. Tradition says that he was crucified upside down in Rome by Nero. Since Nero died in 68 AD, we can assume Peter both wrote 2 Peter and died between 64-67 AD. Are we sure Peter wrote 2 Peter? Many scholars say Peter did not write 2 Peter (even if they think he did write 1 Peter). Here is an article that discusses that debate over who wrote 2 Peter. https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/did-peter-write-2-peter/?srsltid=AfmBOoqlolwPdUTr6Zvy1Nb5zI2-Cqhe_32JKTx8HuQ_zLsswW7kjs1j

I won’t summarize the article, but one point is interesting. Some say the grammar and style of 2 Peter is different that 1 Peter, which is true. I thought the article made a valid answer to that: “The differences between 1 Peter and 2 Peter reflect the specific pastoral situations in each. For example, 1 Peter is written to encourage believers who are facing suffering for their faith (1 Peter 1:6, 3:14). On the other hand, 2 Peter is written to warn believers about false teachers (2 Peter 2). In 2 Peter, Peter is at a different stage in his life, although only a few years apart from 1 Peter, as he knows that he is near death and so is leaving a farewell address (2 Peter 1:12–15).” Another issue is: “It is well noted amongst scholars that of all the books in the New Testament, 2 Peter had the most difficult time of being accepted into the canon. One of the reasons for this is that there were other letters that were forgeries (e.g., The Gospel of Peter, The Acts of Peter, The Apocalypse of Peter) around the second century claiming to be written by Peter.” “The early church father and historian of Christianity, Eusebius (AD 263–339), in his compilation on early church history, tells his readers that although 2 Peter was disputed, it was not unknown but recognized by many (Hist. eccl. 3.25). Irenaeus (AD 130–202), bishop of Lyon, seems to have had access to 2 Peter as the wording of 3:8, “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day,” is very close to what he wrote (Haer. 5.23.2). Other early church fathers, such as Clement of Alexandria (AD 150–215), also appear to accept 2 Peter as Scripture (see Eusebius Hist. eccl. 6.14.1, 3.25.3).” Bottom line, in the 4th century AD our 27 books of the NT were “officially” acknowledged to be the ” NT canon” of inspired scripture. Those who made that decision were not inspired and could have made a mistake, accepting a book that was not inspired or rejecting one that was inspired. But they did reject a few spurious “Peter epistles” like “The Acts of Peter”, and they did accept 2 Peter even though they acknowledged that many doubted Peter as the author. They saw enough evidence that the early church fathers accepted Peter as the author based on comments they made. I would add another argument that Peter wrote 2 Peter. My argument comes from 2 Peter 3 and his prediction of a new heavens and earth. As I will show later in a blog on 2 Peter 3, I think that chapter is predicting 70 AD. If so, the letter was written before that event, i.e. before 70 AD. If it was written before 70 AD, then those living at about the same time as Peter’s death would have known if Peter really wrote it. They would have exposed the letter as spurious if he did not write it. Another good article: https://bible.org/article/2-peter-peter%E2%80%99s “2 Peter was recognized as canonical by the Councils of Hippo and Carthage in the fourth century, and this is the more significant because these Councils rejected the Epistle of Barnabas and 1 Clement, because they were not of apostolic origin. . . . At the Reformation it was regarded as second-class Scripture by Luther, rejected by Erasmus, and regarded with hesitancy by Calvin.” I would claim that 2 Peter is “first class Scripture” b/c of the accurate prediction about 70 AD found in 2 Peter 3. I found this to be a good point in the article: “The struggle over 2 Peter began early in church history. “II Peter was disputed up to the time of Eusebius. It was quoted less and discussed more by the Church Fathers than any other single book of the New Testament.”¹¹ The earliest certain reference to ii Peter is in Origen, whom Eusebius (H.E. vi. 25) refers to as having said that Peter left one acknowledge epistle, and ‘perhaps also a second, for it is disputed… .’ Farther back than Origen it is not easy to trace.¹² Robert Picirilli has shown that 2 Peter is clearly a possible source for several allusions by the early church fathers. If and when the similarities between 2 Peter and the Fathers are a possible twenty-two times, “the level of likelihood ranging from merely possible to highly probable”¹³ is high that 2 Peter is Peter’s. He summarizes the external evidence well, by saying that:

