Sabbath: Major Themes and 1 and 2 Peter
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Read for This Week’s Study: Isa. 53:5-6, Isa. 53:9; Lev. 16:16-19; Lev. 11:44; Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Cor. 14:40; 2 Tim. 3:16.
Memory Text: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, (1 Peter 3:18).
First and Second Peter were written for practical purposes. In 1 Peter, the big issue Peter confronted was the persecution that Christians were facing. In 2 Peter, the great issue was false teachers. Peter wrote forcefully and authoritatively as he sought to encourage his readers as well as warn them in regard to the challenges before them.
What is significant is that Peter responds to both issues in theological terms. The sufferings caused by persecution led Peter to meditate on the sufferings and death of Jesus, which had resulted in our salvation. The false teachers are going to face the judgment. This judgment will take place after Jesus returns to this earth with the saved after the thousand years in heaven have ended. These are some of the themes that Peter deals with in his two letters.
This final week’s lesson will look in more detail at five of the themes Peter wrote about: the suffering of Jesus that led to our salvation; our practical response to the knowledge that God will judge our actions at the last judgment; the hope we have in the soon return of Jesus; order in society and in the church; and the role Scripture has in providing guidance in our lives.
Reading the five themes made me think of an English teacher and a diagrammatic illustration. Each one is important. I think most of us are concerned about the final judgment that we must all face. The name of Jesus is the only name where by we must be saved. Acts4:12. All scripture is our guide 2timothy 3:16. Heaven forbid if we ignore it. May God bless us in this overview this week.
I thank God who has given us his word, seeing the manner by which Peter is warning the church against the false teachers,who will come even from the inside the church; it gives me to review my relationship with Christ and to think twice how can I become if these words can be spoken to me:”depart from me you eveldoer, I’ve never knew you”
After serving the church instead of serving the true God!
May God gives us his grace to understand his word as we approach that great day “the day of our Lord”.