2 Peter 1:1–2
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: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
QUICK SUMMARY
The second letter of Peter was written to help believers live godly lives in light of false teachers that were trying to lead them away from Christ and into sensuality. Peter's admonition is for Christians to maintain a godly life by adhering to the Scriptures until the Word of God, Jesus, comes again.
THE TEXT
The opening words of Peter remind us that he knows that he is subject to the Lordship of Christ. What he's about to write to these believers is a message from the Lord. Peter uses two words that identify how he sees himself in the context of this writing.
I. PETER'S UNDERSTANDING OF HIMSELF IN RELATION TO JESUS
A. Servant - The word literally means slave or bondservant. Jesus is the master of Peter and Peter is the Lord's servant. He is at the beck and call of Jesus. Peter is not speaking on his own authority but under the authority of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah.
B. Apostle - Peter knows that he was directly called by Jesus Christ to be his messenger or spokesman. Before Peter was an apostle he was a disciple. You'll recall that Jesus handpicked Peter to follow him so that Peter could learn from Jesus (Matthew 4:18). In learning from Jesus, he would eventually grow to act like Jesus and speak like Jesus. Eventually the disciple of Christ would become a spokesman for Jesus.
Now many would claim to be apostles. In fact 2 Corinthians 11:13 reminds us there were false apostles in the early days of the church. That is to say that some were claiming to be spokespeople for Jesus. So there was a real concern for these early believers. How were they to know who was a true apostle and who was not? How could they discern the counterfeit from an actual apostle? Thankfully, the Lord made it obvious who was an apostle and who was not. 2 Corinthians 12:12 and Hebrews 2:4 teach us that that God validated who the messengers of Jesus were. This validation or proof came in the form of signs and wonders. The miracles that the apostles performed let others know that they were backed by the power of God. Without these miracles anyone could claim to be speaking for Jesus and no one would know if that were true or not. Acts 9:32-43 is one example of a miracle God performed through Peter which serves as validation of his apostleship.
So having served under the ministry of Jesus, having been directly called by Jesus to serve as a spokesman by the resurrected Christ, and having been granted the ability to perform signs and wonders, Peter speaks for Jesus, not out of his personal agenda.
II. PETER'S UNDERSTANDING OF FAITH IN RELATION TO JESUS
A. An Obtained Faith
In writing to these believers, Peter states that the faith that they have was obtained. That is to say that it was not inherent to them. It was something that they acquired. In a moment, he will state how it was acquired, but as of now it's important to note that faith is not something subjective or personal feeling as many claim it is. It is something that is outside of us that is given to us as Ephesians 2:8-9 teaches. It is a gift. It is not something inherent in us.
From various Scriptures we know that faith in Christ is important. It is through faith that we receive the righteousness of Christ. With our sin forgiveness, and with the righteousness of Christ given to us by faith, we have the basis for our justification (Romans 3:26; Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9) . The righteous deeds of Christ gifted to us through the gift of faith in Christ is the reason God can declare us righteous even though we are sinners. But let us note that faith is a gift. It is obtained.
B. An Equal Faith
Peter then qualifies this faith by declaring that the faith these Christians had is the same quality of faith that he has. It is equally precious because it is of equal substance. This faith that they obtained was all the same in quality. So we must understand that this is not the same as subjective faith. There are two sorts of faith that Christians refer to. There's faith in Christ as Savior. And then there's faith or confidence in the general character of God that's based on what God tells us in the Word, but also based on our experiences with God. Many people trust Christ to save them (faith) but their confidence in God's power and their confidence (faith) in God's wisdom in other areas of their lives is a bit shaky. There's the objective faith that God gives to us in order to believe in Christ and be justified. Then there's the subjective faith we have in God in various areas of our life. The faith that Paul is referring to here is the objective gift. The gift of faith that God gives for justification is the same regardless of what person it is given to. It is an equal faith. Peter's faith in Christ was no different than my faith in Christ or your faith in Christ. It is of equal substance, quality, value and power.
C. A Divine Faith
Peter then states something that may seem to be the opposite of what we've been taught. The apostle Paul teaches us that it is through faith in Christ that we receive the righteousness of Christ. Here, Peter states that we receive faith by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. The order of faith and righteousness appears to be reversed. So what does that mean?
First, we must understand that Peter is not talking about justification by faith in this verse.
