For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16)
In his second letter Peter warns new believers about heretical ideas about Jesus. The essence of the gospel is that Jesus is the Son of God and that He was born as a human. He died on the cross to pay for our sins and rose from the dead, thus conquering sin and death.
Jesus is not the hero of a fairy tale. He is real. Peter was an eyewitness to Jesus’ glory. Peter heard how God Himself established the identity of Jesus, His Son (2 Peter 1:17-18; Matthew 17:1-5).
Heretics distorted the truth about Jesus to achieve their own ends; they were greedy epicureans who argued that how you live doesn’t matter because God is love and sin isn’t punished. They despised authority (2 Peter 2:2-3 and 10). Peter shared strong warnings, especially in his second letter. As a shepherd he encouraged the believers to hold fast to what they had been taught about Jesus.
Take some time to read 2 Peter. Do you relate to the warning regarding false teachings about Jesus? What helps you reject wrong ideas about Jesus that don’t line up with His words?
Image by Lumo Project Films – www.lumoproject.com.