2Peter 1:1-2 - A Family Address

2Peter 1:1-2

1-2 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

This letter was written by Peter from prison in Rome during the time of the Neronian persecutions and about 67-68 AD. Shortly after the writing of it, Peter was executed, as he seemed already to know would happen in Chapter 1 verses 13-14, and as he had been forewarned by the Lord in John 21:18-19.

It is foundational to an understanding of this letter to see right up front to whom Peter plainly addresses it. It is not a general letter to the world of all men everywhere. It was written specifically to "those who have obtained (received - AV) a faith of equal standing (a ‘like precious’ faith - AV) with ours in (through) the righteousness of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ." There are indeed general principles that apply to the world of mankind contained in the letter, but the letter itself was originally written specifically to believers. Remember this, because the knowledge of this fact will prevent you from utterly misunderstanding certain statements which Peter makes later on, and which are so often misused, misquoted and misapplied so that the words have come to be the means of bolstering a false doctrine which pervades much of the church in this present age.

How interesting to see that, though Peter is an Apostle, he regards all true believers as having a faith of equal standing with his own. That is because all genuine faith is saving faith. Faith as a mustard seed is all that is needed if it is the faith that comes from God. The NKJV refers to this faith as being "by the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ." This is deliberate. Other translations imply that the faith is ours and that we put it in Christ. In other words, the inference can be taken that all men are capable of faith and that some men exercise it and are thus saved. They do something out of their natural condition that others do not. Such thinking is contrary to scripture as a whole, and that is why the NKJV translators were careful to show the meaning that our faith comes by the righteousness of our God - and not from anything within the natural man’s fallen nature.

Our righteousness is a righteousness imputed to us by God, on account of what Christ our God has done - and in which we have been given faith because God, alone and unaided by us, caused us to be born again of His Spirit.

In addressing the believers, Peter seems to imply that grace and peace may increase towards them in proportion to their knowledge of Christ. I don’t think this refers to theology or to mere intellectual learning. These things do indeed have a place in the lives of all believers - but the sort of knowledge of Christ implied here is always received by revelation, and it is only according to the will and purposes of God. It is not knowledge about Him, but knowledge of Him. This is why Peter uses the word "may." God alone grants to His children all that they need according to His riches in Christ Jesus and He does it when and how He pleases.

This letter is written for the express purpose of warning believers against the seductions of false teaching - both that which was already manifest, and that which he knew was to come. The knowledge of Jesus Christ and a proper understanding of the right doctrine of the true gospel of Jesus Christ are the means by which believers are preserved from error. In reading the rest of this epistle two things should be borne in mind - one, to whom it is addressed and two, that it is a warning about false teachers and false gospels.