Dr. Sam Waldron expounds the third chapter of 2 Peter to show what Peter, the apostle teaches about the last days. Waldron carefully works through this passage teaching 5 different aspects about the last days : Its Controversial Backdrop, Its Comprehensive Scheme, Its Major Apologetic, Its Awesome Prospect and Its Glorious Hope.
This series is recommended for the following reasons.
- Expositionally, Waldron does a very good job of working patiently through the text and not bringing anything outside the text to assert any meaning. His exposition is thus very sound and commendable. Waldron does a very straight forward exegesis of this passage and is very consistent in this through out the series. Moreover he uses a language which can be understood even by children. In fact he sometimes pauses to specially address the children alone in the audience. In eschatological studies, preachers often get so caught up in theological jargons that common folks are quite confused. Though a scholar, Waldron preaches with a pastoral heart.
- Devotionally, Waldron brings in a rare warmth and reverential gratitude in believers for the mercy and grace of Lord Jesus Christ. In much eschatological studies, devotional aspect is found very little. Most of it gets caught up in some puzzle solving game that the gospel truth of the work of Jesus Christ to save believers from the coming wrath and judgment of God is strangely missing. However Waldron reminds the listeners regularly to ponder and wonder over what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. Waldron shows how eschatology is for life and not merely for some theologians to sit and debate. He exegetically reasons how the doctrine of the last things compels a true believer to live a life of holiness and earnestly long for the coming of the Lord.
- Evangelistically, Waldron reflects upon the teachings of 2 Peter 3 and makes solemn warnings to sinners, in a sober and not a sensational manner, to not delay their repentance. With holy fear of the Lord, he exhorts sinners to see that today is the day of salvation. More than once in this series, he labored to stress the point that once the Lord Jesus Christ returns, it marks the end of the patience of God.
- Theologically, Waldron makes many applications of his straight forward exegesis to many systems of eschatology to test their validity. He focuses much on the problems of dispensational and premillennial understanding of eschatology and the teachings of 2 Peter. He makes a very convincing case that these systems can hold good, only if they mishandle the text of 2 Peter 3. In one of the sermons, he takes up the issue of hyper preterism. Waldron believes hyper preterism is heretical as it denies the second coming of the Lord. Waldron is however charitable towards his dispensational and premillennial friends and does not consider it to be heretical. Thus in this series, he makes an exegetical verification of these systems and makes a case for a more biblical eschatology.
The Last Things According To Peter
