2Pe 1 | TNotes | STEP | Book of 2 Peter — Quick facts: Purpose: To denounce false teachers and to encourage continued growth in the faith Author: Peter Date: Early 60s AD Setting: Written to the same groups of believers addressed in 1 Peter, whose communities were being infiltrated by false teachers Book of Peter — Overview: Setting Second Peter was probably written to the same group of Christians as 1 Peter (1 Pet 1:1 ; see 2 Pet 3:1 ). We do not know if Peter ever visited Asia Minor—the New Testament tells us little about his movements after he departed from Jerusalem around AD 44 (Acts 12:16-17 ). We know that Peter was in Rome in the early 60s AD . Presumably, he wrote 2 Peter from Rome shortly after 1 Peter. Early Christian tradition indicates that Peter died under the emperor Nero in AD 64 or 65. Summary In the letter opening (1:1-15 ), Peter identifies himself and his readers (1:1-2 ) and introduces his main concern, that his readers will grow in their knowledge of God and of Christ (1:3-11 ). He also tells them with a sense of urgency that he does not have long to live (1:12-15 ). Chapter 2 is the central focus of this letter, where Peter profiles and condemns false teachers. Peter prepares for this denunciation by emphasizing the certainty of Christ’s return in glory (1:16-21 ). The false teachers were evidently skeptical about Christ’s return and final judgment. Peter denounces the false teachers in four stages: He predicts the coming of false teachers (2:1-3 ), he insists that God will judge them while rescuing the righteous (2:4-10 ), he declares the false teachers’ sins (2:10-16 ), and he pronounces their doom (2:17-22 ). After further insisting that Christ will, indeed, return in glory to transform the world (3:1-13 ), Peter concludes the letter as he began, by praying that his readers will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18 ; see 1:3-11 ). Authorship The author identifies himself as Simon Peter (1:1 ), one of Jesus’ apostles. Peter claims that “this is my second letter to you” (3:1 ). The first letter was probably 1 Peter. In many ways, however, 2 Peter is unlike 1 Peter, while containing striking similarities to the letter of Jude. Because of this, some interpreters think that someone else wrote 2 Peter. This conclusion is unnecessary because 2 Peter is dealing with a situation very different from 1 Peter; naturally, the language and concepts differ. Moreover, it is possible that Silas (Peter’s scribe mentionedalso called Silvanus in 1 Pet 5:12 ) was responsible for some of the wording of 1 Peter and that Peter used a different scribe in 2 Peter. Relationship to Jude It is undeniable that 2 Peter and Jude have some kind of literary relationship. The two letters use too many of the same unusual expressions for the similarities to be coincidental or a matter of shared oral tradition (cp. 2 Pet 2:3 // Jude 1:4 ; 2 Pet 2:4 // Jude 1:6 ; 2 Pet 2:6 // Jude 1:7 ; 2 Pet 2:10 // Jude 1:8 ; 2 Pet 2:11 // Jude 1:9 ; 2 Pet 2:13 , 17 // Jude 1:12 ; 2 Pet 3:3 // Jude 1:8 ). This relationship can be explained in one of three ways: (1) Jude borrowed from 2 Peter; (2) 2 Peter borrowed from Jude; or (3) both 2 Peter and Jude borrowed from a common literary source now lost. Option 2 is the most popular, although option 1 is equally possible. Option 3 is least likely, simply because it is more complicated and unnecessary. Whichever author did the borrowing was apparently faced with a very similar situation and found what the other had written to be appropriate to his own purposes. Such borrowing was not uncommon in the ancient world; rather than being considered plagiarism, it was considered a compliment. False Teachers The false teachers that Peter denounces cannot be identified with any known heresy in the ancient church. With their immorality and skepticism, these false teachers assumed that God’s grace gave them the liberty to do anything they wanted to do (2 Pet 2:19-20 ). They had no use for authority (see 2:10-11 ). They engaged in illicit sex, excess drinking and eating, and greed (2:13-20 ). They might have been precursors to the later, second-century Gnostics. Meaning and Message Second Peter is dominated by a concern over the presence of false teachers in the church. Although these profligates were claiming to be Christians (2:1 , 21-22 ), Peter leaves no doubt that in reality they were destined for condemnation as rebels against the Lord (2:3 , 10 ). Peter writes this letter to warn his readers to reject these false teachers and their teaching, and to remain faithful to the Good News. This letter is a vital reminder of how dangerous it is to deviate from the truth. The church must always be on guard against those who twist the truth of the Good News and whose lives sadly misrepresent it. 1:1 Simon was one of the most common Jewish names in the first century. Jesus gave him the name Peter (Matt 16:17-18 ). Many people in the Greco-Roman world would use both their given name in their native language and also a Greek name, since Greek was the lingua franca (see study note on Acts 7:58). • a slave ... of Jesus Christ: In the Old Testament, important leaders of God’s people are called servants of the Lord (Josh 14:7 ; 24:29 ; 2 Kgs 10:10 ). The title underscores Peter’s submission to Christ and suggests that he had an important role in God’s plan. • We probably refers to Jewish Christians; the recipients were mostly Gentile Christians. In the new covenant, Gentile and Jewish Christians share the same precious faith and are on an equal footing as God’s people (see Gal 3:26-29 ). • This is one of the few places in the New Testament where Jesus Christ is called God (see also John 1:1 ; 20:28 ; Rom 9:5 ; Titus 2:13 ; Heb 1:8 ; 1 Jn 5:20 ).

