ADVANCED
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II PETER AUTHOR - There are two theories A. Not Peter 1. Reluctance of early church to accept it. Last book to be accepted as
a part of the scriptures. 2. No mention of any of the great principles, doctrines
or topics discussed by Peter in I Peter. 3. Style of writing is different in I and II Peter. 4. Appears to be generations in time between receipt
of I and II Peter. Men had begun to abandon hope of the Second
Coming, Apostles were spoken of as dead (3:4). 5. Reference to Peter's death and to the letters
of Paul (letters not collected and published until A.D. 90.
B. Peter 1. This book was written late in the life of Peter,
after he had ceased to visit the churches, so that he was not
able to verify its authenticity.
The book is very short and was not widely circulated. 2. As with other epistles, a specific focus was
normally relayed. Because
of the topic and tones involved, the urgency
of problems existing and the shortness of time in which to address
these problems Peter focused not on issues and ideas he had already
discussed but went straight to the meat of the problem. 3. Peter used Silvanus
as scribe in I Peter and another scribe in II Peter. 4. Dead fathers is a reference
to who, Old Testament Patriarchs or New Testament Apostles. 5. Although refences
to Peter's death sound like that recorded in John 21:18, Maybe
Peter was reflecting on what Jesus had said.
Also Peter and Paul were contemporaries and knew each other
well. It is possible that Peter had read some of Paul's
letters late in his travels. DATE AND PLACE OF WRITING In this book Peter indicates that the time of his
death was near ( DESTINATION Writing to Christians (1:1) to whom he had written
before (3:1). If the same
as in I Peter then they were mixed Jewish and Gentile churches
of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (I Peter 1:1). If not, the destination can not be determined. PURPOSE The purpose in Peter writing this letter is to
admonish the church to be steadfast and to warn it against deceivers. False prophets and teachers had come into the
church and had great influence on the moral character of the church. The prophets and teachers were accused of (II
PETER 2:1-22): 1. Bringing
in damnable heresies (doctrines and practices that would lead
to the destruction of the soul)--(2:1). 2. Denying
Christ--(2:1) 3. Speaking
evil of the way of truth, or speaking against the Christian
faith that the apostles 4. Greedily
coveting the possessions of others in the church and using false
doctrines and practices to get money-- (2:3) 5. Forsaking
the right way and having gone astray-- ( 6. Luring
those who had escaped from sin to again live in error - ( 7. Promising
liberty from condemnation of sin--( They believed and taught that because Christians
participate in God's grace and are awarded the privilege of being
sons of God they are free from the ethical and moral standards,
restrictions, and obligations which bind ordinary men.
Upon hearing of these doctrines Peter wrote the letter
II Peter to the church. Peter seeks to encourage the church to hold on
to the doctrines given by the holy prophets and the apostles of
the Lord (3:1-2), to beware of the error of the wicked, and to
continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. I. INTRODUCTION - 1:1-2 Peter calls himself a servant (doulos - slave). A slave was completely possessed by his master.
A servant could change his master but a slave could not.
A slave had no rights.
He was completely at the disposal of his master (life or
death). Christian has no
rights of his own. All rights are surrendered to God. A master’s command was a slaves only law
and required complete obedience.
A slave had no time of his own.
All his time belonged to his master. He is writing to those who have been
allotted a faith equal in honor and privilege.
The reference here appears to be to Gentile Christians. The Greek word used for precious is isotimos which means equal honor and was normally used for
foreigners who were given equal citizenship. This
faith is given to them through the righteous acts of God and Jesus
the Savior. Faith here
refers to the doctrine or contents of belief systems as well as
the subjective ability to believe.
Grace and peace be multiplied
unto you through an intimate and personal relationship with God
and Jesus. II. CHRISTIAN'S NATURE: THE WORK OF GOD (1:3
- 11) Peter
challenged believers to take full advantage of the divine power
and promise of God which made it possible to participate in the
divine nature and thus overcome the corruption caused by evil
desires. He also challenged Christians to practice the
characteristics of the divine nature so that they would experience
the assurance of eternal rewards. VERSE 3 AND 4 By God's
divine power he has given to believers all that we need for spiritual
vitality and godly living. However
the proper use and exercise of all that God has given us requires
that we have an intimate relationship with him.
