Text -- 2 Peter 1:1 (NET)

Salutation

1:1 From Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, have been granted a faith just as precious as ours.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Robertson: 2Pe 1:1

Simon Peter ( Simōn Petros ).

Aleph A K L P have Symeōn as in Act 15:14, while B has Simōn . The two forms occur indifferently in 1 Macc. 2:3, 65 for the same man.

Robertson: 2Pe 1:1

Servant and apostle ( doulos kai apostolos ).

Like Rom 1:1; Tit 1:1.

Robertson: 2Pe 1:1

To them that have obtained ( tois lachousin ).

Dative plural articular participle second aorist active of lagchanō , old verb, to obtain by lot (Luk 1:9), here with the accusative (pistin ) as in Act 1:17.

Robertson: 2Pe 1:1

Like precious ( isotimon ).

Late compound adjective (isos , equal, timē , honor, price), here only in N.T. But this adjective (Field) is used in two ways, according to the two ideas in timē (value, honor), either like in value or like in honor. This second idea is the usual one with isotimos (inscriptions and papyri, Josephus, Lucian), while polutimos has the notion of price like timē in 2Pe 1:7, 2Pe 1:19; 2Pe 2:4, 2Pe 2:6. The faith which they have obtained is like in honor and privilege with that of Peter or any of the apostles.

Robertson: 2Pe 1:1

With us ( hēmin ).

Associative-instrumental case after isotimon . Equal to tēi hēmōn (the faith of us).

Robertson: 2Pe 1:1

In the righteousness ( en dikaiosunēi ).

Definite because of the preposition en and the following genitive even though anarthrous. The O.T. sense of dikaiosunē applied to God (Rom 1:17) and here to Christ.

Robertson: 2Pe 1:1

Of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ ( tou theou hēmōn kai sōtēros Iēsou Christou ).

So the one article (tou ) with theou and sōtēros requires precisely as with tou kuriou hēmōn kai sōtēros Iēsou Christou (of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ), one person, not two, in 2Pe 1:11 as in 2Pe 2:20; 2Pe 3:2, 2Pe 3:18. So in 1Pe 1:3 we have ho theos kai patēr (the God and Father), one person, not two. The grammar is uniform and inevitable (Robertson, Grammar , p. 786), as even Schmiedel (Winer-Schmiedel, Grammatik , p. 158) admits: "Grammar demands that one person be meant."Moulton ( Prol. , p. 84) cites papyri examples of like usage of theos for the Roman emperors. See the same idiom in Tit 2:13. The use of theos by Peter as a predicate with Jesus Christ no more disproves the Petrine authorship of this Epistle than a like use in Joh 1:1 disproves the Johannine authorship of the Fourth Gospel and the same use in Tit 2:13 disproves the genuineness of Titus. Peter had heard Thomas call Jesus God (Joh 20:28) and he himself had called him the Son of God (Mat 16:16).

Vincent: 2Pe 1:1

Simon Peter

Note the addition of Simon, and see on 1Pe 1:1. The best-attested orthography is Symeon, which is the form of his name in Act 15:14, where the account probably came from him. This also is the Hebraic form of the name found in the Septuagint, Genesis 29:33, and elsewhere. Compare Rev 7:7; Luk 2:25, Luk 2:34; Luk 3:30; Act 13:1. The combined name, Simon Peter, is found Luk 5:8; Joh 13:6; Joh 20:2; Joh 21:15, and elsewhere, though in these instances it is given as Simon; Symeon occurring only in Act 15:14. While his name is given with greater familiarity than in the first epistle, his official title, servant and apostle, is fuller. This combination, servant and apostle, occurs in no other apostolic salutation. The nearest approach to it is Tit 1:1.

Vincent: 2Pe 1:1

Of Jesus Christ

The word Christ never occurs in the second epistle without Jesus ; and only in this instance without some predicate, such as Lord, Saviour.

Vincent: 2Pe 1:1

To them that have obtained ( τοῖς λαχοῦσιν )

Lit., obtained by lot. So Luk 1:9; Joh 19:24. In the sense which it has here it is used by Peter (Act 1:17) of Judas, who had obtained part of this ministry. In this sense it occurs only in that passage and here.

Vincent: 2Pe 1:1

Like precious ( ἰσότιμον )

Only here in New Testament. The word should be written like precious. Compare precious in 1Pe 1:7, 1Pe 1:19; 1Pe 2:4, 1Pe 2:6, 1Pe 2:7. Not the same in measure to all, but having an equal value and honor to those who receive it, as admitting them to the same Christian privileges.

Vincent: 2Pe 1:1

With us

Most probably the Jewish Christians, of whom Peter was one. Professor Salmond remarks, " There is much to show how alien it was to primitive Christian thought to regard Gentile Christians as occupying in grace the self-same platform with Christians gathered out of the ancient church of God." See Act 11:17; Act 15:9-11.

Vincent: 2Pe 1:1

Saviour

Frequently applied to Christ in this epistle, but never in the first.

Wesley: 2Pe 1:1

Not by their own works, but by the free grace of God.

Wesley: 2Pe 1:1

The apostles. The faith of those who have not seen, being equally precious with that of those who saw our Lord in the flesh.

Wesley: 2Pe 1:1

Both active and passive.

Wesley: 2Pe 1:1

It is this alone by which the justice of God is satisfied, and for the sake of which he gives this precious faith.

JFB: 2Pe 1:1

The Greek form: in oldest manuscripts, "Symeon" (Hebrew, that is, "hearing), as in Act 15:14. His mention of his original name accords with the design of this Second Epistle, which is to warn against the coming false teachers, by setting forth the true "knowledge" of Christ on the testimony of the original apostolic eye-witnesses like himself. This was not required in the First Epistle.

JFB: 2Pe 1:1

"slave": so Paul, Rom 1:1.

JFB: 2Pe 1:1

He addresses a wider range of readers (all believers) than in the First Epistle, 2Pe 1:1, but means to include especially those addressed in the First Epistle, as 2Pe 3:1 proves.

JFB: 2Pe 1:1

By grace. Applied by Peter to the receiving of the apostleship, literally, "by allotment": as the Greek is, Luk 1:9; Joh 19:24. They did not acquire it for themselves; the divine election is as independent of man's control, as the lot which is east forth.

JFB: 2Pe 1:1

"equally precious" to all: to those who believe, though not having seen Christ, as well as to Peter and those who have seen Him. For it lays hold of the same "exceeding great and precious promises," and the same "righteousness of God our Saviour." "The common salvation . . . the faith once delivered unto the saints" (Jud 1:3).

JFB: 2Pe 1:1

Apostles and eye-witnesses (2Pe 1:18). Though putting forward his apostleship to enforce his exhortation, he with true humility puts himself, as to "the faith," on a level with all other believers. The degree of faith varies in different believers; but in respect to its objects, present justification, sanctification, and future glorification, it is common alike to all. Christ is to all believers "made of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption."

JFB: 2Pe 1:1

Greek, "in." Translate, as the one article to both nouns requires, "the righteousness of Him who is (at once) our God and (our) Saviour." Peter, confirming Pau;'s testimony to the same churches, adopts Paul's inspired phraseology. The Gospel plan sets forth God's righteousness, which is Christ's righteousness, in the brightest light. Faith has its sphere IN it as its peculiar element: God is in redemption "righteous," and at the same time a "Saviour"; compare Isa 45:21, "a just God and a Saviour.

Clarke: 2Pe 1:1

Simon Peter - Symeon, Συμεων, is the reading of almost all the versions, and of all the most important MSS. And this is the more remarkable, as the surname of Peter occurs upwards of seventy times in the New Testament, and is invariably read Σιμων, Simon, except here, and in Act 15:14, where James gives him the name of Symeon. Of all the versions, only the Armenian and Vulgate have Simon. But the edit. princ., and several of my own MSS. of the Vulgate, write Symon; and Wiclif has Symont

Clarke: 2Pe 1:1

A servant - Employed in his Master’ s work

Clarke: 2Pe 1:1

And an apostle - Commissioned immediately by Jesus Christ himself to preach to the Gentiles, and to write these epistles for the edification of the Church. As the writer was an apostle, the epistle is therefore necessarily canonical. All the MSS. agree in the title apostle; and of the versions, only the Syriac omits it

Clarke: 2Pe 1:1

Precious faith - Ισοτιμον πιστιν· Valuable faith; faith worth a great price, and faith which cost a great price. The word precious is used in the low religious phraseology for dear, comfortable, delightful, etc.; but how much is the dignity of the subject let down by expressions and meanings more proper for the nursery than for the noble science of salvation! It is necessary however to state, that the word precious literally signifies valuable, of great price, costly; and was not used in that low sense in which it is now employed when our translation was made. That faith must be of infinite value, the grace of which Christ purchased by his blood; and it must be of infinite value also when it is the very instrument by which the soul is saved unto eternal life

Clarke: 2Pe 1:1

With us - God having given to you - believing Gentiles, the same faith and salvation which he had given to us - believing Jews

Clarke: 2Pe 1:1

Through the righteousness of God - Through his method of bringing a lost world, both Jews and Gentiles, to salvation by Jesus Christ; through his gracious impartiality, providing for Gentiles as well as Jews. See the notes on Rom 3:21-26 (note)

Clarke: 2Pe 1:1

Of God and our Savior Jesus Christ - This is not a proper translation of the original του Θεου ἡμων και σωτηρος Ιησου Χριστου, which is literally, Of our God and Savior Jesus Christ; and this reading, which is indicated in the margin, should have been received into the text; and it is an absolute proof that St. Peter calls Jesus Christ God, even in the properest sense of the word, with the article prefixed. It is no evidence against this doctrine that one MS. of little authority, and the Syriac and two Arabic versions have Κυριου, Lord, instead of Θεου, God, as all other MSS. and versions agree in the other reading, as well as the fathers. See in Griesbach.

Calvin: 2Pe 1:1

1.Simon Peter Prayer takes the first place at the beginning of this Epistle, and then follows thanksgiving, by which he excites the Jews to gratitude, lest they should forget what great benefits they had already received from God's hand. Why he called himself the servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, we have elsewhere stated, even because no one is to be heard in the Church, except he speaks as from the mouth of Christ. But the word servant has a more general meaning, because it includes all the ministers of Christ, who sustain any public office in the Church. There was in the apostleship a higher rank of honor. He then intimates, that he was not one from the rank of ministers, but was made by the Lord an apostle, and therefore superior to them. ¹⁴⁴

Like precious faith This is a commendation of the grace which God had indiscriminately shewed to all his elect people; for it was no common gift, that they had all been called to one and the same faith, since faith is the special and chief good of man. But he calls it like or equally precious, not that it is equal in all, but because all possess by faith the same Christ with his righteousness, and the same salvation. Though then the measure is different, that does not prevent the knowledge of God from being common to all, and the fruit which proceeds from it. Thus we have a real fellowship of faith with Peter and the Apostles.

He adds, through the righteousness of God, in order that they might know that they did not obtain faith through their own efforts or strength, but through God's favor alone. For these things stand opposed the one to the other, the righteousness of God (in the sense in which it is taken here) and the merit of man. For the efficient cause of faith is called God's righteousness for this reason, because no one is capable of conferring it on himself. So the righteousness that is to be understood, is not that which remains in God, but that which he imparts to men, as in Rom 3:22. Besides, he ascribes this righteousness in common to God and to Christ, because it flows from God, and through Christ it flows down to us. ¹⁴⁵

Defender: 2Pe 1:1

Peter was writing to the same churches to whom he had written his first epistle (2Pe 3:1), but his salutation this time was not just to the Christian Jews of the dispersion (1Pe 1:1) but also "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us." The natural inference is that, in the few years following his first epistle, many new Gentile converts had come into these churches.

Defender: 2Pe 1:1

This expression could better be rendered as "our God and Savior Jesus Christ." Thus, Peter clearly recognizes that his human friend and master, Jesus, was actually God manifest in the flesh. 2Pe 1:2 acknowledges Him as "Jesus our Lord.""

TSK: 2Pe 1:1

Simon : or, Symeon, Act 15:14

Peter : Mat 4:18, Mat 10:2; Luk 22:31-34; Joh 1:42, Joh 21:15-17; 1Pe 1:1

a servant : Joh 12:26; Rom 1:1

an apostle : Luk 11:49; Joh 20:21; 1Co 9:1, 1Co 15:9; Gal 2:8; Eph 3:5, Eph 4:11; 1Pe 5:1

have : 2Pe 1:4; Act 15:8, Act 15:9; Rom 1:12; 2Co 4:13; Eph 4:5; Phi 1:29; 2Ti 1:5; Tit 1:1, Tit 1:4; 1Pe 1:7, 1Pe 2:7

through : Jer 33:16; Rom 1:17, Rom 3:21-26; 1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:21; Phi 3:9

of God and our Saviour : Gr. of our God and Saviour, Isa 12:2; Luk 1:47; Tit 2:13

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 2Pe 1:1

Simon Peter - Margin, "Symeon."The name is written either "Simon"or "Simeon"- Σίμων Simōn or Συμεών Sumeōn . Either word properly means "hearing;"and perhaps, like other names, was at first significant. The first epistle 1Pe 1:1 begins simply, "Peter, an apostle,"etc. The name Simon, however, was, his proper name - "Peter,"or "Cephas,"having been added to it by the Saviour, Joh 1:42. Compare Mat 16:18.

A servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ - In the first epistle the word "apostle"only is used. Paul, however, uses the word "servant"as applicable to himself in Rom 1:1, and to himself and Timothy in the commencement of the epistle to the Philippians, Phi 1:1. See the notes at Rom 1:1.

To them that have obtained like precious faith with us - With us who are of Jewish origin. This epistle was evidently written to the same persons as the former (Introduction, Section 3), and that was intended to embrace many who were of Gentile origin. Notes, 1Pe 1:1. The apostle addresses them all now, whatever was their origin, as heirs of the common faith, and as in all respects brethren.

Through the righteousness of God - Through the method of justification which God has adopted. See this fully explained in the notes at Rom 1:17.

(The original is ἐν δικαιοσυνη en dikaiosunē , in the righteousness, etc., which makes the righteousness the object of faith. We cannot but regard the author’ s rendering of the famous phrase here used by Peter, and by Paul, Rom 1:17; Rom 3:21, as singularly unhappy. That Newcome used it and the Socinian version adopted it, would not make us reject it; but when the apostles state specially the ground of justification, why should they be made to speak indefinitely of its general "plan,"or method. The rendering of Stuart, namely, "justification of God,"is not more successful; it confounds the "thing itself"with the "ground"of it. Why not prefer the apostle’ s own words to any change or periphrasis? See the supplementary note at Rom 1:17).

God and our Saviour Jesus Christ - Margin, "our God and Saviour."The Greek will undoubtedly bear the construction given in the margin; and if this be the true rendering, it furnishes an argument for the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Middleton, Slade, Valpy, Bloomfield, and others, contend that this is the true and proper rendering. It is doubted, however, by Wetstein, Grotius, and others. Erasmus supposes that it may be taken in either sense. The construction, though certainly not a violation of the laws of the Greek language, is not so free from all doubt as to make it proper to use the passage as a proof-text in an argument for the divinity of the Saviour. It is easier to prove the doctrine from other texts that are plain, than to show that this must be the meaning here.

PBC: 2Pe 1:1

In his first letter Peter holds the Lord Jesus Christ forth as our example in suffering while living according to the will of God. No less in this setting he reinforces the same model of an informed and competent Christian life that only develops as the believer gains knowledge of God and of His ways through Scripture.

Although Peter wrote both epistles, perhaps even to the same audience, his theme and purpose in the two letters are vastly different. His theme in First Peter has to do with encouragement to suffering Christians. In the midst of persecution for their faith he reminds them of Jesus’ sufferings as an example. Peter’s theme in Second Peter is to equip his readers with knowledge in the face of skillful deceivers. False teachers may succeed where fierce persecution failed. Everyone who claims to be a Christian is not authentic. Some who claim to be Christians, even highly qualified teachers of the faith, are in fact devious enemies to the faith. Good intentions alone will not insulate Peter’s beloved audience from these errors. Genuine faith from, not simply in, the Lord Jesus Christ, coupled with a solid foundation of knowledge of the true teachings of our Lord, must unite to inform and equip the believer against these insidious teachers. The pedestrian twenty-first century Christian notion that you check your mind at the door before entering the church will not stand the test of Scripture. It also will not prepare the sentimental, thoughtless Christian for the subtle and deceptive onslaught of the deceivers who prey on unprepared Christians.

Peter’s second letter covers an amazing breadth of practical truth. The first chapter {2Pe 1:1-21} equips the believer with the tools necessary to know and to live his faith in a hostile world. The second chapter {2Pe 2:1-22} confronts the reality of false teachers who demonstrate amazing prowess in deceiving the simple and uninformed believer. The third chapter affirms {2Pe 3:1-18} that, despite temporary success, the false teachers will not prevail. In the end God will have His way and will prevail. The Second Coming and the ultimate glory of God and His purpose will not be deterred or compromised by anyone or by anything.

" ... To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."

Modern Christianity has lost sight of the character of Biblical faith. For the contemporary believer, faith is merely a natural, human response to the evidence presented regarding Jesus. That it is a supernatural quality imputed by God in regeneration is alien to the modern Christian mind. However, Paul clearly affirmed that faith is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. {Ga 5:22-23} Contemporary Christian thought effectively turns this passage on its head, making the Holy Spirit’s personal indwelling in the believer the fruit of faith. A tree is planted and grows before it produces fruit. The Holy Spirit indwells a person in regeneration, the new birth, and produces faith. Peter affirms Paul’s teaching on faith. We obtain faith through the righteousness of our God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, not through our own righteousness or mental processes. Supernatural faith, bestowed on us by God, becomes the foundation of our defense against error.

Biblical faith is not a certain feeling or emotional outlook. It is not blindly accepting what you can’t understand, the spiritual equivalent of a leap into the darkness. Quite the opposite, the faith that God bestows on His children informs and enlightens their minds. The Hebrew writer defines faith as "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen"{Heb 11:1} "Substance...evidence, " these are not words of sentimental feeling, but of confirmed fact. Sentimental feelings would never motivate the life-sacrificing devotion and walk of the heroes of faith that follow in Heb 11:1-40. I believe that a shallow, emotional concept of faith among contemporary Christians makes any significant sacrifice of personal comfort and lifestyle, such as that documented in Heb 11:1-40, nearly implausible.

