D
There is a strong prophecy in the Bible that before the Lord’s coming back there will be a great apostasy among His people—2 Thes. 2:3:
１
The day of the Lord’s coming will not come unless the apostasy comes first—vv. 2-3.
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This apostasy will be a falling away from the straight way of God’s economy as revealed in the Scriptures—1 Tim. 1:4; Eph. 1:10; 3:9.
３
Even today there is a tendency among some Christians to leave the straight way of the New Testament—2 Pet. 2:15.
E
The background and burden of 2 Peter is apostasy—a deviation from the right track of God’s truth—2:1:
１
The apostasy distracted the believers from the economy of God by leading them into the human logic of puzzling philosophies—Col. 2:8.
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The teachings of the apostates did not lead the believers to partake of the tree of life, which gives life, but to participate in the tree of knowledge, which brings in death—Gen. 2:9, 16-17; 2 Cor. 11:2-3, 12-15.
３
The antidotes used by Peter in dealing with apostasy are the provision of life and the revelation of truth—2 Pet. 1:3-21:
ａ
In verses 3 through 11 Peter used the provision of the divine life for the proper Christian life to inoculate against the apostasy.
ｂ
In verses 12 through 21 he used the revelation of the divine truth to inoculate against the heresy in the apostasy—2:1, footnote 3.
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Because today’s Christianity is filled with apostasy, the Lord needs a recovery—the recovery of life and truth—John 1:4; 8:12; 10:10b; 14:6; Rev. 2:4, 15.
F
Today, in a time of apostasy, we need to testify the full revelation of the pure Word of God and to fight for the deeper truths revealed in the Word of God, including:
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The revelation concerning the eternal economy of God—Eph. 1:10; 3:9.
２
The revelation concerning the Divine Trinity—2 Cor. 13:14; Rev. 1:4-5.
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The revelation concerning the person and work of the all-inclusive Christ—Col. 2:9, 16-17; 3:11.
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The revelation concerning the consummated life-giving Spirit—John 7:39; 1 Cor. 15:45b; Rev. 22:17.
５
The revelation concerning the eternal life of God—John 3:15-16.
６
The revelation concerning the Body of Christ, which is the church of God—Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 27; 10:32.
Morning Nourishment
2 Pet. 1:3 Seeing that His divine power has granted to us all things which relate to life and godliness, through the full knowledge of Him who has called us by His own glory and virtue.19 And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
[Second Peter] was written in the time of the church’s degradation and apostasy….The burden of the writer was to inoculate the believers against the poison of apostasy….The apostasy distracted the believers from the economy of God by leading them into the human logic of puzzling philosophies. It was not the exercise of partaking of the tree of life that gives life, but of participating in the tree of knowledge that brings in death (Gen. 2:9, 16-17)…. In order to inoculate against this death-poison in his healing Epistle, Peter first prescribed the divine power as the strongest and most effective antidote. This provides the believers with all things related to the generating and supplying divine life (not the killing knowledge) and the God-expressing godliness (not the show of human wisdom). This rich divine provision, which is covered in detail in the following verses (2 Pet. 1:3-11), is more than sufficient for the believers to live a proper Christian life and overcome the satanic apostasy. (Life-study of 2 Peter; p. 14)
Today’s Reading
In 2 Peter 1:3 the word divine denotes the eternal, unlimited, and almighty divinity of God. Hence, divine power is the power of the divine life related to the divine nature. Here the word granted means imparted, infused, planted. All things which relate to life and godliness have been imparted to us, infused into us, by the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit, who has regenerated us and who indwells us. Life is the inward energy, inward strength, to bring forth the outward godliness, which leads to glory and results in glory.In 1:19-21 Peter [uses] the prophetic word found in the Old Testament to confirm the apostles’ testimony. Both the apostles’ witness and the prophetic word in the Scriptures are the shining of the truth. This shining is part of the divine provision, the provision God has made by His power so that His elect children may be able to stay away from heresy and apostasy.
It is important for us to realize that the element of apostasy continues today. Because a number of basic truths have been given up, even by those who apparently are fundamental believers, there is the need for us in the Lord’s recovery to fight the battle for the truth….We believe not only in all the genuine items held by fundamental Christians, but also in the deeper truths. We definitely believe that the Bible is fully inspired by God word for word. We would follow the literal translation of 2 Timothy 3:16 to say that all Scripture is God-breathed. We believe that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God. He is true God and true man. We believe in Christ’s incarnation and in His death on the cross for our redemption. According to the Scriptures, we believe that the Lord’s death was all-inclusive. Through His crucifixion He terminated the old creation, including us with our flesh and our fallen nature. We fully believe in the Lord’s resurrection and ascension. We believe that the Lord is now on the throne. But we also believe that He is not limited to the throne, for as the life-giving Spirit He dwells in our spirit. We believe in every aspect of what Christ is and of what He has done, is doing, and will do. We also believe in all that Christ has attained and obtained. Furthermore, according to the Bible, we believe in transformation and in being constituted of the element of God for the rearrangement of our being. We may say that all this is our deeper faith. In a time of apostasy, we believe and testify the full revelation of the pure Word of God. (Life-study of 2 Peter, pp. 14-15, 69-70, 91-92)
Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Peter, msgs. 2, 8-11; Life-study of 2 Timothy, msgs. 2, 7