Book of 2 Peter — Quick facts:

Purpose: To denounce false teachers and to encourage continued growth in the faith

Author: Peter

Date: Early 60s AD

Setting: Written to the same groups of believers addressed in 1 Peter, whose communities were being infiltrated by false teachers

Book of Peter — Overview:

Setting
Second Peter was probably written to the same group of Christians as 1 Peter (1 Pet 1:1 ^a; see 2 Pet 3:1 ^b). We do not know if Peter ever visited Asia Minor—the New Testament tells us little about his movements after he departed from Jerusalem around AD 44 (Acts 12:16-17 ^c). We know that Peter was in Rome in the early 60s AD. Presumably, he wrote 2 Peter from Rome shortly after 1 Peter. Early Christian tradition indicates that Peter died under the emperor Nero in AD 64 or 65.

Summary
In the letter opening (1:1-15 ^d), Peter identifies himself and his readers (1:1-2 ^e) and introduces his main concern, that his readers will grow in their knowledge of God and of Christ (1:3-11 ^f). He also tells them with a sense of urgency that he does not have long to live (1:12-15 ^g).
Chapter 2 ^h is the central focus of this letter, where Peter profiles and condemns false teachers. Peter prepares for this denunciation by emphasizing the certainty of Christ’s return in glory (1:16-21 ⁱ). The false teachers were evidently skeptical about Christ’s return and final judgment.
Peter denounces the false teachers in four stages: He predicts the coming of false teachers (2:1-3 ^j), he insists that God will judge them while rescuing the righteous (2:4-10 ^k), he declares the false teachers’ sins (2:10-16 ^l), and he pronounces their doom (2:17-22 ^m).
After further insisting that Christ will, indeed, return in glory to transform the world (3:1-13 ⁿ), Peter concludes the letter as he began, by praying that his readers will “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18 ^o; see 1:3-11 ^p).

Authorship
The author identifies himself as Simon Peter (1:1 ^q), one of Jesus’ apostles. Peter claims that “this is my second letter to you” (3:1 ^r). The first letter was probably 1 Peter.
In many ways, however, 2 Peter is unlike 1 Peter, while containing striking similarities to the letter of Jude. Because of this, some interpreters think that someone else wrote 2 Peter. This conclusion is unnecessary because 2 Peter is dealing with a situation very different from 1 Peter; naturally, the language and concepts differ. Moreover, it is possible that Silas (Peter’s scribe mentionedalso called Silvanus in 1 Pet 5:12 ^s) was responsible for some of the wording of 1 Peter and that Peter used a different scribe in 2 Peter.

Relationship to Jude
It is undeniable that 2 Peter and Jude have some kind of literary relationship. The two letters use too many of the same unusual expressions for the similarities to be coincidental or a matter of shared oral tradition (cp. 2 Pet 2:3 ^t // Jude 1:4 ^u; 2 Pet 2:4 ^v // Jude 1:6 ^w; 2 Pet 2:6 ^x // Jude 1:7 ^y; 2 Pet 2:10 ^z // Jude 1:8 ^aa; 2 Pet 2:11 ^ab // Jude 1:9 ^ac; 2 Pet 2:13 ^ad, 17 ^ae // Jude 1:12 ^af; 2 Pet 3:3 ^ag // Jude 1:8 ^ah). This relationship can be explained in one of three ways: (1) Jude borrowed from 2 Peter; (2) 2 Peter borrowed from Jude; or (3) both 2 Peter and Jude borrowed from a common literary source now lost. Option 2 is the most popular, although option 1 is equally possible. Option 3 is least likely, simply because it is more complicated and unnecessary. Whichever author did the borrowing was apparently faced with a very similar situation and found what the other had written to be appropriate to his own purposes. Such borrowing was not uncommon in the ancient world; rather than being considered plagiarism, it was considered a compliment.

False Teachers
The false teachers that Peter denounces cannot be identified with any known heresy in the ancient church. With their immorality and skepticism, these false teachers assumed that God’s grace gave them the liberty to do anything they wanted to do (2 Pet 2:19-20 ^ai). They had no use for authority (see 2:10-11 ^aj). They engaged in illicit sex, excess drinking and eating, and greed (2:13-20 ^ak). They might have been precursors to the later, second-century Gnostics.

