Exalting Jesus in 2 Peter, Jude

By James Shaddix and Dr. Daniel L. Akin

Exalting Jesus in 2 Peter and Jude is part of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series. Edited by David Platt, Daniel L. Akin, and Tony Merida, this new commentary series, projected to be 48 volumes, takes a Christ-centered approach to expositing each book of the Bible. Rather than a verse-by-verse approach, the authors have crafted chapters that explain and apply key passages in their assigned Bible books.
 
Readers will learn to see Christ in all aspects of Scripture, and they will be encouraged by the devotional nature of each exposition presented as sermons and divided into chapters that conclude with a “Reflect & Discuss” section, making this series ideal for small group study, personal devotion, and even sermon preparation. It’s not academic but rather presents an easy reading, practical and friendly commentary.
 
The authors of Exalting Jesus in 2 Peter and Jude are Danny Akin and Jim Shaddixx
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BH Publishing Group
• Release date: Sep 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781535905411

Book preview

Table of Contents

Series Introduction

2 Peter

Remember Christ’s Provision 2 Peter 1:1-4

Remember Your Calling 2 Peter 1:5-11

Remember Christ’s Coming 2 Peter 1:12-21

Remember Their Motives 2 Peter 2:1-3a

Remember God’s Justice 2 Peter 2:3b-10a

Remember Their Nature 2 Peter 2:10b-22

Remember That He’ll Be Back 2 Peter 3:1-10

Remember How You’re to Wait 2 Peter 3:11-18

Jude

Happy to Be a Slave of a Great Master Jude 1-2

Contending for the Faith of Jesus Jude 3-4

Three Truths Never to Forget Jude 5-7

Are You Out of Touch with Spiritual Reality? Jude 8-10

When God Condemns the Ungodly Jude 11-16

Godly Wisdom for a Healthy Christian Jude 17-23

The Doxology of God and the Security of the Believer Jude 24-25

Works Cited

Scripture Index

titlepage

If you’re on the lookout for the rare and elusive combination of a commentary that can explain the basics of what the text means and provide practical help in preaching it, then you need look no further. Shaddix and Akin explain the text, illustrate and apply it, and provide clear sermon outlines to boot. If I were preaching 2 Peter or Jude, I would utilize this volume.

David Allen, dean of the School of Preaching, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

I love the pastoral usefulness of these commentaries. The explanations are theologically rich and accurate—never abstract or merely academic. There is additionally a serious intent to serve pastors who must connect with the lives and struggles of God’s people through thoughtful illustration and meaningful application. But nothing is as impactful or as intentional as the consistent Christ-focused content, relating our responses to the grace of God that pervades Scripture for those with the eyes to see and the heart to share.

Bryan Chapell, senior pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, Peoria, Illinois

If you love thorough exposition of biblical text, you will love this commentary. The outline of each book allows the reader to have a better understanding of the entire book.

Johnny Hunt, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Woodstock, Georgia

Every devoted student and faithful teacher of God’s Word looks for commentaries that provide sound textual insights while also being both readable and relevant. This is precisely why Akin and Shaddix’s volume on 2 Peter and Jude is such an invaluable resource for anyone who is studying or preparing to expound these important, though often neglected, epistles. The work of these two renowned scholars and practitioners epitomizes the Christ-centered, text-driven distinction that has become synonymous with this series!

Scott Pace, associate professor of Preaching and Pastoral Ministry, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

"Sometimes it seems that scholars write commentaries primarily for other scholars. Though their commentaries are erudite and comprehensive, the busy pastor cannot possibly wade through their lengthy and complex discussions of various views in his weekly task of sermon preparation. Exalting Jesus in 2 Peter and Jude digests the discussions in the best commentaries for the busy pastor. Shaddix and Akin offer sound exegesis, faithful theological reflection, and fresh and timely illustrations, and they constantly show how these neglected New Testament books exalt our Savior and edify the saints. A great resource for the biblical expositor!"

Chuck Quarles, professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Unfortunately, 2 Peter and Jude are often ignored in churches today, but they have a vital message for today’s church. Thankfully, Shaddix and Akin have written commentaries to help fill the gap. Here we have faithful exposition and powerful application so that we see how the message of 2 Peter and Jude apply today. Pastors, teachers, and all who want to learn from the Scriptures will be encouraged and strengthened in reading this work.

Tom Schreiner, associate dean of Theology, The Southern Baptist Seminary

Dr. Akin and Dr. Shaddix have created a commentary that will actually help real preachers preach real sermons in real churches. This is practical scholarship at it’s finest.

