New Testament | 1 & 2 Peter
In Dr. Michael McKay’s New Testament lecture on 1 and 2 Peter, he explores how the apostle Peter writes to believers facing persecution, displacement, and false teaching. These letters call Christians to endure suffering faithfully, live as God’s covenant people, and pursue holiness in light of Christ’s return and final judgment.
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Dr. Michael McKay begins by situating 1 and 2 Peter within the late New Testament period, noting that Peter writes as a seasoned apostle shortly before his martyrdom under Emperor Nero. Addressing believers scattered across Asia Minor, Peter describes them as “elect exiles,” emphasizing both their spiritual identity and their social marginalization in a hostile Roman world.
A central theme of 1 Peter is righteous suffering. Dr. McKay shows how Peter interprets Jesus’ crucifixion through the lens of Isaiah 53, presenting Christ as the suffering servant who endured injustice without retaliation. Believers, Peter argues, are called to follow this same pattern — entrusting themselves to God as a just judge and faithful Creator when they suffer for doing good. This suffering is not meaningless; it refines faith and anchors hope in an imperishable future inheritance.
The lecture also highlights Peter’s rich theology of identity. Drawing from Exodus 19, Peter applies Israel’s calling to the church, describing believers as a chosen race, royal priesthood, and holy nation tasked with proclaiming God’s excellencies to the world. This identity shapes how Christians live in the present age while awaiting Christ’s return.
Turning to 2 Peter, Dr. McKay explains Peter’s urgent warning against false teachers who deny future judgment and promote immoral living. By appealing to past acts of divine judgment and the promise of new heavens and a new earth, Peter connects present holiness with future accountability. Believers are exhorted to live godly lives now because God will renew creation under the righteous rule of King Jesus.
0:00 Introduction — why study 1 and 2 Peter together
0:17 Authorship — Peter the apostle and his growth as a leader
0:49 Audience — believers dispersed throughout Asia Minor
1:13 Shared audience of 1 and 2 Peter
2:58 Dating the Petrine letters — Nero and persecution
3:47 Authorship questions in 2 Peter
4:45 Purpose of 1 Peter — encouragement amid suffering
4:58 Purpose of 2 Peter — warning against false teachers
6:17 Peter’s life and transformation in the Gospels and Acts
9:41 Isaiah 53 and the suffering servant in 1 Peter
15:01 Jesus as the model sufferer
16:01 Reading Jesus’ suffering through Isaiah 53
21:48 Entrusting oneself to a just judge and faithful Creator
24:40 Living with future hope and inheritance
26:18 Trials as refinement of faith
26:49 The church as a chosen race and royal priesthood
28:11 False teachers in 2 Peter — rebellion and sensuality
29:39 Judgment examples — angels, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah
29:45 Peter and Jude — shared warnings and illustrations
30:02 Living righteously in light of future judgment
30:56 New heavens and new earth — motivation for holiness
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