Imagine for a moment that a loved one was considering turning over his or her life savings to someone you knew was a liar and a cheat. How desperate would you be to convince your loved one not to listen? Would you rehearse all the principles of sound investing? Would you relate your own experience with money? Would you point out the inconsistencies in the investor's pitch? Maybe a combination of all three? How far would you go?
What if it wasn't about money? What if your loved one was about to be lead astray by a false teacher?
In Peter's second letter, in spite of the fact that he faces imminent death, the only thing on his mind is the relentless assault on his flock by liars. You can feel the urgency as he reiterates the truths he's related to the believers. So what truths should you watch for as you study?
- False teachers – What does Peter say about them? What teachings does he especially warn about? How does he recommend to combat these false ideas?
- End times – What information does Peter give about Jesus' return? What encouragement does he want his readers to take away from his words?
- Knowledge – A key word in the epistle is "knowledge". What key things do we know? How should this impact our daily lives?
- Instructions – Peter packs in a healthy dose of instruction and encouragement in these three short chapters. What sorts of things does he touch on?
BONUS: How do Peter's last words compare to Paul's final instructions is 2 Timothy? Are the tones similar? Do they touch on similar themes?
If you know time was short, what things would you want to get across to your loved ones?