The Epistles

&
The Practical Christian Life

Class 5
The General Epistles
© John Stevenson, 2008
 The Second
Epistle of Peter

Prophets
True & False
 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Past Present Future

First Second
Holy Coming False Teachers Coming Holy
Living of the of the Living
Lord Lord
 1st Peter 2nd Peter
External enemies Internal enemies

Persecution False Prophecy

Grace and peace 2 Peter 1:2-3
be multiplied to you
in the knowledge
epignosij
of God “Over-Knowledge”
and
of Jesus our Lord;
seeing that His divine power has
granted to us everything pertaining to
life and godliness
through the true knowledge
of Him who called us by His own
glory and excellence.
For by these 2 Peter 1:4
He has granted to us
His precious and
magnificent promises

of Him who called us by His own

glory and excellence.
For by these 2 Peter 1:4
He has granted to us
His precious and
magnificent promises
in order that
by them you might
become partakers
of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption
that is in the world by lust.
Therefore 2 Peter 1:12-14
I shall always be ready to
remind you of these things
even though you already know them,
and
have been established in the truth
which is present with you.
And I consider it right
as long as I am in this earthly dwelling,
to stir you up by way of reminder,
knowing that the laying aside of my earthly
dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord
Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
For we did not follow 2 Peter 1:16-18
cleverly devised tales
when we made known to you the power
and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
but
we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
For when He received honor and glory from
God the Father, such an utterance as this was
made to Him by the Majestic Glory,
"This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-
pleased "--
and we ourselves heard this utterance made from
heaven when we were with Him on the holy
mountain.
And so we have the prophetic
word made more sure
2 Peter
1:19-21
to which
you do well to pay attention as to a lamp
shining in a dark place until the day dawns
and the morning star arises in your hearts.
But know this first of all
that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter
of one's own interpretation,
for no prophecy was ever made
by an act of human will
but
men moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God.
 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Past Present Future

First
Holy Coming False Teachers
Living of the
Lord
But know this first of all 2 Peter
that no prophecy of Scripture is a 1:20 – 2:1
matter of one's own interpretation,
for no prophecy was ever made
by an act of human will
but
men moved by the Holy Spirit
spoke from God.
But
false prophets also arose among the people, just
as there will also be false teachers among you…
 who
will secretly introduce destructive
2 Peter
heresies 2:1
even denying the Master who bought them,
bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

But
false prophets also arose among the people, just
as there will also be false teachers among you…
For if God did not spare angels 2 Peter
when they sinned, but cast them 2:4-6
into hell and committed them to pits
of darkness, reserved for judgment;
and
did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah,
a preacher of righteousness, with seven others,
when He brought a flood upon the world of the
ungodly;
and
if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having
made them an example to those who would live
ungodly thereafter…
 and
2 Peter
if He rescued righteous Lot,
oppressed by the sensual
2:7-9
conduct of unprincipled men
(for by what he saw and heard that
righteous man, while living among them,
felt his righteous soul tormented day
after day with their lawless deeds),
then
the Lord knows how
to rescue the godly from temptation
and
to keep the unrighteous under punishment for
the day of judgment,
 2 Peter
2:9-11

and
especially those who indulge the flesh in its
thencorrupt desires and despise authority.
the Lord knowsself-willed,
Daring, how they do not tremble when
to they revile
rescue the angelic majesties,
godly from 11 whereas angels
temptation
andwho are greater in might and power do not bring
to a reviling
keep judgment against
the unrighteous underthem before the
punishment for
theLord.
day of judgment,
For if 2 Peter
after they have escaped the 2:20-21
defilements of the world by the
knowledge of the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ
they are again entangled in them and are
overcome
then
the last state has become worse
for them than the first.
For it would be better for them not to have known
the way of righteousness, than having known it, to
turn away from the holy commandment delivered
to them.
It has happened to them
2 Peter
according to the true proverb 2:22

"A dog
returns to its own vomit,"
and
"A sow, after washing,
returns to wallowing in
the mire."
How should we handle
false teaching in the
church today?
 Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Past Present Future

First Second
Coming False Teachers Coming
Holy Holy
of the of the
Living Living
Lord Lord
This is now, beloved, the second
2 Peter
letter I am writing to you
3:1-2
in which
I am stirring up your sincere
mind by way of reminder
that
you should remember the
words spoken beforehand
by
the holy prophets
and
the commandment of the Lord and
Savior spoken by your apostles.
Know this first of all
2 Peter
that in the last days mockers 3:3-4
will come with their mocking,
following after their own lusts,
4 and saying,

"Where is the promise of His coming?