One cannot dogmatically affirm that there are certainly no allusions to 2 Peter in the Apostolic Fathers; the common material is too obviously there… . [The] authenticity of 2 Peter will have to be debated on grounds other than whether the Apostolic Fathers knew it and alluded to it.” The arguments for and against Petrine authorship are many and complicated. But I do think Peter wrote 2 Peter.

2 Peter 1:1 To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, ³ for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. ⁴ Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.”

Notice twice “granted to us“:

1) His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness. His divine “power” (dunamis: Power, strength, ability, might, miracle: the word we get dynamite from). Dunamis is often used of the miraculous power of God and of the Holy Spirit. It is often translated “miracle”. God’s miraculous power has granted (dóreomai: To give freely, to bestow) to us everything pertaining to eternal life and godliness (eusebeia: Godliness, piety, devotion). (AI) “In the New Testament, “eusebeia” refers to a reverent and devout attitude towards God, characterized by a life that reflects His holiness and commands. It encompasses both an inner piety and outward conduct that aligns with God’s will. This term is often associated with living a life that is pleasing to God, marked by moral integrity and spiritual devotion.”

2) Through these things (i.e. His own glory and excellence) He has granted to us His precious (timios: Precious, valuable, honorable)and magnificent (megas: Great, large, mighty: from which we get mega) promises so that by them (His promises) you can become partakers (koinónos: Partner, sharer, companion, participant) of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption (phthora: Corruption, decay, destruction) in the world on account of lust. God promised eternal life to us: Titus 1:² in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began ³ and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior” It is by that promise of eternal life that we partake of God’s nature, which I take to mean “immortality”. 1 Timothy 6:15 he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” 1 Corinthians 15:⁵³ For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. ⁵⁴ When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”⁵⁵ “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” Think about that for a moment. We have escaped the sinful corruption of the world (and of us) through lust. We were trapped by our own lusts that separated us from God and made us dead spiritual. Ephesians 2:1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Usually you “escape” from something really bad, like being held a prisoner in a terrible place. By the grace of God, we escaped that corruption, that decay, that spiritual rottenness and have been given immortality, constantly cleansed by the grace of God through faith in the blood of Jesus. We share (partakers) of God’s immortality. All the bad in this life means nothing in light of this immortality and eternal life. 2 Corinthians 4:¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ¹⁸ as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” I watch my wife’s 94 year old mother, her body failing in so many ways, “wasting away”. It helps to think that inside of her is this immortal body that will pass into eternal life with God, Jesus, her deceased husband of 70 years. I know she is ready and doesn’t even want to hang on to this life.

2 Peter 1:⁵ Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, ⁶ and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, ⁷ and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; ¹¹ for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

But you can fall from grace and lose your eternal life (Calvinism says that you can’t fall from grace). Galatians 5:⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace.” 2 Peter 2:²⁰ For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. ²¹ For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. ²² It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.” A saved sinner can also become complacent and revert to his lusts. He can “forget” his purification from sin nd just take that for granted. He can become very worldly minded. He can become “useless and unproductive”, bearing little or no fruit. So to “make certain your eternal life, here are the qualities that you need to practice so that you don’t “stumble” and fall from grace. So you can receive “entrance into the eternal kingdom of Jesus”. They were “already” in the kingdom, the church, of Jesus. Colossians 1:¹³ He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” But there was another “phase” of the kingdom to be delivered in 70 AD (as 1 Peter talked about so much) when the kingdom was officially realized as the kingdom above all worldly kingdoms. Revelation 11:“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Entrance into that phase of the kingdom was still future to the diaspora that Peter was writing to. Notice what Paul told the new converts on his first journey: Acts 14: ²¹ When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.” We are not waiting to enter that kingdom today. We are in that kingdom, the church, the saved.