Jimmy Scroggins, lead pastor, Family Church, West Palm Beach, Florida

Jim Shaddix and Danny Akin have crafted a marvelous tool for generations of pastors, preachers, and Bible students. With careful attention to the detail of the text, yet equal devotion to the grand sweep of Scripture’s focus on Christ, they have produced a beautifully balanced commentary on 2 Peter and Jude. Their thoughtful exegesis is punctuated with insightful illustration and organized into outlines that reflect the natural structure and seams of the apostolic authors and allow these ancient letters their full power to speak into life today. Their scholarship and clarity make this satisfying to the seminary professor and the novice alike.

Hershael York, Victor and Louise Lester Professor of Preaching, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary: Exalting Jesus in 2 Peter and Jude

© Copyright 2018 by Jim Shaddix and Daniel Akin

B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8054-9761-8

Dewey Decimal Classification: 220.7

Subject Heading: BIBLE. N.T. 2 Peter, Jude—

COMMENTARIES\JESUS CHRIST

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Christian Standard Bible® Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture passages marked ESV are taken from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Scripture citations marked GNB are from the Good News Bible, the Bible in Today’s English Version. Old Testament: Copyright © American Bible Society 1976; New Testament: Copyright © American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976. Used by permission.

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Scripture passages marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973, 1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture citations marked NEB are from the New English Bible. Copyright © The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press, 1961, 1970. Reprinted by permission.

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VP

SERIES DEDICATION

Dedicated to Adrian Rogers and John Piper. They have taught us to love the gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, to pastor the church for which our Savior died, and to have a passion to see all nations gladly worship the Lamb.

—David Platt, Tony Merida, and Danny Akin

March 2013

Author’s DEDICATION

To Dad and Mom,

who taught me to long for our Lord’s coming

and to let that longing inform the way I live.

—Jim Shaddix

SERIES INTRODUCTION

Augustine said, Where Scripture speaks, God speaks. The editors of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series believe that where God speaks, the pastor must speak. God speaks through His written Word. We must speak from that Word. We believe the Bible is God breathed, authoritative, inerrant, sufficient, understandable, necessary, and timeless. We also affirm that the Bible is a Christ-centered book; that is, it contains a unified story of redemptive history of which Jesus is the hero. Because of this Christ-centered trajectory that runs from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, we believe the Bible has a corresponding global-missions thrust. From beginning to end, we see God’s mission as one of making worshipers of Christ from every tribe and tongue worked out through this redemptive drama in Scripture. To that end we must preach the Word.

In addition to these distinct convictions, the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series has some distinguishing characteristics. First, this series seeks to display exegetical accuracy. What the Bible says is what we want to say. While not every volume in the series will be a verse-by-verse commentary, we nevertheless desire to handle the text carefully and explain it rightly. Those who teach and preach bear the heavy responsibility of saying what God has said in his Word and declaring what God has done in Christ. We desire to handle God’s Word faithfully, knowing that we must give an account for how we have fulfilled this holy calling (Jas 3:1).

Second, the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series has pastors in view. While we hope others will read this series, such as parents, teachers, small-group leaders, and student ministers, we desire to provide a commentary busy pastors will use for weekly preparation of biblically faithful and gospel-saturated sermons. This series is not academic in nature. Our aim is to present a readable and pastoral style of commentaries. We believe this aim will serve the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third, we want the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series to be known for the inclusion of helpful illustrations and theologically driven applications. Many commentaries offer no help in illustrations, and few offer any kind of help in application. Often those that do offer illustrative material and application unfortunately give little serious attention to the text. While giving ourselves primarily to explanation, we also hope to serve readers by providing inspiring and illuminating illustrations coupled with timely and timeless application.

Finally, as the name suggests, the editors seek to exalt Jesus from every book of the Bible. In saying this, we are not commending wild allegory or fanciful typology. We certainly believe we must be constrained to the meaning intended by the divine Author himself, the Holy Spirit of God. However, we also believe the Bible has a messianic focus, and our hope is that the individual authors will exalt Christ from particular texts. Luke 24:25-27,44-47 and John 5:39,46 inform both our hermeneutics and our homiletics. Not every author will do this the same way or have the same degree of Christ-centered emphasis. That is fine with us. We believe faithful exposition that is Christ centered is not monolithic. We do believe, however, that we must read the whole Bible as Christian Scripture. Therefore, our aim is both to honor the historical particularity of each biblical passage and to highlight its intrinsic connection to the Redeemer.

The editors are indebted to the contributors of each volume. The reader will detect a unique style from each writer, and we celebrate these unique gifts and traits. While distinctive in their approaches, the authors share a common characteristic in that they are pastoral theologians. They love the church, and they regularly preach and teach God’s Word to God’s people. Further, many of these contributors are younger voices. We think these new, fresh voices can serve the church well, especially among a rising generation that has the task of proclaiming the Word of Christ and the Christ of the Word to the lost world.

