1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 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. 3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 

Peter tells the readers to bring to their remembrance things they have already been taught. Reminders are good.  One key element of a good teacher is to highlight with repetition in different ways the important things can be conveyed. There are things you do not want your pupils to forget.  The more you hear something, see something, and say something, the more likely it sticks. Peter reminded them in both letters (1 & 2 Peter) of their need to stay close to God.  God will reward and keep them secure. He also reminds them not to be surprised when trouble comes their way.  In both epistles Peter encourages their hearts with the truth Jesus is coming again.   

As a good pastor, Peter remains faithful to the call of Christ. When Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs, feed His sheep, tend the flock he was faithful.  We read about that in the end of the book of John. Peter is obedient to the command that Jesus gave him. In these letters he is seeking to protect them from false shepherds, evil in character, and empty in content. He warns the false shepherds of their condemnation forever.           

In this passage Peter wants them to center the believers' minds on the words shared in the past by holy prophets, as well as the commands of Jesus given through the apostles. What Peter is pointing them to is the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments.

How do you keep from being misled by false teachers and preachers?  Answer: Know your Bible. What will help you as you wait for the Lord's return? Read and get your facts from the Bible. What will give you security when people say the world is coming to the end? Your security will come as you act upon the truth from the Bible.           

Look how Peter uses the Scriptures or points to them in this letter. "Grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ 1:3, know the precious promises 1:4,19 "We have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well to pay attention to it in your hearts. Understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by prophets’ own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the holy Spirit."           

He reminded them of the days of Noah and Sodom and Gomorrah, as well as the fallen angels and now brings them to the Bible to illustrate his point and show condemnation of the evil ones. He reminded them of the story of Balaam and the men that turned their back on the sacred commandments. Then he quoted two proverbs at the end of Chapter 2. Peter is constantly confirming using and pointing out the truth by looking to the Bible as His source. He reminds them to do the same. It is used as the foundation of the prophecies of Jesus. Since all were not completed at His first coming, then it confirms what Jesus will do at His second coming as King.           

Acts 1:7 is true. It is not for us to know the times or the seasons which the Father has fixed by His own authority.  We cannot claim to know when and how, but with assurance in the Word of God, we can know that He will return.           

Jesus became the authority for the New Testament. The gospels tell His story; Acts continues the story for the church as they grew in the discipleship by making Jesus Lord.  The letters of Paul, one who was specially appointed apostle to the Gentiles and confirmed missionary to those not familiar with Jewish culture and customs, written to guide Gentiles into becoming true Christ followers. He was inspired as to what to write and preach. It was all confirmed in Acts 15 by the Apostles at the Jerusalem meeting, also conveyed in his letter to the Galatians that they put their stamp of approval on him, confirming that what he was saying was from God. He was preaching it because he knew it was from Christ whether the apostles liked it or not. It is important that God shows us by the Word, that the apostles also confirm that is what Jesus taught us too. That is truth and they boldly preached and wrote it, and so the apostle teachings are the Word of God.  We do not have the same Spirit anointing to come up with inspiration on the same level as Scripture. False teachers and prophetsl want you to believe their revelations are just as authoritative as the apostles.

The Romans Catholic church teaches the Pope is Christ's representative on the earth and just as authoritative as the apostles. Some will have visions and dreams and say these are from God and on equal par with Peter's writings. When the apostles died, Scripture had been written and that is the last word on the subject until Christ returns. We don't need any more revelation.  What we need is to believe, trust and obey what is already there.

We believe what the Bible says about Jesus Christ coming again; visibly, bodily, triumphantly, regardless of people's books, films, videos and crusades that may say otherwise.

Appliciation: There are the voices of theologians and preachers, but remember God's Word, not the words of men. 

Prayer:  Oh, Lord, how I love Your Word and thank you for giving it to us in its entirety as truth for all time and eternity.