This is the famous Christian ladder: This image from Paul Reich: https://www.plumblineministries.org/post/the-progression-of-godliness

Obviously it all starts with “faith” since we are saved by grace through faith. Are these 7 virtures to be added to faith sequential, logical order, each virture building on the previous one. In other words, is “moral excellence” the first things we strive for once we are saved? And then add knowledge” to your “moral excellence”? Is there any priority of virtues here? I don’t think so. “Love” is the last one, and surely love is perhaps the first virtue we should strive for after becoming a Christian. I think the image above gives a brief definition of each virtue that will suffice. I am going to just sit here (and I encourage you the reader to do the same) and think about whether I have these virtues and are they “increasing” (2 Peter 1:⁸ For if these qualities are yours and are increasing) constantly in my Christian walk. Rate yourself from 1 to 10 (10 being the highest) on these virtues in your life. Which ones are you the strongest in? Which ones are you the weakest in? I don’t get drunk or cheat on income tax, but what about my sinful thoughts and desires? I think I have the knowledge of God’s word pretty good, but do I really know God Jesus in a personal, intimate way? Can I control my lustful thoughts, passions, and desires? How “pious” am I, worshipping God constantly, giving him honor and praise? How affectionate am I with other believers, just good old brotherly love “(philadelphia: Brotherly love, love of brothers: Philadephia, the city of brotherly love) with hugs and concern? (AI) “Philadelphia refers to the love and affection shared among believers, akin to the love between siblings. It emphasizes a deep, familial bond that transcends mere friendship, highlighting the unity and mutual care expected within the Christian community. This term is used to describe the ideal relational dynamic among Christians, characterized by kindness, compassion, and support.” Finally, how loving am I? The Greek word for “love” is agape. (AI) “Agapé is a term used in the New Testament to describe a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It is the highest form of love, often associated with the love of God for humanity and the love that believers are called to have for one another. Unlike other Greek words for love, such as “eros” (romantic love) or “philia” (brotherly love), agapé is not based on emotions or feelings but is an act of the will, characterized by a commitment to the well-being of others.” Finally, are these virtues “increasing” as the years go by? In some of them, I think I am doing worse than I did when I first became a Christian. I don’t know about you, but I have a lot to work on! I’m thankful we have the grace of God and don’t have to practice these virtues perfectly.

What a challenge from Peter to the diaspora of Jewish Christians! What a challenge to us today! I need to look at the image above every day and think about practicing these virtues. I need to think about my purification from sin and how wonderful it is to be saved and given immortality and eternal life. How many days do I probably get up and go through the day with all its lusts and stresses and never even think about my forgiveness from sin?

2 Peter 1:¹² Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you. ¹³ I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder, ¹⁴ knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.

I have taught lessons through the entire Bible many, many times since I started preaching and teaching the word. I have studied and taught the same books, like Acts, over and over through the years. I also realize that anyone in my classes have studied the same books multiple times with different teachers. I sometimes think, why keep studying the same Bible books over and over? Isn’t once enough? A lot of people feel that way and maybe that’s why the shift from direct Bible study to a study of some book some person wrote about the Bible. That’s ok, but I’m thinking, “why not just let the Holy Spirit Himself speak to us directly through the written word. There will always be a new, fresh perspective on the same passages even though we’ve studied them many times. Also our circumstances, age, season of life, experiences change. The Holy Spirit can take the. same book, like James, and apply it in a current, different way than He would have 5 years earlier.