An intimate, full knowledge of Christ is the source of
spiritual power and growth. III. BUILDING ONTO FAITH
(5-7) Here
he explains to them that they can be sure of obtaining a home
in God's kingdom only if they added certain Christian graces to
their new found faith. Peter
says to them in verses 3-4, yes the doctrines of faith of the
gospel have been committed unto us; yes we have been given all
that is necessary to live godly in this world, and yes we have
great and precious promises from God. He says, yes the nature
of God abides in us through God's Spirit and yes we who have denied
the lust of this world are promised that we will partake of His
divine nature. Yes all
of these things are true, but it is still necessary for the Christian
to engage in a strenuous struggle to maintain his purity and to
live out the righteousness that has been imputed unto us. So Peter
starts verse 5 by saying 'and besides this' or not withstanding
what God has done for you, giving all diligence-- furnishing all
earnestness and activity, ADD TO YOUR FAITH. TURN TO Heb. 11:4,7-8 Here
we see that faith brought about actions in Abel, Noah, and Abraham. But their faith and their actions were based
on instructions from God. Faith whether it be personal faith or
doctrinal principles must be properly founded.
Once we have accepted the truths of God by faith, we are
told to add to our faith. We are told to add to our faith. This faith is given to us. (Romans 12:3) Acts 28:17 -- Paul says he is blameless in custom. Eph. 5:3-12--verse 4--neither anything base or
vile in words or acts (filthiness); nor indecent or coarse talking,
continuous clowning, ridicule or what tends to expose another
to contempt (foolish talking); nor artfully turned discourses
or words -- words that can be easily turned to other meanings;
chaste words which from their connection and the manner in which
they are used convey an obscene or offensive meaning (jesting).
All these are utterly improper in themselves and highly
unbecoming to those who profess Christianity. (Read Eph. 5:3-12 in Amplified) I Thess 5:22 -- says
"abstain from all appearance of evil." or do not drive
your morality so near to the bounds of evil as to lead people
to believe that you actually touch, taste or handle it. One can have a zeal for God but not know how
to direct that zeal-- (Rom.10:2).
Also Paul's zeal led him to persecute the Christians but
of course his actions showed no knowledge of God's will.
The knowledge that we are to add to our faith and virtue
is true wisdom, by which our faith will be increased and our courage
and moral excellence will be directed. I Cor. 8:1 says that knowledge can cause one to be puffed up. I Cor. 6:12-13 -- Here
Paul explains that though he is free in Christ to do as he chooses
(within the bounds of scripture), it is not profitable for him
to do just anything. Paul here relays the point that Christians should
not allow any fleshly desire to control them or have power over
them; not even man's two greatest desires -- food and sex. I believe Paul was trying to tell us that excessive
desire leaves one a slave to the flesh. I Cor. Prov. PATIENCE -- bearing all trials and difficulties
with an even mind, enduring in all, and
persevering through all. Patience is also related to steadfastness
which describes an inner quality which is unyielding when withstanding
the aggressive attack of evil.
This steadfastness is founded in unwavering inner convictions
and is demonstrated by one's conduct. A steadfast person does not easily succumb to
temptation nor buckle when persecuted. Rom. The best
example of this type of steadfastness and patience is Joseph in
Gen. 39. Joseph was determined
not to sin and when punished for no reason he waited patiently
for God to deliver him. GODLINESS -- Piety towards God; a deep, reverential
fear of God. It relays the idea of a reverence for God expressed
through practical Christian living. I Tim. 4:7-8 -- Godliness profits a man both now
and forever. The man that
reverences, loves and serves God has God's blessing all through
life. His reverence for God causes him to lead a life
free from all those excesses in both actions and passions which
draw man away from God and often cause life to be burdensome. True reverence for God produces the peace and
love of God in the hearts of men, thus bringing about a serenity
and calmness in life. BROTHERLY KINDNESS -- Christians have become sons
of one father through their spiritual union in Christ. Brotherly affection signifies the love Christians
should have for each other as members of the same body. A proper love for the brethern
avoids attitudes and practices that might destroy unity or bring
the brotherhood into disrepute. In Rom. This
is different from Steiros which means
not bearing children. 1. Election -- It is god's plan that is elected.
God's purposes to save all who conform
to His Plan and this is His choice or election in the matter.