God’s divine provision in Scripture is no less specific for our faith and conduct than His instructions to Moses at Sinai. Linger with Peter in this challenging letter. Never take your mind’s eye off the holy place where you stand and minister before your God, but never forget that you stand on the sands of the wilderness where God directs you to maintain a good and faithful witness of Him and of His truth. Sincerity is vital to a credible faith, but sincere ignorance, or worse, sincere error, will not carry the day. Build your sincerity on the solid foundation of Biblical knowledge and truth.

41

Haydock: 2Pe 1:1

In the justice (or by the justice) of our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As justice and sanctification are equally attributed to God and to Jesus Christ, it shews that the Son was equally and the same God with the Father. (Witham)

Gill: 2Pe 1:1

Simon Peter, a servant, and an apostle of Jesus Christ,.... The writer of this epistle is described first by his names, Simon Peter; the first of these was the name by which he was called from his infancy by his parents, and by which he was known when Christ called him to be a disciple and follower of him, and is the same with Simeon; and so it is read in most copies; see Act 15:14 a name common with the Jews; the latter is what was given him by Christ at his conversion, Joh 1:4, and answers to Cephas in the Syriac language; and both signify a rock or stone, because he was built upon Christ, the rock and foundation, and chief corner stone, and with a view to his future solidity, firmness, and constancy: and he is next described by his character as a servant, not of sin, nor Satan, nor man, but Jesus Christ, whose servant he was, not only by creation, but by redemption and grace; and not merely a servant of his, in common with other believers, but in a ministerial way, as a preacher of the Gospel, which this phrase sometimes designs. The use of it shows the apostle's humility, his sense of obligation to Christ, and acknowledgment of him as his Lord, and that he esteemed it an honour to stand in such a relation to him: but to distinguish him from a common servant of Christ, and an ordinary minister of the word, it is added, "an apostle of Jesus Christ": one that was immediately sent by Christ, had his commission and doctrine directly from him, and a power of working miracles, in confirmation of his mission and ministry being divine, and an authority at large to go everywhere and preach the Gospel, plant churches, and put them in due order, and place proper persons over them. This is said to give weight and authority to his epistle: and further, in this inscription of the epistle, the persons are described to whom it is written, as follows,

to them that have obtained like precious faith with us; they were believers in Christ, who had a faith of the right kind; not a faith of doing miracles, which was not common to all, nor was it saving; nor an historical faith, or a mere assent to truths, nor a temporary one, or a bare profession of faith; but that faith which is the faith of God's elect, the gift of his grace, and the operation of his power; which sees the Son, goes to him, ventures on him, trusts in him, lives upon him, and works by love to him. This is said to be "precious", as it is in its own nature, being a rich and enriching grace, of more worth and value than gold that perisheth, or than thousands of gold and silver; it is not to be equalled by, nor purchased with the riches of the whole world; it is precious in its object, it being conversant with the precious person, precious blood, and precious righteousness and sacrifice of Christ, and is that grace which makes Christ, and all that is his, precious to souls; it is precious in its acts and usefulness; it is that grace by which men go to God and Christ, receive from them, and give all glory to them, and without which it is not possible to please God: to which add the durableness of it; it is an abiding grace, and will never fail, when the most precious things in nature do: and it is "like precious" with that the apostles had; for there is but one faith, and which is called a common faith, even common to all the elect; and which is the same in all, not as to degrees, for in some it is strong, and in others weak; or as to the actings of it, which are not in all alike, nor in the same persons at all times; in some it is only a seeing of the Son, his glory, fulness, and suitableness, and longing for views of an interest in him; in others a reliance on him, and trusting in him; and in others a holy confidence, and full assurance of being his: but then it is alike with respect to its nature, as it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen; and as it works by love to Christ and his people; it springs from the same cause, the love and favour of God, and has the same object, Jesus Christ, and is followed with the salvation; for though it is but as a grain of mustard seed, yet, being genuine, the person that has it shall certainly be saved: wherefore, for the comfort and encouragement of these scattered believers, the apostle assures them, that their faith was the same as their brethren that dwelt at Jerusalem and in Judea, who believed in Christ, and even with them that were the apostles of Christ; and this he says they had obtained, not by their own merits or industry, but by the grace of God; for faith is not of a man's self, it is the gift of God, and the produce of his grace and power. Some have rendered it, "obtained by lot"; not by chance, but by the all wise, good, and powerful providence of God, ordering, directing, assigning, and giving this grace unto them. And which came to them

through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; or "of our God, and Saviour Jesus Christ", as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read; that is, of Christ Jesus, who is our God and Saviour: so that here is a testimony of the deity of Christ, as well as of his character as a Saviour, who is an able and a willing one, a full, complete, suitable, and only Saviour: and the reason why he is so is because he is truly and properly "God"; and why he is so to us, because he is "our" God: wherefore by "righteousness" here, cannot be meant the goodness and mercy of God, as some think, though faith undoubtedly comes through that; nor the faithfulness of God making good his purpose and promise of giving faith to his elect, as others think: but the righteousness of Christ, which is not the righteousness of a creature, but of God; that is wrought out by one that is God, as well as man, and so answerable to all the purposes for which it is brought in. Now faith comes "in", or "with" this righteousness, as the phrase may be rendered; when the Spirit of God reveals and brings near this righteousness to a poor sensible sinner, he at the same time works faith in him to look to it, lay hold upon it, and plead it as his justifying righteousness with God: or it comes "through" it; hence it appears that faith and righteousness are two distinct things; and that faith is not a man's righteousness before God, for it comes to him through it; as also that righteousness is before faith, or otherwise faith could not come by it; and, moreover, is the cause and reason of it; faith has no causal influence upon righteousness, but righteousness has upon faith: the reason why a man has a justifying righteousness is not because he has faith; but the reason why he has faith given him is because he has a justifying righteousness provided for him, and imputed to him.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Pe 1:1

¹ tc Several witnesses, a few of them very important (Ì⁷² B Ψ 69 81 614 623 630 1241 1243 2464 al vg co), read Σίμων (Simwn, “Simon”) for Συμεών (Sumewn, “Simeon”). However, this appears to be a motivated reading as it is the more common spelling. Συμεών occurs only here and in Acts 15:14 as a spelling for the apostle’s name. The reading Συμεών enjoys ample and widespread support among the mss, strongly suggesting its authenticity. Further, this Hebraic spelling is a subtle argument for the authenticity of this letter, since a forger would almost surely follow the normal spelling of the name (1 Peter begins only with “Peter” giving no help either way).

² tn Grk “Simeon Peter.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

³ tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”

⁴ tc A few mss (א Ψ pc vg^mss sy^ph sa) read κυρίου (kuriou, “Lord”) for θεοῦ (qeou, “God”) in v. 1, perhaps due to confusion of letters (since both words were nomina sacra), or perhaps because “our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” is an unusual expression (though hardly because of theological objections to θεοῦ).

⁵ tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. In fact, the construction occurs elsewhere in 2 Peter, strongly suggesting that the author’s idiom was the same as the rest of the NT authors’ (cf., e.g., 1:11 [“the Lord and Savior”], 2:20 [“the Lord and Savior”]). The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, qeos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, swthr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on the application of Sharp’s rule to 2 Pet 1:1, see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290. See also Titus 2:13 and Jude 4.

⁶ tn The verb λαγχάνω (lancanw) means “obtain by lot,” “receive.” A literal translation would put it in the active, but some of the richness of the term would thereby be lost. It is used in collocation with κλῆρος (klhros, “lot”) frequently enough in the LXX to suggest the connotation of reception of a gift, or in the least reception of something that one does not deserve. H. Hanse’s statement (TDNT 4:1) that “Even where there is no casting of lots, the attainment is not by one’s own effort or as a result of one’s own exertions, but is like ripe fruit falling into one’s lap” is apt for this passage. The author’s opening line is a reminder that our position in Christ is not due to merit, but grace.

⁷ tn Grk “equal in value/honor.”

sn A faith just as precious. The author’s point is that the Gentile audience has been blessed with a salvation that is in no way inferior to that of the Jews.

Geneva Bible: 2Pe 1:1

Simon ^{( 1 )} Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the ^{( a )} righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

^{( 1 )} A greeting, in which he gives them to understand that he deals with them as Christ's ambassadors, and otherwise agrees with them in the same faith which is grounded on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour.

^{( a )} In that God, in standing by his promises, showed himself faithful, and therefore just to us.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 2Pe 1:1-21

1 Confirming them in hope of the increase of God's graces,

5 he exhorts them, by faith, and good works, to make their calling sure;

12 whereof he is careful to remind them, knowing that his death is at hand;

16 and warns them to be constant in the faith of Christ, who is the true Son of God, by the eyewitness of the apostles beholding his majesty, and by the testimony of the Father, and the prophets.

Maclaren: 2Pe 1:1

Like Precious Faith

"Them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.'--2 Peter 1:1.

PETER seems to have had a liking for that word precious.' It is not a very descriptive one; it does not give much light as to the quality of the things to which it is applied; but it is a suggestion of one-idea value. It is interesting to notice the objects to which, in his two letters--for I take this to be his letter--he applies it. He speaks of the trial of faith as being precious.' He speaks (with a slight modification of the word employed) of Jesus Christ as being to them that believe, precious.' He speaks of the precious' blood of Christ. These instances are in the first epistle. In this second epistle we have the words of my text, and a moment after, exceeding great and precious promises.' Now look at Peter's list of valuables; Christ, Christ's blood, God's promises, our Faith, and the discipline to which that faith is subjected.' These are things that the old man had found out to be of worth.

But then there is another word in my text that must be noted, like precious.' It brings into view two classes, to one of which Peter himself belongs--us' and they.' Who are these two classes? It may be that he is thinking of the immense difference between the intelligent and developed faith of himself and the other Apostles, and the rudimentary and infantile faith of the recent believers to whom he may be speaking. And, if so, that would be beautiful, but I rather take it that he is tacitly contrasting in his own mind the difference between the Gentile converts as a whole, and the members of the Jewish community who had become believers in Jesus Christ, and that he is repeating the lesson that he had learned on the housetop at Joppa, and had had further confirmed to him by the experience of Caesarea, and that he is really saying exactly what he said when he defended himself before the Council in Jerusalem: Seeing that God had given unto them the like gift that he did unto us, who was I, that I should withstand God?' And so he looks out over all the Christian community, and ignores the middle wall of partition,' and says, Them that have obtained like precious faith with us.' I wish very simply to try to draw out the thoughts that lie in these words, and cluster round that well-worn and threadbare theological expression and Christian verity of faith' or trust.'

I. And The First Thing That I Would Desire To Point You To Is, What We Learn Here As To The Object Of Faith.

Now those of you who are using the Revised Version will notice that there is a very slight, but important, alteration there, from the rendering in the old translation. We read in the latter: Like precious faith with us through the righteousness' and that is a meaning that might be defended. But the Revised Version says, and says more accurately as far as the words go, and more truly as far as Christian thought goes, them that have obtained like precious faith with us in the righteousness.' Now, I daresay, it will occur to us all that that is a departure from the usual form in which faith is presented to us in the New Testament, because there, thank God! we are clearly taught that the one thing which faith grapples is not a thing but a Person. Christian faith is only human trust turned in a definite direction. Just as our trust lays hold on one another, so the object of faith is, in the deepest analysis, no doctrine, no proposition, not even a Divine fact, not even a Divine promise, but the Doer of the fact, and the Promiser of the promise, and the Person, Jesus Christ. When you say, I trust so-and-so's word!' what you mean is, I trust him, and so I put credence in his word.' And Christianity would have been delivered from mountains of misconception, and many a poor soul would have felt that a blaze of light had come in upon it, if this had been clearly proclaimed, and firmly apprehended by preachers and by hearers, that the object of trust is the living Person, Jesus Christ, and that the trust which grapples us to Him is essentially a personal relation entered into by our wills and hearts far more than by our heads.

All that is being apprehended by the Christian Church to-day a great deal more clearly than it used to be when some of us were young. But we have the defects of our qualities. And this generation is accustomed far too lightly and superficially to say Oh! I do not care about doctrines. I cleave to the living Christi' Amen! say I. But there is another question--What Christ is it that you are cleaving to? For our only way of knowing a person with whom we have no external acquaintance is by what we are told about him, and believe about him. And so, while we cannot assert too strongly that faith or trust in the living Christ, and not in a dogma,. is the basis of real Christian life, we have need to be very definite and sure as to what Christ--which Christ--it is that we are trusting to? And there my text comes in, and tells us that faith is to grasp Christ as our righteousness; and another saying of the Apostle Paul's comes in, who for once speaks of faith as being faith not only in the Christ, but in His blood':--

Jesus! Thy blood and righteousness,My beauty are, my glorious dress.'

Brethren! you will not get beyond that. The Christ, trusting in whom we have life and salvation, is the Christ whose blood cleanses, Whose righteousness clothes us poor, sinful men. So, while proclaiming with all emphasis, and rejoicing to press it upon all my brethren, that salvation comes by personal trust in the Person, I supplement and fill out, not contradict, that proclamation, when I further say that the Person by trusting in whom we are saved, is the Jesus whose blood cleanses and whose righteousness becomes ours. That righteousness is, in our text, contemplated as God's, as being embodied in Christ's, that from Him it may be imparted to us, if we will fulfil the condition on which alone it can be ours, viz., faith. It becomes ours, by no mere imputation which has not a reality at the back of it, but because faith brings us into such a vital union with Jesus Christ as that His righteousness, or at least a spark from the central flame, becomes ours, not only in reference to our exemption from the burden of our guilt, but in reference to our becoming conformed to the image of His dear Son, and created anew in righteousness and holiness. The object of faith is Christ, the Christ whose blood and righteousness cleanses and clothes sinful souls.

II. Let Me Ask You To Look, In The Next Place, To What This Text Suggests To Us About The Worth Of Christian Faith.

Peter calls it precious. Consider its worth as a channel. There is a very remarkable expression used in the Acts of the Apostles, The door of faith.' A door is of little value in itself, worth a few shillings at the most, but if it opens the way into a palace then it is worth something. And all the preciousness that there is in faith comes, not from its intrinsic value, but from the really precious things which it gives into our hands. Just as the dyer's hand may be tinged with royal purple, if he has been working in it, or a woman's hand may be scented and made fragrant if she has been handling perfumes, so the hand of faith takes tint and fragrance from that with which it is conversant. It is precious because it is the channel by which all precious things flow into our hearts and lives. If Ladysmith is, as I suppose it is, dependent for its water supply on one lead pipe, the preciousness of that pipe is not measured by what it would fetch if it were put up to auction for its lead, but by that which flows through it, and without which Death would come. And my faith is the pipe by which all the water of life comes sparkling and rejoicing into my thirsty soul. It is the opening of the door that the King of Glory may come in'; it is the taking down of the shutters that the sunshine may blaze into the darkened chamber; it is the grasping of the electric wire that the circuit may be completed. God puts out His hand, and we lay hold of it. It is not the outstretched hand from earth, but the down-stretched hand from heaven that makes the tottering man stand. So, dear friends, let us understand that salvation does not come as the reward of faith, but that the salvation is in the faith, because faith is the channel by which all God's salvation pours into us. So there is nothing arbitrary in the way of salvation, as some shallow thinkers seem to propose, and there is no reason in the question, Why does God make salvation depend upon faith?' God could not but make salvation depend upon faith, because there is no other possible way by which the blessings which are gathered together into that one great pregnant word salvation' could find their way into a man's heart but through the channel of his trust. Have you opened that channel? If you have not, you need not wonder it cannot be otherwise--that salvation does not come unto you.

Consider its worth as a defence. The Apostle in one place speaks about the shield of faith.' But there is nothing in the belief that I am safe to make me safe. It is very often a fatal blunder. All depends upon that or Him, to which or whom I am trusting for my safety. Put yourself beneath the true Shield--The Lord God is a sun and shield'--and then you will be safe. Your way of running into the strong tower which alone, with its massive walls, protects us from all danger and from all sin, is by trusting Him.

Just as light things on a ship's deck have to be lashed in order to be secured and lie still, you and I have to lash ourselves to Jesus Christ; then, not by reason of the lashings, but by reason of Him, we are fastened and secured.

Consider the worth of faith as a means of purifying. This very Apostle, in his great speech in Jerusalem, when vindicating the reception of the Gentiles into the Church, spoke of God as having purified their hearts by faith.' And here again, I say, there is no cleansing power in the act of trust. Cleansing power is in that which, by the act of trust, comes into my heart. Faith is not simple receptivity, not mere passive absorbing of what is given, but it is the active taking by desire as well as by confidence. And when we trust in Jesus Christ, His blood and righteousness, there flows into our hearts that Divine life which, like a river turned into a dung-heap, will sweep all the filth before it. You have to get the purifying power by faith. Ay! and you have to utilise the purifying power by effort and by work. What God hath joined together, let not men put asunder.

III. Now, Lastly, Note The Identity Of Faith.

Like precious,' says Peter, and, as I said, there may be defended a double application of the word, and two sets of pairs of classes may be supposed to have been in his mind. I do not discuss which of these may be the case, only I would suggest to you that from this beautiful gathering together of all the diversities of the Christian character, conception, and development into one great whole, we are taught that the one thing that makes a Christian is this trust. That is the universal characteristic; that is uniform, whatever may differ. Ah! how much and how little it takes to make a Christian. Only faith?' you say. Yes, thank God! not this, or that, not rites, not anything that a priest can do to you. Not orthodoxy; not morality; these will come, but trust in Christ and His blood and righteousness. England is a Christian country; is it? This is a Christian congregation; is it? You are a Christian; are you? Are you trusting in that Christ? If you are not; no! though you be orthodox up to the eyebrows, and though seven or seven hundred sacraments may have been given to you, and though you be a clean living man--all that does not make a Christian, but this does--Like precious faith with us in the righteousness of God and our Saviour.'