Then there is the “reminder” factor. Peter is saying, “you already know all this; I’m just reminding you b/c it is very important.” That’s what a “reminder” is. Reminding us of something we already know. I get a phone call from my doctor: this is a reminder that you have an appointment Tuesday. I already knew I had the appointment, but I appreciated the reminder so I would not “forget” to go. Peter had spoken in 2 Peter 1:⁹ For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.” Peter is trying to remind them of what it felt like when they first became Christians, when Jesus forgave all their sins, when they arose from the water of baptism to a new life, when they were so excited and happy about their new birth. Some had forgotten that, just as we tend to take that for granted today. Peter wanted to “stir” (diegeiró: To awaken, to stir up, to arouse) them up with this reminder, to call them to action (to go to that doctor appointment). (AI) “The verb διεγείρω is used in the New Testament to describe the action of awakening or stirring someone from sleep or inactivity. It conveys a sense of urgency and thoroughness, often implying a transition from a state of rest or dormancy to one of alertness or action. This term can be used both literally, as in waking someone from physical sleep, and metaphorically, as in stirring someone to spiritual awareness or action.” Peter wants to stir them to be “diligent” about the 7 virtues on the spiritual ladder.

Peter said that he wanted to remind them as long as was alive, but that, when he wrote the letter, his death was imminent. As stated in the 1st article on 2 Peter 1, his death was at the hands of Nero who died in 68 AD. Thus Peter died before that, sometime between 64-67 AD. He said that he would be
diligent” even after death that this 2nd letter would remind them of his warnings in the letter. We must be able to read 2 Peter as if Peter is personally speaking directly to us through the Holy Spirit. My mom wrote some long letters about things before she died. Occasionally I read through those letters again. When I do, I can just see her face, her voice, her expressions as if she was talking directly to me even though she was dead.

1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God. ³ For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. ⁴ In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of debauchery, and they slander you; ⁵ but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.

Peter had just mentioned the suffering of Christ in 3:¹⁸ For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.” “Therefore” “arm (hoplizó: To arm, to equip: the word is only used once in the NT) yourselves to suffer just as Christ did.  (AI) “In ancient Greek culture, the concept of arming oneself was closely associated with the life of a soldier. Greek hoplites were heavily armed infantry soldiers, and the term ὅπλον referred to their armor and weapons. The act of ὁπλίζω would have been understood as a crucial step in preparing for warfare, emphasizing readiness and protection.” “The one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased (pauó: To cease, to stop, to restrain) from sin”. That does not mean the Christian will reach a state of never sinning. 1 John 1:⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” It does mean that is you turn from sin that you will suffer. 2 Timothy 3:¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Outsiders will not persecute you if you are still participating in the same sins that they commit. They will persecute you if you condemn and turn from the sins they are living in. So if you do suffer for Jesus, it is a sign that indeed you have turned or ceased from sin. It is a sign that you have chosen “to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the will of God.”

Those lusts can be summed up in 1 John 2:¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” I wonder how many church going Christians have not really made this choice. They are still living in their lusts just like the non Christians are. They are no different than outsiders. They don’t suffer persecution or mockery either. Peter says to his readers that they should have already turned from these lusts, and then he names the lusts.