By grace, men who conform will become the elect and be
saved, while those who do not will be damned (Mark The
plan was established before the foundation of the world. In other words, before the Devil tempted Adam
and Eve, before God even created man, before he called the earth
and all it's creatures into being, God established the plan of
salvation. (I Peter 1:20, Acts 2:23, 1 Cor.
2:6-8, Tit. 1:2, 2 Tim 1:9-10, Rev. 13:8) 2. Predestination -- As a part of God's plan, other
factors were predetermined, pre-ordained, predestined, etc. Rom. Eph. 1:4 - All who accept His plan will stand
before Him as
holy and without blame. Eph. 1:5 - All who conform to His plan will not
only be saved but will be adopted as children. Adoption occurs by Spirit and is a part of the
rebirth experience. ( Eph. Eph. 3. Foreknowledge - God elected a plan. It is mans individual choice to accept and follow
the plan. However, God
does already know who will accept and follow the plan and therefore
become an elect one. (Acts 4. Called - God foreknew all that would happen
in the lives of all mankind, including who would accept His plan.
Whom he foreknew would accept His plan, those he predestined the
above and those he called. But what were they called to?
a.
Service - Acts 13:2, Acts
b.
Holiness
- 2 Tim 1:9
c.
Eternal Life - 1 Tim 6:12
d.
Suffering
- I Pet. 2:18-23
e.
Salvation - 5. Examples
a.
Matt
22:1-14 - The purpose in God's originally choosing Abraham and
His descendants through Sarah was so that He would have a voice
in the earth and a mechanism by which to bring the messiah in
to the world. The point
in this parable is that salvation is open to anyone who will come
to God and accept His plan. However
we must come on His terms and not clothed in our own righteousness. The king in the parable invited all who would
come. He then provided
wedding dress for all attendants from his own wardrobe (custom).
The one man refusing to dress in the proper attire was
then expelled. God has
furnished mankind with all that is necessary for salvation.
However man must make the choice to accept God's provision.
b.
V. Testimony of Truth (12-21) In this
section Peter is reminding the believers that
the foundation on which they stand is true as opposed to
that of the false prophets and idolizers. A. Testimony
concerning himself (12-15)
Peter knowing that his days were numbered wanted to make
sure that the readers understood all that he had written in the
epistles. Although they already knew and were established
in these truths he wanted to make sure that they remembered them.
So as long as he was alive he was committed to reminding
them so that they would be able to stand after he was gone.
In verse 14 Peter talking of his death is referring to
John 21:18-19. B. Testimony
of Christ (16-18) The Christian
faith does not rest on clever stories as did the doctrine of the
false teachers, or fables of heathen priest about their idols,
whom Peter was attacking. Instead,
true faith is founded on historical facts, which eyewitnesses
corroborated. In verse
17 and 18 Peter is referring to Matt: 17:1-9.
Peter wanted the believers to know that he had been a personal
witness to the stamp of approval that God the Father had placed
on Jesus His son. He told them of what he had seen with his own
eyes and heard with his own ears. C. Testimony
of the Word (19-21) Peter says
that we have a more sure word than the heathen priest who make fake messages from their idol gods. The scriptures had proven to be true in that
all that was prophesied about the messiah had come to past. Since the scriptures had proven to be true,
Peter urges that we should pay attention to and follow the word
as we would a light shining in a dark room.
We are to follow the word until the day that Jesus returns
and the complete light and glory of God fill our hearts. We are to know
and understand that the scriptures are not self-originated by
the speaker or from a mere impulse of the prophet’s mind,
but holy men of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit. As the penman of
the Scriptures wrote they were impelled or borne along by God's
Spirit. What they wrote
was God inspired (God breathed) 2 Tim VI. The Attack of False Teachers - Chapter
2 A. Deliverance
from false teachers - 2:1-9 1. Exposure of false teaching 2:1-3 They
secretly introduced destructive philosophies, which led people
away from Christ. They
denied Christ and this would bring swift destruction on them.