Again, this great thought of the identity or uniformity of the one characteristic may suggest to us how Christian faith is one, under all varieties of form. There never has been in the Christian Church again, notwithstanding all our deplorable divisions and schisms, such a tremendous cleft as there was in the primitive Church between the Jewish and Gentile components thereof. But Peter flings this flying bridge across that abyss, and knits the two sides together, because he knows that away out yonder, amongst the Gentiles, and here in the little circle of the Jewish believers, there was the one faith that unifies all.

So, dear friends, there should be the widest charity, but no vagueness; for the Christian faith in Him which unifies and bridges over all differences, mental and theological, is the Christ by whose blood we are cleansed, with whose righteousness we are made righteous.

Again, from the same thought flows the other, of the identity of the uniform characteristic, at all stages of development or maturity. The mustard-seed and the tree, which is greater than all herbs,' have the same life in them. And the feeblest, tremulous little spark in some heart, just kindled, and scarcely capable of sustaining itself, is one with the flame leaping heaven-high, which lights up and cleanses the whole soul. So for those in advance, humility, and for those in the rear, hope. And something more than hope, for if you have the feeblest beginning of tremulous trust, you have that which only needs to be fostered to make you like Jesus Christ. Look at what follows our text: Add to your faith, virtue, and to virtue, knowledge,' and so on, through the whole linked series of Christian graces. They all come out of that trust which knits us to Him who is the source of them all. So you and I are responsible for bringing our faith to the highest development of which it is capable.

Alas! alas! are we not all like this very Apostle, who, in an ecstasy of trust and longing, ventured himself on the wave, and as soon as he felt the cold water creeping above his knees lost his trust, and so lost his buoyancy, and was ready to go down like a stone? He had so little faith, that he was beginning to sink; he had so much that he put out his hand--a desperate hand it was--and cried, Lord, save me!' And the hand came, and that steadied him, and bore him up till the water was beneath the soles of his feet again. Lord! I believe; help Thou my unbelief!'

MHCC: 2Pe 1:1-11

Faith unites the weak believer to Christ, as really as it does the strong one, and purifies the heart of one as truly as of another; and every sincere believer is by his faith justified in the sight of God. Faith worketh godliness, and produces effects which no other grace in the soul can do. In Christ all fulness dwells, and pardon, peace, grace, and knowledge, and new principles, are thus given through the Holy Spirit. The promises to those who are partakers of a Divine nature, will cause us to inquire whether we are really renewed in the spirit of our minds; let us turn all these promises into prayers for the transforming and purifying grace of the Holy Spirit. The believer must add knowledge to his virtue, increasing acquaintance with the whole truth and will of God. We must add temperance to knowledge; moderation about worldly things; and add to temperance, patience, or cheerful submission to the will of God. Tribulation worketh patience, whereby we bear all calamities and crosses with silence and submission. To patience we must add godliness: this includes the holy affections and dispositions found in the true worshipper of God; with tender affection to all fellow Christians, who are children of the same Father, servants of the same Master, members of the same family, travellers to the same country, heirs of the same inheritance. Wherefore let Christians labour to attain assurance of their calling, and of their election, by believing and well-doing; and thus carefully to endeavour, is a firm argument of the grace and mercy of God, upholding them so that they shall not utterly fall. Those who are diligent in the work of religion, shall have a triumphant entrance into that everlasting kingdom where Christ reigns, and they shall reign with him for ever and ever; and it is in the practice of every good work that we are to expect entrance to heaven.

Matthew Henry: 2Pe 1:1-4

The apostle Peter, being moved by the Holy Ghost to write once more to those who from among the Jews were turned to faith in Christ, begins this second epistle with an introduction, wherein the same persons are described and the same blessings are desired that are in the preface to his former letter; but there are some additions or alterations which ought to be taken notice of, in all the three parts of the introduction.

I. We have here a description of the person who wrote the epistle, by the name of Simon, as well as Peter, and by the title of servant, as well as that of apostle. Peter, being in both epistles, seems to be the name most frequently used, and with which he may be thought to be best pleased, it being given him by our Lord, upon his confessing Jesus to be Christ the Son of the living God, and the very name signifying and sealing that truth to be the fundamental article, the rock on which all must build; but the name Simon, though omitted in the former epistle, is mentioned in this, lest the total omission of that name, which was given him when he was circumcised, should make the Jewish believers, who were all zealous of the law, to become jealous of the apostle, as if he disclaimed and despised circumcision. He here styles himself a servant (as well as an apostle) of Jesus Christ; in this he may be allowed to glory, as David does, Psa 116:16. The service of Christ is the way to the highest honour, Joh 12:26. Christ himself is King of kings, and Lord of lords; and he makes all his servants kings and priests unto God, Rev 1:6. How great an honour is it to be the servants of this Master! This is what we cannot, without sin, be ashamed of. To triumph in being Christ's servant is very proper for those who are engaging others to enter into or abide in the service of Christ.

II. We have an account of the people to whom the epistle is written. They are described in the former epistle as elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, and here as having obtained precious faith in our Lord Jesus Christ; for the faith here mentioned is vastly different from the false faith of the heretic, and the feigned faith of the hypocrite, and the fruitless faith of the formal professor, how orthodox soever he is. It is the faith of God's elect (Tit 1:1), wrought by the Spirit of God in effectual calling. Observe, 1. True saving faith is a precious grace, and that not only as it is very uncommon, very scarce, even in the visible church, a very small number of true believers among a great multitude of visible professors (Mat 22:14), but true faith is very excellent and of very great use and advantage to those who have it. The just lives by faith, a truly divine spiritual life; faith procures all the necessary supports and comforts of this excellent life; faith goes to Christ, and buys the wine and milk (Isa 55:1) which are the proper nourishment of the new creature; faith buys and brings home the tried gold, the heavenly treasure that enriches; faith takes and puts on the white raiment, the royal robes that clothe and adorn, Rev 3:18. Observe, 2. Faith is alike precious in the private Christian and in the apostle; it produces the same precious effects in the one and in the other. Faith unites the weak believer to Christ as really as it does the strong one, and purifies the heart of one as truly as of another; and every sincere believer is by his faith justified in the sight of God, and that from all sins, Act 13:39. Faith, in whomsoever it exists, takes hold of the same precious Saviour, and applies the same precious promises. 3. This precious faith is obtained of God. Faith is the gift of God, wrought by the Spirit, who raised up Jesus Christ from the dead. 4. The preciousness of faith, as well as our obtaining it, is through the righteousness of Christ. The satisfactory meritorious righteousness and obedience of Christ gives faith all its value and preciousness: and the righteousness of such a person cannot but be of infinite value to those who by faith receive it. For, (1.) This Jesus Christ is God, yea, our God, as it is in the original. He is truly God, an infinite Being, who has wrought out this righteousness, and therefore it must be of infinite value. (2.) He is the Saviour of those that believe, and as such he yielded this meritorious obedience; and therefore it is of such great benefit and advantage to them, because, as surety and Saviour, he wrought out this righteousness in their stead.

III. We have the apostolical benediction, wherein he wishes for the multiplication and increase of the divine favour to them, and the advancement and growth of the work of grace in them, and that peace with God and in their own consciences (which cannot be without grace ) may abound in them. This is the very same benediction that is in the former epistle; but here he adds,

1. An account of the way and means whereby grace and peace are multiplied - it is through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ; this acknowledging or believing in the only living and true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, is the great improvement of spiritual life, or it could not be the way to life eternal, Joh 17:3.

2. The ground of the apostle's faith in asking, and of the Christian's hope in expecting, the increase of grace. What we have already received should encourage us to ask for more; he who has begun the work of grace will perfect it. Observe, (1.) The fountain of all spiritual blessings is the divine power of Jesus Christ, who could not discharge all the office of Mediator, unless he was God as well as man. (2.) All things that have any relation to, and influence upon, the true spiritual life, the life and power of godliness, are from Jesus Christ; in him all fulness dwells, and it is from him that we receive, and grace for grace (Joh 1:16), even all that is necessary for the preserving, improving, and perfecting of grace and peace, which, according to some expositors, are called here in this verse godliness and life. (3.) Knowledge of God, and faith in him, are the channel whereby all spiritual supports and comforts are conveyed to us; but then we must own and acknowledge God as the author of our effectual calling, for so he is here described: Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Observe here, The design of God in calling or converting men is to bring them to glory and virtue, that is, peace and grace, as some understand it; but many prefer the marginal rendering, by glory and virtue; and so we have effectual calling set forth as the work of the glory and virtue, or the glorious power, of God, which is described Eph 1:19. It is the glory of God's power to convert sinners; this is the power and glory of God which are seen and experienced in his sanctuary (Psa 63:2); this power or virtue is to be extolled by all that are called out of darkness into marvellous light, 1Pe 2:9. (4.) In the fourth verse the apostle goes on to encourage their faith and hope in looking for an increase of grace and peace, because the same glory and virtue are employed and evidenced in giving the promises of the gospel that are exercised in our effectual calling. Observe, [1.] The good things which the promises make over are exceedingly great. Pardon of sin is one of the blessings here intended; how great this is all who know any thing of the power of God's anger will readily confess, and this is one of those promised favours in bestowing whereof the power of the Lord is great, Num 14:17. To pardon sins that are numerous and heinous (every one of which deserves God's wrath and curse, and that for ever) is a wonderful thing, and is so called, Psa 119:18. [2.] The promised blessings of the gospel are very precious; as the great promise of the Old Testament was the Seed of the woman, the Messiah (Heb 11:39), so the great promise of the New Testament is the Holy Ghost (Luk 24:49), and how precious must the enlivening, enlightening, sanctifying Spirit be! [3.] Those who receive the promises of the gospel partake of the divine nature. They are renewed in the spirit of their mind, after the image of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness; their hearts are set for God and his service; they have a divine temper and disposition of soul; though the law is the ministration of death, and the letter killeth, yet the gospel is the ministration of life, and the Spirit quickeneth those who are naturally dead in trespasses and sins. [4.] Those in whom the Spirit works the divine nature are freed from the bondage of corruption. Those who are, by the Spirit of grace, renewed in the spirit of their mind, are translated into the liberty of the children of God; for it is the world in which corruption reigns. Those who are not of the Father, but of the world, are under the power of sin; the world lies in wickedness, 1Jo 5:19. And the dominion that sin has in the men of the world is through lust; their desires are to it, and therefore it rules over them. The dominion that sin has over us is according to the delight we have in it.

Barclay: 2Pe 1:1

The letter opens with a very subtle and beautiful allusion for those who have eyes to see it and knowledge enough of the New Testament to grasp it. Peter writes to "those to whom there has been allotted a faith equal in honour and privilege with our own" and he calls himself Symeon Peter. Who were these people? There can really be only one answer to that. They must once have been Gentiles in contradistinction to the Jews who were uniquely the chosen people of God. Those who had once been no people are now the chosen people of God (1Pe 2:10); those who were once aliens and strangers to the commonwealth of Israel, and who were once far off, have been brought nigh (Eph 2:11-13).

Peter puts this very vividly, using a word which would at once strike an answering chord in the minds of those who heard it. Their faith is equal in honour and privilege. The Greek is isotimos (2472); isos (2470) means "equal" and time (5092) means "honour." This word was particularly used in connection with foreigners who were given equal citizenship in a city with the natives. Josephus, for instance, says that in Antioch the Jews were made isotimoi (2472), equal in honour and privilege, with the Macedonians and the Greeks who lived there. So Peter addresses his letter to those who had once been despised Gentiles but who had been given equal rights of citizenship with the Jews and even with the apostles themselves in the kingdom of God.

Two things have to be noted about this great privilege which had been extended to the Gentiles. (a) It had been allotted to them. That is to say, they had not earned it; it had fallen to them through no merit of their own, as some prize falls to a man by lot. In other words, their new citizenship was all of grace. (b) It came to them through the impartial justice of their God and Saviour Jesus Christ. It came to them because with God there is no "most favoured nation clause"; his grace and favour go out impartially to every nation upon earth.

What has this to do with the name Symeon, by which Peter is here called? In the New Testament, he is most often called Peter; he is fairly often called Simon, which was, indeed, his original name before Jesus gave him the name of Cephas or Peter (Joh 1:41-42); but only once in the rest of the New Testament is he called Simeon. It is in the story of that Council of Jerusalem in Ac 15 which decided that the door of the Church should be opened wide to the Gentiles. There James says, "Symeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name" (Act 15:14). In this letter which begins with greetings to the Gentiles who have been granted by the grace of God privileges of equal citizenship in the kingdom with the Jews and with the apostles Peter is called by the name of Symeon; and the only other time he is called by that name is when he is the principal instrument whereby that privilege is granted.

Symeon has in it the memory that Peter is the man who opened doors. He opened the doors to Cornelius, the Gentile centurion (Ac 10 ); his great authority was thrown on the side of the open door at the Council of Jerusalem (Ac 15 ).

Barclay: 2Pe 1:1

Peter calls himself the servant of Jesus Christ. The word is doulos (1401) which really means slave. Strange as it may seem, here is a title, apparently one of humiliation, which the greatest of men took as a title of greatest honour. Moses the great leader and lawgiver was the doulos (1401) of God (Deu 34:5; Psa 105:26; Mal 4:4). Joshua the great commander was the doulos (1401) of God (Jos 24:29). David the greatest of the kings was the doulos (1401) of God (2Sa 3:18; Psa 78:70). In the New Testament Paul is the doulos (1401) of Jesus Christ (Rom 1:1; Phi 1:1; Tit 1:1), a title which James (Jam 1:1), and Jude (Jd 1 ) both proudly claim. In the Old Testament the prophets are the douloi (1401) of God (Amo 3:7; Isa 20:3). And in the New Testament the Christian man frequently is Christ's doulos (1401) (Act 2:18; 1Co 7:22; Eph 6:6; Col 4:12; 2Ti 2:24). There is deep meaning here.

(i) To call the Christian the doulos (1401) of God means that he is inalienably possessed by God. In the ancient world a master possessed his slaves in the same sense as he possessed his tools. A servant can change his master; but a slave cannot. The Christian inalienably belongs to God.

(ii) To call the Christian the doulos (1401) of God means that he is unqualifiedly at the disposal of God. In the ancient world the master could do what he liked with his slave; he had even the power of life and death over him. The Christian has no rights of his own, for all his rights are surrendered to God.

(iii) To call the Christian the doulos (1401) of God means that he owes an unquestioning obedience to God. A master's command was a slave's only law in ancient times. In any situation the Christian has but one question to ask: "Lord, what will you have me do?" The command of God is his only law.

(iv) To call the Christian the doulos (1401) of God means that he must be constantly in the service of God. In the ancient world the slave had literally no time of his own, no holidays, no leisure. All his time belonged to his master. The Christian cannot, either deliberately or unconsciously, compartmentalize life into the time and activities which belong to God, and the time and activities in which he does what he likes. The Christian is necessarily the man every moment of whose time is spent in the service of God.

We note one further point. Peter speaks of the impartial justice of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. The King James Version translates, "the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ," as if this referred to two persons, God and Jesus; but, as Moffatt and the Revised Standard Version both show, in the Greek there is only one person involved and the phrase is correctly rendered our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Its great interest is that it does what the New Testament very, very seldom does. It calls Jesus God. The only real parallel to this is the adoring cry of Thomas: "My Lord and my God." (Joh 20:28). This is not a matter to argue about; it is not even a matter of theology; for Peter and Thomas to call Jesus God was not a matter of theology but an outrush of adoration. It was simply that they felt human terms could not contain this person they knew as Lord.

Constable: 2Pe 1:1-2

I. INTRODUCTION 1:1-2

Peter began his second epistle as he did to introduce himself to his readers and to lay a foundation for what follows.

1:1 The writer could hardly have stated his identity more clearly than he did in this verse. "Simon" was Peter's Hebrew name, and "Peter" is the Greek translation of the nickname Cephas ("Rocky," cf. Matt. 16:18).

"Double names like Simon Peter' were common in the ancient Near East. Many people used both the name they were given in their native language and a Greek name, since Greek was so widely spoken."¹³

This is the only New Testament epistle in which the writer identified himself with a double name. Peter may have done this to suggest the two aspects of his life, before and after discipleship to Jesus Christ.¹⁴ Peter called for discipleship in this letter and referred to the changes that it produces in Christians (e.g., vv. 4-11). As I mentioned in the notes on 1 Peter, there is only one Peter in the New Testament. He regarded himself first as a bond-slave (Gr. doulos) of Jesus Christ and secondarily as His apostle (cf. Rom. 1:1; Tit. 1:1).¹⁵

Peter did not mention his apostolic authority in his salutation in 1 Peter, but in this epistle he dealt with false teachers. His readers needed to remember that what they were reading came from an apostle and was authoritative.

Peter referred to his audience in very general terms that could apply to all Christians. This reference does not help us identify exactly who the original recipients were. The faith of all believers is a gift from God. Other non-biblical Greek writers used the unique Greek word translated "same kind" (isotimos) to describe immigrants who received citizenship privileges equal to those of native inhabitants. The word "our" may be an editorial plural, but it is more likely a reference to the other apostles (cf. 3:2; 1 John 1:1-4; et al.). Some of the early Gnostic false teachers claimed a higher level of spiritual experience that they said only Christians who followed their teaching could attain. However, Peter here asserted that every Christian has the same essential faith, including all of its spiritual benefits, as the apostles did.

The Christian's faith, in both its subjective and objective aspects, comes to us through Jesus Christ's uprightness. The Greek grammatical construction of the last phrase of this verse indicates that Peter believed Jesus Christ was both God and Savior (cf. Matt. 16:16; John 1:1; 20:28; Tit. 2:13).¹⁶ This is one of the verses in the New Testament that explicitly calls Jesus God. Jesus' role as Savior was one that Peter emphasized in this letter because of his readers' need of deliverance (cf. v. 11; 2:20; 3:2, 18).