We hope and pray this series will serve the body of Christ well in these ways until our Savior returns in glory. If it does, we will have succeeded in our assignment.

David Platt

Daniel L. Akin

Tony Merida

Series Editors

February 2013

2 Peter

Remember Christ’s Provision

2 Peter 1:1-4

Main Idea: Jesus has provided everything we need to grow in his likeness as we wait for his return.

I. The Background (1:1)

A. The writer of the letter

B. The origin of the letter

C. The recipients of the letter

D. The reason for the letter

II. The Blessing (1:2)

A. The blessing of knowing Jesus

B. The blessing of being reminded

III. The Big Idea (1:3-4)

A. The power to be like Christ (1:3)

B. The process of becoming like Christ (1:3)

C. The promise of being like Christ (1:4)

Every self-respecting sports fan knows the story of how Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, started every season. He gathered his players together and gave them what became one of his most famous speeches. With a football in hand, the feared and revered coach would walk to the front of the meeting room, take a moment to gaze over the group of assembled players, hold out the pigskin in front of him, and say, Gentlemen, this is a football. After describing the importance of the football as if no one on his team had ever seen one, he then would lead the team outside and show them the field. He would explain the out-of-bounds lines and the end zones and then remind the players that the football was intended to go across the end-zone line. Lombardi knew the importance of reminding his players about fundamentals . . . even the seasoned athletes. No doubt that emphasis played a huge role in his winning five NFL Championships—including Super Bowls I and II—during his tenure with the Packers.

Peter apparently also knew something about the importance of reminding people about fundamental truths. He wrote his second letter to equip the members of his flock to face and overcome the subtle spiritual deception of false teachers who were assaulting the church. But instead of giving them new information to mount their defense, the apostle simply wanted to remind his readers about the truth of the gospel they had already been taught (see 1:12-15; 3:1-2). He wanted to bring some things to their remembrance that were sufficient to protect and preserve them after his life was over.

The importance of remembering makes 2 Peter a timely and critical word for today’s Christian. The explosion of television, radio, publications, the Internet, social media, websites, blogs, podcasts, and other forms of mass media makes heretical teaching easily accessible and widely received. Our rock star Christian culture provides false teachers with coliseum-size audiences who are eager to hear some new thing or have some new spiritual experience. And lack of discernment, fear of rejection, and misunderstanding of love leads the church to be reluctant to expose contemporary heretics. Instead of countering them, we welcome them into our fold, or at the very least just ignore them in the name of politically correct tolerance (MacArthur, 2 Peter, 2). Numerous Christians today are doing nothing short of exchanging the truth for lies (cf. 1 Tim 1:19; 2 Tim 2:16-18). Consequently, we are in desperate need of being reminded about gospel truth to help us wage this war.

That’s why it’s so surprising that the book of 2 Peter had to fight its way into the canon of Scripture. Some books of the Bible have had to work harder than others to gain entrance into the canonical kingdom. They’ve had a little harder road to travel to make it into the catalog of Holy Scripture. Second Peter is one of those books; it’s taken some hits along the way. Not a few Christian leaders have questioned its inclusion in the canon. At the Reformation it was regarded as second-class Scripture by Luther, rejected by Erasmus, and regarded with hesitancy by Calvin (M. Green, 2 Peter, 19). But in the end the letter made the cut, and the church recognized its apostolic authorship, authoritative content, crucial role in the canon of inspired Scripture, and relevance for the church in every age.

Second Peter opens with the commonly used letter form of New Testament times. It included a reference to the writer and the recipients and then a greeting in the form of a blessing. Like other New Testament authors, Peter extended a theological description of the writer and the recipients as well as a specifically Christian wish for those receiving the correspondence (Vaughan and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 142).

The Background

2 Peter 1:1

The Writer of the Letter

This letter begins in a similar fashion to most first-century epistles: Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter is the stated author of the book in verse 1, and there’s no good reason for us to think otherwise. In light of the numerous internal references (1:1,14,16-18; 3:1,15), it would be difficult to see how another author could have avoided ethical compromise with any Christian conviction at all. Additionally, there are some striking similarities in both vocabulary and doctrine between 1 and 2 Peter, as well as with Peter’s speeches and sermons in Acts (M. Green, 2 Peter, 47–48).

However, many have argued against Petrine authorship through the centuries. Opposing views have included: (1) the claim that the letter is pseudepigraphical, a writing published after Peter’s death to honor him and to say what he might have said in a difficult situation; (2) its unpopular status among the church fathers; (3) the author’s perceived dependence on Jude; and (4) the suggestion that Peter’s reference to Paul in 3:15 indicates a time when a collection of Paul’s writings had been made, which certainly would have been after Peter’s lifetime. But none of these arguments have been able to overshadow the more natural and literal understanding that the apostle Peter is the one who penned the letter.