Many will follow their shameful ways and will
slander the way of truth. Because
of their greed, they fabricate counterfeit doctrines, false theories,
and pretend miracles
to deceive others. Their
end is condemnation
and destruction. They fall
into the same doom which God has planned for other violators of
truth and righteousness. 2. Examples of judgment 2:4-6 a. Angels that sinned - Gen. 6:1-4, Jude 6-7, Job
1:6, 2:1, 38:7. They
committed fornication with the daughters of men contrary to their
own nature. These angels are confined in chains and are
thus different from those who revolted with Satan and now serve
as his demons. b. Sinful inhabitants of earth in days of Noah –
The fact that large numbers
of people may follow false teachings does not deter God's judgment.
God judged the entire human race except for eight people
guilty. (Gen. 6:1 - 8:22) c. Inhabitants of God overthrew these cities as examples to all
who would live ungodly lives. 3. Divine Deliverance 2:7-9
In verse 5 Peter mentions that God save Noah the preacher
of righteousness and his family. Though
That God can deliver the
Godly from trials is a source of comfort for believers, and that
he will judge the unrighteous frees us from the need to seek revenge. B. Description
of false teachers After
giving examples of the destruction of wicked men, Peter goes on
to describe the true nature of the false teachers plaguing the
church. 1. They
are rebellious ( a. They are desire dominated. They have allowed the flesh to get out of control
and now live a life dominated by the lusts of the flesh. The evil root of the lust dominated life is
that it proceeds on the assumption that nothing matters but the
gratification of its own desires and the expression of its own
feelings. (Selfishness) Some commentators translate the "lust
of uncleanness" as homosexual and other perverse sexual relations.
They reference this back to Rom. 1:24) b. They despise authority. They held all government
in contempt. Government
here is the Greek word for
authority or lordship. Reference could refer to angelic powers
or to the lordship of Jesus Christ. c. They are presumptuous. (bold,
audacious). He has the
audacity to defy God's will as know to him. d. He is self-willed. Greek word means self pleasing,
and is used of a man who had no ideas of anything other than pleasing
himself. It carries with it an attitude of obstinacy.
No logic, not common sense, nor appeal, nor sense of decency will
keep him for doing what he wants to do.
In obstinately maintaining his own opinion, or asserting
his own rights, he is reckless of the rights, opinions, and interest
of others. e. They speak evil of dignities. They speak evil of lawful authority. Some translate this as they speak untruths about celestial
beings. They taught that
lustful indulgence was angelic and that God wills man to live
under no restraint whatever. 2. They were animalistic and deceitful
( a. They operated from instinct, which was locked
into their sin nature rather than
from rational choice. Peter
considered these heretics so serious that he felt they were like
animals that should be caught and destroyed. (Note: there is something
self destroying in fleshly pleasure.
To make such a pleasure the be all and end all of life
is a suicidal policy and in the end even the pleasure is lost.
The point Peter is making is this. If a man dedicates himself
to these fleshly pleasures, in the end he so ruins himself in
bodily health and in spirit and mental character that he cannot
even enjoy them. The glutton
destroys his appetite in the end, the drunkard his health, the
sensualist his body, the self-indulgent his character and peace
of mind. b. They tried to deceive others. Though the false teachers tried to pass themselves
off as spiritual leaders possessing a special level of knowledge,
they did not even hide their orgies under the cover of darkness
but would carouse in broad daylight while reveling in their deceptions. They did this while continuing to join in the
love feast of the church (Lord' Supper).
They were blots and spots like a stain on a white shirt. Peter said they would be paid back for harm
they had done to the church. 3. They
were chronic sinners ( Whenever
they saw a woman they thought of nothing but adultery. They saw
an adulteress in every
woman, wondering how she could be persuaded to gratify their lust.
They never ceased to sin. They
seduced the innocent, unwary, inexperienced women and men to surrender
chastity. They
were experts in covetous practices. They practiced and sharpened
skill that helped them in their greed.
They have hearts trained in unbridled ambition for the
things they have no right to have. 4. They had forsaken the
right way. The story of
Balaam is recorded in Numbers 22-24.
He had two characteristics which were repeated in the evil
men in Peter's day. He was covetous, desiring the gold of Balak and he taught C. Destruction
by false teachers ( Having talked
about God's deliverance and giving a description of false teachers,
Peter now explains the destruction that occurs as a result of
false teaching. 1.
Targets of destruction ( These
false teachers do not have what they pretend to have. They mouth empty, boastful, worthless words
by which they seek to deceive others.
They seek to allure the unstable by appealing to the lustful
desires of the sinful human flesh.