1:2 The first half of Peter's benediction on his readers is identical with the one he gave in his first epistle (1 Pet. 1:2). Grace and peace were the typical greetings the Greeks and Jews used respectively. This probably suggests that Peter wrote this epistle to a mixed audience of Christians as he did his former letter. Both grace and peace come to us through the full knowledge (Gr. epignosei) of God and of Jesus (again equal, cf. v. 1). The Greeks prided themselves on their knowledge, but Peter noted that knowledge of God and Jesus was the key to grace and peace (cf. 3:18). These blessings become ours as we get to know God intimately by reading His Word and abiding in Him. The false teachers could offer nothing better than this.

". . . as used in 2 Peter, . . . epignosis [full knowledge] designates the fundamental Christian knowledge received in conversion, whereas gnosis is knowledge which can be acquired and developed in the course of Christian life . . ."¹⁷

"In our day we are rightly warned about the danger of a sterile faith, of a head' knowledge that never touches the heart. But we need equally to be careful of a heart' knowledge that never touches the head! Too many Christians know too little about their faith; we are therefore often unprepared to explain how our God' differs from the God' of Mormonism or of the Jehovah's Witnesses."¹⁸

College: 2Pe 1:1-21

2 PETER 1

I. INTRODUCTION (1:1-15)

A. SALUTATION AND GREETING (1:1-2)

¹ 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:

² Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

This is a standard beginning for Greek letters in general and for early Christian letters in particular. Unlike modern English letters, authors of Greek letters would first state their names and then further identify themselves. They would then state the name(s) of the recipient(s), followed often by some sort of thanksgiving or blessing to or from the gods. On the question of authorship, see the introduction above. The letter claims to have been written by Peter, and we accept this claim in this commentary.

This document is a letter, written for a specific group of Christians (although Peter probably intended that it be copied and read by others). However, this letter also includes many characteristics of the type of literature known as a "testament." Testaments were usually written or narrated at the end of the lives of famous heroes of the faith. They included such elements as 1) the mention of the imminent death of the speaker/writer, 2) ethical instructions to the family or group, and 3) predictions of the future for that group.

The NIV translation "Simon Peter" obscures the fact that the Greek has the more primitive and Jewish "Simeon" (Sumewvn), which Peter would have been called by his Aramaic-speaking friends. Only in Acts 15:14 in the New Testament is this form used instead of Simon (Sivmwn), when James, the brother of Jesus, uses it. The name Peter is actually his nickname, given to him by Jesus (Mark 3:16; John 1:42). Since Peter means "rock," Jesus may have been looking ahead to Peter's later role as one of the pillars of the early church.

Peter's descriptions of himself show him to be one under authority and having authority. The term "servant" (dou'lo", doulos ) refers not simply to one who serves but to a slave, one whose will is completely subject to another. Peter therefore reminds his readers that his life has been completely given over to Christ. Perhaps his readers are to remember that his life has been one of persecution, hardship, and courage. He has earned the right to be heard. At the same time, he does not hesitate to remind them that as Christians, they have an obligation to accept his teaching. He is a chosen apostle of Jesus, and any readers who may be listening to the false teachers need to be reminded of this fact. The term "apostle" (ajpovstolo", apostolos ) in this context refers to the authoritative role first shared by the twelve and later expanded to include other men who were witnesses to Jesus' resurrection. In Ephesians 2:20 Paul mentions apostles first in his ordered list of leaders in the early church. They were the guarantors of the message of Jesus during the earliest days of the church, and their words in writing (in the New Testament) function in the same way today.

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

Peter does not specify the church(es) to whom he is writing his letter. Chapter 3 relates that these believers had collected some of the letters of Paul. Therefore the best guess is that Peter is writing to Christians in Galatia, Asia Minor, Greece, or perhaps Italy. Here, however, Peter only identifies them as those who "have received a faith as precious as ours." The term "ours" probably refers to the apostles, since Peter has just identified himself as an apostle. These Christians, who were not eyewitnesses of Jesus (see 1:16), had faith that was in no sense inferior to that of the apostles themselves. (For a similar thought, see John 20:29.)

The way in which Peter describes how these readers became Christians puts all the emphasis on God's activity rather than on human activity. It was "the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ" that led them to faith. While the term "righteousness" (dikaiosuvnh, dikaiosynç) can mean justice, fairness, or justification, the term here most likely echoes its common New Testament meaning. It refers to the characteristic of God which caused him to offer and accept the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

The phrase "our God and Savior Jesus Christ" is unusual in that it seems to call Jesus "our God and Savior." The wording in Greek makes it all but certain that this is one of those rare passages in the New Testament where Jesus is explicitly called "God."

When Peter writes that his readers have "received" their faith, he may imply that faith is something Christians receive as a gift, just as grace is a gift. However, it is more likely that Peter is here simply reminding these Christians that they "received" faith when they accepted or believed the message about Jesus. In either case, the emphasis is on what God has done rather than what the believers have done. This is underscored by Peter's assertion that his readers' faith is "as precious as ours." As stated above, Peter means that the faith of these Gentile Christians is no less valid and valuable than that of the apostles themselves. These Christians received salvation the same way that all Christians do. They put their trust in the righteous act of God, the death of Jesus Christ.

1:2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Peter's greeting, a prayer that his readers might continue to enjoy grace and peace, was very common among the early Christians. Peter wrote much the same thing in 1 Peter 1:2, and Paul uses these two terms in the greetings of all his letters. "Grace" (cavri", charis ) would include all of God's gifts which issue from his grace, including, among others, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) and special gifts of ministry, prophecy, and the like (Rom 12:3-8). "Peace" (eijrhvnh, eirçnç) was the common Jewish greeting, expressing the desire that its recipient experience peace within and without, especially in relationships with God and with other people.

The reference to "knowledge" already anticipates the major reason for Peter's writing. The false teachers had a knowledge problem - they denied the truth concerning Jesus' Second Coming. This errant knowledge then had disastrous consequences for their lives. They were completely overcome by sin (see chapter 2), thus destroying their relationship with Christ. Here, as elsewhere in Scripture, knowledge is not simply an intellectual matter but also a relational one. The false teachers did not truly "know" God. Peter's prayer, then, is that his readers will have the abundant grace and peace that comes from knowing God and knowing the truth about God and about Jesus our Lord.

Our modern (better, postmodern) world needs to hear Peter's emphasis on knowledge every bit as much as did the original readers. A focus on the truth about God apart from a relationship with God will leave the Christian powerless to defeat sin. Similarly, an emphasis on the relationship without a deep concern for doctrinal truth will lead to sins which are the result of wrong thinking. As 2 Peter makes clear, Christians must get beyond just the basic facts if they expect to mature.

B. PREFACE: EXHORTATION TO GODLY LIVING

(1:3-11)

³ His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶ and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷ and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him

This section is a preface to the main body of the letter, encouraging holy living among Peter's readers. He clearly believes that Christians must put forth effort in order to live acceptably, although he believes that everything needed for success in that effort has been provided by Christ. The result will be "life and godliness," which may be taken as a single idea or as two related ideas. "A godly life" may be the best translation. The Greek term translated "godliness" (eujsebeiva, eusebeia ) was well known in the Greek world, meaning "piety," doing what the gods desired for one to do. In the New Testament it takes on a more ethical sense of holy living.

It is difficult to know just what Peter has in mind when he relates that "divine power" has supplied his readers' needs through their "knowledge." It does seem that the referent of "his" and "him" is Christ, the closest antecedent (in verse 2). Peter may be teaching that Christ continually provides to Christians the power to defeat sin and live godly lives (through the Holy Spirit). However, he may mean that the knowledge Christians have of Jesus' death and resurrection on their behalf in itself gives them power to live as Christians. (Both possibilities express truths - we simply do not know which Peter intended.) In either case, Christians have this ability through knowledge. Christian knowledge of Christ implies both content (death, resurrection, Second Coming, etc.) and relationship (personally knowing Christ, reception of his Spirit), so that our knowledge of Jesus' life gives us courage to live as he did, and he continues to support us in various ways as our living Lord.

who called us by his own glory and goodness.

Peter often uses terms in pairs, such as grace and peace, life and godliness, and here "glory and goodness." Peter is probably looking back to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus as he writes these words. Jesus' glory (dovxa, doxa ) is his reflection of God's presence, and his goodness (ajrethv, aretç) refers to his moral character.

Peter includes himself when he writes that Jesus "called us." The reader is tempted to look back to the incident recorded in Luke 5, where Peter clearly recognized Jesus' glory and goodness and then asked Jesus to leave because of his (Peter's) sinfulness. In that scene Peter was explicitly called to follow Jesus. But in what sense were the readers of this letter "called" by Jesus? Theologians throughout the centuries have debated this question, and it must suffice here to make two brief comments. First, the expression, being "called by God" (1 Pet 1:15; 2:9; Rom 1:7; 8:28; and others), is common in the New Testament and surely means more than simply that Christians have heard the gospel message. Those who are Christians are in some sense specially chosen by God. Second, just as common in the New Testament is the teaching that the gospel is for all (Acts 10:34-35), that God does not wish for any to perish (as taught in 3:9 of this letter!), and that human failure to respond to Christ is fully the responsibility of those who reject him (Acts 17:30; Matt 13:1-9,18-23). The call to repent and believe presupposes the ability of its hearers to do so.

1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,

Peter is probably still thinking of Christ's "glory and goodness" when he tells his readers that it is "through these" that they have been given "his very great and precious promises." In light of the next clause in the sentence, the "promises" of Jesus must include his Second Coming and the resurrection of believers. They may also include his guidance and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The statement that these promises allow believers to "participate in the divine nature" has caused much discussion among interpreters. The phrase, "participating in the divine nature," could mean many different things, including becoming like God in his very essence. But there is no support for this understanding anywhere in this letter (or in the Bible, for that matter!). Many therefore believe that Peter is looking to the future resurrection of believers, when they will be like God in that they will have "put on immortality," to use Paul's words (1 Cor 15:53; see also 1 John 3:2). However, the context here demands a more immediate meaning, suggesting that in some way Christians become like God even in this life so that they may resist evil desires. Peter may be thinking that Christians "participate" with God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit is not mentioned here. The better opinion is that Christians are able to participate in the divine nature by being holy, as God is holy. That is, the Christian is in an important sense like God when he or she adds to faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, and the other attributes mentioned in verses 5-7. These signs of a godly life grow out of several factors, including God's help (through the Holy Spirit), the knowledge of the cleansing from past sins (verse 9), and personal effort (verse 5).

The "corruption in the world caused by its evil desires" is one of Peter's primary concerns in this letter. In chapter 2 he will severely criticize some who call themselves Christians, and there, as in these verses, he will underline the clear connection between wrong thinking (lack of knowledge) and wrong living. The false teachers' heresies have led them into greed and shameful ways. It is for this reason that Peter continuously reminds his readers that knowing the truth about Jesus, including his promises, is their best defense against being destroyed by sin.

1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;

The phrase, "for this very reason," looks back to the whole of verses 3-4. The provisions and promises given freely by Christ demand that Christians do their part to ensure they do not lose those blessings. They must put forth the effort to supplement their faith with the virtues listed in verses 5-7. The list might first appear to demand a stair step approach to Christian virtues, so that one must take them in order and master one before moving to the next. Such an understanding, however, probably overextends the meaning of this common rhetorical device. While the first and last (faith and love) must begin and end the list, the others may not necessarily build on each other (as those in Romans 5:3-5 do). Peter is simply drawing attention to the importance of these interrelated characteristics of holy living.

The terms translated "make every effort" underscore just how hard Christians must work in order to be welcomed "into the eternal kingdom of our Lord" (v. 11). It must be noted that Peter nowhere makes salvation dependent on human effort - salvation is a gift, a "calling and election" (v. 10). However, those who truly understand and appreciate the gift will put forth the effort to let God work on them and through them. The idea is much like that of Paul who tells his readers to "run in such a way as to get the prize" (1 Cor 9:24), and to "work out your own salvation in fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Phil 2:12-13). Through Jesus God saves and empowers, but Christians must allow him to do so by putting forth effort.

Lists of virtues similar to this one (as well as lists of vices) were common during the early Christian period. Well known are those in the New Testament: Romans 5:3-5; 2 Corinthians 6:4-7; 8:7; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:8; 2 Timothy 3:10-11; Titus 2:2; 1 Peter 3:8; and Revelation 2:19. Abundant examples may also be found in other early Christian literature, in Hellenistic Jewish writings, and among philosophical writings, especially those of Stoics. This list in 2 Peter is unusual among New Testament writings in that the virtues are arranged in a successive order, each being added to the one before. Only Romans 5:3-5 has a similar pattern. Some have also argued that the list here more closely resembles the philosophical lists, since it uses the terms "virtue," "self-control," and "godliness."

The virtues that Peter lists, with two exceptions (faith and love), are virtues which were often praised by Hellenistic philosophers. Of course, it is only reasonable that Peter would preach the gospel in terms with which his readers would have been familiar. However, "faith" and "love" are specifically Christian in their content, and they imply a Christian content for each item in the list.

The first term is the foundation of Christian life, "faith" (pivsti", pistis , often translated "belief"). Like the other virtues, this one is undefined by Peter, since he assumes that his readers know its meaning. It is the trusting relationship grounded in the believer's knowledge of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

"Goodness" translates the term aretç, a very important term in Peter's day. Among the philosophers, it meant "virtue," a characteristic of those who lived a life of integrity, based strictly on reason. The Christian understanding of the term, however, was linked to the character of God. Verse 3 has already mentioned the glory and "goodness" of Christ, pointing Peter's readers to the highest standard of moral excellence.

and to goodness, knowledge;

"Knowledge" (gnw'si", gnôsis) was already in the first century a loaded term among Christians, used by some to claim superiority over others. Paul writes that, "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up" (1 Cor 8:1). He also writes of "what is falsely called knowledge," referring to wild speculations about spiritual beings (1 Tim 6:20). However, the term is here used in a very positive sense, as it was more normally used in the New Testament. It refers not to the initial knowledge about Jesus' death and resurrection (a different word is used in verses 2-3). It is best understood as the deeper matters of the faith ("solid food" as opposed to "milk," as in 1 Corinthians 3:2) or even as the ability to discern God's will (see Rom 12:2; Phil 1:9-10).

1:6 and to knowledge, self-control;

"Self-control" (ejgkravteia, enkrateia ) is very common in ethical lists, both Christian and philosophical. It was one of the highest ideals of Stoicism, signifying the ability to control one's emotions, to be indifferent to matters outside one's control, and thus to be one's own master. Early Christians such as Peter used it in contexts such as this one, in which the doctrine of Christian freedom was being used to justify moral permissiveness. Paul's use of the term in Galatians 5:23 provides an interesting parallel.

and to self-control, perseverance;

"Perseverance" (uJpomonhv, hypomonç) is found in many of the New Testament lists of Christian characteristics. The term may also be translated "steadfastness" or "endurance" and refers to the ability to withstand temptation, hardship, or persecution. For the Christian the basis of perseverance was not personal strength but trust and hope in the Lord.

and to perseverance, godliness;

Peter has already used the term "godliness" ( eusebeia ) once (verse 3) where it functioned as a general term roughly equivalent to "holy living." It may be added here that the term refers not only to behavior but also to a person's attitude toward God. It was common among pagans to speak of the need for "piety," that is, doing the right things out of a proper respect for the gods. Christian godliness refers to holy living out of respect for a holy God.

1:7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness;

"Brotherly kindness" translates the term filadelfiva ( philadelphia ). Since the next virtue is "love," we must make a distinction between this "love of brother" and agapç. "Brotherly kindness" in non-Christian literature referred to the natural affection between family members. In Christian contexts, however, it speaks of the tender feelings and loving actions among believers. Jesus spoke of the ties among his followers that were even stronger than biological family relationships (Luke 18:29-30). It is this love for fellow Christians that Peter mentions here.

and to brotherly kindness, love.

"Love" (ajgavph, agapç) is the supreme Christian virtue (see 1 Cor 13) and is therefore mentioned last. It may be that Peter wants the reader to understand that all of the others are encompassed in (or must be understood in light of) this one, similar to Paul's statement in Colossians 3:14: "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." "Love" is a much broader term than the former, "brotherly kindness," implying self-sacrificial beneficence toward others, whoever they may be (see Luke 10:25-37). Above all, love is defined by the act of God in sending his Son to die (John 3:16).

1:8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter notes that these qualities are not absolutes, which a Christian either has or does not have. However, the believer will be growing in all these areas and will thereby be effective and productive. Peter makes the point from the negative standpoint, as he warns of "being ineffective and unproductive," probably because that is precisely what had happened to the false teachers about whom he writes in chapter 2. The terms "ineffective" and "unproductive" are near-synonyms in this passage. The first term often refers to workers who are idle, and the second is the common metaphor recalling plants that produce no fruit.

In what way did Peter want his readers to be effective and productive? Although Peter does not specify here, the whole of the letter deals with the holy living that is the fruit of right doctrine. Peter's plea is therefore that his readers will practice these virtues in order to defeat sin, withstand various trials, and serve others. Peter bases these benefits once again in "knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." It is fundamentally because believers know Jesus who lived, died, and was resurrected for them that they are able to live holy lives.

1:9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

The individual who has not pursued these qualities is unable, or perhaps unwilling, to see the need to put forth the effort to live productively in Christ. That person is "nearsighted and blind," another pair of terms which Peter uses as synonyms for rhetorical effect. This blindness will certainly lead to a life of sinfulness and separation from God. Furthermore, such a person is not only blind but also has amnesia, "having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." Peter's meaning is that Christians are cleansed from sin in order to escape the destruction of sin, not to return to it. Those who sin willfully have therefore failed to live in light of their salvation. So, they are blind to it, or they have forgotten it. The teaching is very much like that of Paul in Romans 6:2: "We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" The false teachers troubling Peter's readers were probably like Paul's antagonists, who believed that salvation by grace meant that Christians could deliberately sin without fear of judgment. The language Peter uses here, being "cleansed from past sins," probably refers to the cleansing which takes place at baptism (see Acts 22:16; 1 Cor 6:11 and others).

1:10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.

