Firmly Grounded Faith
Peter’s second letter was written to warn believers of the danger of false teachers and harmful influences. Jeremy Kirby summed up Peter’s message by saying that Peter was “convinced that the best antidote for heresy is a mature knowledge of the truth.” This belief is truly timeless. We continue to face the same obstacles those who belonged to the early church faced. We are surrounded by those who fight Christianity from the outside and those who twist and poison it from the inside. The only way for us to stand firm and unwavering is by having a firm foundation in knowledge of the truth. When we know that 2+2=4, no amount of convincing talk can fool us into believing the answer is 16.
Peter wrote this letter towards the end of his life. The way he opens shows us so much about how his faith matured through his years as an apostle. This once prideful man who was so sure of his faithfulness and superiority over others, now sees life, and himself, much differently. Peter opens his letter by referring to himself as “Simon Peter”. Maybe this title doesn’t strike you as being that important, but it really stood out to me. Afterall, he only called himself “Peter” in his first letter. So why add the “Simon”? Commentators throughout the ages have had different ideas as to why this time, Simon is added to Peter. Simon was the name is parents gave him on the day of his circumcision. It was the name he answered to until Jesus changed that name to Peter. Some teachers believe he added his former name to set him apart from any other ‘Peter’ who wrote letters. Some believe it was to appease the Jews who would have held greater reverence to his original name.
Perhaps one day I will get a chance to ask this mighty man of God why he felt the need to add his former name to his name given him by Christ. Until then, we have only to guess. If we read a bit ahead to verse 14, we find that Peter knows he is coming to the end of his life. I wonder if that realization hadn’t made him think about his past. Approaching death tends to make a person reminisce about their childhood and earlier years. You see, before this man became God’s “Rock”, he was first a “Listener” (the meaning of Simon). There is something very poetic about the way he tied his past into his future. It challenges me to never forget where I came from. No matter how strong my faith is today, there was a time when it was barely an infant and shaky at best. Reminding myself of this helps to keep me patient and full of grace for those who are still learning to walk with their spiritual legs.
There is a sense of humility that comes when we remember where we started our journey with the Lord. This idea carries on from simply adding Simon to Peter. It continues when he refers to himself, first of all, as a servant of Jesus and then as his apostle. We are first of all loyal to our God, King, and Master. We need to be completely surrendered if we are to ever achieve maturity of faith. While our commission (for Peter that was being an apostle) is of vital importance, it never precedes or surpasses the purchase of our soul by Christ on the cross. Peter acknowledged the importance of the calling and duty he had been uniquely qualified for, but placed greater worth on his salvation.
Speaking of this salvation and the faith that flowed from it, Peter makes another incredibly powerful statement. He wrote, “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Peter declared that we are all on the same level whether we are new to the faith or raised in the shadow of the cross. Peter most likely wanted to emphasize that the faith of a Gentile (someone new to any faith in God) and the faith of a Jew (one taught scripture and looking for the Messiah since birth) were equal. What a stirring reminder.
May we embrace the mighty teaching contained in these few opening lines of Peter’s letter. May we never forget where we came from. Remembering the struggles of yesterday keeps God’s provision and protection foremost on our minds. His grace is magnified in the depth of our journey from lost to found. May we always remember that, no matter how successful or important we become, we are first and foremost a simple servant to a powerful King. And lastly, may we never place our faith on a higher pedestal than anyone else’s. May we never judge the newcomer to Christ as someone less than the one who has followed Him for decades. We are all on equal standing in the eyes of the Lord. May God bless you as you begin this journey into Peter’s second letter.
(Written by Keegan Harkins.)
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