Day 357 Reading Schedule: 2 Peter 1-3

2 Peter 1: A Saint Who Must Live a Life Worthy of His Calling 
[Summary]
The author introduces himself as Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, and gives a brief greeting (vv. 1-2). All Christians must attain a holy character in this corrupting world by the power of God. And the virtues of Christianity are knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. Through this order, the author tried to emphasize that the virtues of Christianity begin with knowledge and end with love (vv. 3-11). The author intended to remind readers of the truth of the gospel through his writings not only during his lifetime but also after his death. The author emphasizes that he was an eyewitness to the actual event of the transformation that testified to the glory of Christ, and based on this, he urges them to listen to the prophetic words that he and his colleagues are testifying to. And since the Bible was written by the inspiration of God, he warns them not to interpret the Bible privately (vv. 12-21).
Apostle Peter instructed the saints to live worthy of God's calling and bear abundant fruit of the Spirit, and to stand firm in the truth through the knowledge of Christ. He also warned them not to fall into sin by privately interpreting the word of truth, and testified that prophecy came from the Spirit of God.

2 Peter 2: Warning Against Heresy 
[Summary]
This chapter is about false prophets. The appearance of false prophets is secret. They will deny the Lord and deceive others into immoral lives. They will use others in deceptive ways for their own greed. However, their destruction is certain (verses 1-3). Examples of God’s judgment are cited to show the fate of these enemies of the truth. The certainty of judgment is shown through the fate of fallen angels, the Great Flood, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (verses 4-10). The author denounces the moral corruption of false prophets. He also strongly warns and fasts those who know Christ to avoid falling for the deception of these false prophets and returning to the path of sin. It would have been better for them not to have known the gospel (verses 11-22).
The Apostle Peter speaks about the wicked and false teachers who appeared in history and reveals that they cannot help but receive the judgment of God’s wrath. He also warned that those who are deceived by these false teachers and become apostates will face a harsher judgment than unbelievers.

2 Peter 3: The Faith Life of the Saints Living in the End Times 
[Overview]
The purpose of writing this letter is to remind us of the prophecies of the prophets and the teachings of Jesus so that we can stand against the teachings of false teachers (verses 1-2). The false teachers who deny the Second Coming itself and ridicule the saints who hope for the Second Coming due to the delay in the Lord’s Second Coming are ignorant sons who do not know that the creation of heaven and earth is God’s work and that God’s judgment will come at the end of the world. The delay in the Second Coming should be interpreted as God’s mercy, and the Lord’s Day will surely come (verses 3-10). Therefore, Christians should live holy and faithful lives while thinking about the final judgment. He urges us once again not to be deceived by the teachings of false teachers and prays that the readers’ knowledge of Christ will grow (verses 11-18).
Peter states to the saints about the heresies caused by the Second Coming of the Lord and urges them not to be deceived by such people, but to firmly maintain their faith and possess the faith of the Second Coming. It is a promise that the deceivers will be judged and destroyed at the second coming of Christ, and the saints who have kept their faith by walking in the holy way will look forward to the new heaven and new earth.