Peter concludes and summarizes this section by repeating his exhortation of verse 5, where he encouraged them to "make every effort." The demand is that they live in light of the salvation that has been given to them. Yes, they are among the "called and elect" of God. However, they must not presume upon their salvation by failing to put forth the effort to live holy lives. They must validate that they are God's people (make their "calling and election sure") by living like God's people. A lack of effort to live a holy life is the clearest evidence that a person does not truly belong to God.

Peter's thought is much like that of James, who writes, "Faith itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead" (Jas 2:17). Nor is Paul of a different mind, as he writes (even to the Galatians!) that, "I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this [sexual immorality, impurity, and many others] will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal 5:21). John Calvin rightly noted that, "Salvation is by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone."

The terms, "calling" (klh'si", klçsis) and "election" (ejkloghv, eklogç) are another pair of synonyms, of which Peter is so fond. For more comments on the theology behind these words, see the discussion at verse 3 above, where a form of the term "calling" is also used. Peter believed that salvation is the result of God's initiative, pure grace. However, this in no way relieves humans of responsibility for responding to God's gift. Perhaps the best theological solution to the paradox is the belief that God predetermined to save the world by giving his Son, so that Jesus is ultimately the chosen or "elect" one. By God's grace, he counts among the elect all those who are "in Christ."

For if you do these things, you will never fall,

Peter knows that there is the possibility for Christians to "fall," that is, fail to be welcomed into the eternal kingdom (v. 11). That is what had presumably happened to the false teachers, who were unconcerned with holy living (chapter 2). However, he reassures his readers that their efforts to live in light of their salvation will keep them from falling.

1:11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter ends the section by focusing on the abundance of God's grace by writing of the "rich welcome" which Christians can expect. "The eternal kingdom" is, of course, the kingdom in its final manifestation, the "new heaven" and "new earth" of 3:13.

Once again, Peter's words are as timely today as the day he penned them. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that our sins are of no great concern or that we will eventually grow out of our sins. In this passage Peter underlines the importance of working hard at spiritual growth. Although the power comes from God, we must make every effort to avail ourselves of it. Failure to do so may result in our failure to "receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom."

C. OCCASION: THE APPROACHING DEATH OF PETER (1:12-15)

¹² So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. ¹³ I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, ¹⁴ because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. ¹⁵ And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

Peter here begins the transition to the main body of his letter. Having begun with an exhortation focusing on his readers (vv. 3-11), he now explains his own circumstances and one of the reasons for writing the letter at this time. In short, he wants to make clear his teaching before he dies.

Many scholars have noted that this letter is very much like a "testament" in this section. The testament or "farewell speech" was a common type of literature among Jews, one in which a hero of the faith would state that he or she was near death. It would usually contain ethical teaching and prophecy about future events which would occur after the hero's death. Since testaments were often fictional, some have suggested that 2 Peter must also be fictional. However, this reasoning is not valid. Not all testaments were fictional, and there is no reason that Peter could not have written one. Furthermore, the fact that 2 Peter contains some elements of a testament does not mean that it ought to be regarded as belonging primarily to this type of literature. Above all, 2 Peter is a letter, like other letters in the New Testament. Writing a letter to loved ones at the end of one's life is hardly an unusual event.

1:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

The grave importance of living godly lives is what has led Peter to "remind" his readers "of these things," even though they already "know them." These Christians were apparently not novices in the faith, since he describes them as "firmly established in the truth." Peter felt they needed to be reminded again for several reasons: 1) He, one of the great witnesses of the life and teaching of Jesus, is about to die. 2) False teachers have arisen and will continue to disturb the faith of traditional believers. 3) The nature of Christian faith demands the continual retelling of the stories in order for believers to grow.

The surprising thing about this verse is that Peter writes that he "will always remind" them of his teaching. The language here is unusual, and it is not certain that the NIV's "I will always remind you" is the best translation; yet it remains the most likely. So, how is it that a man about to die will continue to communicate to others? Two possibilities seem best: 1) He may think that he will yet live long enough to teach them more. 2) He may intend this letter as a reminder, not only when they receive it but as they read it again and again. Perhaps the second choice is slightly more probable.

1:13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,

Peter repeats his desire to "refresh [their] memory" as he hints for the first time about his approaching death. Peter is simply saying that he is making use of his final days on earth to remind believers of their Christian obligations. To "live in the tent of this body" is a common early Christian way of talking about life in this age, as opposed to life in the coming age. Paul writes similarly in 2 Corinthians 5:1,4: "For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God . . . . For while we are in this tent, we groan . . . ." It is important to make clear that Peter is not suggesting that he is awaiting the day when he will become a bodiless spirit after death. It is simply that the physical body is frail, like a tent, and Christians, especially in their later years, look forward to being rid of this "perishable and corruptible" body and receiving a new body at the resurrection. Paul calls the resurrection body a "spiritual body" and teaches that it is imperishable and immortal (1 Cor 15:42-54). While there is much that cannot be known about Christian existence after death, it is important to remember that the Christian view of afterlife involves resurrection of the body, not immortality of the soul as understood in pagan Greek philosophy and religion.

1:14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

Peter "knows" that his death is approaching, and that it will come "soon." However, we do not know how soon it was to be. It may have been only days, or it may have been years. Similarly, we do not know just when or how Jesus "made clear" Peter's death to him. He may have received a revelation just prior to his death, or he may be referring here to the event recorded in John 21:18-19: ". . . when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." It is quite possible that Peter's situation has convinced him that the time referred to by Jesus cannot be far away. Early Christian tradition states that Peter died under the emperor Nero in the mid-60s of the first century. This tradition is probably reliable, unlike the further tradition that states he was crucified upside-down.

The fact that Peter will "put aside" his body does not mean that he does not expect another, better (resurrection) body. While 2 Peter gives few hints regarding the state of the Christian between death and the return of Christ, it makes very clear that believers await "a new heaven and a new earth" (3:13), a situation in which a new body makes perfect sense.

1:15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

How will Peter ensure that even after his death his readers will be reminded of his teaching? Peter may be suggesting that he "will make every effort" to encourage others to continue to teach what he has taught them. Or he may mean simply that this letter is his effort to help them remember his teaching. In either case, it is clearly important to Peter that his teaching be remembered after his death, as this is his second mention of this concern in this paragraph (see verse 12).

II. BODY OF LETTER (1:16-3:13)

A. REASONS FOR BELIEVING IN CHRIST'S RETURN (1:16-21)

1. Peter's Eyewitness Testimony (1:16-18)

¹⁶ We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ''This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." ^{a 18} We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

^a 17 Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35

Peter now begins the body of the letter, as he introduces the main topic that will occupy him throughout the remainder of the letter. His great concern is the Second Coming of Jesus. He will first offer reasons to believe, and then he will attack those who are denying Christ's return. Finally, he will remind his readers of the truth about the event, followed by concluding exhortations to faithfulness.

This small section (verses 16-18) and the next (19-21) offer Peter's readers evidence to support his teaching about the Second Coming. The first evidence is that Peter and those with him were eyewitnesses to a miracle which looked ahead to and therefore guaranteed the return of Jesus in glory.

1:16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Why did Peter feel the need to tell his readers that it was not on the basis of "cleverly invented stories" that his teaching about the return of Jesus rested? It is very probable that those who denied the Second Coming were claiming that Jesus had never promised a return. The very idea of Jesus coming back, they would say, was a creation of some very imaginative and clever people. While we know less than we might wish to know about these false teachers, we do know that even in the first century there were a number who claimed to be Christian who flatly denied the doctrine of resurrection (and, by implication, Jesus' future return).

It is somewhat difficult for those who are the beneficiaries of centuries of orthodox teaching on this matter to understand how anyone could take such a stand. However, there are several things modern Christians should keep in mind. First, the early Christians had no New Testament on which to rely. They had to rely on what they heard from church leaders. It was difficult for them to distinguish what was true from what was false. Second, many came out of a pagan Greek thought-world in which life after death was ridiculed. Most Greeks believed in a very impersonal immortality of the soul if they believed in afterlife at all. They may have reasoned that Jesus could not have been resurrected and therefore could certainly not come again. Paul had to deal with such thinking on many occasions, including that behind 2 Timothy 2:18, where two men had apparently "spiritualized" the resurrection: "They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some." Third, many of the earliest Christians expected Jesus to return during their lifetimes. When he failed to do so, they became disillusioned and therefore became more susceptible to the Greek thinking about the future. Fourth, then just as now, immoral living helps to create false teaching. Those who did not want to give up their sinful lifestyles had to discover ways of justifying or at least living with their sin. One way to do so was (and is) to deny those teachings of Christianity which would restrict their desired activities.

Peter has changed from using the singular ("I") to the plural ("we") in order to remind his readers that others (according to the Gospels, James and John) were also "eyewitnesses" to the Transfiguration. It is obvious that Peter is referring to the Transfiguration as he writes of the certainty of the "power and coming" of Jesus. This pair of terms should be understood as one idea, the "powerful coming" or "coming in power." It is also clear that Peter is writing about the Second Coming. However, it is not as clear why Peter thinks that the Transfiguration is evidence for the future Second Coming of Christ.

The answer lies in the proper understanding of the Transfiguration. It was not a miracle simply designed to impress the apostles and show that Jesus was indeed sent from God. The various elements of the Gospel account of the story must be examined in order to understand Peter's reasoning. The Transfiguration occurs in the Gospels (Matt 17; Mark 9; Luke 9) immediately after Peter's revelation that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus follows Peter's confession with his own revelation that the Son of Man was to come in judgment "when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38, NRSV). It is in this context that Jesus is glorified above even Moses and Elijah, when God tells those who are present to "listen to him." As we will see below, the allusion made by the voice of God makes it plain that Jesus is the one who will subdue the nations and reign as God's appointed judge and ruler. The Transfiguration then was a preview for Peter and those with him of Jesus' final glory and power, which would be inaugurated with the Second Coming.

1:17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, ''This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

Peter uses yet another pair of words, "honor and glory," to describe what Jesus received on the mountain. Whether the honor is associated with the voice and the glory with the shining face and clothes or whether both terms describe the whole event makes little difference. What matters is that Peter understands that the event was God's appointment (or at least acknowledgement) of Jesus as final judge and king.

Peter does not quite state that the voice on the mountain came directly from God, tracing its origin rather to the "Majestic Glory." The use of the term "Majestic Glory" is due to the common Jewish practice of avoiding the use of the name of God, in keeping with the third commandment. The words spoken by the voice are a further indicator of the significance of the event. The words are a partial quotation of Psalm 2:7 ("This is my Son") and Isaiah 42:1 ("with whom I am well pleased"). Psalm 2 envisions God laughing at those who oppose his appointed king and warning of the coming destruction of his enemies. That Peter understood this background is clear from his use in verse 18 of the phrase "the sacred mountain" from Psalm 2:6. The quotation of Isaiah 42:1 equates Jesus with the suffering servant of God.

1:18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

Peter reiterates the fact that he and his companions were eyewitnesses (or ear-witnesses) as he ends this short section. His intent is that his readers be impressed that his teaching about the return of Christ came directly from God himself. They might also be impressed that the one writing the letter to them was one of those chosen to be with Jesus on that occasion. The term "sacred mountain," as noted above, indicates that Peter knew and relied upon the larger context of Psalm 2 for his understanding of the Transfiguration.

2. The Sure Prophetic Word (1:19-21)

¹⁹ And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Peter's second piece of evidence in support of his teaching about Christ's return is the teaching of Scripture. Peter's contention is that the prophets prophesied that Christ would return. The Second Coming is not predicated upon cleverly invented stories. This section also functions as a transition to the next section, since it deals with the words of the biblical prophets. Chapter 2 will discuss another group of prophets, the false prophets of Peter's day.

1:19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain,

Every teaching or prediction of the prophets is for Peter and for his readers a "certain" word already. After all, their Bible is the Old Testament, including the writings of prophets. The statement here, however, suggests that it is made even "more certain" by the Transfiguration event. Just in case there were any doubts about the teachings of the prophets concerning God's plans for world history, Peter's (and the other apostles') eyewitness testimony should rule them out. The assumption here is that the Old Testament prophets spoke of the future Second Coming of God's Messiah, an assumption shared by all New Testament writers.

and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Peter directs his readers' attention to the words of the prophets by comparing prophecy to "a light shining in a dark place." The metaphor is a common one in Jewish literature, the best known in Psalm 119:105: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." However, Peter extends the metaphor, suggesting that the light of prophecy will be needed during the night that lasts "until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts." In the context of 2 Peter that "day" can only be the return of Christ, especially in light of the reference to the "morning star." The allusion is to a messianic text, Numbers 24:17: "A star will come out of Jacob."

It is somewhat surprising that the metaphor includes the rising of the star in the "hearts" of Peter's readers. Yet the whole context refers to the return of Jesus, a time of great joy which was eagerly anticipated in the hearts of the early Christians. Paul's words may help the modern reader feel the excitement: "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever" (1 Thess 4:16-17). It appears that Peter, like Paul, envisions the possibility that the Lord will return during the lifetime of his readers, since he speaks not of their deaths but of the day dawning on them.

1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.

The NIV translation is quite interpretive here, since the original is somewhat ambiguous. The major part of the sentence may also be translated, "No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation" (NRSV). This translation would imply that Peter is objecting to the private (and incorrect) interpretation of prophecy practiced by the false teachers. However, this understanding does not suit well the preceding (19) and especially the following verse (21). The NIV interpretation seems best.

The false teachers have rejected not only the teaching of Peter and the other apostles about the coming of Christ but also the teachings of the prophets about this event. Their judgment may have been that God never inspired such prophecies but that the prophets were wrongly interpreting their visions or whatever signs God may have given them. Therefore Peter asserts that all prophecy in Scripture originated with God, not with the prophet. That is to say that not only the visions or dreams came from God but so did the prophets' understanding of them. This seems to be the point of the next verse.

1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

If the false teachers contended that the prophets gave their own (wrong) interpretation of God's visions, then Peter has responded in verse 20 that the prophets did not voice their own understandings. He now needs only to state what the origin of prophecy was. It originated not "in the will of man" but was rather "from God," through the agency of "the Holy Spirit."

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

Commentary -- Other

Critics Ask: 2Pe 1:1

2 PETER 1:1 —Did the Apostle Peter really write this book?

PROBLEM: The style of writing in 1 Peter is different than 2 Peter. Also the tone used in the first epistle is different than that of the second epistle. How can evangelicals claim that Peter wrote this epistle?

SOLUTION: First, in his earlier epistle, Peter had Silas as a secretary ( 5:12 , NIV ), but in the second epistle Peter seems to have written it himself. This could account for the lack of smoothness and style between the two epistles.

Second, different styles and tones should be expected in two different letters written for two different purposes which were written at different times. First Peter is written to encourage believers who are suffering, while 2 Peter contains warnings against false teachers. So, some of the difference in style and tone can be accounted for in the light of the different circumstances. After all, one would not write to his girlfriend the same way he would write to his congressman.

Third, there is good internal evidence that the letter is from Peter. Verse 1 claims it is from the Apostle Peter. Peter remembers the words of Jesus concerning His death, as recorded in John 21:18-19 (cf. 2 Peter 1:14 ). The author of this letter was an eyewitness to the Mount of Transfiguration, which is recorded in Matthew 17:1-8 (cf. 1:16-18 ). Peter even calls this his “second letter” ( 3:1 , NIV ) which presupposes a first. And he is aware of the writings of the Apostle Paul and calls him “our beloved brother Paul” ( 3:15-16 ).

Fourth, there are not only some differences between epistles, but also some likenesses. Both place emphasis on Christ, 1 Peter on His suffering and 2 Peter on His glory. And in both epistles Peter refers to Noah and the flood ( 1 Peter 3:20 ; 2 Peter 2:5 ; 3:5-6 ).

Fifth, there is good external evidence that it was written in the 1st century by someone like Peter who was a contemporary of the events. The noted archaeologist William F. Albright dated 2 Peter before A.D. 80. The discovery of the Bodmer papyri    (P72, ca. A.D. 250) reveals that it was highly respected in Egypt at an early date. The book was cited as authentic by numerous early church fathers, including Origen, Eusebius, Jerome, and Augustine.

Finally, if it was not written by Peter, then it is a biblical forgery, because the letter is said to be written by him. If it has not been written by Peter, then it is deceiving us and cannot be trusted in what it purports to tell us (i.e., his testimony to be a witness of the Transfiguration). Consideration of all the above factors provides strong evidence that the Apostle Peter is the writer of this epistle and not someone else. So we have no reason to distrust its content.   

Introduction / Outline

Robertson: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

THE SECOND EPISTLE OF PETER

ABOUT a.d. 66 OR 67

By Way of Introduction

Most Doubtful New Testament Book

Every book in the New Testament is challenged by some one, as indeed the historicity of Jesus Christ himself is and the very existence of God. But it is true that more modern scholars deny the genuineness of 2 Peter than that of any single book in the canon. This is done by men like F. H. Chase, J. B. Mayor, and R. D. Strachan, who are followers of Christ as Lord and Saviour. One has to admit that the case concerning 2 Peter has problems of peculiar difficulty that call for careful consideration and balanced judgment. One other word needs to be said, which is that an adverse decision against the authenticity of 2 Peter stands by itself and does not affect the genuineness of the other books. It is easy to take an extreme position for or against it without full knowledge of all the evidence.

Slow in General Acceptance

It was accepted in the canon by the council at Laodicea (372) and at Carthage (397). Jerome accepted it for the Vulgate, though it was absent from the Peshito Syriac Version. Eusebius placed it among the disputed books, while Origen was inclined to accept it. Clement of Alexandria accepted it and apparently wrote a commentary on it. It is probable that the so-called Apocalypse of Peter (early second century) used it and the Epistle of Jude either used it or 2 Peter used Jude. There are undoubted allusions also to phrases in 2 Peter in Aristides, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Clement of Rome. When one considers the brevity of the Epistle, the use of it is really as strong as one can expect. Athanasius and Augustine accepted it as genuine, as did Luther, while Calvin doubted and Erasmus rejected it. It may be said for it that it won its way under criticism and was not accepted blindly.

