Just a Note- The Short Letters of the New Testament

Just a Note
The Short Letters of the New Testament
Part 1: Introduction and Philemon

The canonical New Testament (NT) consists of 27 “books”- -but
none are books in the modern sense of the word...
 4 Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
 1 History narrative (Acts)
 1 Apocalypse (Revelation)
 1 Sermon (Hebrews)
There are 20 actual letters
 13 Pauline (7 undisputed, 2 disputed, 4 pseudoepigraphic)
 2 Petrine
 3 Johannine
 1 each attributed to James, Jude
“Books”? Or “Epistles”?

Number of words in each of the NT letters (in the Greek)
Romans: 7,111
1 Corinthians: 6,829
2 Corinthians: 4,477
Galatians: 2,230
Ephesians: 2,422
Philippians: 1,629
Colossians: 1,582
1 Thessalonians: 1,481
2 Thessalonians: 823
1 Timothy: 1,591
2 Timothy: 1,238
Are you calling me short? (yes)
Titus: 659
Philemon: 335
James: 1,742
1 Peter: 1,684
2 Peter: 1,099
1 John: 2,141
2 John: 245
3 John: 219
Jude: 461

 Letter writing was not a Greek or Roman invention; Egyptians
wrote letters 2,000 years before Christ
 By 500 BC, letter-writing in Greece was a part of the formal study
of rhetoric
 Letters took on accepted forms and were written following
certain rules
 Not considered the place for rhetorical elaboration/flourishes but
encouraged to include allusions to myth, aphorisms, brief
illustrative stories
 Carefully composed, but more spontaneous and idiosyncratic
than an essay or sermon; not extensively redacted (edited later)
 From a ruler, a letter was close to being a statement of policy or
even law, an order, warrant, or call for action.
Notes on notes

David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote,
“Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw
from him so he will be struck down and die.” - 2Sam. 11:14-15
Jezebel said, “…I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”
So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and
sent them to the elders... in Naboth’s city… She wrote: “Proclaim a
day of fasting. Seat Naboth in a prominent place...have {two
scoundrels} bring charges that he cursed God and the king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.” So the elders and
nobles did as Jezebel directed in the letters she wrote to them.
- 1Ki. 21:7-11
Old Testament examples

Sennacherib received a report that the king of Cush was
marching out to fight against him.
So he sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word, “Say to
Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the God you depend on
deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the
hands of the king of Assyria.’ Surely you have heard what the
kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them
completely. Will you be delivered?”
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers... Then he
went up to the Temple and spread it out before the Lord.
And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord…
- 2Ki. 19:14
Even God reads letters

Personality Disclosed
To hand-write a letter, whether a
formal, public composition or a
private letter to a friend, is, in
addition to providing instruction
or guidance, to create an image
(consciously or unconsciously) of:
- one’s self as writer and
- one’s relationship with the
person you are writing to
This was just as true for Greek
and Roman letter-writers as it is
for us today.
Is it as true for e-mail messages?

Paul is an Example (Gal. 1:3-7; 3:1, 4:12)
To the churches in Galatia: grace and
peace to you from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ…
I am astonished that you are so quickly
deserting the one who called you to
live in the grace of Christ and are
turning to a different gospel, which is
really no gospel at all. Evidently some
people are throwing you into
confusion and are trying to pervert the
gospel of Christ…
You foolish Galatians! Who has
bewitched you?... I plead with you,
brothers, become like me…

 Didactic (teaching, instruction, guidance)
 Comfort (sympathy)
 Recommendation
 Requests
 Thanks
 Praise, congratulations
 Reproach
 Dedicatory (flattery)
They were often......
Types of letters Romans wrote

...dictated to a hired scribe
Illya Repin (1880) Cossacks Dictating a Letter to the Sultan

1) Praescriptum (introduction)
a) Brief: of the form “A
greets B”
b) The name of the letter
writer, then, is stated
at the start not the end
c) May ask about health,
welfare if a friend
2) Text (main body)
3) Final Clause (conclusion)
Three sections make one letter
Paul, called to be an apostle
of Christ Jesus by the will of
God, and our brother
Sosthenes, to the church of
God in Corinth, to those
sanctified in Christ Jesus and
called to be his holy people,
together with all those
everywhere who call on the
name of our Lord Jesus
Christ—their Lord and ours:
grace and peace to you from
God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. - 1Cor. 1:1-3

Letters of prominent Christians are
still important in the 20th century
There is something deeper than feeling, deeper than
conscious will. It is rather being. When we are quite
empty of self we shall be filled with Him…Of course it
is good, as you say, to realize that the source of all of
our good feelings is God. But…fails us when we are
tired or when we try to use them too often, so we
can’t depend on it. It is the self you really are and not
the reflection in consciousness that mattes most.
Yours sincerely,
C. S. Lewis
(to Mrs. Edith Gates
written at Oxford,
May 23, 1944)
Dear Miss Gates,
Certainly I cannot love my neighbor properly until I love God. As
MacDonald says in his Unspoken Sermons…. On the other hand, we
have no power to make ourselves love God. The only way is absolute
obedience to Him, total surrender. He will give us the “feeling” if He
pleases. But both when He does and when He does not, we shall
gradually learn that feeling is not the important thing.

What to look for
 Character of the writer coming
through (emotional tone)
 Situation, problem that makes the
letter necessary (is it something
that is still a problem today?)
 Not a doctrinal dissertation – less
theology, more exhortation
 Do you think the letter solved the
problem (e.g. do the Galatians
stop being foolish)?

 Philemon
 Titus
 2Thess.
 2Peter
 2John
 3John
 Jude
Let’s begin our study with Paul’s very personal letter
to Philemon concerning the slave Onesimus

Just a note to: Philemon
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to
Philemon our beloved fellow worker and Apphia our sister and
Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house.
Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Philemon 1-3

may become effective
for the full knowledge of
every good thing... for
the sake of Christ.
I have derived much joy
and comfort from your
love... as the hearts of
the saints have been
refreshed through you.
- Philemon 4-7
I thank God always when I remember you in my prayers, because
I hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord
Jesus and for all the saints and I pray that the sharing of your faith

 So short that it was probably written on a single piece of papyrus
 From prison - not a place a person might be expected to think of
the welfare of others
 It contains no theology...
 ...and we do not know the
outcome of the issue
 Yet it teaches us of human
worth, especially that of a
person made holy in Christ
 No matter a person’s
standing in the society of their time
 After Paul’s standard complimentary opening, he makes....

Although in Christ I could be bold
and order you to do what you
ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal
to you on the basis of love.
It is as none other than Paul—an
old man and now also a prisoner
of Christ Jesus— that I appeal to
you for my son Onesimus who
became my son while I was in
chains.
Formerly he was useless to you,
but now he has become useful
both to you and to me.
- Philemon 8-11
• Why could Paul order
Philemon to obey him?
• Basis of love of Paul?
• “Old man” - sympathy?
• How has Onesimus
become Paul’s “son”?
• “Useless” is a pun on the
name “Onesimus”, which
means “useful” in Greek
• How has Onesimus
become useful to Paul?
• How might he now be
more useful to Philemon
than before?
An appeal for Ὀνήσιμον

I am sending him—who is my very
heart—back to you.
Welcome him as you would
welcome me.*
I would have liked to keep him with
me so that he could take your
place in helping me while I am in
chains for the gospel.
But I did not want to do anything
without your consent, so that any
favor you do would not seem
forced but would be voluntary.
- Philemon 12-14
Paul asks permission
• If Onesimus is so dear to
Paul, why is he “sending
him back?
• *Verse 17 copied here
out of order
• Another reminder of
Paul’s situation
• But why “take your
place”?
• Not forced? What do you
call this letter?

 Paul senses he cannot win this one by an imperious demand
 Or by a dizzying barrage of theological verbiage
 Philemon is the master – the slaves under his ownership have
no rights under Roman law
 He is not constrained by law – he can beat them, starve them,
and kill them, at his whim
 Not that he would – slaves
were valuable!
 Paul will argue that Jesus
Christ is the Master of
them all, it is Him that they
all serve – for the common
good of all.
How to win an argument?

Perhaps the reason he was separ-
ated from you for a while was that
you might have him back forever—
No longer as a slave, but better
than a slave, as a dear brother.
He is very dear to me but even
dearer to you, both as a fellow
man and as a brother in the Lord.
If you consider me a partner,
welcome him as you would
welcome me.
- Philemon 15-17
A slave no longer
• It is not clear what
“separated” means.
Maybe Onesimus ran
away (that would be bad)
• Or that Paul kept him by
his side without asking
permission to use him as a
helper (not really
Onesimus’ fault)
• How should Philemon now
consider Onesimus?
• Paul again stresses how
dear Onesimus is to him

If he has done you any wrong or
owes you anything, charge it to me.
I, Paul, am writing this with my own
hand. I will pay it back.
Not to mention that you owe me
your very self.
I do wish, brother, that I may have
some benefit from you in the Lord;
refresh my heart in Christ.
Confident of your obedience, I write
to you, knowing that you will do even
more than I ask.
- Philemon 18-21
How could you refuse?
• This verse suggests
Onesimus did NOT run
away
• Sounds like Paul had a
running tab with
Philemon for ministry
expenses (possible)
• Why does Paul say “you
owe me your very self”?
• What “refreshment”
does he wish for? Why
“in Christ”?

