Walking With Christ In Turbulent Times. Series

The sixties were very turbulent times. I was born in 1961, but I am not talking about those sixties. I am talking about AD 61 to AD 70. It is the context, and it sets the stage for what Peter wrote and to whom Peter wrote in his books. Peter wrote his first book 1 Peter in about 63AD and this book 2 Peter about 66AD and Peter tells us he is about to die. We are reading Peter’s swan song. From what we know from historians from this period, Peter was executed just months after he wrote this book.

Peter wrote to the scattered and persecuted Christians throughout a vast area. He mentioned these areas in 1 Peter 1:1 and now he is writing to these same scattered Christians a few years later. Peter is writing as a fellow sufferer. Peter probably wrote this book from Roman imprisonment.

In approximately this time Paul was in Prison in Rome and also Aristarchus, a key partner of Paul was in prison in Rome too. Epaphras was in prison in Rome at this time too. It was sort of a who’s who list of Apostles and key Christian leaders in prison in Rome. There was Paul, Peter, Aristarchus, Epaphras in prison and then others there like John-Mark, Tychicus, Timothy, Titus, Luke the doctor and Onesimus ministering to them in prison. John the beloved disciple did not follow the trend, being in prison in Patmos and writing much later than Peter and Paul.

There was a fire in Rome that burned a section of the city in AD 64 and Nero, who probably ordered the fire himself to build his palace and a statue to himself there, blamed the Christians. The persecution following that fire was intense. So, the persecution that was taking place when Peter wrote 2 Peter surpassed even what Christians faced when Peter wrote his first book.

Your Standing In Christ (2 Peter 1:1-2)

We know that Peter was such a key figure in the early church. He was an Apostle of Christ. He was on the mountain with Jesus at the transfiguration. Peter is the man who walked on water. He preached the Pentecost sermon when the Holy Spirit fell on the Jews on the day of Pentecost. Peter was there when the Holy Spirit came upon the Samaritans in the same way. He was also there when the Holy Spirit came on the gentiles. Peter and John told the lame man to get up and walk and after the miracle many more thousand came to Christ in Jerusalem.

Peter is writing to those scattered believers who have the same standing that he had. This is a big deal because there were all these spiritual mountaintop experiences Peter had. Yet, the greatest was to be a believer in Christ. He was writing to those who obtained equal standing as himself.

Simeon Peter, a servant] and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:1-2)

Peter was equal standing to the scattered Christians because his standing is based on the righteousness of God and being saved by Jesus Christ. It was not based on his fantastic experiences, even though he had many. His standing was based on being made righteous in Christ. The same as the scattered persecuted Christians who were kicked around and abused across Asia. They were brothers and sisters with equal standing in Christ.

Those scattered Christians were, all of them, a child of the king. I am sure Peter knew they needed this reminder of their standing. It would be easy for them to look at their hardships in their isolated situation and have a skewed view of reality and need this reminder of who they are in Christ.

Peter is a hero of our faith, yet so is every scattered Christian in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, all are just like Peter struggling and persecuted. Yes, those scattered persecuted believers needed a reminder. We all need to be reminded from time to time.

How many times do we need to be reminded that who we are in Christ is our identity and not our accomplishments. Have you walked on water, so to speak? Did you have a mountain top spiritual experience that could rival what Peter experienced at the transfiguration? Well, if you have great, but that is not why you are who you are in Christ. We all have the same standing before God as Peter because of the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

His Divine Power for Us. (2 Peter 1:3-4)