We’ve all just gone through a traumatic event: time change. We can look forward to enjoying light for longer in the day and the prospect of spring. For all of us, this time change is difficult for we lost an hour of sleep. Those who examine the effects of sleep note the increased accidents on the roads around time changes. When we suffer a sleep deficit, it can result in decreased reaction time, cognitive processing ability, awareness as well as increased risks of various aliments including obesity. The natural question is how much sleep is necessary or optimal? With various pressures, including added March Break activities, there are times when we just don’t get sufficient sleep.
When we consider the word of God, the question of sufficiency is much different. The sufficiency of Scripture means that Scripture contained all the words of God he intended his people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains everything we need God to tell us for salvation, for trusting him perfectly, and for obeying him perfectly (Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 127). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.).
What we find in Second Peter is the reason why this is so important. For Peter and his hearers, it meant knowing how scripture is sufficient helps understand how to relate to the rest of scripture, how to deal with the difficult passages of scripture and how we must be on guard for false teachers, who will twist scripture for their own private sins.
The danger for each of us in handling the word of God is to be so casual with it that we would either assume everything is going to be fully understood on first reading or worse, think that it is just for some kind of so called “spiritual information”. Scripture is sufficient for us to understand God, His desire for us and serve as both a warning and a tool to deal with those who would deny the truth. If we don’t embrace the sufficiency of Scripture for these tasks then we are going to allow harmful doubts to rob us of guidance or assurance.
Peter shows us in real world situations in 2 Peter 3, how the Word of God is a sufficient rule for faith and practice. He shows us how we can achieve: 1)Doctrinal Perceptiveness through the Word (2 Peter 3:15b–17), 2) Spiritual Progress in the Word (2 Peter 3:18a), and 3) Continual Praise in the Word (2 Peter 3:18b)
1) Doctrinal Perceptiveness through the Word (2 Peter 3:15b–17)
2 Peter 3:15b-17 [15](And count the patience of our Lord as salvation,) just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, [16]as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. [17]You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. (ESV)
With the phrase just as, Peter referenced similar warnings that the apostle Paul had given about false teaching.
Peter graciously spoke of his fellow apostle as our beloved brother Paul, underscoring their common life and mission. As the two foremost leaders of the early church, Peter and Paul were certainly well-aware of each other’s ministry. In fact, both had been present at the pivotal Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:6–21), and both had ministered with Silas (cf. Acts 15:40 with 1 Peter 5:12). More than twenty years earlier, Peter had even been confronted by Paul when he wrongly refused to eat with Gentile Christians (Gal. 2:11–21; cf. vv. 8–9; 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22). As a primary spokesman for the early church, Peter was undoubtedly embarrassed by Paul’s public admonition. Nevertheless, he graciously accepted the rebuke and responded with repentance. His respect for Paul was undiminished.
Here he appeals to Paul’s inspired letters for support—reminding his readers to reject the false teachers and remember what Paul wrote to them, according to the wisdom given him. What Paul “wrote to” them is expressed in the Greek aorist tense, as a thing wholly past: Paul was by this time either dead, or had ceased to minister to them (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (2 Pe 3:15). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.).
• The sufficiency of scripture to be a continuing authoritative guide does not cease at the death of the human writer. Some believe an eyewitness testimony becomes null and void at the death of the witness since it cannot be challenged to the face of the witness. But Scripture can be validated by concurrent evidence and fulfilled prophecy. The reliability of the evidence continues to be valid and verifiable.
Interestingly, Peter does not specify a particular Pauline letter or letters. Instead, he gives a general endorsement for Paul’s inspired writings, demonstrating the divine origin of the revelation given to Paul. It was supernatural and inspired wisdom “GIVEN” him, not acquired in human schools of learning (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (2 Pe 3:15). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.).
It is safe to assume that Peter sent this letter to the same regions of Asia Minor as his first epistle (cf. 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 3:1). If so, his readers were most likely familiar with several of Paul’s letters—since Paul wrote many of his letters to that same area (e.g., Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians). So Peter’s reference in verse 16 to all of Paul’s letters suggests Peter’s audience was familiar with much of Paul’s correspondence. Because Paul speaks in his letters of these same matters/things (namely, eschatological events), it makes sense that Peter would cite Paul’s works here.