Did Philemon refuse?
Review: What are the main arguments Paul
makes to Philemon in favor of him welcoming
Onesimus back
as if he were
Paul himself (or
as if he were the
Prodigal Son of
the famous
Gospel parable?

Get the guest room ready!
* Is this a kind of veiled threat?
And one thing more; prepare
a guest room for me, because
I hope to be restored to you
in answer to your prayers.*
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner
in Christ Jesus, sends you
greetings. And so do fellow
workers Mark, Aristarchus,
Demas and Luke.
The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ be with your spirit.
- Philemon 22-25

Many later serve the church of Colossae
 Tychicus will tell you all the news about me... I am sending him
to you… that he may encourage your hearts.
 He is coming with Onesimus, our faithful and dear brother, who
is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening
here.
 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends greetings, as does Mark.
 Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings.
 Epaphras, one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings.
 Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.
Taken from Col. 4:7-15

Surely your goodness and unfailing love
Will pursue me all the days of my life,According to tradition…
 He became Bishop of Ephesus around the year 200 AD
 Is credited with making a collection of Paul’s letters
If this bishop was the same Onesimus, think of the effect
Paul’s letter had on his faith and life of service to the Church!
 Was imprisoned in Rome during the reign of the Roman
emperor Domitian (ruled 81-96).
 Was executed during the persecution of Trajan (ruled 98-117)
 May have been martyred by stoning (some sources claim he
was beheaded)
 Regarded as a saint by many Christian denominations; his feast
day is traditionally celebrated on February 16th.
Did Philemon free Onesimus?

Letters from Christians in prison are
important in fighting injustice in our time also
A judge issued an injunction to stop this parading, boycotting, and picketing.
Campaign leaders announced they
would disobey the ruling. Soo after,
Dr. King was arrested along with Ralph
Abernathy, and Fred Shuttlesworth.
A joint statement issued by clergy of
Alabama against these men and their
methods provoked Dr. King to write
his now famous letter in response.
In 1963, a non-violent campaign of peaceful marches and sit-ins against
racism and racial segregation in Birmingham, AL was organized by the
Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights and the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference headed by Dr. Martin Luther King.

16 April 1963
My Dear Fellow Clergymen:
[I am] confined here (in jail) …. Because injustice is here.
Just as the prophets of the 8TH BC left their villages and
carried their "thus saith the Lord“ beyond the boundaries
of their homes, just as the Apostle Paul... carried the
gospel of Jesus Christ to far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I
compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home….
Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and
states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what
happens in Birmingham.
Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in
an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly…..
There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are
no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair....

Letters from prison opposed all who would devalue
human beings because of ethnicity or creed
 Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was not widely known during WWII
 He was one of many courageous pastors and theologians in Germany
who resisted the Nazi regime and defended fellow Jewish citizens
against prejudice and persecution
 His anonymity came to an end with publication
of a collection of his letters and other papers
that were smuggled out of his Berlin prison
 He wrote provocatively about faith, the world
and the Christian church – writings now seen
as prophesy in the light of his faithful death
 These letters earned him celebrity beyond what
little he had in his tragically shortened lifetime

Just a Note
Part 2: Titus

(Before we begin) More on 1st century letters
 A letter might be in the form of wooden boards covered in wax,
the soft wax then marked with a stylus
 These would be wiped clean after being read and the board re-
used; no such letters would, of course, survive intact to this day
 There was no mail service – you had to hire a courier or entrust
your letter to a traveler – many letters probably went astray.
 Officials, writers, & merchants made duplicates of their corres-
pondence (on papyrus, paper, or parchment) as a private record
 So most letters, those of apostles included, did not survive; the
few letters we have in the NT are, then, a precious inheritance.
 Letters of prominent Christians in the generation following the
Apostolic Era are almost equally rare and are therefore also
precious (examples are those of Ignatius, Clement, & Polycarp).

Fragment from a letter written in ink on a wood writing tablet.
Tablets of this sort were used for everyday correspondence and
contain fascinating bits of information about Roman life from
shopping lists to party invitations.
1 inch
Write on wood?

 Philemon
 Titus
 2Thess.
 2Peter
 2John
 3John
 Jude

 One of three “Pastoral Epistles”, a modern designation of the
ensemble including 1st and 2nd Timothy
 All 3 Pastorals addressed to a person (as Philemon) not an area
church (as Romans, Galatians, etc.) but concern the office/r of
the church (overseer, elder, bishop, deacon), hence “Pastor”
 Much ink spilled over the last 200 years debating authorship,
timing, and background of these 3 letters
 Consensus (not unanimity) is that they are best approached as
written by the Early Church as it began to develop structure
and doctrine in the post-Apostolic era, not St. Paul
 Perspective helps explains the need for the letter, i.e. to rein in
fast-spreading unorthodox / potentially schismatic teachings.
Just a note to: Titus

Titus who?
Paul mentions Titus favorably as a brother and co-worker nine
times in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians
As for Titus, he is my partner and co-worker among you… 2Cor. 8:23
 Also mentioned in Galatians (2:1-3) as accompanying Paul and
Barnabas on the journey to Jerusalem
 Was then dispatched to Corinth where he successfully
reconciled the Christian community there with Paul, its founder
 Was (according to the epistle of Titus) later left on the island of
Crete to organize the Church there (no record of Paul preaching there)
 Went some time later to Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia)
according to 2Tim. 4.…
 But we really don’t know much about his activities
 According to Eusebius of Caesarea in the Ecclesiastical History,
Titus served as the first bishop of Crete and was buried there.

And I will live in the
house of the Lord
forever.Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ
to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the
truth that leads to godliness
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who doesn’t lie,
promised before time’s beginning
which now at his appointed season He brought to light through
the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
to Titus, my true son in
our common faith.
Grace and peace from God
the Father and Christ Jesus
our Savior. - Titus 1:1-4
Salutation
• Not like Paul’s usual
opening in many ways
• Emphasizes the loyalty
of the recipient
• Not “trinitarian”

The reason that I
left you in Crete
was that you might
put in order what
was left unfinished
and appoint elders
in every town, as I
directed you.
- Titus 1:5
Your task: appoint elders
Why is this here? Surely Titus
knows his appointed task. Is it,
rather, to introduce the topic of
this portion of the letter?

The reason I left you…
was that you…
put in order…
appoint elders…
in every town…
An elder must be:
• Blameless,
• Faithful to his wife,
• Children believe
• And are not “wild and
disobedient”.
• Emphasis – Titus is there
on Paul’s authority
• Order” is needed – points
to the reason for the letter
• “Every town” implies
“many”; that Christianity
has spread widely
• “Why is there a need to
organize the Church?
• “a husband of one wife” or
“married only once” has
not received clarification
despite much study
...and I mean blameless elders

And I will live in the
house of the Lord
forever.
Elder [ πρεσβυτέρους ] must… < > Overseer [ ἐπίσκοπον ] must…
“…an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless…”
Why this letter?
No - Overseer Is Not Yes - Overseer Is
Overbearing Hospitable
Quick-tempered Loves what is good
Given to drunkenness Self-controlled
Violent Upright, holy
Pursuing dishonest gain Disciplined
Why the emphasis on integrity of the elders
and of the decency of their families?

Emerging Church Structure
Time Period……… State of Church Structure
Jesus (to 30 AD) = Birth
Apostles (to 75) = Spread (no structure)
- - - First Jewish Revolt 66 -73 AD - - -
Evangelists (to 100) = Split from Judaism
Apostolic Fathers (to 150) = Structure Emerges
Early Church (150 – 312) = Structure solidifies
Close of “heroic age” = Wins Imperial support, adopts
Roman governance model

Emerging Church Structure
One and only one Bishop,
appointed by an Apostle,
represents God on earth
A small “college” of
Presbyters, pastor
of a house church
Numerous Deacons
distribute goods,
serve the people
Who has
authority to
start this
chain of
command?
Later in
history, the
people were
sometimes
the ones
who
appointed
their
own
bishop

 2nd bishop of Antioch; inspiring early “Church Father” & martyr
 Provided in 7 letters a revealing glimpse into the heart of the life
teaching and structure of the early 2nd century Christian Church,
that is, the church as it was rights at the close of the NT era.
Letters of Bishop Ignatius
 Late in the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-
117) persecution broke out in Syria
 Ignatius, as leader of the Christians in the
region’s capital city, was arrested and
condemned to die for his faith in the
Roman amphitheater
 He was chained to a squad of Roman
soldiers, marched through Asia Minor to
the port of Troas, shipped to Rome. We
have no more information on his fate.

