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2 Peter 1:1-2 (HCSB)
Simeon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ:
To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Listen with Me
As Peter writes these words it must be remembered that he was in prison in Rome, expecting that he would soon lay down his life for the sake of the gospel. As someone who had spent his whole adult life in service to the gospel, and many years as the leader of the newly fledged Church based in Jerusalem, Peter had had many moments of glorious achievement, and many emotional highs as he watched God work in and through him and through those around him.
But now his journey on earth was ending, not in a comfortable room surrounded by family and friends, but in a dark and stinking Roman dungeon, with enemies of all he believed in in control of everything that happened to him. He could be forgiven if he was at least a little bit bitter and disillusioned.
But he but he wasn’t.
Peter had known that this day was coming for more than three decades, ever since his conversation with the risen Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Galilee (John 21:18-19). Jesus had always been 100% truthful with all his followers, never sugar coating or whitewashing anything.
So now, in his final days, Peter introduces himself to the readers of this short epistle as a bond slave of Jesus. And he bore that title gladly. His was not a forced servitude, but a labor of love every day for the Master who had freed him from the power of sin and death, and who had restored him when he had denied even knowing Him and deserved nothing better than utter condemnation.
And Peter also introduces himself as an apostle of Jesus, a “sent one” who had been given the power and authority to spread the good news of the kingdom, following the command of Jesus Himself. In the beginning this had been an easy command to follow, with abundant fruit, on some occasions new believers numbering in the thousands. But lately had it become much more of a challenge. Instead of very focused opposition to the gospel coming from the Jewish leadership, it was now much more widespread opposition originating from the throne room of the emperor, Nero, himself.
For that for that reason, Peter greets his readers as true brothers and sisters in Christ, people who had received in themselves the very righteousness of Jesus, and who were now living out that righteousness every day, obeying Jesus’ commandments even in the face of powerful opposition, sometimes at a high personal cost. And it is for these fellow members of God’s kingdom that he prays God’s grace and God’s peace, His shalom, in abundance.
Pray with Me
Father, it is easy to read the words of Scripture as merely instruction and information, forgetting that, especially in the epistles, they were real-time communication from real people going through real things as they were on mission for You. This context can often help the words take on new meaning, warming the cold black letters with real flesh and blood emotion. Thank you, Lord, for reminding me of this. Amen.