The Weekly Perspective
by Burke Shade, Associate Pastor
Peter’s statement in 2 Peter 1:14 that “the putting off of my body will be soon…” bears some wholesome and encouraging reflection by us as Christians. The context makes clear he is talking about his death, but his seemingly nonchalant attitude of “putting off his body” deserves some further thinking, and embodiment, by us. It appears that Peter is not at all frustrated, anxious, flummoxed, or worried about “putting off his body,” but almost speaks about it as one gets his old and worn out tires replaced for new ones. And that surely is his point, spoken as mildly as it is. Death is surely his entrance into glory, and putting off this sinned-inflated body is a right necessity: this body has to be put off, if we are to put on a new, sinless, immortal body, as Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 15.
Peter is a great double witness to Paul: your death is not something to be feared in Christ. In fact, it’s a necessary beginning to the rest of your life! It’s the putting off of this present body in order to receive another glorified and eternal body at the final resurrection. It’s our path as Christians to follow Jesus: “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore…” (Rev. 11:17–18). As Paul exclaimed in Philippians 1, “to die is gain…My desire is to depart and be with Christ.”
So let Peter’s “matter of fact” approach to the putting off of his body guide you, as it does him, to the right use of this present life (1:12–15). Jesus’ divine power has granted to you all things that pertain to life and godliness (1:3), and part of that “all things” is living faithfully for Jesus until your name gets called for a glorious body “putting off”!