“For when you are subject to the bishop as to Jesus Christ, it is
evident that you are living not in accordance with human standards
but in accordance with Jesus Christ, who died for us in order that by
believing in His death you might escape death.
It is essential, therefore, that you continue your current practice and
do nothing without the bishop, but be subject also to the council of
presbyters as to the Apostles of Jesus Christ our hope, in whom we
shall be found, if we so live.
Furthermore, it is necessary that those who are deacons of the
mysteries of Jesus Christ please everyone in every respect. For they
are not merely deacons of food and drink but ministers of God’s
Church. Therefore they must avoid criticism as though it were fire.”
- Trallians, Chap. 2
What the Trallian Church MUST do

 One of three chief Apostolic Fathers (with Clement and Ignatius)
 Disciple of John the Apostle who ordained him bishop of Smyrna
 Only surviving work is a letter to the Philippian Church (ca. AD 120)
 Unique in early Christian history as
having a letter addressed to him (by
Ignatius), a letter by him, and an account
about him (The Martyrdom of Polycarp)
 Experienced a glorious martyrdom at the
stake (when the fire failed to hurt him, he
was stabbed and a dove came from his
wound and his blood doused the flames)
 A saint in the Roman Catholic, Orthodox,
Anglican, and Lutheran churches
Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna (69–155 AD)

Demand for virtue seconded by Polycarp
From Titus:
… a presbyter … must
be blameless, not
over-bearing, not
quick-tempered, not
given to drunkenness,
not violent, not
pursuing dishonest
gain. Rather, he must
be hospitable, one
who loves what is
good, who is self-
controlled, upright,
holy and disciplined.
From Polycarp’s Letter to the Philippians:
Presbyters... must be compassionate,
merciful to all, turn back those who
have gone astray, visit all the sick, not
neglecting a widow, orphan, or poor
person but always aiming at what is
honorable in the sight of God and all
the people.
They must avoid anger, partiality, unjust
judgment, stay away from the love of
money and be neither quick to believe
things spoken against anyone nor harsh
in judgment, knowing that we are all in
debt with respect to sin. - to Phil. 6:1

Deacons, also, must be virtuous
Similarly, deacons must be blameless in the presence of {God’s}
righteousness, as servants of God and Christ and not of people.
They must not be slanderers, not insincere, nor lovers of money,
but self-controlled... compassionate, diligent, acting in accord
with the truth of the Lord, who became a servant of all.
You must therefore obey the presbyters and deacons as you
would God and Christ.
I am deeply grieved for Valens, who once was a presbyter among
you, because he fails to understand the office that was entrusted
to him. I warn you, therefore, avoid love of money and be pure
and truthful.
- to Phil. 5:2-3, 11:1

[An overseer] must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it
has been taught, so he can encourage others by sound doctrine
[διδασκαλίᾳ, didaskalia] and refute those who oppose it.
– Titus 1:9
(Back to Titus) Concern for doctrine

Many rebellious people...
Full of meaningless talk and
deception...
(e.g. those of the circumcision group)
They must be silenced
They are disrupting whole households
Teaching things they ought not teach
For the sake of dishonest gain.
One of Crete’s own prophets said it:
“Cretans are always liars, evil
brutes, lazy gluttons.”
This saying is true.
- Titus 1:10-13
Why this stress on “didaskalia”?
o Implied: these are people
of the Church…many!
o Fellow Christians…
o In teaching positions…
o Who were popular!
o Willfully being disruptive
for personal gain!
o What are they teaching
that is so bad?
o What personal gain?
o How could they “be
silenced”? Ominous!
o This last line is clearly an
“ad hominem” attack.

'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts and lazy gluttons.'
 This verse appears to be taking seriously the famous “Liar
Paradox” of the Greek Philosopher Epimenides
 The actual paradox is, “Epimenides the Cretan says, 'that all
Cretans are liars,' but Epimenides is himself a Cretan; therefore, if
the statement is true, then he is himself a liar. But if he is a liar,
what he says is untrue.”
 The paradox as stated can be “solved” by assuming it is false
 Then its negation is, “Not all Cretans are liars – some Cretans tell
the truth.” Just not Epimenides.
 An alternate form of the Liar Paradox cannot be solved:
“Epimenides says, ‘What I am saying now is a lie.’"
The Logical Paradox of Epimenides

 English has (sadly) no shortage of cruel names for people, and
one of them is cretin (meaning: idiot, stupid, dolt, clod, etc.)
 It is also a medical term for a physical deformity arising from a
specific kind of disease.
The people of Crete- vulgar and insensitive?

 English has (sadly) no shortage of cruel names for people, and
one of them is cretin (meaning: idiot, stupid, dolt, clod, etc.)
 It is also a medical term for a physical deformity arising from a
specific kind of disease
 If taken seriously, especially if addressed to Cretans, the verse
would be singularly untactful and insulting!
 Surely the expanding Church would not hesitate to share the
Gospel with the people of Crete,
 And then appoint to newly-planted churches honest and Godly
elders and deacons who would, naturally, be Cretans
So all Cretans aren’t Cretins

Cretins are Christians!
Surprisingly, cretin is
NOT derived from
Cretan; it is a mod-
ified form of the
French “crestin”, in
turn a modified form
of “Christian.”
Why?
It reminded people
that even those who
suffered from physical
or mental abnor-
malities were humans
beings loved by God.

Rebuke them sharply (bring down the hammer on them - don’t
bother trying gentle persuasion)
…so that they will be sound in the faith (again; these are fellow
Christians who can be brought back into full communion)
…and will pay no attention to Jewish myths (Gnostic theology, call
them “fantasies” spun from OT texts)
or to the merely human commands of
those who reject the truth. (not
teachings based on the Apostolic
tradition – anything a schismatic says
is to be rejected out of hand)
– Titus 1:13-14
The solution to the problem…

To the pure, all things are pure,
…but to those who are corrupted
and do not believe, nothing is
pure.
In fact, both their minds and
consciences are corrupted.
They claim to know God, but by
their actions they deny Him.
They are detestable,
disobedient and unfit for
doing anything good.
– Titus 1:15-16
…is a blistering denunciation!
• A proverb, probably – see
Rom. 1:14
• Purity is an inward
attribute resulting in
outward works of virtue
• Detestable works, then,
betray the inward presence
of a corrupt spirit
• “know God” = Gnostics!
• But surely none of us is free
of corruption?
• Did Jesus not come to save
exactly those most needing
inward healing?
….Is this too harsh?

You must teach ( λαλέω = laleo = “speak”)
what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
Teach (“bid”) the older men to be temperate,
worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound
in faith, in love and in endurance.
Likewise, teach the older women (“woman
elder”) to be reverent in the way they live,
not to be slanderers (“devils”) or addicted to
much wine, but to teach what is good.
Then they can urge (“train”) the younger
women to love their husbands and children,
to be self-controlled and pure…
…so that no one will malign the word of God.
- Titus 2:1-5
Titus Chap. 2: teach, tell, urge
• A bit confusing as
“Titus” is now cast
in the role of the
bishop
• No details of
doctrine, rather...
• Emphasis is on
practical aspects
• Five groups of
people in the
church- older and
younger men and
women and slaves.

Similarly, encourage young men to be self-controlled.
Set them, in everything, an example–
by doing what is good.
In your teaching show integrity,
seriousness (“gravity”) and soundness
of speech…
… that cannot be condemned…
… so that those who oppose you
may be ashamed…
… because they have nothing bad
to say about us.
–Titus 2:6-8
Virtue silences opposition

Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try
to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from
them, but to show that they can be fully trusted…
…so that in every way they will make the teaching about God
our Savior attractive.
–Titus 2:9-1
Why virtue?
Why should Christians be scrupulously ethical?
… NOT for the sake of our own moral health and human
flourishing (although this is very good!)…
… and certainly NOT to earn salvation…
… but because it will attract others to the Good News…
… which results in spiritual growth of the Body of Christ.

For the grace of God has appeared that
offers salvation to all people.
It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness
and worldly passions,
and to live self-controlled, upright and
godly lives in this present age,
while we wait for the blessed hope—the
appearing of the glory of our great God
and Savior, Jesus Christ,
who gave himself for us to redeem us
from all wickedness and to purify for
himself a people that are his very own,
eager to do what is good.
Grace calls us to Good
Only occurrence in the NT
of this phrase – an elegant
way to say “Good News”!
This grace in and of itself
(Titus is convinced) calls us
to a life of high ethical
behavior.
Being “good” is living as
God wants His people to
live – no further reason
need be given.

Teach!
 Transition to chapter 3
 A little pep talk
 Emphasis, again, on
authority
 Apostolic succession
again implied

Harsh words also in Timothy
…lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents,
ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving,
slanderous, without self-control, brutal,
not lovers of the good,
treacherous, rash, conceited,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…
Have nothing to do with such people….
… these teachers oppose the truth.
They are men of depraved minds, who,
as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
– 2Tim. 3:2-8

Chap. 3: What about pagans (Romans)?
Remind the people (in the
churches):
 to be subject to (Roman) rulers
and (Roman) authorities,
 to be obedient,
 to be ready to do whatever is
good,
 to slander no one,
 to be peaceable (don’t foment a
rebellion!),
 and considerate, and
 to be gentle (show courtesy)
toward everyone. -Titus 3:1-2

Remind the people (in the
churches):
 to be subject to (Roman) rulers
and (Roman) authorities,
 to be obedient,
 to be ready to do whatever is
good,
 to slander (blaspheme) no one,
 to be peaceable (don’t foment a
rebellion!),
 and considerate, and
 to be gentle (show courtesy)
toward everyone.
• Christians not “higher”
than others or the law
• They are subjects of
Caesar, law-abiding and
obedient
• They are servants of all,
pagans included.
• The early church grew
progressively pro-Roman…
• …trouble comes later when
magistrates demand
Christians sacrifice to
Caesar as to a god!
Chap. 3: What about pagans (Romans)?