Claims Petrine Authorship

Not only so, but in fuller form than 1Pe_1:1, for the writer terms himself " Simon (Symeon in some MSS.) Peter," a fact that has been used against the genuineness. If no claim had been made, that would have been considered decisive against him. Simon (Symeon was the Jewish form as used by James in Act_15:14) is the real name (Joh_1:42) and Peter merely the Greek for Cephas, the nickname given by Christ. There is no reason why both could not properly be employed here. But the claim to Petrine authorship, if not genuine, leaves the Epistle pseudonymous. That was a custom among some Jewish writers and even Christian writers, as the spurious Petrine literature testifies (Gospel of Peter, Apocalypse of Peter, etc.), works of a heretical or curious nature. Whatever the motive for such a pious fraud, the fact remains that 2 Peter, if not genuine, has to take its place with this pseudonymous literature and can hardly be deemed worthy of a place in the New Testament. And yet there is no heresy in this Epistle, no startling new ideas that would lead one to use the name of Simon Peter. It is the rather full of edifying and orthodox teaching.

And Personal Experiences of Peter

The writer makes use of his own contact with Jesus, especially at the Transfiguration of Christ (Mar_9:2-8; Mat_17:1-8; Luk_9:28-36). This fact has been used against the genuineness of the Epistle on the plea that the writer is too anxious, anyhow, to show that he is Symeon Peter (2Pe_1:1). But Bigg rightly replies that, if he had only given his name with no personal contacts with Jesus, the name would be called " a forged addition." It is possible also that the experience on the Mount of Transfiguration may have been suggested by Peter’s use of exodos for his own death (2Pe_1:15), the very word used by Luke (Luk_9:31) as the topic of discussion between Jesus and Moses and Elijah. There is also in 2Pe_1:13 the use of " tent" ( skēnoma ) for the life in the body, like Peter’s use of " tents" ( skēnas ) to Jesus at that very time (Mar_9:5; Mat_17:4; Luk_9:33). In 2Pe_1:14 Peter also refers to the plain words of Jesus about his coming death (Joh_21:18.). In 2Pe_1:15 Peter speaks of his own plan for preserving the knowledge of Jesus when he is gone (possibly by Mark’s Gospel). All this is in perfect keeping with Peter’s own nature.

And yet the Epistle Differs in Style from First Peter

This is a fact, though one greatly exaggerated by some scholars. There are many points of similarity, for one thing, like the habit of repeating words ( epichorēgeō in 2Pe_1:10, 2Pe_1:19, bebaios in 2Pe_1:12, 2Pe_1:13, 2Pe_1:15, prophēteia in 2Pe_1:20; 2Pe_3:3, etc.). These repetitions occur all through the Epistle as in 1 Peter. " This is a matter of very high importance" (Bigg). Again in both Epistles there is a certain dignity of style with a tendency to iambic rhythm. There is more quotation of the Old Testament in 1 Peter, but frequent allusion to words and phrases in 2 Peter. There are more allusions to words and facts in the Gospels in 1 Peter than in 2 Peter, though some do occur in 2 Peter. Besides those already given, note 2Pe_1:8 (Luk_13:7.), 2Pe_2:1 (Mat_10:33), 2Pe_2:20 (Mat_12:45; Luk_11:26), 2Pe_3:4 (Mat_24:1.), and possibly 2Pe_1:3 to Christ’s calling the apostles. Both appear to know and use the O.T. Apocrypha. Both are fond of the plural of abstract substantives. Both make sparing use of Greek particles. Both use the article similarly, idiomatically, and sometimes not using it. There are some 361 words in 1 Peter not in 2 Peter, 231 in 2 Peter not in 1 Peter. There are 686 hapax legomena in N.T., 54 in 2 Peter instead of the average of 62, a large number when the brevity of the Epistle is considered. There are several ways of explaining these variations. One way is to say that they are written by different men, but difference of subject has to be borne in mind. All writers and artists have an early and a later manner. Another solution is that Peter employed different amanuenses. Silvanus was the one for 1 Peter (1Pe_5:12). Mark was Peter’s usual interpreter, but we do not know who was the amanuensis for 2 Peter, if indeed one was used. We know from Act_4:13 that Peter and John were considered unlettered men ( agrammatoi kai idiōtai ). 2 Peter and the Apocalypse illustrate this statement. 2 Peter may have more of Peter’s real style than 1 Peter.

He Accepts Paul’s Epistles as Scripture

This fact (2Pe_3:15.) has been used as conclusive proof by Baur and his school that Peter could not have written the Epistle after the stern rebuke from Paul at Antioch (Gal_2:11.). But this argument ignores one element in Peter’s impulsive nature and that is his coming back as he did with Jesus. Paul after that event in Antioch spoke kindly of Peter (1Co_9:5). Neither Peter nor Paul cherished a personal grudge where the Master’s work was involved. It is also objected that Peter would not have put Paul’s Epistles on the level with the O.T. and call them by implication " Scripture." But Paul claimed the help of the Holy Spirit in his writings and Peter knew the marks of the Holy Spirit’s power. Besides, in calling Paul’s Epistles Scripture he may not have meant to place them exactly on a par with the Old Testament.

The Resemblance to the Epistle of Jude

This is undoubted, particularly between Jude and the second chapter of 2 Peter. Kuhl argues that 2 Peter 2:1-3:2 is an interpolation, though the same style runs through out the Epistle. " The theory of interpolation is always a last and desperate expedient" (Bigg). In 2 Peter 2 we have the fallen angels, the flood, the cities of the plain with Lot, Balaam. In Jude we have Israel in the wilderness, the fallen angels, the cities of the plain (with no mention of Lot, Cain, Balaam, Korah). Jude mentions the dispute between Michael and Satan, quotes Enoch by name. There is rather more freshness in Jude than in 2 Peter, though 2 Peter is more intelligible. Evidently one had the other before him, besides other material. Which is the earlier? There is no way to decide this point clearly. Every point is looked at differently and argued differently by different writers. My own feeling is that Jude was before (just before) 2 Peter, though it is only a feeling and not a conviction.

Anachronisms

It used to be said that it was impossible for 2 Peter to have been written in the first century, because it had the atmosphere of the second. But one fact is strongly against that argument. In 2Pe_3:8 occurs the quotation of Psa_90:4 about the thousand years without any chiliastic turn at all, a thing sure to happen in the second century after chiliasm had come to have such a swing. Peter’s use of it suits the first century, not the second. As a matter of fact, the false teachers described in 2 Peter suit the first century precisely if one recalls Paul’s troubles with the Judaizers in Galatia and Corinth and with the Gnostics in Colossae and Ephesus. " Every feature in the description of the false teachers and mockers is to be found in the apostolic age" (Bigg).

The Readers

The author says that this is his second Epistle to them (2Pe_3:1), and that means that he is writing to the saints in the five Roman provinces in Asia Minor to whom the first Epistle was sent (1Pe_1:1). Spitta and Zahn deny this on the ground that the two Epistles do not discuss the same subjects, surely a flimsy objection. Zahn even holds that 2 Peter precedes 1 Peter and that the Epistle referred to in 2Pe_3:1 has been lost. He holds that 2 Peter was addressed to the church in Corinth. He considers the readers to be Jews while 1 Peter was addressed to Gentiles. But " there is nothing in 2 Peter to differentiate its first readers from those of 1 Peter" (Bigg).

The Purpose

Certainly Peter is here concerned chiefly with the heresies of that general region in Asia Minor that so disturbed Paul (Colossians, Ephesians, Pastoral Epistles) and John (Gospel, Epistles, Apocalypse). Paul early foresaw at Miletus these wolves that would ravish the sheep (Act_20:29.). In 1 Peter he is concerned chiefly with the fiery persecutions that are upon them, but here with the heretics that threaten to lead them astray.

Balance of Probability

There are difficulties in any decision about the authorship and character of 2 Peter. But, when all things are considered, I agree with Bigg that the Epistle is what it professes to be by Simon Peter. Else it is pseudonymous. The Epistle more closely resembles the other New Testament books than it does the large pseudepigraphic literature of the second and third centuries.

The Date

If we accept the Petrine authorship, it must come before his death, which was probably a.d. 67 or 68. Hence the Epistle cannot be beyond this date. There are those who argue for a.d. 64 as the date of Peter’s death, but on insufficient grounds in my opinion.

JFB: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

AUTHENTICITY AND GENUINENESS.--If not a gross imposture, its own internal witness is unequivocal in its favor. It has Peter's name and apostleship in its heading: not only his surname, but his original name Simon, or Simeon, he thus, at the close of his life, reminding his readers who he originally was before his call. Again, in 2Pe 1:16-18, he mentions his presence at the Transfiguration, and Christ's prophecy of his death! and in 2Pe 3:15, his brotherhood with Paul. Again, in 2Pe 3:1, the author speaks of himself as author of the former Epistle: it is, moreover, addressed so as to include (but not to be restricted to) the same persons as the first, whom he presupposes to be acquainted with the writings of Paul, by that time recognized as "Scripture" (2Pe 3:15, "the long-suffering of God," compare Rom 2:4). This necessarily implies a late date, when Paul's Epistles (including Romans) already had become generally diffused and accepted as Scripture in the Church. The Church of the fourth century had, besides the testimony which we have of the doubts of the earlier Christians, other external evidence which we have not, and which, doubtless, under God's overruling providence, caused them to accept it. It is hard to understand how a book palpably false (as it would be if Peter be not the author) could have been accepted in the Canon as finally established in the Councils of Laodicea, A.D. 360 (if the fifty-ninth article be genuine), Hippo, and Carthage in the fourth century (393 and 397). The whole tone and spirit of the Epistle disprove its being an imposture. He writes as one not speaking of himself, but moved by the Holy Ghost (2Pe 1:21). An attempt at such a fraud in the first ages would have brought only shame and suffering, alike from Christians and heathen, on the perpetrator: there was then no temptation to pious frauds as in later times. That it must have been written in the earliest age is plain from the wide gulf in style which separates it and the other New Testament Scriptures from even the earliest and best of the post-apostolic period. DAILLE well says, "God has allowed a fosse to be drawn by human weakness around the sacred canon to protect it from all invasion."

Traces of acquaintance with it appear in the earliest Fathers. HERMAS [Similitudes, 6.4] (compare 2Pe 2:13), Greek, "luxury in the day . . . luxuriating with their own deceivings"; and [Shepherd, Vision 3.7], "They have left their true way" (compare 2Pe 2:15); and [Shepherd, Vision 4.3], "Thou hast escaped this world" (compare 2Pe 2:20). CLEMENT OF ROME, [Epistle to the Corinthians, 7.9; 10], as to Noah's preaching and Lot's deliverance, "the Lord making it known that He does not abandon those that trust in Him, but appoints those otherwise inclined to judgment" (compare 2Pe 2:5-7, 2Pe 2:9). IRENÆUS, A.D. 178 ("the day of the Lord is as a thousand years"), and JUSTIN MARTYR seem to allude to 2Pe 3:8. HIPPOLYTUS [On Antichrist], seems to refer to 2Pe 1:21, "The prophets spake not of their own private (individual) ability and will, but what was (revealed) to them alone by God." The difficulty is, neither TERTULLIAN, CYPRIAN, CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, nor the oldest Syriac (Peschito) version (the later Syriac has it), nor the fragment known as Muratori's Canon, mentions it. The first writer who has expressly named it is ORIGEN, in the third century (Homily on Joshua; also Homily 4 on Leviticus, and Homily 13 on Numbers), who names it "Scripture," quoting 2Pe 1:4; 2Pe 2:16; however (in EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 6.25]), he mentions that the Second Epistle was doubted by some. FIRMILIAN, bishop of Cappadocia, in Epistle to Cyrpian speaks of Peter's Epistles as warning us to avoid heretics (a monition which occurs in the Second, not the First Epistle). Now Cappadocia is one of the countries mentioned (compare 1Pe 1:1 with 2Pe 3:1) as addressed; and it is striking, that from Cappadocia we get the earliest decisive testimony. "Internally it claims to be written by Peter, and this claim is confirmed by the Christians of that very region in whose custody it ought to have been found" [TREGELLES].

The books disputed (Antilegomena), as distinguished from those universally recognized (Homologoumena), are Epistles Second Peter, James, Second and Third John, Jude, the Apocalypse, Epistle to Hebrews (compare EUSEBIUS [Ecclesiastical History, 3.3,25]). The Antilegomena stand in quite a different class from the Spurious; of these there was no dispute, they were universally rejected; for example, the Shepherd of Hermas, the Revelation of Peter, the Epistle of Barnabas. CYRIL OF JERUSALEM (A.D. 348) enumerates seven Catholic Epistles, including Second Peter; so also GREGORY NAZIANZEN (A.D. 389), and EPIPHANIUS (A.D. 367). The oldest Greek manuscripts extant (of the fourth century) contain the Antilegomena. JEROME [On Illustrious Men], conjectured, from a supposed difference of style between the two Epistles, that Peter, being unable to write Greek, employed a different translator of his Hebrew dictation in the Second Epistle, and not the same as translated the First into Greek. Mark is said to have been his translator in the case of the Gospel according to Mark; but this is all gratuitous conjecture. Much of the same views pervade both Epistles. In both alike he looks for the Lord's coming suddenly, and the end of the world (compare 2Pe 3:8-10 with 1Pe 4:5); the inspiration of the prophets (compare 1Pe 1:10-12 with 2Pe 1:19-21; 2Pe 3:2); the new birth by the divine word a motive to abstinence from worldly lusts (1Pe 1:22; 1Pe 2:2; compare 2Pe 1:4); also compare 1Pe 2:9 with 2Pe 1:3, both containing in the Greek the rare word "virtue" (1Pe 4:17 with 2Pe 2:3).

It is not strange that distinctive peculiarities of STYLE should mark each Epistle, the design of both not being the same. Thus the sufferings of Christ are more prominent in the First Epistle, the object there being to encourage thereby Christian sufferers; the glory of the exalted Lord is more prominent in the Second, the object being to communicate fuller "knowledge" of Him as the antidote to the false teaching against which Peter warns his readers. Hence His title of redemption, "Christ," is the one employed in the First Epistle; but in the Second Epistle, "the Lord." Hope is characteristic of the First Epistle; full knowledge, of the Second Epistle. In the First Epistle he puts his apostolic authority less prominently forward than in the Second, wherein his design is to warn against false teachers. The same difference is observable in Paul's Epistles. Contrast 1Th 1:1; 2Th 1:1; Phi 1:1, with Gal 1:1; 1Co 1:1. The reference to Paul's writings as already existing in numbers, and as then a recognized part of Scripture (2Pe 3:15-16), implies that this Epistle was written at a late date, just before Peter's death.

Striking verbal coincidences occur: compare 1Pe 1:19, end, with 2Pe 3:14, end; "His own," Greek, 2Pe 1:3, 2Pe 2:16; 2Pe 3:17 with 1Pe 3:1, 1Pe 3:5. The omission of the Greek article, 1Pe 2:13 with 2Pe 1:21; 2Pe 2:4-5, 2Pe 2:7. Moreover, two words occur, 2Pe 1:13, "tabernacle," that is, the body, and 2Pe 1:15, "decease," which at once remind us of the transfiguration narrative in the Gospel. Both Epistles refer to the deluge, and to Noah as the eighth that was saved. Though the First Epistle abounds in quotations of the Old Testament, whereas the Second contains none, yet references to the Old Testament occur often (2Pe 1:21; 2Pe 2:5-8, 2Pe 2:15; 2Pe 3:5-6, 2Pe 3:10, 2Pe 3:13). Compare Greek, "putting away," 1Pe 3:21, with 2Pe 1:14; Greek, "pass the time," 1Pe 1:17, with 2Pe 2:18; "walked in," 1Pe 4:3, with 2Pe 2:10; 2Pe 3:3; "called you," 1Pe 1:15; 1Pe 2:9; 1Pe 5:10, with 2Pe 1:3.

Moreover, more verbal coincidences with the speeches of Peter in Acts occur in this Second, than in the First Epistle. Compare Greek, "obtained," 2Pe 1:1 with Act 1:17; Greek, "godliness," 2Pe 1:6, with Act 3:12, the only passage where the term occurs, except in the Pastoral Epistles; and 2Pe 2:9 with Act 10:2, Act 10:7; "punished," 2Pe 2:9, with Act 4:21, the only places where the term occurs; the double genitive, 2Pe 3:2, with Act 5:32; "the day of the Lord," 2Pe 3:10, with Act 2:20, where only it occurs, except in 1Th 5:2.

The testimony of Jude, Jud 1:17-18, is strong for its genuineness and inspiration, by adopting its very words, and by referring to it as received by the churches to which he, Jude, wrote, "Remember the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts." Jude, therefore, must have written after Second Peter, to which he plainly refers; not before, as ALFORD thinks. No less than eleven passages of Jude rest on similar statements of Second Peter. Jud 1:2, compare 2Pe 1:2; Jud 1:4, compare 2Pe 2:1; Jud 1:6, compare 2Pe 2:4; Jud 1:7, compare 2Pe 2:6; Jud 1:8, compare 2Pe 2:10; Jud 1:9, compare 2Pe 2:11; Jud 1:11, compare 2Pe 2:15; Jud 1:12, compare 2Pe 2:17; Jud 1:16, compare 2Pe 2:18; Jud 1:18, compare 2Pe 2:1; 2Pe 3:3. Just in the same way Micah, Mic 4:1-4, leans on the somewhat earlier prophecy of Isaiah, whose inspiration he thereby confirms. ALFORD reasons that because Jude, in many of the passages akin to Second Peter, is fuller than Second Peter, he must be prior. This by no means follows. It is at least as likely, if not more so, that the briefer is the earlier, rather than the fuller. The dignity and energy of the style is quite consonant to what we should expect from the prompt and ardent foreman of the apostles. The difference of style between First and Second Peter accords with the distinctness of the subjects and objects.

