The Fellowship Residency Program has introduced me to the idea of reading commentaries alongside scripture. By August of 2019, I will have read through the entire Bible as well as The King in His Beauty, our selected commentary. As I am reading, I am writing a little bit about each of the books of the Bible so you and I can have a more thorough understanding of the scriptures. I invite you to follow along with me as we learn the Bible in its entirety from Genesis to Revelation. This summary does NOT encompass the entire book, but it is a good place to start. I encourage you to read for yourself and begin your own Biblical journal along the way. To read any of my other Residency related posts, click here.
The epistles of 2 Peter and Jude are studied together, because of the similar themes found in the two books. They both discuss what it means to live under the lordship of Christ. Opponents discussed in 2 Peter did not believe in the return of Christ, so Peter emphasizes the eyewitness testimony that Christ is returning. The false teachers of the time believed that life was stable without disruption since the beginning of time. The denial of Jesus’s return appeared to be linked to or caused by a libertine lifestyle. Ultimately, the false teachers were unwilling to submit to Christ as Lord. They would deny Him by rejecting His rule through their behavior. The false teachers prized sexual freedom, material comforts, and were filled with pride. The same behaviors are described in Jude as well.
Christ is Lord over evil, and those who reject His reign will be judged. Specifically, 2 Peter reminds the readers of the judgment of angels and Sodom and Gomorrah and links them to the greater judgment that is to come. Jude also discusses the judgment of Israel in the wilderness in addition to the other examples. Peter describes God’s saving ability as righteousness. “God called [the readers] to Himself, and Jesus Christ will keep them.” Those who are not righteous will not be spared.
Jude shares the same worries as Peter about the readers confusing God’s grace as an excuse to fall into sin. Though he indirectly warns them by spelling out the fate of the false teachers. Both proclaim Jesus is Lord, and His lordship will become crystal clear when He returns to judge the unrighteous. They both teach that those who are believers live under the lordship through their godly lives. The hope and excitement is that a new world is coming for those who believe and obey.
Themes: Jesus Christ will return again. Christ reigns over evil. Jesus Christ is Lord.
Interlude: A Synopsis of Living in the Last Days According to the General Epistles
The primary theme of Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, and Jude are that the lordship of Jesus must be lived out in everyday life. Hebrews focuses on Jesus as prophet, priest, and king and emphasizes that people follow Christ and believe in Him because of their faith. However each letter stresses in its own way that faith without works is dead, believers should confirm their calling and surrender to a life of righteousness, and believers must remain godly in the midst of persecution. James teaches that faith is expressed in works. Peter and Jude attribute the change in believer’s lives to the grace of God. 1 Peter reminds us that the church is the new Israel while Hebrews emphasizes that Jesus is one with those who belong to God. Israel now encompasses all who have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Finally, all the letters stress the coming future judgment or the “day of the Lord.” There will be great joy for believers, but the unrighteous will suffer greatly. One day believers will stand in joy with God forever to see the King in His beauty.