From the letter to Diognetus
{Christians} live in their own countries but only as non-residents,
They participate as citizens but endure everything as foreigners;
They are in the flesh but do not live according to the flesh.
They live on earth but their citizenship is in heaven.
They obey the established laws; indeed in their private lives they
transcend the laws.
They love everyone, yet by many they are persecuted.
They are put to death, yet are taken to new life.
They are poor, yet many others they make rich.
They are cursed, yet in return they bless, insulted, they offer respect.
When they do good they are punished as evildoers;
When punished, they rejoice as though being given a reward.
Yet they who hate them are unable to give a reason for their hostility.

The noblest of writings
 Short letter (10 brief chapters) addressed to “most excellent
Diognetus” (not known who this is)
 Traditionally included in the collection of early Church writings
given the name “Apostolic Fathers”
 An “apology”, not a letter – addressed to someone outside the
church, defending the Christian faith
 Author is unknown but writes with skill and style
 Date of composition is a matter of conjecture – probably written in
the 2nd century after the year 150
 History of the text illustrates problems often encountered by NT
era scholars – the sole extant manuscript, of the 13th century, was
defect in a few points and then was destroyed by a fire in 1870
 “Diognetus” was called by Bishop J. B. Lightfoot, “the noblest of
early Church writings”, a sentiment shared widely.

Champion of the Apostolic Fathers
 J. B. Lightfoot (1828-1889) English theologian, Bishop of Durham
 Classical degree from Trinity College, Cambridge
 Editor (1854-1859), Journal of Classical and Sacred Philology
 Professor of Divinity, Cambridge (1861),
honorary chaplain to Queen Victoria
 Canon of St Paul's Cathedral, London (1866)
 Consecrated Bishop of Durham (1879)
 Argued influentially in defense of the NT
canon and was the leading proponent of
the authenticity of the “Apostolic Fathers”
 Published definitive editions of the letters of
Clement of Rome (1869) and the Epistles of
Ignatius and Polycarp (1885).

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient,
deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and
pleasures.
We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating
one another.
But when the kindness* and love# of God our Savior
appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous
things we had done, but because of his mercy.
- Titus 3:3-4
*Kindness = christotes = generosity
# Love = philanthropia = respect, benevolence
Life without God was bitter

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal…
… by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously
… through Jesus Christ our Savior…
… so that, having been justified
… by his grace, we might become
… heirs, having the hope
… of eternal life.
This is a trustworthy saying*.
Titus 3:5-8a
*source unknown: vs. 4-7 or 5-7
are, perhaps, quoted from an early
Church liturgy.
Life anew in God is sweet

And I want you to stress these things,
so that those who have trusted in God
may be careful to devote themselves
to doing what is good.
These things are excellent and
profitable for everyone.
- - Titus 3:8b
The new life is one of good works
This stress on “doing
good” after the emphasis
on receiving unmerited
mercy is puzzling – Titus
not as isolated example -
other early church writers
were also strong on a
Christian leading an
exemplary moral life.

And I want you to stress these things,
so that those who have trusted in God
may be careful to devote themselves
to doing what is good.
These things are excellent and
profitable for everyone.
- Titus 3:8b
The new life is one of good works
This stress on “doing
good” after the emphasis
on receiving unmerited
mercy is puzzling – Titus
not as isolated example -
other early church writers
were also strong on a
Christian leading an
exemplary moral life.
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be
arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth… Command them to do
good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing
to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a
firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold
of the life that is truly life. - 1Tim. 6:17-19

But avoid foolish controversies and
genealogies and arguments and
quarrels about the law, because these
are unprofitable and useless.
Warn a divisive person once, and then
warn them a second time.
After that, have nothing to do with
them.
You may be sure that such people are
warped and sinful.
They are self-condemned.
- Titus 3:9-11
Drastic measures for heretics
• “foolish” = μωρὰς
moros, moronic
• See 1Tim. 1:4 and
2Tim. 2:23.
• “genealogies” might well
refer to those taught by
Gnostic Christians
• “divisive” or “factious”
has the same root as the
word “heresy”
• Only “cure” for such is
excommunication

But avoid foolish controversies and
genealogies and arguments and
quarrels about the law, because these
are unprofitable and useless.
Warn a divisive person once, and then
warn them a second time.
After that, have nothing to do with
them.
You may be sure that such people are
warped and sinful.
They are self-condemned.
- Titus 3:9-11
Drastic measures for heretics
• “foolish” = μωρὰς
moros, moronic
• See 1Tim. 1:4 and
2Tim. 2:23.
• “genealogies” might well
refer to those taught by
Gnostic Christians
• “divisive” or “factious”
has the same root as the
word “heresy”
• Only “cure” for such is
excommunication
…command certain people not to teach false doctrines any
longer or to devote themselves to myths and endless
genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations
rather than advancing God’s work. - 1Tim. 1:4
… pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those
who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to
do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they
produce quarrels. - 2Tim. 2:22-23

{Personal requests, then}….
Our people must learn to devote
themselves to doing what is good,
…in order to provide for urgent
needs and not live unproductive
lives.
Everyone with me sends you
greetings.
Greet those who love us in the faith.
Grace be with you all.
-Titus 3:12-15
Conclusion of Titus

Just a Note
Part 3: 2 Thessalonians

…the apostle Paul returned to the earth today after a long absence. What
would surprise him about the Christian Church? What would please him?
What If….?
This would puzzle or upset Paul
(about Christianity)
This would please or amaze Paul

…returned to the earth today after a long absence. What would
surprise him about the Christian Church? What would please him?
What if the Apostle Paul….?
This would puzzle or upset Paul
This would please or amaze Paul
Jesus has not returned to usher in
the Apocalypse & the New Age
Worldwide spread of the faith; some
entire countries claim to be Christian
Ethical living by professed
Christians not pervasive, esp. in
governments of nations
Outstanding sacrificial living by some
professed Christians now designated
“saints”
So many divisions, denominations,
so many arguments over theology
The high regard we hold his writings
and other books of the Bible
So many fined, tortured, impris-
oned, and killed in Jesus’ Name
Israel restored as an independent
nation (if somewhat secular)

Why was 2 Thessalonians written?
 Letters are responses to a problem in the church...
 What was the problem at Thessalonika?
 What was the
response?
 Does it apply
to us, to our
church, today?

 Earliest extant Christian written work (ca. 50-51 AD)
 One of the seven undisputed Pauline epistles
 Timothy returned to Paul with good news about the faith and love
of the church there, how they were “standing firm”
 Tone, then, is warm, thankful, encouraging, full of Paul’s affection
for the people, e.g. “For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in
which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes?
Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy.” [2:19-20]
 He prays: “May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for
each other and for everyone else as ours does for you. May He
strengthen your hearts so you will be blameless and holy in the
presence of our God when our Lord Jesus comes.” [3:12-13]
 Only one thing troubled the Thessalonians: what about their fellow
believers who died before the 2nd coming of Christ?
Instant replay – 1 Thessalonians

For the first Thessalonian Christians
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about
those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of
mankind, who have no hope.
For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that
God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him….
Here follows a (Jewish) Apocalyptic description of the coming of
Jesus “in the clouds” “in the air”, trumpets and angels included.
….And so we will be with the Lord forever. – 1Thes. 4:13-17
But you.. are not in darkness so that this Day should surprise you like
a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do
not belong to the night or the darkness. Let us, then, not be like
others who are asleep but let us be awake and sober. – 1Thes. 5:4-6

Paul: the 2nd Coming was coming soon
 Paul believed and
taught that the end
of the world was
imminent
 Jesus was the “first
fruits” of the coming
New Age
 Those who trusted in
Him would share in
this
 The Apocalypse was
ALREADY underway,
but the culmination...
 ... was NOT yet; would come soon “as a thief in the night”.

 Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ is soon – otherwise
why teach, encourage and caution?
 (Why not just say – “Hey, guys, don’t worry. Jesus
won’t be coming back for about 2000 years or so?)
 Since the days of the early Church, every generation
it seems thinks that ITS own time is the worst – the
most degenerate the most sinful
 ITS own time is the time of the coming of the End
 Every generation has been wrong. Or maybe “the
End” is not what we think it supposed to be?
1st Letter is Upbeat

Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the
Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ: grace and peace to you from God
the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
We ought always to thank God for you,
brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because
your faith is growing more and more, and
the love all of you have for one another is
increasing.
Therefore, among God’s churches we boast
about your perseverance and faith in all the
persecutions and trials you are enduring.
2 Thessalonians - salutation
- 2Thes. 1:1-4

increasing.
• Short, conven-
tional opening
• Same as that
of 1Th.(copied?)
• “Paul, Silas and
Timothy, to the
church of the
Thessalonians in
God the Father and
the Lord Jesus
Christ; grace and
peace to you.
-1Th. 1:1
- 2Thes. 1:1-4
Salutation start is same as 1 Thes.

increasing.
We always thank God
for all of you and
continually mention
you in our prayers. We
remember before our
God and Father your
work produced by
faith, your labor
prompted by love,
and your endurance
inspired by hope in
our Lord Jesus Christ.
- 1Th. 1:2-3
- 2Thes. 1:1-4
And is highly complimentary (too much?)