For ever since the fathers fell asleep,
all continues just as it was from the
beginning of creation."
But do not let this one fact
escape your notice, beloved, 2 Peter
that with the Lord one day is
3:8-9
as a thousand years, and a
thousand years as one day.
The Lord is …
not slow about His promise,
as some count slowness
but
is patient toward you
not wishing for any to perish
but
for all to come to repentance.
 2 Peter
But the day of the Lord will 3:10
come like a thief
in which
the heavens will pass away
with a roar
and
the elements will be destroyed
with intense heat,
and
the earth and its works will be burned up.
Since all these things are to
be destroyed in this way, 2 Peter
what sort of people 3:11-12
ought you to be
in
holy conduct and godliness,
looking for and hastening the
coming of the day of God
on account of which
the heavens will be destroyed
by burning
and
the elements will melt with
intense heat!
Therefore, beloved
2 Peter
since you look for these things,
3:14-16
be diligent to be found by Him in
peace, spotless and blameless,
and
regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation
just as also our beloved brother Paul,
according to the wisdom given him,
wrote to you,
as also in all his letters, speaking in them of
these things, in which are some things hard to
understand, which the untaught and unstable
distort, as they do also the rest of the
Scriptures, to their own destruction.
You therefore, beloved,
2 Peter
knowing this beforehand
3:17-18
be on your guard
lest
being carried away by the error of unprincipled
men, you fall from your own steadfastness,
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.
The First Epistle of
John

Walking in
the Light
The is a Book of Contrasts
• Light versus Darkness
• Truth versus Error
• Love versus Hatred
• Christians versus the World
 The Rise of Gnosticism
• From the Greek word gnosis (“knowledge”).
• It would arise in the 2nd century, but its
seeds were already evident.
• The physical is bad; the spirit is good.
• Views of Jesus.
– Docetism: Christ only seemed to be human.
– Cerenthianism: The Divine Christ entered
Jesus at His baptism and departed prior to His
death.
• Salvation through knowledge.
 1 st JOHN
WALKING IN THE LIGHT
Chapter 1 Chpt 2 Chpt 3 Chpt 4 Chpt 5

Your walk in the light will be

evidenced…
In how you In how In how In how In how
walk and in you obey you live you love you
what you believe
say
 The Second
Epistle of John

Truth
Versus
Error
 2nd John
Truth Vs. Error
1:1-3 1:4-6 1:7-11 1:12-13
Introduction

• The Elder
• To the chosen lady and her children
• Whom I love in truth; and not only I, but
also all who know the truth, 2 for
the sake of the truth which abides
in us and will be with us forever
 2nd John
Truth Vs. Error
1:1-3 1:4-6 1:7-11 1:12-13
Introduction Walk in
Truth

• I was glad to find some of

your children walking in
the truth
• Just as we have received the
commandment that we
had from the beginning
• That we love one another
 2nd John
Truth Vs. Error
1:1-3 1:4-6 1:7-11 1:12-13
Introduction Walk in Warning
Truth against Error

• Many deceivers
• Antichrist
• Abide in the teaching
• Don’t receive those who
do not hold to this
teaching
 2nd John
Truth Vs. Error
1:1-3 1:4-6 1:7-11 1:12-13
Introduction Walk in Warning Conclusion
Truth against Error
The Third Epistle
of John

Walking in
Truth
 3rd John
Walking in Truth
1:1-8 1:9-11 1:12 1:13-14
Commendation
for Walking in
the truth

• The Elder
• To the beloved Gaius
• The brethren came and bore witness to
your truth
• They bear witness to your love before
the church
 3rd John
Walking in Truth
1:1-8 1:9-11 1:12 1:13-14
Commendation Negative
for Walking in example of
the truth Diotrephes

• He loves to be the first

• He does not accept what we say
• He does not receive the brethren
 3rd John
Walking in Truth
1:1-8 1:9-11 1:12 1:13-14
Commendation Negative Positive
for Walking in example of example of
the truth Diotrephes Demetrius

He received a good
testimony from…
• Everyone
• The truth itself
 3rd John
Walking in Truth
1:1-8 1:9-11 1:12 1:13-14
Commendation Negative Positive Conclusion
for Walking in example of example of
the truth Diotrephes Demetrius
The Epistle of
Jude

The Danger
of
Deception
 Jude
The Danger of Deception
1:1-4 1:5-19 1:20-23 1:24-25
Occasion Judgment of Exhortation Closing
for Writing the Ungodly to the Godly Doxology

To you • Past To Him

who are • Present who is able
kept in • Future to keep
Christ you
Excel Instructor & Course
Evaluation
Course: Epistles & Practical
Christian Life
Instructor: Dr. John Stevenson