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February 27, 2002,
March 7, 2002 2 Peter 1:1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Peter 1:1 Συμεὼν Πέτρος δουλος καὶ απόστολος Ιησου Χριστου τοις ισότιμον ημιν λαχουσιν πίστιν εν δικαιοσύνη του θεου ημων καὶ σωτηρος Ιησου Χριστου, 2 Peter 1.1 Principle: Peter writes that his readers who believe in Jesus Christ have obtained the same honored and privileged faith kind of life that he and the other apostles have obtained, and that this faith kind of life was made possible by means of the righteousness of the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is God. Peter emphasizes the day to day faith kind of life in this verse, though Peter includes salvation from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and from the presence of sin in his thought. 1. Simon Peter. Was an apostle and bond-servant of Jesus Christ. Doctrine: Peter was not a pope. Doctrine: Peter. 2. The slave or bond-servant: Greeks had a strong sense of freedom and abhorred slavery for themselves. For the believer, slavery to God is a beneficial and good thing. Slave and Apostle. Both terms are used together in Romans 1.1 Titus 1.1, and 2 Peter 1.1. a) Unconditional Lordship of Jesus Christ (Colossians 4.12; 1 Peter 2.16). b) In the specific service of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1.10; James 1.1; 2 Peter 1.1). c) Doctrine: Slave or Bond-servant. (2.27.02) 3. Apostle was the supreme human authority in church. An apostle possessed the authority and gifts to found churches, teach believers, and build churches. a) Doctrine: Apostle 4. To those who have obtained. a) Lagcanw aor act part. Masc pl dative destination recipient. Aorist is constative. Word means to receive or obtain as by lot or divine will. “to receive, with the implication that the process is related somehow to divine will or favor” (J. P. Louw, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament : Based on Semantic Domains, electronic edition of the 2nd ed. [New York: United Bible societies, 1989; Published in electronic form by Logos Research Systems, 1996]. Page 571) b) Also used in Acts 1:17 “For he was counted among us, and received his portion in this ministry. c) Luke 1:9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. d) John 19:24 They said therefore to one another, “Let us not tear it, but cast lots for it, to decide whose it shall be”; that the Scripture might be fulfilled, “They divided My outer garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.” e) This teaches that believers have obtained from God the wonderful like precious faith. f) God planned that each believer would participate in this faith. He graciously worked on believers’ behalf. g) This does not refer to election of believers. It refers to the plan of God that each believer participates in by means of the person and work of Jesus Christ. 5. Like precious. Adj. Accus dir object. Isotimon is made up of equal and honor. Used two ways in papyri: like in value or like in honor. The second is the most frequent. The word in this context means equal honor or having the same privileges. Peter writes that the audience has obtained by God’s grace the same honored and privileged faith that he and the apostles have obtained. 6. Faith. pisti~. accusative direct object. Choices for the use of faith are 1. believing, 2. Christian faith (body of truth) 3. Faith kind of life is a combination of the believing and the Christian faith. This refers to the faith kind of life. Acts 14.27; Galatians 1.23; 1 Timothy 4.8). This is not the gift of faith. (BAG 669. 2.d.alpha true piety genuine religion.) a) This faith kind of life begins the life by salvation faith and continues throughout as a faith kind of life and finishes as a life free from the presence of sin. All are included, but Peter emphasizes the day to day faith kind of life in this verse. b) Acts 14:27 And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas say that faith is the way Gentiles also enter into salvation 1 and 2. c) Galatians 1:23 but only, they kept hearing, “He who once persecuted us is now preaching the faith which he once tried to destroy.” d) 2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: Paul writes about the Christian faith: salvation by grace through faith and the Christian life by grace through faith. 7. By the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: a) εν δικαιοσύνη του θεου ημων καὶ σωτηρος Ιησου Χριστου, b) Prepositional phrase plus the dative of righteousness. The use here is either dative of sphere, which means in Christ, or dative of means, which means by Christ. The meaning is close. Here the emphasis seems to be that by the righteousness of Jesus Christ—that is, his person and work—we have obtained or received the honored and valued faith kind of life. This then has the force of means instrument. This would seem then to be the best for 1.2, “by the full knowledge,” and then in somewhat parallel we have the prepositions dia with the genitive in verse 3 and 4. c) Doctrine of the Sin Barrier. d) God and Savior refer to Jesus Christ. Granville Sharp Rule: in the construction Article (t) Substantive (s) kai (k) Substantive (s) when neither noun is impersonal and neither noun is plural and neither noun is a proper name, the second noun refers to the same person mentioned with the first noun. A noun is a substantival adjective, substantival participle, or noun. (Wallace, GGBB, 271-272) e) God and Savior are the nouns. They are titles not proper names. Jesus Christ is the proper name and title in apposition to the preceding nouns. Titus 2.13 is the same. f) Conclusion: Peter here says that Jesus Christ is God and Jesus Christ is savior. g) The pronoun “our” is plural and puts all believers in a category of benefit from Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1.1 Principle: Peter writes that his readers who believe in Jesus Christ have obtained the same honored and privileged faith kind of life that he and the other apostles have obtained, and that this faith kind of life was made possible by means of the righteousness of the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is God. Peter emphasizes the day to day faith kind of life in this verse, though Peter includes salvation from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and from the presence of sin in his thought.
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