All this is evidence that God’s
judgment is right, and as a result
you will be counted worthy of the
kingdom of God, for which you are
suffering.
God is just: He will pay back trouble
to those who trouble you and give
relief to you who are troubled, and
to us as well.
This will happen when the Lord
Jesus is revealed from heaven in
blazing fire with his powerful
angels.
Getting down to business
- 2Thes. 1:5-7

suffering.
to us as well.
angels.
- 2Thes. 1:5-7
 After a so-so opening, the
letter gets serious
 The church is undergoing a
period of trial of some sort;
“trouble”
 A teaching is developing (so
apparent in later church
writings) that Christians
who suffer for the faith are
more worthy than others
 This is a striking divergence
from the Good News of
grace – that no one is made
worthy by good works.

suffering.
to us as well.
angels.
- 2Thes. 1:6-7
 Emphasis is not on the
people of the church
 Gone is the warmth and
personal feeling of 1Thes.
 Has an “eye-for-an-eye”,
OT tone to this verse…
 ...which develops in a
strongly apocalyptic way
 But not in a joyous “meet
in the air” way in 1Thes.
 These = reasons that 2Thes
is regarded as a work of the
late 1st century.
[ἀποκαλύψει = apokalypsei]

He will punish (or ‘inflict
vengeance on’) those who do not
know God and do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Punishment! Really?
- 2Thes. 1:8-10
 The strong, even jarring,
apocalyptic tone builds
 Where is Jesus, the frined
of sinners?
 Stress is not on faith now
but on strict obedience

They will be punished
with everlasting
destruction...
...and shut out
from the
presence of
the Lord...
...and from the
glory of His
might on the
Day He comes…
Punishment! Yes, really!
- 2Thes. 1:8-10
…to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among
all those who have believed.
This includes you, because you believed our testimony.

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you
That our God may make you worthy of his calling
And that by His power He may bring to fruition
Your every desire for goodness
And your every deed prompted by faith.
Prayer for God’s Blessing
- 2Thes. 1:11-12
We pray this so that the name
of our Lord Jesus
May be glorified in you and
you in him
According to the grace
of our God
And the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Not clear yet why the letter was written
 A certain tension is present
 And a much less warm tone
than 1 Thessalonians
 With a harsh apocalyptic
element
 What’s going on here?
Not Clear Yet

Concerning the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ and our
being gathered to him-
We ask you, brothers and
sisters, not to become easily
unsettled or alarmed by the
teaching allegedly from us—
whether by a prophecy or by
word of mouth or by letter—
asserting that the day of the
Lord has already come.
2 Thessalonians continues
- 2Thes. 2:1-2
 The Thessalonians have
apparently had visits from
itinerant prophets & re-
ceived letters, purporting
to come from Paul
 This is evidence that
pseudoepigrapha circul-
ated in the early Church
 The source or reason is not
given/known
 Some people evidently
claimed that the End Times
had already come!

Don’t let anyone deceive you in any
way, for that Day will not come until:
• the rebellion occurs and
• the man of lawlessness is
revealed (the man doomed
to destruction).
He will oppose and will exalt himself
over everything that is called God or is
worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple,
proclaiming himself to be God.
Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used
to tell you these things?
Deception! Rebellion! Lawlessness!
- 2Thes. 2:3-5
 This passage is obscure
to us today –
 Hint in v. 5 is that the
Thessalonians know
what the writer was
referring to
 The language is (again)
clearly apocalyptic

And now you know what is holding
him back, so that he may be revealed
at the proper time.
For the secret power of lawlessness
is already at work;
But the one who now holds it back
will continue to do so till he is taken
out of the way.
And then the lawless one will be
revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will
overthrow with the breath of his
mouth and destroy by the splendor
of his coming.
God is holding the evil in check
- 2Thes. 2:6-8
 The language resembles
that of the book of
Revelation
 Apocalyptic preaching
proliferated after the
destruction of the
Temple in Jerusalem by
Roman forces in 70 AD
 Apocalyptic writings
teach that great evil
will arise to torment
God’s elect…
 …but Christ will over-
come all evil

Bamberg
Apocalypse
 11th-century illuminated
manuscript containing the
Book of Revelation
 Created in the scriptorium
at Reichenau ca. 1000 AD
 Commissioned by the Holy
Roman Emperor Otto III
 Has 106 folios; illuminated
with 57 gilded miniatures
and >100 gilded initials
 Added (2003) to the
UNESCO “Memory of the
World” register.

The coming of the lawless one will be in
accordance with how Satan works.
He will use all sorts of displays of power
through signs and wonders that serve the
lie, and all the ways that wickedness
deceives those who are perishing.
They perish because they refused to love
the truth and so be saved.
For this reason God sends them a
powerful delusion so that they will
believe the lie and so that all will be
condemned who have not believed the
truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Signs and wonders are only delusions!
- 2Thes. 2:9-12
Παρουσία
(Parousia) κατ'
ἐνέργειαν
(energeian)
τοῦ
Σατανᾶ
(Satana)
Forceful contrast
between “lies”
and “truth”

 2000 years of history since Paul’s day - lots of bad guys (lawless
ones). No lack of wickedness! No lack of suffering!
 But the human race has not done so badly, in general – the
species, at least, is successful
 Consider population growth, consumption of resources, ability
to alter the environment of the planet, technology to control
living spaces to increase comfort, to enable more rapid
transportation and communication, medical and hygiene
techniques to increase longevity…
 No Second Coming yet despite many claims, all disappointments
 What do you think? Is “it will come as a thief in the night” still
the reasonable, believable?
What are we (today) to make of all this?

Should you not follow the call of Jesus NOW?
The “order of salvation” (grace upon grace) is for NOW
Apocalyptic Scripture is a special type of highly dramatic literature
– it grabs attention! – but it teaches that the assurance of God’s
loving Presence is for us NOW, no matter what may befall
us today.
Trust Him, love Him,
and serve Him NOW
What is to come is
also in His Hands.
Thy Kingdom (has already) come

But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers
and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you
as first fruits to be saved through the sanctifying work
of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
He called you to this through our gospel, that you
might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast
to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by
word of mouth or by letter.
Another prayer
- 2Thes. 2:13-14

May our Lord Jesus Christ
and God our Father,
who loved us
and by his grace
gave us
eternal encouragement and
good hope,
encourage your hearts and
strengthen you
in every good deed
and word.
And a blessing for
all ages
- 2Thes. 2:16-17

As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that
the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored,
just as it was with you.
And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people,
for not everyone has faith.
But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect
you from the evil one.
We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will
continue to do the things we command.
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s
perseverance.
May the message spread
- 2Thes. 3:1-5

As for other matters, brothers
and sisters, pray for us that the
message of the Lord may spread
rapidly and be honored, just as it
was with you….
…We have confidence in the Lord
that you are doing and will
continue to do the things we
command.
May the Lord direct your hearts
into God’s love and Christ’s
perseverance.
But the letter not quite finished
- 2Thes. 3:1-5
Emphasis is on keeping on in the faith – will the Thessalonians
(will we?) give up if the parousia does not materialize?

First, a flashback to 1 Thessalonians
We ask you, brothers and sisters,
to acknowledge those:
Hold them in the highest regard
in love because of their work.
Live in peace with each other.
– 1Thes. 5:12-13
 who work hard
among you,
 who care for you in
the Lord, and
 who admonish you.

1 Thessalonians: especially one word
And we urge you, brothers and sisters:
 Warn those who are idle and disruptive (ἀτάκτους,
atactous, “out of line”; polymer term: “atactic”, meaning,
no regular structure),
 Encourage the disheartened,
 Help the weak,
 Be patient with everyone.
 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong,
 but always strive to do what is good for each other and
for everyone else.
– 1Thess. 5:14-15

Now, compare 2 Thessalonians
These is no section of appreciation – letter goes directly to…
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ: brothers and sisters – keep
away from every believer who is idle and disruptive {atactic} and
does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example:
we were not idle {atactic} when we were with you, nor did we eat
anyone’s food without paying for it.
On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so
that we would not be a burden to any of you.
We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help,
but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate.
-2Thess. 3:6-9

This admonition implies…
 Some church members are not paying attention (or at least
not applying) the teaching of the Elders
 And may be putting too much emphasis on the expectation
of the Second Coming (if the End is near, why go to work?)
 Some may be eating at the “love feasts” (communion
services) without contributing anything in the way of food,
drink, or labor
 Seems to imply that the Thessalonian Christians are living in
community, in which order is essential, so the ones who are
not working are then a burden to others
 Plea is to imitate the life of St. Paul and other saints,
something we still try to do day- but here the call is to
imitate their work ethic, not their spiritual virtues

Capt. John Smith, leader of the Virginia Colony from Sept. 1608-Aug.
1609, famously quoted this verse to the struggling Jamestown colonists:
Countrymen! The long experience of our late miseries, I hope, is
sufficient to persuade everyone to a present correction of himself.
And think not that either my pains nor the
adventurers' purses will ever maintain you
in idleness and sloth...
...the greater part must be more industrious,
or starve... You must obey this now for a law,
that he that will not work shall not eat
except by sickness he be disabled.
For the labors of 30-40 honest and industrious
men shall not be consumed to maintain 150
idle loiterers.
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one
who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” -2Thess. 3:10

1Thess. Vs. 2Thess.
We hear that some among you are
idle and disruptive {atactic}.
They are not busy; they are busy-
bodies! {this is a play on words}
Such people we command and urge
in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle
down and earn the food they eat.
The admonition continues…
- 2Thes. 3: 11-15

