Peter introduced himself, which was usual for a letter, but did so with an unusual juxtaposition. He identified himself with two nouns that could not be farther from each other. He began with the title of "servant / slave" in greek, doulos. This word was used to describe someone who was fully and completely under the authority of another.

As we embark on a study of 2 Peter, it is always so important for us to rightly understand the context. We practice the historical-grammatical approach to interpreting the scriptures, seeking to arrive at the author's original intent and then we can appropriately apply God's Word to our lives.

Down through the centuries of the church, many things have been taught and practiced with regard to water baptism. Some churches sprinkle, some baptize infants, some make baptism a requirement for church membership, some believe baptism is necessary in order to be reconciled to God. This morning I will share what we believe about baptism and why.

Peter concludes his letter to his beloved brothers and sisters in Christ to endure the humiliations that come with suffering knowing a day is coming when God will make all things right.

Wise leadership is a blessing from the LORD especially during times of stress and calamity. Peter calls upon the elders of the churches of Asia Minor to shepherd their church families as they suffer persecution for being Christians.

Persecution is here in the United States and by all indicators, it will increase in frequency and intensity. This is hard for Christians in America because of the support Christianity has enjoyed historically. Those days are gone. We need to learn how to think about and respond to Christian suffering from Peter's instructions to his suffering audience.

How are we to understand this? We're prone to think Peter was saying that the end of the world was near. With the resurrection, ascension and exaltation of Jesus (3:22) God's plan of salvation here on earth entered its final stage that will culminate in the second coming of Jesus. This may well be what Peter had in mind when he made this statement. The point being that in light of the fact that we're in the home stretch, we should be about these three things that follow.

Pagans of the first century viewed Christians as killjoys who lived gloomy lives devoid of pleasure. The pleasures from which Christians of the first century typically abstained earned Christians the reputation of being haters of humanity and traitors to the Roman way of life.

Peter is writing Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, who were expelled from the vicinity of the city of Rome and resettled in remote parts of Asia Minor which is modern day Turkey. They are foreigners living in hostile communities.

Peter wrote to Christians expelled from Rome and resettled in remote parts of Asia Minor. They were foreigners living in hostile communities. Even in a hostile setting like that of Peter's readers, believers can live in such a way as to get along peacefully with their neighbors. Being honest, being respectful, working hard and doing good work go a long way towards garnering good will from one's neighbors.