Peter introduces himself as Simeon, a designation rarely used in the New Testament for the apostle (see Acts 15:14). The term is the Hebrew spelling for the name Simon and a possible indication of the authenticity of the letter (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 142). Peter also calls himself a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. The word servant is doulos in Greek, which means slave or bondservant. Peter, no doubt, is tempering the authority of his apostolic office with the personal humility that he learned through his own denial of Christ Jesus. Now he confidently can present himself as both the servant and the ambassador (apostolos) of his Lord.

A related issue to the authorship of 2 Peter is its source, specifically the close relationship between Peter’s letter and the letter of Jude. Vaughan and Lea say, There is such extensive agreement between Jude and 2 Peter that some common linkage is almost certain (1, 2 Peter, 138). There are three primary views regarding the specific nature of this relationship. First is the proposal that Peter copied Jude. Proponents of this view cite Jude’s fresh writing style and the probability that the longer letter would have taken its cue from the shorter one. Second, perhaps Jude copied Peter. This perspective leans on Peter’s use of the future tense in forecasting the work of false teachers (cf. 2 Pet 2) in contrast to Jude’s use of the present tense. Advocates of this view also say that someone with the status of an apostle wouldn’t likely draw from a less prominent source like Jude. Third, some propose that both writers drew from a common source. This case is rooted in the differences in language, ideas, and order between the two letters. Such a common source could have been a document that condemned heretical doctrines that promoted antinomian ideas and prophesied the fate of their false heralds (M. Green, 2 Peter, 72).

Regardless of who drew from what source, the similarities between the two letters are notable. Both letters provide similar descriptions of false teachers (see 2 Pet 2; Jude 4-19), although they develop their treatments differently. Peter gradually ramps up to addressing the issue of false teaching, while Jude comes out of the gate hammering on the heretics. But they basically address many of the same things that characterized the false teachers. First, false teachers denied the lordship of Christ (2 Pet 2:1; Jude 4). Second, they defiled the Christian love feast, practiced immorality, and influenced others to do the same (2 Pet 2:10,12-14; Jude 16). Third, they manipulated people with their speech to the end of financial gain (2 Pet 2:3,14; Jude 16). Fourth, they masqueraded as either visionaries or prophets to support their contentions (2 Pet 2:1; Jude 8). Fifth, they were headstrong and caused divisions that reflected their feelings of superiority (2 Pet 2:2,10,18; Jude 19). While I lean toward believing that Jude copied Peter, I think these similarities are the details that are most notable for us, simply because they help us better understand the issues being addressed in both letters.

The Origin of the Letter

Just like the uncertainty of the original source of 2 Peter, we really don’t have any indication of its specific time and place of writing. While Peter chose not to mention these details, it likely was written from Rome shortly after his first letter and shortly before his death (see 1:14-15). That would put the date sometime prior to AD 68. More than for the specifics of this bibliographic information, Peter’s greater concern obviously was for the believers to whom he was writing and the grave danger they were facing.

The Recipients of the Letter

Like the place and time of writing, there’s no solid evidence to identify clearly Peter’s recipients. They’re just referred to as those who have received a faith equal to ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. His seemingly intimate address, however, indicates that he wrote the letter to a specific group of people as opposed to a general audience (e.g., 1:10,12-15; 3:1,14). While it’s possible that he was writing to Christians in the same provinces as he did in 1 Peter (see 1 Pet 1:1), this second letter seems to have a more Gentile flavor. It doesn’t have any specific quotations from the Old Testament like the first letter, although it does have several references to Old Testament events (2:5,6,7,15).

What we do know about the people receiving this letter is how Peter felt about them. They were a people who had received a faith equal to the apostles, a faith that was just as precious as the salvation Jesus had given to his earliest and closest followers. The word received comes from langchan ō, which means to obtain by lot. Peter reminded his readers that their faith that was equal to that of the apostles was a gift of God’s grace (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 142).

This glorious, exalted, and unmerited standing is theirs—and ours—through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. It could not have come in any other way. Helm rightly says,

Our ability to stand before God someday as rescued and reclaimed persons depends entirely on the righteousness of Jesus Christ. He alone has flown through this world without falling. He alone can and did make atonement for sin. Thus he alone can bring us home. (1 & 2 Peter, 187)

The equal privilege between apostles and all of us who have followed them is only due to the work of Christ on the cross.

Peter calls Jesus both God and Savior. Scholars have debated whether he’s distinguishing God and Christ or if he’s calling Jesus God. Some have suggested the former, citing the supposed distinction in 1:2 as support, as well as the close conjunction between God and Savior. But the absence of the