1Thess. Vs. 2Thess.
We hear that some among you are
idle and disruptive {atactic}.
They are not busy; they are busy-
bodies! {this is a play on words}
Such people we command and urge
in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle
down and earn the food they eat.
The admonition continues…
- 2Thess. 3: 11-15
“They get into the habit of being idle and going about from house
to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also
busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to.”
–1Tim. 5:13

1Thess. Vs. 2Thess.
Letters comparison – final advice
- 2Thess. 3: 11-15
 Rejoice always
 Pray continually
 Give thanks in all
circumstances (for this is
God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus)
 Do not quench the Spirit.
 Do not treat prophecies
with contempt but test
them all;
 Hold on to what is good
 Reject every kind of evil.
– 1Thess. 5:16-22

1Thess. Vs. 2Thess.
And as for you, brothers and
sisters, never tire of doing
what is good.
Take special note of anyone
who does not obey our
instruction in this letter- do
not associate with them, in
order that they may feel
ashamed.
Yet do not regard them as an
enemy, but warn them as
you would a fellow believer.
Letters comparison – final advice
- 2Thess. 3: 11-15
 Rejoice always
 Pray continually
 Give thanks in all
circumstances (for this is
God’s will for you in Christ
Jesus)
 Do not quench the Spirit.
 Do not treat prophecies
with contempt but test
them all;
 Hold on to what is good
 Reject every kind of evil.
– 1Thess. 5:16-22

Concluding Verses
May God himself, the God of peace,
sanctify you through and through.
May your whole spirit, soul and
body be kept blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will do it. Brothers and
sisters, pray for us. Greet all God’s
people with a holy kiss.
I charge you before the Lord to have
this letter read to all the brothers
and sisters.
– 1Thes. 5:23-28

Concluding Verses
May God himself, the God of peace,
sanctify you through and through.
May your whole spirit, soul and
body be kept blameless at the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The one who calls you is faithful,
and he will do it. Brothers and
sisters, pray for us. Greet all God’s
people with a holy kiss.
I charge you before the Lord to have
this letter read to all the brothers
and sisters.
– 1Thes. 5:23-28
Now may the Lord of
peace himself give you
peace at all times and in
every way.
The Lord be with all
of you.
I, Paul, write this greeting
in my own hand, which is
the distinguishing mark in
all my letters. This is how I
write.
(a suspicious insistence by the
text that this is from Paul)
-2Thes. 3:16-18

And this concludes “Just a Note” Part 3
The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you.
– 1Thes. 5:23-28
The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all.
-2Thes. 3:16-18

Just a Note
Part 4: 2 Peter/Jude

The salutation: who to whom
Simon Peter, a servant and
apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the
righteousness of our God and
Savior Jesus Christ have received
a faith as precious as ours -
Grace and peace be yours in
abundance through the
knowledge of God and of
Jesus our Lord. – 2Peter 1:1-2
2 Peter opens naming the writer, as was commonly done. Curiously,
the text uses his name and nickname, as if to emphasize who it is,
unlike in 1 Peter: “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to God’s elect,
exiles scattered throughout the provinces...” (1Pe. 1:1)

From the key man
Simon Peter the Apostle holds the
“keys to the Kingdom” in this
statue in St. Peter’s Basilica,
Vatican City
“And I tell you that you are Peter
and on this rock I will build my
church. The gates of Hades will not
overcome it.
I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven; whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in
heaven and whatever you loose on
earth will be loosed in heaven.”
-Matt. 16:18-19

To people of a precious faith
{Peter}…
To those who through
the righteousness of our
God and Savior Jesus
Christ have received a
faith as precious as ours,
Grace and peace be
yours in abundance
through the knowledge
of God and of Jesus
our Lord.
– 2Peter 1:1-2
 Addressed to all Christians everywhere
 No mention of where written from but
most probably is from Rome
 Faith is equally precious to apostles
and to laity because it is from the
righteousness of Jesus, not ours
 Best Greek text translates to wording
making God = Jesus (not so the KJV),
theology that only gained wide
acceptance at end of the 1st century
 “Knowledge” is “full knowledge”, an
emphasis of 2Pe. Could be deliberate
contrast to Gnostic teaching

...Called as was Peter himself
His divine power has given us
everything we need for a
godly life through our
knowledge of Him who called
us by his own glory....
....He has given us His very
great and precious promises,
so that through them you
may participate in the divine
nature, having escaped the
corruption in the world
caused by evil desires.
– 2Peter 1:3-4
 Living a Godly life is a result of
receiving “divine power”, not our
own power
 Again, the stress is on knowing
Christ – not just historically but
spiritually
 Comes of hearing the kerygma
(apostolic proclamation) and
having faith in promises of Christ
 Growth in Christ is contrasted
with “corruption” of the world
 Desire for God is contrasted with
desire for that which is evil

About the writer of 2 Peter
We should focus our attention on
the letter as received (in the
Canon of the NT), its content and
message...
But a word about the writer of the
text of any NT letter is always
important as it helps us under-
stand that message.
For 2 Peter scholars have come to
a firm consensus as to whether or
not Peter really was its author.....

No. It was likely written “in his name”
AUTHOR
-------------
WORTH
Not
Known
Pseudo-
epigraphic
Attributed Known
CANONICAL Hebrews
Titus,
2Thess.
2Peter
Matthew,
Mark, Luke,
John
Epistles of
Paul (7)
VALUED Didache Hermas
Clement,
Barnabas
Ignatius,
Polycarp,
Papias, etc.
HERETICAL
Many
Gnostic
texts
Gospel of
Thomas
Epistle of
Paul to
Seneca
Works of
Marcion

No deception intended
AUTHOR
-------------
WORTH
Not
Known
Pseudo-
epigraphic
Attributed Known
CANONICAL
VALUED
HERETICAL
“No fraud or fiction is involved in such a
conception of authorship of 2Peter.
Pseudonymity was a device whereby the spirit
and perhaps the funded wisdom of some widely
recognized and highly esteemed person were
used to proclaim truth with authority.”
– A. E. Barnett, The Interpreter’s Bible
2Peter

2 Peter is a late work
 Some 3rd and even 4th century Church
leaders and writers either did not quote
from 2Peter (for whatever reason) or did
not consider it fully canonical
 Makes a clear reference to and claim of
authorship of 1Peter (“protest too much”)
 Differences in style and tone, subject
matter, allusion to Jude and to Paul’s
letters all argue strongly against the
author being the same as that of 1Peter
 Although dating 2Peter is as difficult as
dating any work of the early Church, it is
probably in the range 120-140AD
 Still, it IS canonical – people loved it!
2 Peter is, then, possibly
the latest work of the
New Testament

The opening moves on
As we continue reading the opening chapter, moving beyond
the salutation the text introduces an important theme: that of
“knowledge.”
Not always used favorably: We know that “We all possess
knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.
Those who think they know something do not yet know as
they ought to know. 1Cor. 8:1-2
“Knowledge” is used
 5 times in 2 Peter
 Out of 38 times in the NT epistles
 But not once in 1 Peter

2 Peter’s wish list
For this very reason, make every effort
to:
• add to your faith, goodness
• and to goodness, knowledge
• and to knowledge, self-control
• and to self-control, perseverance
• and to perseverance, godliness
• and to godliness, mutual affection
• and to mutual affection, love.
Although the text itself does not say there are direct connections
leading from one attribute to the other (which implies some sort of
overall order), many preachers and devotionals suggest there are.
What do you think?
– 2Peter 1:5-7

All are necessary to be effective
For this very reason, make every effort
to:
• add to your faith goodness
• and to goodness, knowledge
• and to knowledge, self-control
• and to self-control, perseverance
• and to perseverance, godliness
• and to godliness, mutual affection
• and to mutual affection, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing
measure, they will keep you from being ineffective
and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
– 2Peter 1:5-8

Works or Faith?
Whoever does not have them
is nearsighted and blind,
forgetting that they have been
cleansed from their past sins.
– 2Peter 1:9
Compare with:
“…you love Him; and even though
you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and
are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
for you are receiving the end result of your faith,
the salvation of your souls. -1Peter 1:8-9

This list of virtues is nice (I am all for being
virtuous!) but many attributes are
not listed.
Compare the fruit of the
Spirit Paul lists in Galatians:
love, joy, peace,
forbearance (patience),
kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control.
- Gal. 5:22
Why doesn’t 2Peter list the
same “fruit”? Are there two
different sets of “fruit”?
Fruit of the Spirit?

Christian Character(2Pe.1:6-7)
Eusebia
Gnosis
Arete
Agape
Phila-
del-
phia
Egcrateia
Upomone
Pistis

Christ’s Character (2Pe.1:6-7)
Eusebia
Gnosis
Arete
Agape
Phila-
del-
phia
Egcrateia
Upomone
Pistis
CHR
IST

Muscular Christians never stumble!
Therefore, my brothers and
sisters, make every effort to
confirm your calling and
election.
For if you do these things, you
will never stumble [ πταίσητέ
(ptaisete) = fall] and you will
receive a rich welcome into
the eternal kingdom of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
- 2Peter 1:10-11

But “muscular Christians” are still human
election.
Are you disturbed by this clear
warning that Christians CAN “stumble”, i.e, lose faith after Baptism,
receiving instruction, and taking part in the Eucharist.
What do you think about this? “Once saved always saved”?