“Indecent behavior” is aselgeia: Licentiousness, debauchery, sensuality, lewdness. (AI) “In the Greco-Roman world, “aselgeia” was often associated with the hedonistic lifestyles prevalent in certain segments of society. The term captures the essence of living without regard for moral or social norms, often in pursuit of personal pleasure. Such behavior was not only common in pagan religious practices but also in the broader cultural context, where indulgence in sensual pleasures was sometimes celebrated.” “Carousing” is kómos: Revelry, carousing, orgy. (AI) “In ancient Greek culture, a “kómos” was a common feature of religious festivals and social gatherings, where participants engaged in revelry and merrymaking. These events were often associated with the worship of Dionysus, the god of wine, and were marked by a lack of restraint and moral boundaries. The New Testament writers, aware of these cultural practices, used the term to caution against the dangers of such excesses and to promote a life of holiness and discipline.” “Drinking parties” is potos: Drinking, banquet, feast. (AI) “ In the Greco-Roman world, banquets and drinking parties were common social events. These gatherings were not only for celebration but also for discussing philosophical ideas, forming political alliances, and enjoying entertainment. However, they could also lead to moral excesses and were sometimes criticized by philosophers and moralists of the time. In Jewish culture, while wine was a common part of meals and celebrations, excessive drinking was generally discouraged.” “Wanton” is athemitos: unlawful, forbidden, improper. (AI) “The term “athemitos” is used to describe actions or behaviors that are considered unlawful or forbidden according to divine or moral law.” “Idolatries” is eidólolatria: Idolatry (a transliteration: the process of converting a word or phrase from one writing system to another while preserving its pronunciation.. ” (AI) “ In the Greco-Roman world, idolatry was a prevalent practice, with numerous gods and goddesses being worshipped through statues and images. Temples dedicated to these deities were common, and religious rituals often involved offerings and sacrifices to idols. For early Christians, rejecting idolatry was a significant aspect of their faith, as it distinguished them from the surrounding pagan culture.”

The pagan Gentiles were “surprised” (xenizó: To entertain, to lodge, to surprise, to astonish) that the Christians were no longer running with them in the same excesses of debauchery. (AI) “The verb “xenizó” primarily means to entertain or to host a stranger or guest. It can also imply being surprised or astonished by something unusual or unexpected. In the New Testament, it often carries the connotation of hospitality, especially in the context of welcoming and caring for fellow believers or strangers.” The connection between entertaining a stranger and being surprised (the two translations of xenizo) is that one is surprised when a stranger comes to your door looking for hospitality. You didn’t expect that person to show up at your door and you are surprised. “running with them” is suntrechó: To run together, to rush together, to come together. (AI) “The verb “suntrechó” is used in the New Testament to describe the action of people coming together quickly, often in a crowd or group, usually with a sense of urgency or excitement. It conveys the idea of converging or assembling rapidly, often in response to an event or situation.” “Debauchery” is asótia: Dissipation, debauchery, profligacy, reckless living. (AI) “ In the Greco-Roman world, “asótia” was often associated with the behavior of those who lived extravagantly and without regard for societal norms or personal responsibility. Such lifestyles were typically marked by excessive drinking, sexual immorality, and wastefulness. The term would have been understood by early Christians as a warning against adopting the hedonistic practices prevalent in the surrounding pagan culture.” The pagan Gentiles will slander (blasphémeó: To blaspheme, to speak evil of, to slander, to revile) you if you do not run with them in their debauchery.

These are some interesting word studies. The sins of the first century Gentiles are very similar to where our culture is today. Sexual immorality, drinking parties, hedonism (the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life), drunkenness. Sinners today are “running together” to have a drinking party at a bar, to “hook up” with someone there for random sex, to find some thrill adventure that makes them laugh and be happy. They work at jobs but live for pleasure, sex, and drinking. I think it will become more and more apparent who the true children of God are in the future. The true Christian will not participate in those things. The sinners will mock them for not participating with them. “Oh, you think you are too good, better than us. You are going to miss out on all the fun.” It will also be harder and harder for the true Christian to abstain from all these sins. Their friends do all these sins and are surprised that you don’t. Psalm 1:Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
² but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” 1 Corinthians 15:³³ Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