It seems that the targeted group was new converts who were
still carnal and lacking strength over the flesh.
2.
Techniques of destruction ( They
promised freedom to sin and taught that God had freed man to live
as he chose. Though they
promised freedom they were slaves to wickedness.
They made grace a justification for sin instead of a power
and summons to righteous living. 3.
Termination of destruction ( The “they” in
verse 20 could refer to the deceived, the false teachers who claim
to know Christ, or both. Once one knows Christ, to become entangled again
with the lustful pleasures and teachings of these false teachers
left one in worse condition than be their conversion. (Matt 12:43-45) Dogs and pigs were considered
by Jews to be the lowest creatures on earth. Peter chose these animals to describe people
who knew the truth and turned away from it.
Peter shows his utter contempt for the false teachers by
saying they were like dogs who return to there on vomit, or a
pig who returns to the mud. They
have seen Christ but are so morally degraded by their own choice
that they prefer to wallow in the depths of sin rather than to
climb the heights of virtue. VII. The Christian's Hope:
The Lord's Return (3:1-16) Having called out the false
teachers, explained the error of their ways, and the effect of
following after such false doctrine, Paul turns his attention
to reminding the Christians of their primary hope, the return
of the Lord Jesus Christ. In this section he presents five facts about
or perspectives on the Lord's return. A. Believers
remember it (3:1-2) Peter addresses his readers
as dear friends now, saying this is the second letter I have written
to you. In both of those
letters he sought to remind them of that which the holy prophets
and the apostles had said concerning Jesus. He wanted to stir up or
stimulate the pure mind or the sincere or uncontaminated mind
by causing it to remember former teaching.
The word used for pure here has the literal greek
meaning of sun-judged. It
was used to test the quality of potter.
(give meaning wax repaired pottery). God wants His children to have sun-judged minds,
not those in which their sin spots have been covered over. The commandments
of us ... refers to the Command of our Lord and Savoir
proclaimed by the apostles. B. Scoffers
laugh at it (3:3-7) Peter mentions that they
had been warned that mockers would come in the last days being
driven by their own lust. Heretics
and mocker's in Peter's day were denying that Jesus would ever
come again. There argument
was two fold. 1. What has happened to the promise of the Second
Coming.
The implication is that it did not exist or was never going
to happen. Their first
argument was that the promise had been so long delayed that it
was safe to take it that it would never be fulfilled.
2. Their second argument was that their father’s
(Old Testament Patriarchs) had died and the world was going on
precisely as it always did. They
believed that this was characteristically a stable universe and
convulsive upheavals like the Second Coming did not happen in
such a universe. Peter's response is also two fold. 1. First he argues that this is not a stable universe. He states that the world was once destroyed
by water in the time of the flood and that a second destruction,
this time by fire is on the way.
He say that they are willingly ignorant of this information.
It is available to them but they choose not to seek it
out. The heavens
refers to the expanse or sky created on the second day
of the creation. The Earth standing apart
from and appearing out of the water refers to the land appearing
from the water on the third day.
This same word was then flooded by water. The world refers to the
inhabitants (John Peter argues that the heaven
and earth that we share now are being held in store (reserved)
to be judged by fire at the judgment and punishment of ungodly
men. 2. The second
part of Peter's answer is in response to the delay
and is twofold. a. We must see time as God sees it. (Ps. 90:4) We measure time with time or against time.
God sees time against eternity.
Time sees long because of our finite perspective. b. We must understand that God's apparent delay is not an act of slackness on His part,
but in fact is an act of mercy.
He holds back destruction giving sinning men another chance to repent. It is His wish that all men be saved (I Tim.
2:4). C. Peter
describes it ( Having stated that the
Lord will return, Peter now states that His return will be like
a thief in the night, both surprising and catastrophic (Matt.
24:42-44). When or what is the Day of the Lord? The Second Coming of
Christ. Some Scriptures about the Second Coming.
1.
Zech
14:1-7 - Lord will physically be on Earth. (In the rapture we
are caught up to meet Him in the air).
Saints will be with Him. (So this must be after the rapture.)
(Also see Jude 14-15) There will be a fight between mobilized
nations and Christ (with saints).
2.
2
Thess 2:1-12 - Must be a falling away,
the Antichrist revealed and sitting in the
3.
