2 Peter by Scott Risley (2013)

The apostle Peter writes to the churches in Northern Turkey expressing God's desire to change our lives. He emphasizes three points: 1) The basis for this change is rooted in what Jesus has done for us, 2) He paints a vision for what this change looks like, and 3) He describes the benefits of allowing God to change our lives.

Peter is writing to his audience to remind them of the truth they already know. Many reasons why we should believe that Biblical truth is reliable are discussed, including; predictive prophecy, eyewitnesses accounts, the historical accuracy of the text, and some spiritual experiences, e.g., the transfiguration of Christ. This truth points us to Christs and for these reasons we should pay attention to it and push others to as well.

False teachers, claiming to be Christians, have infiltrated the churches Peter is writing to. Peter attacks these false teachers and argues that God will judge them and gives examples of how God has judged in the past. In the mean time, we need to be able to recognize false teachers to safeguard ourselves against them.

Peter discusses the last days when Jesus will return and there will be a final judgment. Reasons to believe Jesus will return are: 1) It was predicted by prophets and is significantly emphasized in the New Testament 2) Our world is not just as it was; it is changing to match the predictions laid out in Scripture 3) God has judged the world before, e.g., Noah and the Flood. God is waiting for this to happen so more people will turn to Him.