However, in Paul’s writings about the day of the Lord, the return of Christ, and the glories of eternity, Peter acknowledged there are some things in them that are hard to understand. Peter is not saying that Paul’s writings cannot be understood. He only says that some things are hard to understand, and perhaps he specially has in mind some of his teaching about the future and the return of the Lord. Peter’s is not at all a counsel of despair for those of us who would like to come to grips with Paul’s writings! (Gardner, P. (1998). 2 Peter & Jude (p. 129). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications.)
The word rendered hard to understand (dusnoçtos) carries the additional connotation of “difficult to interpret.” In using this term, Peter was not implying that Paul’s teachings are impossible to understand. He is simply recognizing that some are more complex than others, especially prophetic revelation (cf. 1 Peter 1:1–12).
Please turn to 2 Timothy 3 (p.996)
In the middle of the first century, Christians relied on the Old Testament Scriptures and on the spoken word of the apostles. But when the written Gospels and epistles appeared, the apostles were among the first to acknowledge the inherent divine authority of these writings…By the time Paul writes to Timothy (presumably A.D. 63–65), some parts of the New Testament are in circulation and are considered equal in authority with the Old Testament. The apostles themselves, then, give leadership in the churches and tell the believers that their epistles are divinely inspired (compare 2 Tim. 3:16). As Paul informs Timothy that Luke’s Gospel is Scripture, so Peter writes that Paul’s epistles are on a par with the Old Testament. (Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Epistles of Peter and the Epistle of Jude (Vol. 16, pp. 346–347). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
2 Timothy 3:14-17 [14]But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it [15]and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. [16]All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17]that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. (ESV)
• The words of God which we have in Scripture are all the words of God we need in order to be saved: these words are able to make us wise “for salvation.” It is the means God uses to bring us to salvation (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). It is also sufficient to equip us for living the Christian life. (Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (p. 127). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.)
Even though Scripture fully equips believers for all things of faith and practices, the complexities that are contained in places in it, opened the door for the ignorant/untaught and unstable—namely, the false teachers—to twist/distort what Paul taught about the future. Ignorant/Untaught denotes a lack of information, and unstable a vacillating spiritual character. Twist/Distort speaks of wrenching someone’s body on a torture rack. The term vividly pictures how the false teachers manipulated certain prophetic issues, twisting them to confuse and deceive the undiscerning. Such distortion often continues today regarding prophetic revelation. “It was therefore not a question of minor doctrinal errors, but of using their misinterpretations to justify immorality, for it is 2 Peter’s consistent teaching that eschatological judgment … is coming on the false teachers because of their ungodly lives.” Those who were twisting and distorting Paul’s writings lacked the humility to learn from others, but they were perverting what Paul wrote to justify their licentious lifestyles. (Schreiner, T. R (2003). 1, 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 37, p. 397). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Not surprisingly, the false teachers did not stop with prophecy, but also distorted the other/rest of the Scriptures, including the biblical teaching on God’s law, repentance, justification by faith, and sanctification. The fact that Peter placed Paul’s writings on a par with the other/rest of the Scriptures clearly affirms that Paul wrote divinely inspired truth (cf. 1:20–21; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16–17). Paul was a valued teacher in his circle of communities and, as he left an area and especially as he died, his letters were his continuing voice. Thus churches would share letters and, as they obtained funds (a few hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars in today’s money), make copies. Copies would turn into collections, especially since it was possible to use one scroll for several of the shorter letters. Probably by the end of the first century the complete collection (i.e., all extant letters) was circulating to at least a limited degree (remember, these copies did not come cheap).( Davids, P. H. (2006). The letters of 2 Peter and Jude (p. 303). Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.)
Paul is said to have written under divine inspiration. As inspired, authoritative writings, Paul’s letters rank alongside “the other scriptures,” i.e. the OT and (probably) other apostolic literature. Some kind of collection of Paul’s letters—we cannot tell how many—was known to the author, and that they were read in Christian worship along with the OT Scriptures. This passage belongs to a fairly early stage in the process which led to the formal recognition of a canon of apostolic writings (Bauckham, R. J. (1998). 2 Peter, Jude (Vol. 50, p. 335). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.).
The New Testament writers were aware that they were writing the Word of God, as surely as the Old Testament prophets were. The word translated Scriptures is graphas, from the verb graphô (“to write”) that occurs about one hundred eighty times in the New Testament, of which half refer to the Bible, “the written word.” The noun graphç is used about fifty times, exclusively of Scripture and inclusive of the Old Testament (e.g., Mark 12:10) and the New Testament, as this reference makes clear (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3).