THE DATE, from what has been said, would be about A.D. 68 or 69, about a year after the first, and shortly before the destruction of Jerusalem, the typical precursor of the world's end, to which 2Pe 3:10-13 so solemnly calls attention, after Paul's ministry had closed (compare Greek aorist tense, "wrote," past time, 2Pe 3:15), just before Peter's own death. It was written to include the same persons, and perhaps in, or about the same place, as the first. Being without salutations of individuals, and entrusted to the care of no one church, or particular churches as the first is, but directed generally "to them that have obtained like precious faith with us" (2Pe 1:1), it took a longer time in being recognized as canonical. Had Rome been the place of its composition or publication, it could hardly have failed to have had an early acceptance--an incidental argument against the tradition of Peter's martyrdom at Rome. The remote scene of its composition in Babylon, or else in some of the contiguous regions beyond the borders of the Roman empire, and of its circulation in Cappadocia, Pontus, &c., will additionally account for its tardy but at last universal acceptance in the catholic Church. The former Epistle, through its more definite address, was earlier in its general acceptance.

OBJECT.--In 2Pe 3:17-18 the twofold design of the Epistle is set forth; namely, to guard his readers against "the error" of false teachers, and to exhort them to grow in experimental "knowledge of our Lord and Saviour" (2Pe 3:18). The ground on which this knowledge rests is stated, 2Pe 1:12-21, namely, the inspired testimony of apostles and prophets. The danger now, as of old, was about to arise from false teachers, who soon were to come among them, as Paul also (to whom reference is made, 2Pe 3:15-16) testified in the same region. The grand antidote is "the full knowledge of our Lord and Saviour," through which we know God the Father, partake of His nature, escape from the pollutions of the world, and have entrance into Christ's kingdom. The aspect of Christ presented is not so much that of the past suffering, as of the future reigning, Saviour, His present power, and future new kingdom. This aspect is taken as best fitted to counteract the theories of the false teachers who should "deny" His Lordship and His coming again, the two very points which, as an apostle and eye-witness, Peter attests (His "power" and His "coming"); also, to counteract their evil example in practice, blaspheming the way of truth, despising governments, slaves to covetousness and filthy lusts of the flesh, while boasting of Christian freedom, and, worst of all, apostates from the truth. The knowledge of Christ, as being the knowledge of "the way of righteousness," "the right way," is the antidote of their bad practice. Hence "the preacher" of righteousness, Noah, and "righteous Lot," are instanced as escaping the destruction which overtook the "unjust" or "unrighteous"; and Balaam is instanced as exemplifying the awful result of "unrighteousness" such as characterized the false teachers. Thus the Epistle forms one connected whole, the parts being closely bound together by mutual relation, and the end corresponding with the beginning; compare 2Pe 3:14, 2Pe 3:18 with 2Pe 1:2, in both "grace" and "peace" being connected with "the knowledge" of our Saviour; compare also 2Pe 3:17 with 2Pe 1:4, 2Pe 1:10, 2Pe 1:12; and 2Pe 3:18, "grow in grace and knowledge," with the fuller 2Pe 1:5-8; and 2Pe 2:21; and 2Pe 3:13, "righteousness," with 2Pe 1:1; and 2Pe 3:1 with 2Pe 1:13; and 2Pe 3:2 with 2Pe 1:19.

The germs of Carpocratian and Gnostic heresies already existed, but the actual manifestation of these heresies is spoken of as future (2Pe 2:1-2, &c.): another proof that this Epistle was written, as it professes, in the apostolic age, before the development of the Gnostic heresies in the end of the first and the beginning of the second centuries. The description is too general to identify the heresies with any particular one of the subsequent forms of heresy, but applies generally to them all.

Though altogether distinct in aim from the First Epistle, yet a connection may be traced. The neglect of the warnings to circumspection in the walk led to the evils foretold in the Second Epistle. Compare the warning against the abuse of Christian freedom, 1Pe 2:16 with 2Pe 2:19, "While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption"; also the caution against pride, 1Pe 5:5-6 with 2Pe 2:18, "they speak great swelling words of vanity."

JFB: 2 Peter (Outline)

• ADDRESS: EXHORTATION TO ALL GRACES, AS GOD HAS GIVEN US, IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST, ALL THINGS PERTAINING TO LIFE: CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF APOSTLES, AND ALSO PROPHETS, TO THE POWER AND COMING OF CHRIST. (2Pe. 1:1-21)
• FALSE TEACHERS TO ARISE: THEM BAD PRACTICES AND SURE DESTRUCTION, FROM WHICH THE GODLY SHALL BE DELIVERED, AS LOT WAS. (2Pe. 2:1-22)
• SURENESS OF CHRIST'S COMING, AND ITS ACCOMPANIMENTS, DECLARED IN OPPOSITION TO SCOFFERS ABOUT TO ARISE. GOD'S LONG SUFFERING A MOTIVE TO REPENTANCE, AS PAUL'S EPISTLES SET FORTH; CONCLUDING EXHORTATION TO GROWTH IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST. (2Pe. 3:1-18)

TSK: 2 Peter 1 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

2Pe 1:1, Confirming them in hope of the increase of God’s graces, 2Pe 1:5, he exhorts them, by faith, and good works, to make their calling sure; 2Pe 1:12, whereof he is careful to remind them, knowing that his death is at hand; 2Pe 1:16, and warns them to be constant in the faith of Christ, who is the true Son of God, by the eyewitness of the apostles beholding his majesty, and by the testimony of the Father, and the prophets.

Poole: 2 Peter 1 (Chapter Introduction)

ARGUMENT

It cannot be denied, but that some question there hath been, both about the penman and the authority of this Epistle. The former hath been questioned, because of the difference of the style of this from that of the former Epistle. But, to say nothing of a great likeness of style in both, observed by some; why might not the same person see fit on different occasions, and according to the different things he wrote about, to change his way of writing? Or why may not the Holy Ghost use his instruments in what way he please, and not only dictate to them the matter they are to write, but the expression and phrase? Why must an infinite and sovereign Agent be bound up, and confined to the parts and qualifications of the men he inspired? And if we set aside the judgment of several councils and fathers, (which yet might go far), two great arguments may be drawn from the first chapter, to prove Peter to be the penman of this Epistle. One from the inscription of it, where we have both his names, Simon and Peter, prefixed to it. Another from 2Pe 1:16 , where he affirms himself to have been present with Christ at his transfiguration; from whence we may well argue, that none having ever ascribed it to John, and James being dead before, (though if he had been alive, it cannot be imagined that he should put Peter’ s name to any epistle of his own writing), and there being none but they two present with our Lord at that time besides Peter, Mat 17:1 , none but he could be the writer of it. And indeed, as some observe, if this Epistle be not Peter’ s, when his name is set to it, it is so far from being canonical, that it is not fit so much as to be reckoned among the apocryphal books, having so great a lie in the front of it. As for the authority of it, there can be no doubt of that if Peter were the writer, when nothing concurs in it repugnant to other parts of Scripture, or unbecoming the grace and style of an apostle. And though some of the ancients have questioned it, yet many more have acknowledged it; nor was it ever numbered among apocryphal writings. And its not being found in the first Syriac version, can but argue its being questioned by some, not its being rejected by all. It seems to be written to the Jews of the dispersion, as the former was, which appears by 2Pe 3:1,2 , where he mentions the former written to them; and this was written not long before his death, 2Pe 1:14 . The scope of it is, partly to call to their remembrance the truths he had preached among them, that so, when they should be destitute of the apostles’ preaching to them, yet they might remember the pure doctrine they had learned of them, 2Pe 1:12,15 , and might thereby be fortified against the errors of false teachers, 2Pe 2:1 ; and partly to persuade and stir them up to diligence in holiness and constancy in the faith. As in his First Epistle he had exhorted them to patience under the tyranny of persecutors, lest they should yield to them; so in this he exhorts them to perseverance in the truth of the gospel, against the deceptions of heretics, lest they should be seduced by them, 2Pe 2:1-22 , and continue in holiness, notwithstanding the profaneness of scoffers, 2Pe 3:1-18 .

2 PETER CHAPTER 1

2Pe 1:1-4 The apostle, saluting the Christians, admonisheth

them of the gifts and promises of the gospel, and

their tendency to promote a godly life.

2Pe 1:5-9 He exhorteth them to add to their faith such virtues

as would make it fruitful,

2Pe 1:10,11 and thereby to make their calling and election sure,

2Pe 1:12-15 He is careful to remind them hereof, knowing his

dissolution to be near,

2Pe 1:16-21 and urgeth the evidence of what he had seen and

heard in the holy mount in confirmation of Christ’ s

second coming, together with the word of prophecy,

which he recommendeth to their regard.

A servant and an apostle i.e. such a servant as is likewise an apostle. The former agrees to all gospel ministers generally, the latter is a title of a greater eminency; and so he intimates, that he wrote to them not merely as an ordinary minister, but in the authority of an apostle, an officer of the highest degree in the church.

Like precious faith not in respect of the degree or strength of it, but in respect of the object, Christ, and the benefits that come by it, justification, sanctification, adoption, &c., in which respect the faith of the weakest believer is as precious as that of the strongest.

With us either with us apostles, or with us Jewish Christians, born or inhabiting in Judea.

Through the righteousness of God the Greek preposition which we render through, may likewise be rendered with, as 2Pe 1:5 Act 7:38 , in the church, that is, with the church; and so the sense is either:

1. Through the righteousness, i.e. truth and faithfulness, of Christ in his promises, whereof the faith of the saints was an effect: or:

2. Through the righteousness of Christ, as the meritorious cause of their faith: or:

3. With the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, and made theirs upon their believing. They had obtained like precious faith as the apostles themselves and others had, together with the righteousness of Christ, an interest in which always accompanies faith, Rom 4:22 .

And our Saviour Jesus Christ: there being but one article in the Greek, these words are to be understood conjunctly, the particle

and being but an explicative, and the sense is: Through the righteousness of our God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is God: see the like, 2Pe 1:11 3:18 Joh 20:28 Tit 2:14 .

MHCC: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

This epistle clearly is connected with the former epistle of Peter. The apostle having stated the blessings to which God has called Christians, exhorts those who had received these precious gifts, to endeavour to improve in graces and virtues. They are urged to this from the wickedness of false teachers. They are guarded against impostors and scoffers, by disproving their false assertions, 2Pe 3:1-7, and by showing why the great day of Christ's coming was delayed, with a description of its awful circumstances and consequences; and suitable exhortations to diligence and holiness are given.

MHCC: 2 Peter 1 (Chapter Introduction)

(2Pe 1:1-11) Exhortations to add the exercise of various other graces to fait.

(2Pe 1:12-15) The apostle looks forward to his approaching decease.

(2Pe 1:16-21) And confirms the truth of the gospel, relating to Christ's appearing to judgment.

Matthew Henry: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Second Epistle General of Peter

The penman of this epistle appears plainly to be the same who wrote the foregoing; and, whatever difference some learned men apprehend they discern in the style of this epistle from that of the former, this cannot be a sufficient argument to assert that it was written by Simon who succeeded the apostle James in the church at Jerusalem, inasmuch as he who wrote this epistle calls himself Simon Peter, and an apostle (2Pe 1:1), and says that he was one of the three apostles that were present at Christ's transfiguration (2Pe 1:18), and says expressly that he had written a former epistle to them, 2Pe 3:1. The design of this second epistle is the same with that of the former, as is evident from the first verse of the third chapter, whence observe that, in the things of God, we have need of precept upon precept, and line upon line, and all little enough to keep them in remembrance; and yet these are the things which should be most faithfully recorded and frequently remembered by us.

Matthew Henry: 2 Peter 1 (Chapter Introduction)

In this chapter we have, I. An introduction, or preface, making way for, and leading to, what is principally designed by the apostle (2Pe 1:1-4). II. An exhortation to advance and improve in all Christian graces (2Pe 1:5-7). III. To enforce this exhortation, and engage them seriously and heartily to comply with it, he adds, 1. A representation of the very great advantage which will thereby accrue to them (2Pe 1:8-11). 2. A promise of the best assistance the apostle was able to give to facilitate and forward this good work (2Pe 1:12-15). 3. A declaration of the certain truth and divine origin of the gospel of Christ, in the grace whereof they were exhorted to increase and persevere.

Barclay: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND LETTER OF PETER

The Neglected Book And Its Contents

Second Peter is one of the neglected books of the New Testament. Very few people will claim to have read it, still less to have studied it in detail. E. F. Scott says "it is far inferior in every respect to First Peter"; and goes on "it is the least valuable of the New Testament writings." It was only with the greatest difficulty that Second Peter gained entry into the New Testament, and for many years the Christian Church seemed to be unaware of its existence. But, before we approach its history, let us look at its contents.

The Lawless Men

Second Peter was written to combat the beliefs and activities of certain men who were a threat to the Church. It begins by insisting that the Christian is a man who has escaped from the corruption of the world (2Pe_1:4 ) and must always remember that he has been purged of his old sins (2Pe_1:9 ). There is laid upon him the duty of moral goodness, which culminates in the great Christian virtue of love (2Pe_1:5-8 ).

Let us set out the characteristics of the men whom Second Peter rebukes. They twist Scripture to make it suit their own purpose (2Pe_1:20 ; 2Pe_3:16 ). They bring the Christian faith into disrepute (2Pe_2:2 ). They are covetous of gain and exploiters of their fellow-men (2Pe_2:3 ; 2Pe_2:14-15 ). They are doomed and will share the fate of the sinning angels (2Pe_2:4 ), the men before the Flood (2Pe_2:5 ), the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah (2Pe_2:6 ), and the false prophet Balaam (2Pe_2:15 ). They are bestial creatures, ruled by their brute instincts (2Pe_2:12 ), and dominated by their lusts (2Pe_2:10 ; 2Pe_2:18 ). Their eyes are full of adultery (2Pe_2:14 ). They are presumptuous, self-willed and arrogant (2Pe_2:10 , 2Pe_2:18 ). They spend even the daylight hours in unrestrained and luxurious revelry (2Pe_2:13 ). They speak of liberty but what they call liberty is unbridled licence and they themselves are the slaves of their own lusts (2Pe_2:19 ). Not only are they deluded, they also delude others and lead them astray (2Pe_2:14 ; 2Pe_2:18 ). They are worse than those who never knew the right, because they knew what goodness is and have relapsed into evil, like a dog returning to its vomit and a sow returning to the mud after it has been washed (2Pe_2:20-22 ).

It is clear that Peter is describing antinomians, men who used Godgrace as a justification for sinning. In all probability they were Gnostics, who said that only spirit was good and that matter was essentially evil and that, therefore, it did not matter what we did with the body and that we could glut its appetites and it made no difference. They lived the most immoral lives and encouraged others to do so; and they justified their actions by perverting grace and interpreting Scripture to suit themselves.

The Denial Of The Second Coming

Further, these evil men denied the Second Coming (2Pe_3:3-4 ). They argued that this was a stable world in which things remained unalterably the same, and that God was so dilatory that it was possible to assume that the Second Coming was never going to happen at all. The answer of Second Peter is that this is not a stable world; that it has, in fact, been destroyed by water in the Flood and that it will be destroyed by fire in the final conflagration (2Pe_3:5-7 ). What they regard as dilatoriness is in fact God withholding his hand in patience to give men still another chance to repent (2Pe_3:8-9 ). But the day of destruction is coming (2Pe_3:10 ). A new heaven and a new earth are on the way; therefore. goodness is an absolute necessity if a man is to be saved in the day of judgment (2Pe_3:11-14 ). With this Paul agrees, however difficult his letters may be to understand, and however false teachers deliberately misinterpret them (2Pe_3:15-16 ). The duty of the Christian is to stand fast, firmly founded in the faith, and to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ (2Pe_3:17-18 ).

The Doubts Of The Early Church

Such are the contents of the letter. For long it was regarded with doubt and with something very like misgiving. There is no trace of it until after A.D. 200. It is not included in the Muratorian Canon Of A.D. 170 which was the first official list of New Testament books. It did not exist in the Old Latin Version of the Scriptures; nor in the New Testament of the early Syrian Church.

The great scholars of Alexandria either did not know it or were doubtful about it. Clement of Alexandria, who wrote outlines of the books of Scripture, does not appear to have included Second Peter. Origen says that Peter left behind one epistle which is generally acknowledged; "perhaps also a second, for it is a disputed question." Didymus commented on it, but concluded his work by saying: "It must not be forgotten that this letter is spurious; it may be read in public; but it is not part of the canon of Scripture."

Eusebius, the great scholar of Caesarea, who made a careful investigation of the Christian literature of his day, comes to the conclusion: "Of Peter, one Epistle, which is called his former Epistle, is acknowledged by all; of this the ancient presbyters have made frequent use in their writings as indisputably genuine; but that which is circulated as his second Epistle we have received to be not canonical although, since it appeared to be useful to many, it has been diligently read with the other Scriptures."

It was not until well into the fourth century that Second Peter came to rest in the canon of the New Testament.

The Objections

It is the well-nigh universal judgment of scholars, both ancient and modern, that Peter is not the author of Second Peter. Even John Calvin regarded it as impossible that Peter could have spoken of Paul as Second Peter speaks of him (2Pe_3:15-16 ), although he was willing to believe that someone else wrote the letter at Peterrequest. What, then, are the arguments against Peterauthorship?

(i) There is the extreme slowness, and even reluctance, of the early church to accept it. If it had been truly Peter there can be little doubt that the Church would have welcomed and honoured it from the first. But the case was very different. For the first two centuries the letter is never quoted at all in any certain instance; it is regarded with doubt and suspicion for more than another century; and only late in the fourth century is it accepted.

(ii) The contents make it difficult to believe that it is Peter There is no mention of the Passion, the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus Christ; no mention of the Church as the true Israel; no mention of that faith which is undefeatable hope and trust combined; no mention of the Holy Spirit, of prayer, of baptism; and no passionate desire to call men to the supreme example of Jesus Christ. If one took away these great verities from First Peter there would be little or nothing left, and yet none of them occurs in Second Peter.

(iii) It is wholly different in character and style from First Peter. This was realized as early as Jerome who wrote: "Simon Peter wrote two Epistles which are called Catholic, of which the authenticity of the second is denied by many because of the difference of the style from the first." The Greek style of this letter is very difficult. Clogg calls it ambitious, artificial and often obscure, and remarks that it is the only book in the New Testament which is improved by translation. Bishop Chase writes: "The Epistle does produce the impression of being a somewhat artificial piece of rhetoric. It shows throughout signs of self-conscious effort. The author appears to be ambitious of writing in a style which is beyond his literary power." He concludes that it is hard to reconcile the literary character of this letter with the supposition that Peter wrote it. Moffatt says: "Second Peter is more periodic and ambitious than First Peter, but its linguistic and its stylistic efforts only reveal by their cumbrous obscurity a decided inferiority of conception, which marks it off from First Peter."

