In his second epistle, the apostle Peter is concerned with the proliferation of false teachers and phony gospels that were appearing in the churches. He uses strong words to condemn those who would lead God’s people astray with a false gospel into a false Christianity. With an impressive economy of words, Peter affirms to his readers the genuineness of God’s Word, the trustworthiness of the Lord’s apostles, and the necessity of believing the authentic gospel.

The opening words of Peter’s second letter follow a rather standard apostolic greeting. But rather than a mere formality, these words of greeting point us to the apostle’s central concern. He desires for his readers to know that the teaching they have received and believed and passed along to others is the real thing.

Peter writes with the authority granted to him by the Lord Jesus as one of his specially chosen apostles. The church would do well to remember that what we have in the words of the apostles are the very words of our Lord who commissioned them for this task. Peter warns his hearers about false apostles who will arise within the church and lead God’s people astray with false teaching. And so he points to the source, the content, and the outcome of the real gospel in order to distinguish it from counterfeits.

“You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:17-18).