By distorting the Scriptures, the false teachers were simultaneously securing their own destruction (cf. 2:1, 3–12; 3:7; Jude 10, 13; Rev. 22:18–19), as well as the spiritual demise of their followers. That’s why Peter warns his beloved readers beforehand, in verse 17, so that they might be on their guard against the error of such lawless/unprincipled people (Phil. 3:2; 1 Tim. 4:1–7; 6:20–21; 2 Tim. 2:15–19; Titus 1:10–16; 3:10). Lawless/Unprincipled (athesmôn) is literally “without law or custom,” and came to mean “morally corrupt”—the essential character trait of spiritual deceivers.
In keeping with Peter’s warning, believers must take care to not allow themselves to be carried away by the unscriptural error/lies of false teachers (cf. 1 Tim. 1:18–19). Rather, they must be alert and discerning lest they lose/fall from their own stability/steadfastness. Stability/Steadfastness (stçrigmos) indicates firmness, or firm footing; it is the very opposite of being unstable. Peter’s concern was not that his readers would fall from salvation, but that they might slip from doctrinal stability and lose their confidence in the truth (cf. 1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 4:14; 1 Thess. 5:21). For this reason, the apostle urged them to be spiritually perceptive, or discerning, so that their eternal reward would not be diminished (2 John 8).
In essence, Peter advised his friends: “Don’t fall for them. You know that they are among you; now it is your responsibility to watch and to guard yourselves against their lies. You have been adequately warned and prepared so there is no reason to be swept off your feet by them. You have been firmly grounded in the Scripture; now stay there.” (Walls, D., & Anders, M. (1999). I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude (Vol. 11, p. 144). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
Hymn: Few if any hymns deal specifically with the sufficiency of Scripture, perhaps because Christians have failed to realize the great comfort and peace that this doctrine brings to the Christian life. But the first verse of the hymn “How Firm a Foundation”, contains a statement of this doctrine. It begins by telling us that God has laid a firm foundation for our faith in his Word. Then it says, “What more can he say than to you he hath said …?” The rich and full promises of God throughout Scripture are sufficient for our every need in every circumstance. This should be great cause for rejoicing! The subsequent verses contain quotations, paraphrases, and allusions to promises of God that are scattered throughout Scripture, many of them from Isaiah. Stanzas 2–6 are all written as sentences that are spoken by God to us, and when we sing them we should think of ourselves singing the words of God’s promises to others in the congregation for their comfort and encouragement.
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
“Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed;
I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine,
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
“E’en down to old age all my people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne,
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne.
“The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake,
I’ll never, no, never, no, never forsake.”
(Rippon’s Selection of Hymns 1787 with commentary by Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (pp. 137–138). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.)
2) Spiritual Progress in the Word (2 Peter 3:18a)
2 Peter 3:18a [18]But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen). (ESV)
Instead of falling prey to the schemes of false teachers, Peter encouraged his readers, and all of us, to pursue Christlikeness and spiritual growth—a goal that every believer should have.
Grow in 2 Peter 3:18 (auxanô) means “to advance, or increase in the sphere of.” We are to grow in grace through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because of His grace, God forgives the sins of His children (Rom. 3:25; Eph. 1:7; 2:5, 8; cf. Acts 15:11). They in turn feed on Scripture (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 2:15) and commune with Christ (John 15:1–11), thereby increasing in their knowledge of Him (Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:9–10; 3:10). This Greek word for knowledge (Gk. gnosis) usually connotes progressive, experiential, and personal knowledge; it is knowledge that can grow. We need to grow in our actual, personal knowledge of Jesus Christ; such knowledge is the greatest protection against false teachings. One of the prominent themes in this epistle is Peter’s exhortation to the believers to attain a fuller, more thorough knowledge of Jesus Christ (1:8; 2:20; 3:18).( Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (2 Pe 3:15–16). Nashville: T. Nelson Publishers.)
It is crucial to note that Peter designated Jesus as both Lord and Savior. It is noticeable that in this verse Peter gives his Saviour’s full name and title: First, He is LORD: he is the mighty God, the second person of the Trinity. Second, he is JESUS: he is the Saviour. He came to die on a cross, so that through his death we may have life, joy and peace. Finally, he is The CHRIST: he is the promised one, who came as predicted. In concluding his letter, Peter writes the obvious. But it is so easy to forget the truth about the Saviour when faced with enticing and tantalizing words and theories. Always go back to basics; remember who Jesus is, what his titles and name mean, and error will be kept at bay. (Anderson, C. (2007). Opening up 2 Peter (pp. 113–114). Leominster: Day One Publications.)