Meaning and Message
Second Peter is dominated by a concern over the presence of false teachers in the church. Although these profligates were claiming to be Christians (2:1 ^al, 21-22 ^am), Peter leaves no doubt that in reality they were destined for condemnation as rebels against the Lord (2:3 ^an, 10 ^ao). Peter writes this letter to warn his readers to reject these false teachers and their teaching, and to remain faithful to the Good News. This letter is a vital reminder of how dangerous it is to deviate from the truth. The church must always be on guard against those who twist the truth of the Good News and whose lives sadly misrepresent it.
1:1 ^ap Simon was one of the most common Jewish names in the first century. Jesus gave him the name Peter (Matt 16:17-18 ^aq). Many people in the Greco-Roman world would use both their given name in their native language and also a Greek name, since Greek was the lingua franca (see study note on Acts 7:58).

• a slave ... of Jesus Christ: In the Old Testament, important leaders of God’s people are called servants of the Lord (Josh 14:7 ^ar; 24:29 ^as; 2 Kgs 10:10 ^at). The title underscores Peter’s submission to Christ and suggests that he had an important role in God’s plan.

• We probably refers to Jewish Christians; the recipients were mostly Gentile Christians. In the new covenant, Gentile and Jewish Christians share the same precious faith and are on an equal footing as God’s people (see Gal 3:26-29 ^au).

• This is one of the few places in the New Testament where Jesus Christ is called God (see also John 1:1 ^av; 20:28 ^aw; Rom 9:5 ^ax; Titus 2:13 ^ay; Heb 1:8 ^az; 1 Jn 5:20 ^ba).
Summary for 2Pet 1:3-11: 1:3-11 ^bb An explanation of all that God has given us in Christ (1:3-4 ^bc) forms the basis for an urgent exhortation to grow in the knowledge of Christ (1:5-11 ^bd). 1:3 ^be By his divine power, God has (literally His divine power has): The name of God does not occur in the Greek text; Peter could be referring to the divine power of “Jesus our Lord” (1:2 ^bf).
1:4 ^bg enable you to share his divine nature: Peter probably did not mean that our souls are merged with God but that believers share God’s qualities (cp. Lev 11:44 ^bh; Matt 5:43-48 ^bi; Eph 4:24 ^bj; 5:1 ^bk).
Summary for 2Pet 1:5-7: 1:5-7 ^bl The stair-step structure of these verses, with each virtue leading to another, is a common literary device called a sorites. The sequence in such passages is not stressed—e.g., Peter does not imply that moral excellence must come before knowledge. Yet love is the pinnacle of the virtues (1:7 ^bm).
1:10 ^bn dear brothers and sisters: This Greek term (adelphoi) refers to people, both male and female, who are members of the same family.

• Work hard to prove (literally Be zealous to make certain): Peter did not mean that our being chosen by God for salvation depends on what we do, but that our zeal to grow in Christian virtue confirms that we have, indeed, been chosen by God.
Summary for 2Pet 1:12-15: 1:12-15 ^bo Peter was writing at the end of his life, and 2 Peter is similar to works that belong to a popular Jewish genre called the testament, in which an old and respected leader gives final instructions to his children or others on his deathbed (cp. Deut 31–33 ^bp; Josh 24 ^bq). This genre is especially well known from a Jewish work called The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
1:14 ^br This prophecy might have come in a vision, but it is more likely that Peter was recalling Jesus’ prophecy about his death (John 21:18-19 ^bs).
Summary for 2Pet 1:16-21: 1:16-21 ^bt Peter’s denunciation of the false teachers (ch 2 ^bu) is framed by this teaching about the certainty of Jesus’ return (see also 3:1-13 ^bv). The false teachers were probably denying the reality of Christ’s return and judgment. Peter’s eyewitness experience (1:16-18 ^bw) and the intrinsic reliability of scriptural prophecy (1:19-21 ^bx) make Christ’s return a certainty.
Summary for 2Pet 1:16-18: 1:16-18 ^by clever stories (literally cleverly invented myths): The false teachers were probably charging that the message of Christ’s return was just an edifying fable with no factual truth.

• We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes: At Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt 17:1-9 ^bz; Mark 9:2-8 ^ca; Luke 9:28-36 ^cb), which prefigured Christ’s return by revealing Jesus as the glorious King. Peter’s confidence was not based on human speculation but on eyewitness experience.
1:19 ^cc The word Day is capitalized because it is shorthand for the day of the Lord, the time when God intervenes in history to save his people and judge his enemies (see Isa 13:4-12 ^cd; Joel 2:1-32 ^ce; Zeph 2:1-3 ^cf). The first coming of Christ inaugurated the day of the Lord’s salvation for his people. A future day of the Lord’s judgment on his enemies is yet to come.

• Christ the Morning Star: The planet Venus, known as the “morning star,” often appears above the eastern horizon just before dawn. Peter reverses the order of natural events: The dawning of the day of the Lord leads to the Morning Star’s shining in the hearts of believers.
Summary for 2Pet 1:20-21: 1:20-21 ^cg came from the prophet’s own understanding (or is a matter of one’s own interpretation): The point is probably that the prophets were not left on their own to interpret the visions that God gave them. God made the meaning clear to the prophets, so that they could prophesy clearly and reliably.