“But they (the pagan Gentiles) will give account to Jesus who is ready to judge the living and the dead”. We automatically think this refers to some future (in our future) final judgment, but notice 2 Timothy 4:I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to (mello which always means about to happen in the NT)judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign.” 1 Peter 4:¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?This sounds like a judgment of the pagan Gentiles as well as the Jews in 70 AD. But how would AD 70 be a judgment on the Gentiles (as described in Romans 2)? In 70 AD, the Jewish Christians were shown to be the true children of God and not the unbelieving Jews who were killed in the destruction of the temple and city. That event in 70 AD would have also shown the pagan Gentiles that the Jewish diaspora Christians living among them in the empire were the true children of God. It would also show that the Jewish diaspora Christians whom they slandered were really the people of God. It would have exposed their pagan sinful life. The godly lives of the Christians would judge and condemn the sins of the pagan Gentiles and unbelieving Jews. The idea is found in 1 Peter 2:¹² Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation.” So 70 AD was not a judgment of the Gentiles and the whole world as most depict it with an end of the world and everyone, dead or alive, standing before Jesus in judgment to be given eternal sentences and punishment. It was simply a time when the true Christian way of life in believers would be shown to be the one true way of God and thus the pagan Gentiles would be judged.

That judgment in 70 AD that was about to happen (2 Timothy 4:1) would be a judgment of “the living and the dead”. Jesus was “ready” to do that judgment. Vs 6 says that the gospel was preached to the dead, so the “dead” in vs 6 must be those spiritually dead, not physically dead. So the “dead” in vs 5 would also have to be the spiritually dead. The pagan Gentiles who would have to give an account for their sins (vs 5) would be the spiritually dead in vs 5 that Jesus was about to judge through the lives of the true believers. Some of those Gentiles who slandered the Christians would see the error of their ways and “glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12), become Christians, and “live spiritually (4:6).

1 Peter 4:⁷ The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. ⁸ Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaint. ¹⁰ As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the multifaceted grace of God. ¹¹ Whoever speaks is to do so as one who is speaking actual words of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This is such a critical statement: “the end of all things is near (eggizó: To draw near, to approach, to come near)”. The word eggizo is often translated in the NASB as “at hand” (Mark 1:15 the kingdom is at hand) or “approaching” (Luke 19:29 as Jesus approched Bethpage), or “near” (Luke 21:8 the time is near discussing AD 70 and things that were to happen within that generation Luke 21:³² verily I say to you — This generation may not pass away till all may have come to pass). So Peter’s meaning is clear. He is predicting the end of all things to happen soon. The world did not end soon, so he is not predicting that.If he was predicting that, then he is a false prophet b/c the end of the world did not happen soon. What did end soon (about 6 years after writing 1 Peter) was the destruction of Jerusalem and the judgment on the Jews in 70 AD, so this must be what Peter is referring to. He is referring to the end of the Jewish age, the Jewish nation as God’s nation, the end of keeping the Law and animal sacrifices, etc. that happened in 70 AD.

Since that end was near, Peter gives a list of Christian duties: use good judgment, pray, be
fervent (ektenés: Earnest, fervent, constant in love). The Greek adjective ἐκτενής (ektenés) conveys the idea of being earnest, fervent, or constant in action or attitude. It is often used to describe a quality of intense and sustained effort or emotion, particularly in the context of prayer, love, or other spiritual disciplines. The term suggests a stretching or reaching out with purpose and dedication. The word is derived from the Greek verb ἐκτείνω (ekteinō), meaning “to stretch out” or “to extend.” Be hospitable (philoxenos: Hospitable: Derived from two Greek words: φίλος (philos), meaning “loving” or “friend,” and ξένος (xenos), meaning “stranger” or “foreigner.” (AI) “In the ancient Near Eastern and Greco-Roman cultures, hospitality was a highly valued virtue. It was often seen as a sacred duty to welcome and care for travelers and strangers, who were vulnerable and dependent on the kindness of others. In the early Christian community, hospitality was especially important as believers traveled to spread the Gospel and needed safe places to stay. The practice of hospitality was also a means of demonstrating the love of Christ to others, both within and outside the faith community.” Use your unique spiritual gift (miraculous or not) to serve others as a good steward of that gift. Gifts can be divided into 2 general ctegories: 1) Speaking (like prophesying, tongues, teaching), and 2) Serving (like healing, mercy, exhortation). All things to the glory of God forever. Which category is your gift: speaking or serving? Or some of both (me).