Rev
19:11-21 - Armies are saints (clothed in fine linen, white and
clean). There is fight between nations and Christ.
Fowls of the air gather to eat flesh. (Matt. 24:27-31)
4.
Isaiah
13:9-13; Zehpaniah 1:14-18; Joel 2:30-31
- This is to be a great
and terrible time period. It
is a day when the wicked see the fierce anger of God. It is a day when sinners will be wiped of the
face of the earth. In this
day God promises to shake the earth in such a fashion as to move
it out of place. Even the stars, moon and sun will be affected
by the outpouring of God’s wrath. Peter says that the heavens
will pass away with a crackling roar, like the crackling of the
flames in a great forest fire.
What is happening here involves Earth and the starry space
surrounding it. The word translated burned up is eurethesetai which some sy should
be translated laid bare. Making the sentence read, “the earth also
and the works that are therein shall be laid bare” meaning
that everything will be exposed for what it really is. In verse 11, Peter says
“recognizing that this event is sure to happen, “what
kind of people should we be”?
Keep in mind that he is talking to Christians.
This is a warning by way of suggestion that we should be
sure to live righteously, and urprightly
in the sight of God. Holy lives refers
to Christian separation and sanctification—apart from the
world, and towards God. Godly refers to piety before God. The word
“live” is in the present tense, indicating that these
qualities are to be Holiness and piety not only cause God’s people to look forward to (expect and anticipate) the Lord’s return but also to speed its coming. How do believers hasten it? The godly lives of the Lord’s people, their praying, and their witnessing help bring others to repentance and we said in Verse three that God is being patient waiting on others to come to repentance. Peter then repeated for emphasis the fact that at the commencement of eternity
the heavens will
be destroyed by fire and
the elements will melt. In Verse 13 Peter reminds us that we Christians are looking for
new heavens and a new earth; a place where only righteousness
will dwell. (Revelation 21:1-3, Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22-24).
Most believe that this is not new in the since of creating everything
again, but new in the since of reconstructions. D. Behavior
is changed by it ( Peter starts this passage with so then to show that one’s behavior is linked to his expectation of the Lord’s coming. He then goes on to give Christians 3 final commands.
1.
Be diligent (make every
effort) to be found to be… spotless (1 Tim. 6:14; James 1:27 [“pure”];
1 Peter 1:19 [“without… defect,” referring to Christ]),
blameless (without [moral] defect” like a sacrificial animal
without a blemish; (Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Phil. 2:15; Col. 1:22; Heb.
9:14; 1 Peter 1:19; Jude 24; Rev. 14:5), and
at peace with Him (Rom. 5:1). The
false teachers, Peter said, “are blots and blemishes”
(2 Peter
Peter said that Paul wrote about the
same thing in all
his letters. Paul’s letters
contained some things that were hard to understand. These
difficult passages (which Peter did not specify) had caused the
unstable to pervert
and distort or
twist their real meaning. But that was to be expected since that
is how they handled the other Scriptures. The fact that Peter referred to Paul’s letters
and then to “the other Scriptures” indicates that Paul’s
writings were then considered authoritative Scripture. Such 2. Beware lest you be led away in error and fall from steadfastness. Peter warns, “Be on your guard”.
If his readers were not careful they could be carried away by the error of lawless men. The verb “carried
away” emphasizes a group or corporate movement. False teachers
are not satisfied with ambushing one or two, now and then, here
and there; they want to sweep large groups of people away from
the correct doctrine of Christ. Those who keep company with such
people are in danger of being led astray (referred to as “falling”
2 Peter 3. Grow in grace The objective for the believer is to grow in grace and in what we know of Jesus. This is not just know as it relates to information, but also as it relates to relationship. The verb “grow” used here is rendered “be continually growing.” This process of spiritual growth begins by knowing Christ initially in regeneration (John 17:3) and it continues in one’s deepening relationship with Him (Eph. 4:15; Phil. 3:10; 1 Peter 2:2). Both are necessary. Without the initial knowledge there is no opportunity for growth. But if there is only that initial knowledge, the struggling new believer forgets “that he has been cleansed from his past sins” (2 Peter 1:9). Peter ends by saying that all glory belongs to Jesus both now and forever.
REFERENCES: Bible Knowledge Commentary Barclay: Letters of James and Peter |