We all stumble over Jesus
election.
2Peter 1:10-11 - - - compare - - - 1Peter 2:7-8
Now to you who believe, this
stone is precious. But to those
who do not believe, “The
stone the builders rejected has
become the cornerstone,”
and, “A stone that causes
people to stumble and a rock
that makes them fall."
They stumble because they
disobey the message…

Knowledge with love
Not necessarily about what we now call “doctrine” or “dogma”
At the time of the writing of 2 Peter, these had not been
formulated and taught as such.
The stress on “knowledge of God” suggests that 2Peter is
opposing Gnostic heresies (especially those taught by
Christian Gnostics) that were popular in the 2nd century AD.
Their spread is cited by some scholars as one reason orthodox
Christians began to make lists of sound (approved) writings for
use in the churches that eventually became the NT Canon.

Christians do not teach that the material world is “bad”
God created the world and declared it good!
Jesus was truly human and lived among us!
Rather, there are (ultimately) 2 ways:
(1) Godly life of righteousness and goodness
(we participate in the divine nature of love);
(2) Selfish life of personal desires and hatred
(we participate in ego boosting, caring little
about truth, goodness, and beauty)

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch (ca. 120 AD)
on the danger of false teaching
I urge you, therefore, - yet, not I, but the love of Jesus Christ – partake
only of Christian food and keep away from every strange plant, which
is heresy. These people mix Jesus with themselves like those who
administer a deadly drug with honeyed wine which the unsuspecting
victim accepts without fear and so with fatal pleasure drinks death.
- Trallians 6
Let no one be misled! …Note well those who hold heretical opinions
about the grace of Jesus Christ that came to us, see how contrary they
are to the mind of God! They have no concern for love… those who
deny the good gift of God perish in their contentiousness.
- Smyrnaeans 6-7
Do not let those who appear to be trustworthy yet who teach strange
doctrines baffle you! Stand firm! - Polycarp 3

Remind Refresh Remember
So I will always remind you of these things, even
though you know them and are firmly established
in the truth you now have.
- 2Peter 1:12-15
Do we do
this for one
another?
We must,
because
there are
no Apostles
among us
anymore

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as
I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I
will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has
made clear to me.
This is, most
likely, referring
to Jn. 21:18;
“Truly I tell you,
when you were younger you dressed yourself and went
where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch
out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead
you where you do not want to go.” If so, then, this
supports the view that 2Peter was written after John’s
Gospel, which itself was a late production.

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as
I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I
will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has
made clear to me.
And I will make every effort to see that after my
departure you will always be able to remember
these things.
- 2Peter 1:12-15
Again, do
we do this
for one
another?
Who else
will?
There are
no Apostles
among us
anymore

Stories?
For we did not follow cleverly
devised stories when we told
you about the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ in power, but
we were eyewitnesses of his
majesty.
He with him on the sacred
mountain. – 2Peter 1:16-18

Stories?
majesty.
He with him on the sacred
mountain. – 2Peter 1:16-18
“Cleverly devised stories”
(or mythologies)...
This is probably a
reference to Gnostic
teachings.

Gnostics twisted Christian truth
 “Gnosticism” describes
a collection of religions popular
at and after the time of Jesus
 Various gnostic sects believed
different things but most taught
that people should shun the
“lower” material world and
seek after the spiritual world
 Everything in the world of matter, flesh, and time was imperfect and
ephemeral and therefore to be shunned
 God dwelt in a perfect non-physical “upper” world of spirit to which
the soul could aspire
 Gnostics urged followers to achieve secret “knowledge” (“gnosis”)
that brought on oneness with God, “enlightenment” & emancipation
 It was not inherently Christian but it gained many Christian adherents
majesty.

False teaching – false teachers
 Gnosticism is a term used for a variety of interrelated spiritual
teachings popular in the 2-4th centuries
 Had in common the idea that the material world of time and space is
“false” or a deception created not by God but by a “demiurge”
 Only way to escape is to acquire the right gnosis and become
enlightened or freed, thus earning salvation or oneness with God
 Reached by seeking wisdom, secrets of the universe, and by helping
others, giving alms, abstinence from earthly desires
 God lives in an “upper eternal
world” and is associated with
the soul and with perfection
 Information about Gnostics
came with the 1945 find of
2,000 year-old scrolls at
Nag Hammadi, in Egypt

The majesty of transfiguration
...but we were eyewitnesses of
his majesty.
He received honor and glory from
God the Father when the voice
came to him from the Majestic
Glory, saying, “This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well
pleased.”
We ourselves heard this voice
that came from heaven when we
were with him on the sacred
mountain.
– 2Peter 1:16-18

True prophets
We also have the prophetic message { i.e. Old Testament prophecy
concerning Christ } as something completely reliable, and you will do
well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until
the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts { reference
to the Second Coming? }.
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came
about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets,
though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the
Holy Spirit { in contrast with false prophets in next verse }.
– 2Peter 1:19-21
Implied is that interpretation of prophecy is not to be done by the
individual subjectively and arbitrarily but only by someone under the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. But how would you know?

Beware the false prophets!
But there were also false prophets among the people, {in OT
times} just as there will be false teachers among you.
They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying
the sovereign Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction
on themselves. - 2Peter 2:1

False prophet – depraved conduct
Many will follow their
depraved conduct
and will bring the way of truth into
disrepute.
In their
greed
these teachers will
exploit you with
fabricated stories.
Their condemnation has long been
hanging over them,
and their destruction has not been
sleeping.
- 2Peter 2:2-3
Notice the use of words
with negative
connotations; the
writer sees both the
words and the actions
of heretics as a very
serious threat.
He is certain that God
will smite them and
soon!
Do you feel this
strongly today about
non-orthodox
teachings?

 IF God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to
hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment
 IF He did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood
on its ungodly people, but protected Noah (a preacher of
righteousness) and seven others
 IF He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning
them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to
happen to the ungodly; and
 IF He rescued Lot (a righteous man) who was distressed by the
depraved conduct of the lawless (for that righteous man, living
among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul
by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)….
- 2Peter 2:4-8
if…………...………………..then

If this is so, then the Lord knows how to:
- rescue the godly from trials and
- hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.
This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the
flesh and despise authority. - 2Peter 2:9-10
righteous……..………………..ungodly
This is a kind of “pep talk” - the writer chooses 3 lessons from the
OT to show that God saves the righteous.
It would be obvious to everyone that the alleged ungodly are not
being vaporized this minute, so the writer reassures his readers
that justice (which is certain) is merely waiting for the arrival
(soon) of the Day of Doom

2Pe. 4-17 is taken from Jude 4-13
For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long
ago have secretly slipped in among you.
They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a
license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our Sovereign and Lord…
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but
abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness,
bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding
towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and
perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the
punishment of eternal fire. - Jude 4-7

2Pe. 4-17 is taken from Jude 4-13
For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long
ago have secretly slipped in among you.
They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a
license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our Sovereign and Lord…
And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but
abandoned their proper dwelling—these he has kept in darkness,
bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day.
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding
towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and
perversion. They serve as an example of those whsuffer the
punishment of eternal fire. - Jude 4-7
God did not spare angels when they sinned,
but sent them to hell, putting them in
chains of darkness to be held for judgment.
- 2Pe. 2:1

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse
on celestial beings;
Even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful,
do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment
on them from the Lord.
But these people blaspheme in matters they do not
understand.
They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born
only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too
will perish. - 2Peter 2:11-12
More Harsh Denunciation
Yet these people slander whatever they do not understand,
and the very things they do understand by instinct—as
irrational animals do—will destroy them. - Jude 11

They will be paid back with harm
for the harm they have done.
Their idea of pleasure is to
carouse in broad daylight.
They are blots and blemishes,
reveling in their pleasures while
they feast with you. {they are
part of the Christian community}
With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce
the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
- 2Peter 2:13-16
The heretics are brazen and irreverent. They are also immoral.

Woe to them!...they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error;
they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. – Jude 11
They have left the
straight way and
wandered off to follow
the way of Balaam son
of Bezer*, who loved
the wages of wicked-
ness. But he was
rebuked for his wrong
doing by a donkey, an
animal without speech,
who spoke with a
human voice and
restrained the
prophet’s madness.
*Balaam’s story is in Num. 22-24

Jewish…………. ………….Christian
The numerous references to OT characters
strongly suggests that the letter is directed to
Jewish Christians.
This makes it more likely that the trials these
people are undergoing involve expulsion from the
local synagogue and rejection by friends and
family because of their new faith.

Springs without water
These people are springs without water
and mists driven by a storm.
Blackest darkness is reserved for them.
They mouth empty, boastful words and,
by appealing to the lustful desires of the
flesh, they entice people who are just
escaping from those who live in error.
They promise them freedom, while they
themselves are slaves of depravity—
for people are slaves to whatever has
mastered them.
- 2Peter 2:17-19

Jewish…………. ………….Christian
If they have escaped the corruption of the
world by knowing our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it
and are overcome, they are worse off at
the end than they were at the beginning.
It would have been better for them not to
have known the way of righteousness,
than to have known it and then to turn
their backs on the sacred command that
was passed on to them.
Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog
returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is
washed returns wallowing in the mud.”
- 2Peter 2:20-22
What might
“corruption of the
world” mean?
Is the sin of apostasy
in some sense worse
than that of unbelief?
In the 5th century, the
claim that a person
could not be forgiven
for the sin of apostasy
was condemned.
There is always
forgiveness in Christ.

