Today's Verses: 2 Peter 1:1-2 (NIV)

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

According to the Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible, the book of 2 Peter may have been transcribed after Peter's death. It is written to the churches in Asia Minor to remind those Christians of the Church's truth and the pitfalls of false teaching. This greeting stresses both Peter's authority and the solidarity that he has with his readers.

Today's Comments: In his greeting, Peter talks about grace and peace in abundance through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. I think that it is important to understand where that knowledge comes from. They are as follows:

• Natural Revelation: See Romans 1. God reveals himself to man through nature. We see such revelation in creation itself (the stars, the wonders of the earth) and in human nature, where we have consciences. The Bible says that the law is written into every heart.
  
• History: History tells us of God's works and deeds.
• Special Revelation: This generally is direct revelation in which God reveals himself directly through specific means, including theophanies (direct appearances), the casting of lots, dreams and visions, direct communication (speaking to Moses from the bush, for example), angels. miracles, the direct revelation in the person of Jesus Christ, and the inspiration of scripture.

Knowledge of God's revelation is contained in the Bible, which is the verbal, plenary inspiration of God. This means that God inspired human authors to compose and record without error His revelation. According to the Book of Common Prayer, Episcopalians believe that the Bible “contains all things necessary to salvation” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 868): it is the inspired and authoritative source of truth about God, Christ, and the Christian life. Those who refuse to acknowledge this, open themselves to the false teaching that Peter warns against in this letter to the Church in Asia Minor.