Please turn to Ephesians 4 (p.978)
Pursuing a deeper understanding of the fullness of Christ’s person, both in His saving work and His lordship (Rom. 5:1–5; Eph. 4:15–16; Phil. 2:12–14; 3:10, 12–14), will provide believers with the doctrinal stability they need to avoid being misled. The apostle Paul gave similar instruction to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:14-16 [14]so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. [15]Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, [16]from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (ESV)
• This is how the concept of sufficiency plays out. People left their own devices apart from Scripture, become confused, deceived and continue to vacillate between opinion to opinion. When we realize that we have a sure and steadfast word in Scripture, we realize that it is truth itself. We collectively grow when we share the word of God with each other. Once again this is not just sharing option on what it says. There is nothing worse than a group session where everyone just shares their option on what they think the word of God says and everyone is left with conflicting opinion. When someone is unclear, then we must go to another passage to help us understand. We are built up in love, not by sharing our options, but in collectively embracing the truth of scripture to rule our minds, emotions, speech and all actions.
Quote: In relating the sufficiency of the truth of Scripture against the false teachers, G. K. Chesterton in his work “Orthodoxy”, said, it is like walking along a narrow ridge, almost like a knife-edge. One step to either side was a step to disaster. Jesus is God and man; God is love and holiness; Christianity is grace and morality; the Christian lives in this world and in the world of eternity. Over-stress either side of these great truths, and at once destructive heresy emerges.’ Such was the case here. The false teachers no longer submitted their actions to the scrutiny of Scripture; they made Scripture the justification for what they wanted to do (G.K. Chesterton as cited in Green, M. (1987). 2 Peter and Jude: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 18, p. 171). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.).
3) Continual Praise in the Word (2 Peter 3:18b)
2 Peter 3:18b [18](But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.) To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (ESV)
Peter closed the letter with a doxology, calling believers to worship and adore God (cf. Pss. 95:1–6; 105:1–5; 113:1–6; 148; 150; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 1:20; Eph. 1:12; 3:20–21; 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 25). They are to give Him all the glory, both now, in the present, and in eternity.
Clearly the pronoun Him refers back to Christ and is a sure affirmation of His deity and equality with God. After all, the Old Testament declares that divine glory belongs to God alone: “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:8; cf. 48:11; Deut. 5:24; 28:58; Neh. 9:5; Pss. 93:1–2; 104:31; 138:5; Ezek. 11:23). Yet various places in the Gospels attribute that same glory to Jesus Christ: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14; cf. Matt. 16:27; 25:31; John 17:24). The only possible conclusion, then, is that Christ is worthy of the Father’s glory because He Himself is God (cf. John 5:23; Rev. 1:5–6). Peter began this epistle with an affirmation of Christ’s deity in 2 Peter 1:1, and he now ends with the same.
Please turn back to 1 Peter 1 (p.1014)
Having reassured his readers of the certainty of Christ’s return (in 3:1–10), Peter concluded with an exhortation to live this life in light of that reality (in vv. 11–18). 1 Peter 1:8-12 [8]Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, [9]obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. [10]Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, [11]inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. [12]It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (ESV)
In his earlier letter, Peter had commented on this very process, exhorting his readers: “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). As their knowledge and maturity increase, Christians are better prepared to fend off destructive doctrines and spiritual deceptions.
The doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture has several practical applications to our Christian lives. First, it should encourage us as we try to discover what God would have us to think (about a particular doctrinal issue) or to do (in a particular situation). Secondly, it reminds us that we are to add nothing to Scripture and that we are to consider no other writings of equal value to Scripture. Third, it also tells us that God does not require us to believe anything about himself or his redemptive work that is not found in Scripture. Fourth, it shows us that no modern revelations from God are to be placed on a level equal to Scripture in authority. With regard to living the Christian life, the sufficiency of Scripture fifth, reminds us that nothing is sin that is not forbidden by Scripture either explicitly or by implication. Sixth, it also tells us that nothing is required of us by God that is not commanded in Scripture either explicitly or by implication. Seventh, it reminds us that in our doctrinal and ethical teaching we should emphasize what Scripture emphasizes and be content with what God has told us in Scripture (Grudem, W. A. (2004). Systematic theology: an introduction to biblical doctrine (pp. 130–135). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.)
(Format note: Outline & some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2005). 2 Peter and Jude (p. 137). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