Sending a message by the hands of a fool
is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.
Like the useless legs of one who is lame
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
Like tying a stone in a sling
is the giving of honor to a fool.
Like a thornbush in a drunkard’s hand
is a proverb in the mouth of a fool…
As a dog returns to its vomit,
so fools repeat their folly.
-Prov. 26:6-11
Fool…………. ………….Fool

 2Peter 2 is a kind of “pep talk” - God saves the righteous but the
ungodly are marked for judgment and eventual punishment
 These people are not only heretics (teaching false doctrine)…
 …but also bold and arrogant sinners, their “eyes full of adultery,
they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable, they are
experts in greed” — they are “blots and blemishes” on the
Christian community
 Seems these people are trying to bilk the local church of money
in some way; “they have left the straight way and wandered
off to follow the way of Balaam…”
 Note the troublesome implication; that the troublemakers are
fellow Christians.
Beware the ungodly!

I want you to recall the words spoken
in the past by the holy prophets and
the command given by our Lord and
Savior through your apostles.
Above all, you must understand that
in the last days scoffers will come,
scoffing and following their own evil
desires.
They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’
he promised? Ever since our ances-
tors died, everything goes on as it has
since the beginning of creation.”
- 2Peter 3: 2-4
2 Peter chapter 3

I want you to recall the words spoken
in the past by the holy prophets and
the command given by our Lord and
Savior through your apostles.
Above all, you must understand that
in the last days scoffers will come,
scoffing and following their own evil
desires.
They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’
he promised? Ever since our ances-
tors died, everything goes on as it has
since the beginning of creation.”
- 2Peter 3: 2-4
The end & how to prepare for it
Stress is on “apostolic
succession”, i.e. the words of
the Lord come down to the
present hearers through the
apostles and those they
appointed to the episcopate.
Tradition has it that in the last
days before the 2nd Coming of
Christ, there will be many who
try to lead Christians away
from their faith.
If that is the problem these
Christians are facing, then ipso
facto, the end times must be
underway.

But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens
came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and
destroyed.
Delay of the Coming?
By the same word
the present heavens
and earth are
reserved for fire;
being kept for the
day of judgment
and destruction
of the ungodly.
- 2Peter 3: 5-7

But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens
came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.
By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and
destroyed.
Delay of the Coming?
By the same word the present
heavens and earth are
reserved for fire; being kept
for the day of judgment
and destruction of the
ungodly.
- 2Peter 3: 5-7

But do not forget this one thing,
dear friends:
With the Lord a day
is like a thousand years,
and a thousand years
are like a day.
The Lord is not slow in keeping
His promise, as some understand slowness.
Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,
but everyone to come to repentance.
- 2Peter 3:8-10
God not Time
A thousand years in your sight are
like a day that has just gone by, or
like a watch in the night. - Ps. 90:4

But the day
of the Lord
will come
like a thief.
The heavens
will disappear
with a roar;
the elements
will be
destroyed
by fire,
and the earth
and everything
done in it
will be laid bare.
- 2Pe. 3:11-13
composite image of Kepler's supernov

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of
people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to
the day of God and speed its coming.
That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by
fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping
with his promise…
…we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,
where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this,
make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at
peace with him.
- 2Peter 3:11-13
What kind of people?

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of
people ought you to be?
You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to
the day of God and speed its coming.
That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by
fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping
with his promise…
…we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,
where righteousness dwells.
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this,
make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at
peace with him.
- 2Peter 3:11-13
Spotless

Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as
our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the
wisdom that God gave him.
He writes the same way in
all his letters, speaking in
them of these matters.
His letters contain some
things that are…
- 2Peter 3:15-16

……….. some things that are hard to understand, which
ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other
Scriptures, to their own destruction.
- 2Peter 3:16
“A collection of later (i.e. post-
Gospel) writings known to the
writer (of 2 Peter) as “Scripture”
of which Paul’s letters forms a
part…can hardly be conceived of
as possible prior to the middle of
the 2nd Century.”
– NT scholar J. B. Mayor (1907)

Therefore, dear friends,
since you have been forewarned,
be on your guard
so that you may not be
carried away by the
error of the lawless
and fall from your secure position
{or “firm foundation”}.
But grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To him be glory both now and forever!
Amen. - 2Peter 3:17-18
Final Words

Just a Note
Part 5: 2 & 3 John

Questions for an evolving Church
We’ve seen, through the eyes of the writers of the short letters of
2Thessalonians, Titus, and 2 Peter, that well after the home-going
of the twelve Apostles….

Questions for an evolving Church
We’ve seen, through the eyes of the writers of the short letters of
2Thessalonians, Titus, and 2 Peter, that well after the home-going
of the twelve Apostles….
 …communities of Christian believers popped up all over the
Roman Empire and grew in number and thrived on into what
we now call the 2nd century
 But Jesus did not return in any spectacular way- there is no
record in history of a cataclysmic, violent “end time”, no
obvious establishment of a just reign of God on earth
 Christians faced the challenges of a more mundane reality
 An ordinary if sometimes difficult life punctuated by official
hostility, even persecution
 A unique Christian identity evolved, the Church had to face and
answer unique questions……………………

 Need NOT be a sect of Judaism
(need not follow the Law, or
Torah), but if “the Way” is not
Jewish, what is it?
 Need EACH community to reject
heretical teachings; so how can
EACH be sure it bears and
proclaims a faith experience
common to ALL?
 Must NOT be OF the world sur-
rounding them- a culture of (as
yet) unbelieving Greeks, Romans,
and Egyptians, so what then IS
the ROLE of the church?
The emerging Christian Church….
One of the “Sculptures Emerging from
Walls” by Matteo Pugliese

 Leadership - need establish orderly
methods to select leaders for each
community
 Doctrine - need to determine exactly
which texts and teachings are trustworthy
not heretical, which are to be read to the
congregations for their edification and
which are outside the bounds of toleration
to be denounced
 Ethics - need to define parameters of a
Christ-pleasing lifestyle to guide the family
and work life of every Christian immersed in
a familiar but now separate world.
Forging a Church for the Ages
Unsigned Russian or Czech Socialist Realism
bronze sculpture of a foundry worker (1939)

 Leadership (Ignatius, Polycarp, Clement)
Establish, replicate, defend a hierarchical system of
Bishop - Elder - Deacon
 Doctrine (Titus, 2Peter, 2John)
Forcefully condemn any Christian teaching that is “heterodox” (in
the view of the writer or preacher); promote, copy, and dis-
seminate writings supporting the emerging orthodoxy (these
eventually became the NT canon)
 Ethics (Titus, Didache, Hermas)
Strongly insist on a strict moral code that attracted many people
who regarded Roman society as decadent. “Commit no evil in your
life and serve the Lord with a clean heart; keep his commandments
and walk in his ordinances and do not permit an evil desire to enter
your heart… restrain yourself from every evil deed.” Hermas 54:5
Emerging church literature tells the story

The 2nd Epistle of John: Salutation
The elder (presbyteros), to the lady
chosen by God (eklekte kuria)
and to her children whom I love
(agapo) in the truth, and not I only,
but also all who know the truth—
because of the truth, which lives in
us and will be with us forever:
grace, mercy and peace (charis,
eleos, eirene) from God the Father
and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s
Son will be with us in truth
and love.
2Jn. 1-3

 The elder…. Not named, Church tradition associated this letter with
the Gospel of John, the other epistles attributed to John the
Evangelist, and to Revelation ...
 ...resulting in these books being designated the “Johannine Corpus”.
 Scholarly opinion is that the unknown writer was probably a bishop
or “prophet” in the mode of Paul (a church planter)
 To the lady chosen by God … a unknown church community, likely
one about to receive a visit from “the elder” and beloved by him
 Where?…Asia Minor, likely Ephesus (hence the connection to St.
John the Evangelist)
 When? …as usual with an early Church letter, dating is uncertain and
disputed. Call it AD 120 (give or take).
 Why? …as will become evident, the reason is a warning against
heterodox traveling teachers
Footnotes

 Love occurs 39 times in the Gospel of John.
 “My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will
look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now:
Where I am going, you cannot come. “A new command I give
you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love
one another. By this everyone will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another.” – Jn. 13:34-35
 “Love” occurs 33 times in the 3 Epistles of John
 “Dear friends, since God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another. No
one has ever seen God; but if we love
one another, God lives in us and his
love is made complete in us.”
– 1Jn. 4:11-12
Johannine theme: all you need is...

“Love” occurs 4 times in the first 6
verses. The letter continues:
It has given me great joy to find
some of your children walking in
the truth, just as the Father
commanded us.
And now, dear lady, I am not
Love talk in the opening of 2 John...
writing you a new command but one we have had from the
beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that
we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from
the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. - 2Jn. 4-6

“Love” occurs 4 times in the first 6
verses. The letter continues:
It has given me great joy to find
some of your children walking in
the truth, just as the Father
commanded us.
And now, dear lady, I am not
...hints at a very
serious problem
writing you a new command but one we have had from the
beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that
we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from
the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. - 2Jn. 4-6

Just a Note- The Short Letters of the New Testament

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