Second, we must understand that Peter is getting at what it was that caused our God to grant us faith. This is what Peter is getting at. He's saying that God is righteous. God is holy. God has no sin in Him. His good, holy and righteous character is what led Him to grant faith to us. In other words, it is equally righteousness for God to judge sinners just as it is for God to grant faith to sinners so that they can believe in Christ and be justified. That is a wonderful truth to meditate on. God is righteous. His righteousness leads him to grant faith. You and I were the beneficiaries of this faith that we have obtained and this faith is of the same quality that Peter and Jesus' apostles were given. Wow! What a great Savior we have in Jesus. He is so great that Peter refers to Jesus as God.
III. PETER'S UNDERSTANDING OF A GRACE AND PEACE IN RELATION TO JESUS
A. The Substance of the Blessing
Peter then pronounces a blessing upon the people of God. He prays that grace and peace would be granted to these believers in an exponential manner. He doesn't just want grace and peace added to the life of the believer. Rather he wants it given to them in a multiplied way. He knows of no greater blessing than to have the grace of God imparted to us so that we may be at peace with God. But what is grace? What is peace?
Grace is unearned favor--precisely the opposite of a paycheck. Peace is a state of tranquility between two parties. Scripture tells us in Ephesians 2:1-9 that our sinful passions have caused God's wrath to abide on us. Our rebellion to God has caused us to be at war with God. Peace needs to be made. Reconciliation needs to be made. And that reconciliation between us is God is what saves us. This reconciliation is by grace, not by works. It is unearned and it is granted by the one who rightly deserves to punish us for our treason. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ and this is all a gift from God.
This is what Peter wants for the believers who've obtained, from the righteous God, an equal faith as his. Yet Peter is not foolish enough to think that this grace and peace can be imparted in just any way. There is a particular means that God uses to impart grace and peace.
B. The Means of the Blessing
Grace and peace from God come through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. Specifically, this is not less that actual information about God and Jesus, but it is surely more than just knowledge about God and Jesus. To know God, to know Jesus, you must know true and right information about them. Yet there are some people that know factual information about God and Jesus, yet they do not know the Lord and thus have no grace or peace. These two blessings only comes through a knowing of God and Jesus. Paul tells us in Philippians 3:8-11 that to know the Lord Jesus is to have his righteousness that comes through faith. This is true knowledge of the Savior. This is a true knowing. It's not only an intellectual understanding that is needed but a possession of Christ's righteousness which leads to a resurrection life. If you have faith in Christ and thus have His righteousness, then you know the Lord. You are partakers of the life He gives. You have true knowledge of the Lord. This is not simply a mental understanding of facts, but a partaking in a spiritual experience that you cannot fathom with human senses.
This knowledge of the Lord, this intimacy with the Lord comes through the Word of God. Romans 10:17 teaches us that faith comes through hearing the Word of Christ. So it is the Word of Christ that God uses to grant faith to sinners so that they may believe the facts of Jesus Christ's saving work, receive His righteousness and truly come to know the Lord, that is to say, to have knowledge of Him. This is how God has always extended grace and peace to sinners--through the knowledge of Himself. That's how God brought grace and peace to you.
APPLICATION
1. Consider that apostles no longer exist today. The early church was able to know the Lord was speaking to them through the apostles because of signs and wonders. Therefore, we do well to pay attention to the Word of God given to us through them. We must take great care to place ourselves under elders and teachers that do their best to explain what the apostles said under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These men were handpicked by Jesus to speak for Him. Listening to them is listening to Jesus because they simply spoke on His behalf.
2. Consider the faith you have. It is from a righteous and holy God. He does not give rotten or weak gifts. The faith you have in Christ, if from God, will never fail. Offer thanks to God for the faith that He has given you. It is through this faith that you have Christ's righteousness and can be reckoned as righteous in God's eyes. You cannot be saved apart from faith in Christ. Praise God He's given it freely.
3. Consider that this obtained faith came to you from someone preaching the Word of God to you. Thank God for the messenger who delivered the gospel to you.
4. Consider that others need this same faith to believe the gospel. They need to be given faith from a righteous God. That can only come to them through the Word of God. Who are you taking the Word of God to so that they may have grace and peace through the knowledge of Jesus Christ? This is the means God uses to bring salvation to the lost. There is no other means that is sure to convert the hearts of dead men. Instead of trusting in your own persuasive arguments, bring sinners the Word of God. Use the very words that called light into existence. Use the words that called Lazarus from the tomb. There is infinite power in God's Word. It is alive! It is sharper than a two-edged sword and will pierce a man's heart and show him his evil intentions and need for a Savior. Learn it and use it so that grace and peace may be given to sinners.
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