It might be claimed, as Jerome claimed, that, while Peter used Silvanus for First Peter, he used a different amanuensis for Second Peter and that this explains the change in style. But J. B. Mayor compares the two letters. He quotes some of the great passages of First Peter and then says: "I think that none who read these words can help feeling that, not even in Paul, not even in John, is there to be found a more beautiful or a more living description of the secret of primitive Christianity, of the force that overcame the world, than in the perfect quaternion of faith and hope and love and joy, which pervades this short epistle (i.e. First Peter). No one could make the same assertion with regard to Second Peter: thoughtful and interesting as it is, it lacks that intense sympathy, that flame of love, which marks First Peter.... No change of circumstances can account for the change of tone of which we are conscious in passing from one epistle to the other." It is the conclusion of that great and conservative scholar that no explanation, other than difference of authorship, can explain, not so much the difference in style as the difference in atmosphere between First and Second Peter. It is true that from the purely linguistic point of view there are 369 words which occur in First Peter which do not occur in Second Peter; and there are 230 words which occur in Second Peter and not in First Peter. But there is more than a difference in style. A writer can change his style and his vocabulary to suit his audience and his occasion. But the difference between the two letters in atmosphere and attitude is so wide that it is hardly possible that the same person should have written both.

(iv) Certain things within Second Peter point well-nigh irresistibly to a late date. So much time has passed that men have begun to abandon hope of the Second Coming altogether (2Pe_3:4 ). The apostles are spoken of as figures of the past (2Pe_3:2 ). The fathers, that is the founders of the Christian faith, are now figures of the almost dim and distant past; there have been generations between this letter and the first coming of the Christian faith (2Pe_3:4 ).

There are references which require the passing of the years to explain them. The reference to Peterapproaching death looks very like a reference to Jesusrophecy in Joh_21:18-19 , and the Fourth Gospel was not written until about A.D. 100. The statement that Peter is going to leave something which will continue his teaching after he has gone looks very like a reference to MarkGospel (Mar_1:12-14 ).

Above all there is the reference to the letters of Paul (2Pe_3:15-16 ). From this it is quite certain that Paulletters are known and used throughout all the Church; they are public property, and furthermore they are regarded as Scripture and on a level with "the other Scriptures" (2Pe_3:16 ). It was not until at least A.D. 90 that these letters were collected and published, and it would take many years for them to acquire the position of sacred Scripture. It is practically impossible that anyone should write like this until midway through the second century A.D.

All the evidence converges to prove that Second Peter is a late book. It is not until the third century that it is quoted. The great scholars of the early church did not regard it as Peteralthough they did not question its usefulness. The letter has references which require the passing of the years to explain them. The great interest of Second Peter lies in the very fact that it was the last book in the New Testament to be written and the last to gain entry into the New Testament.

In PeterName

How, then, did it become attached to the name of Peter? The answer is that it was deliberately attached. This may seem to us a strange proceeding but in the ancient world this was common practice. Platoletters were written not by Plato but by a disciple in the mastername. The Jews repeatedly used this method of writing. Between the Old and the New Testament, books were written under the names of Solomon, Isaiah, Moses, Baruch, Ezra, Enoch and many another. And in New Testament times there is a whole literature around the name of Peter--The Gospel of Peter, The Preaching of Peter, The Apocalypse of Peter.

One salient fact makes this method of writing even more intelligible. The heretics used it. They issued misleading and pernicious books under the names of the great apostles, claiming that they were the secret teaching of the great founders of the Church handed down by word of mouth to them. Faced with this, the Church retaliated in kind and issued books in which men set down for their own generation the things they were quite sure that the apostles would have said had they been facing this new situation. There is nothing either unusual or discreditable in a book being issued under the name of Peter although Peter did not write it. The writer in humility was putting the message which the Holy Spirit had given him into the mouth of Peter because he felt his own name was unworthy to appear upon the book.

We will not find Second Peter easy to read; but it is a book of first-rate importance because it was written to men who were undermining the Christian ethic and the Christian doctrine and who had to be stopped before the Christian faith was wrecked by their perversion of the truth.

FURTHER READING

2 Peter

C. Bigg, St. Peter and St. Jude (ICC; G)

C. E. B. Cranfield, 1 and 2 Peter and Jude (Tch; E)

J. B. Mayor, The Second Epistle of St. Peter and the Epistle of St. Jude (MmC; G)

J. Moffatt, The General Epistles: James, Peter and Jude (MC; E)

Abbreviations

ICC: International Critical Commentary

MC : Moffatt Commentary

MmC: Macmillan Commentary

NCB: New Century Bible

Tch: Torch Commentary

E: English Text

G: Greek Text

Barclay: 2 Peter 1 (Chapter Introduction)

The Man Who Opened Doors (2Pe_1:1)

The Glorious Servitude (2Pe_1:1 Continued)

The All-Important Knowledge (2Pe_1:2)

The Greatness Of Jesus Christ For Men (2Pe_1:3-7)

Equipment For The Way (2Pe_1:3-7 Continued)

(1) The Ladder Of Virtues (2Pe_1:3-7 Continued)

(2) The Ladder Of Virtues (2Pe_1:3-7 Continued)

On The Way (2Pe_1:8-11)

The Pastor's Care (2Pe_1:12-15)

The Message And The Right To Give It (2Pe_1:16-18)

The Words Of The Prophets (2Pe_1:19-21)

Constable: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Historical Background

This epistle claims that the Apostle Peter wrote it (1:1). It also claims to follow a former letter by Peter (3:1) that appears to be a reference to 1 Peter, though Peter may have been referring to a letter we no longer have. The author's reference to the fact that Jesus had predicted a certain kind of death for him (1:14) ties in with Jesus' statement to Peter recorded in John 21:18.

The earliest external testimony (outside Scripture) to Petrine authorship comes from the third century.¹ The writings of the church fathers contain fewer references to the Petrine authorship of 2 Peter than to the authorship of any other New Testament book. It is easy to see why critics who look for reasons to reject the authority of Scripture have targeted this book for attack. Ironically in this letter Peter warned his readers of heretics who departed from the teaching of the apostles and the Old Testament prophets, which is the very thing these modern critics do. Perhaps that is another reason some contemporary teachers question its authenticity. Not all who reject Petrine authorship are false teachers, however. The arguments of these modern critics have convinced some otherwise conservative scholars who retain belief in the epistle's inspiration.

Regardless of the external evidence, there is strong internal testimony to the fact that Peter wrote the book.² This includes stylistic similarities to 1 Peter, similar vocabulary compared with Peter's sermons in Acts, and the specific statements already mentioned (i.e., 1:1, 14; 3:1). In addition, the writer claimed to have witnessed Jesus' transfiguration (1:16-18) and to have received information about his own death from Jesus (1:13-14; cf. John 21:18).

Assuming Peter's reference to his former letter (3:1) is to 1 Peter, he seems to have sent this epistle to the same general audience. That audience was primarily Gentile but also Jewish Christians living in northern Asia Minor (cf. 1 Pet. 1:1). The background of the readers and the situation they faced, as Peter described these, fit such an audience well.³

Peter's reference to his imminent departure from this life (1:13-15) suggests that the time of composition may have been just before Peter suffered martyrdom.⁴ The writings of church fathers place Peter's death at A.D. 67-68 in Rome.⁵ Consequently a date of composition about that time seems most likely. Early church tradition also says Peter spent the last decade of his life in Rome.

"Second Peter is the swan song of Peter, just as 2 Timothy is the swan song of Paul. There are striking similarities between the two books. Both epistles put up a warning sign along the pilgrim pathway the church is traveling to identify the awful apostasy that was on the way at the time and which in our time has now arrived. What was then like a cloud the size of a man's hand today envelops the sky and produces a storm of hurricane proportions. Peter warns of heresy among teachers; Paul warns of heresy among the laity."⁶

The similarities between 2 Peter 2 and the Book of Jude, especially Jude 4-18, have raised several questions. Did Peter have access to Jude's epistle, or did Jude have a copy of 2 Peter? Which book came first? Did one man use the other's material, or did both draw from a common source? The commentators and writers of New Testament introductions deal with these questions thoroughly. See them for further explanations.⁷

Suffice it to say that the church through the ages has recognized the end product of both 2 Peter and Jude as epistles that God inspired. As far as which came first, we may never know for sure until we get to heaven. The consensus among scholars now is that Jude probably wrote before Peter (or his agent) composed 2 Peter.⁸ I tend to favor the priority of 2 Peter as do many conservative authorities.⁹

"Most scholars, in fact, date 2 Peter in the early part of the second century and consider it the last New Testament book to have been written. The author's claim to Petrine authorship, therefore, is part of the phenomenon of pseudonymity' in the ancient world, whereby the authority and tradition of a revered religious figure were attributed to a later work by an anonymous author."¹⁰

This quotation reflects the majority of scholarly opinion but not the conviction of many conservatives including myself.

"The purpose of 2 Peter is to call Christians to spiritual growth so that they can combat apostasy as they look forward to the Lord's return."¹¹

Message¹²

Peter wrote this epistle, as he did 1 Peter, to establish believers in their faith. He wrote both letters in obedience to Jesus' instructions to him to "strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32). Both epistles contain reminders of fundamental Christian teaching. Both evidently went to the same audience (2 Pet. 3:1). Both deal with how to handle various kinds of trials among other things, suffering in 1 Peter and false teachers in 2 Peter. Both also emphasize God's grace.

The differences between these two epistles are also significant.

The first epistle ends, "Stand firm in it [grace]" (5:12). Its theme is the sufficiency of God's grace. We need to stand fast in grace as Christians.

The second epistle ends, "Grow in grace" (3:18). Its theme is the responsibility of grace. We also need to keep growing in grace. This letter builds on the first. We do not only need to stand fast in grace, but we also need to keep growing in it.

We could state the message of the book therefore as follows: fulfill your responsibilities as recipients of the true grace of God. The message of 1 Peter was, "Stand firm in the true grace of God."

Let me identify the major revelations of this letter.

First, as recipients of God's grace we have resources that create responsibilities. Peter emphasized two of our resources.

Our first resource is the power of God (1:3). God's power grants us everything we need for godly living. Godly living becomes possible when we come to know God by saving faith. We grow in our knowledge of God as we get to know Him better through study of the Scriptures. We also do so as we respond to our increasing knowledge of Him properly by abiding in Him.

One area of life that God's power transforms is our spiritual vitality, energy. God wants us to be vital Christians (John 10:10; cf. James). The opposite condition is to have no spiritual energy. God's power enables us to demonstrate His own "glory" by giving us spiritual vitality (1:3). Peter saw the glory of God manifested through Jesus Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration (1:17). God wants to manifest His glory through every Christian (3:18). People can see God's glory in our spiritual vitality. The clearest illustration of spiritual vitality is Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry.

Another area of life that God's power transforms is our conduct, more specifically. By conduct I mean how we conduct ourselves in thought, word, and deed--what we do, and what we do not do. God wants us to be godly Christians as well as glorious Christians. He wants us to be virtuous as well as vital. The opposite condition is ungodly and unclean. The false teachers reflected the opposite condition, and Peter described their conduct quite fully in chapter 2. God's power enables us to demonstrate His own "excellence" by making us godly (1:3). Peter heard the excellence of God testified to on the Mount of Transfiguration when he heard God say of Jesus Christ, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." (Cf. 1:17-18). God wants to manifest His excellence through every Christian (cf. 1 Pet. 2:9). People can see God's excellence in our godly conduct.

The second resource Peter emphasized that every Christian has is the promises of God (1:4). God's promises grant us everything we need to realize our potential and to maintain our purity in godly living. These promises are "magnificent" because they are essentially great and wonderful. They are "precious" to us because they are gifts of our loving heavenly Father and because they are the keys to our realizing our potential and maintaining our purity.

One area of life that God's promises transforms is our character. God wants us to partake of His nature. We receive His nature (i.e., the Holy Spirit) initially when we believe His promise that Christ died for our sins. However, He wants us to partake of that nature fully in this life. When we do so, we realize our potential as the children of God. We do so by continuing to believe God's promises to us. As we began the Christian life by faith, we should continue to walk by faith (cf. James). Because the false teachers rejected the promises of God they failed to realize their potential as human beings. They did not become partakers of the divine nature.

Another area of life that God's promises transforms is, more specifically, our morality. Again we receive future deliverance from the penalty of sin by believing that Christ died for our sins. Nevertheless we also receive present deliverance from the power of sin by believing other of God's promises to us. For example, God promises us that sin will no longer have enslaving power over us (Rom. 6:14; cf. 1 Pet. 4:11; 5:11). He also promises us that He will give us a way of escape in temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). He also promises us that He will give us the desire and the ability to obey Him (Phil. 1:6). One of the promises that Peter emphasized especially in this epistle was the promise that Jesus Christ would return (3:4, 9, 13). He discussed this promise in 3:4-16. When Christ returns He will perfect us. God has given us many more promises. Relying on these is key to maintaining our purity as Christians. Because the false teachers rejected the promises of God, they failed to maintain moral purity. They did not escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.

These then are the resources that create our responsibility: God's power within us, and God's promises in His Word. You can succeed in life and in ministry because you have these resources.

Next let us notice what Peter appealed to his readers to do in view of their resources. He called them to give diligence to two things.

First, we should diligently appropriate our resources (1:5-8). We do this be responding responsibly. We must respond by fulfilling our responsibility as well as by trusting God to fulfill His. We must exercise effort and self-discipline to develop qualities God wants to perfect within us (1:5-8). No one can become a strong Christian without self-discipline.

Second, we should diligently avoid our perils. We do this by remembering God's promises (1:9, 12-13; 3:1-2). Our tendency is to forget God's power and our responsibilities (1:9; 3:5). Our tendency is also to forget God's promises (3:4). Peter's concern was mainly that his readers not forget the promise of the Lord's return (3:9, 13). This promise should affect us by encouraging us to live pure lives (3:14). Because the false teachers chose to forget it, they failed to fulfill the responsibilities of God's grace. Scripture memorization and review are valuable activities because they help us remember God's promises.

These are the major revelations in the book. As recipients of God's grace we have resources that create responsibilities, namely God's power and promises. We also need to give diligence to our responsibilities of responding to God's power and remembering God's promises.

I would also like to point out some applications of this epistle's message to our lives.

First, God's resources do not free us from responsibility to cultivate godliness diligently. They increase that responsibility. The Christian life is a combination of trusting and toiling. We must balance these things. When we neglect either responsibility, we get into trouble (1:5). We are partners with God.

Our sanctification is a process in which we labor together with God.

We are responsible to trust and to obey, to exercise faith in God and to work. We frustrate the Holy Spirit's work of sanctifying us if we do not trust or if we do not obey. The Christian life is a lot like water skiing. We have to lean back and let God pull us out of the stuff that holds us down. However we also have to hold on to the rope, to keep following His leading. When we do both things He enables us to overcome. We can even fly over what formerly held us in its clutches.

Second, we should cultivate habits that will help us remember our resources: God's power and promises. One of the most important reasons we should read our Bibles regularly is that they remind us of things we need to remember. The same is true of memorizing Scripture, attending church services, and having fellowship with other Christians. Peter said it is better not to know Scripture than to forget it (2:21).

Third, God intended the promise of the Lord's return and the events that will follow to be important motivations for us. This is our hope. If we neglect the prophetic portions of Scripture, our motivation for godly living will sag (3:14).

Constable: 2 Peter (Outline)

Outline

I. Introduction 1:1-2

II. The condition of the Christian 1:3-11

A. The believer's resources 1:3-4

B. The believer's needs 1:5-9

C. The believer's adequacy 1:10-11

III. The authority for the Christian 1:12-21

A. The need for a reminder 1:12-15

B. The trustworthiness of the apostles' witness 1:16-18

C. The divine origin of Scripture 1:19-21

IV. The danger to the Christian 2:1-22

A. The characteristics of false teachers 2:1-3

B. The consequences of false teaching 2:4-10a

C. The conduct of false teachers 2:10b-19

D. The condemnation of false teachers 2:20-22

V. The prospect for the Christian 3:1-16

A. The purpose of this epistle 3:1-2

B. Scoffing in the last days 3:3-6

C. End-time events 3:7-10

D. Living in view of the future 3:11-16

VI. Conclusion 3:17-18

Constable: 2 Peter

2 Peter

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Strachan, R. H. "The Second Epistle General of Peter." In The Expositor's Greek Testament, 5 (1910):81-148. Edited by W. Robertson Nicoll. 5 vols. London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1900-10.

Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962.

Thomas, W. H. Griffith. The Apostle Peter: Outline Studies in His Life, Character, and Writings. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1946.

Wheaton, David H. "2 Peter." In The New Bible Commentary, Revised. Third edition. Edited by Donald Guthrie and J. A. Motyer. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1970.

Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary. 2 vols. Wheaton: Scripture Press Publications, Victor Books, 1989.

Williams, Nathaniel Marshman. "Commentary on the Epistles of Peter." In An American Commentary on the New Testament. Reprint ed. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, n.d.

Witmer, John A. "The Truth about Error." Bibliotheca Sacra 124:495 (July-September 1967):248-53.

Wolston, W. T. P. Simon Peter: His Life and Letters. 2nd ed. London: James Nisbet and Co., 1896.

Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

THE

SECOND EPISTLE OF ST. PETER,

THE APOSTLE.

INTRODUCTION.

This epistle, though not at first received [by some Churches] as canonical, was acknowledged as such [by all Churches] about the end of the fourth age [century]. See Eusebuis, lib. iii. History of the Church, chap. iii.; St. Jerome, de Vir. Illust. Tillem. art. 33. The design, as it appears, Chap. i. 13. and Chap. iii. 1. was to give them admonitions and instructions against teachers of false doctrine, particularly against the Simonites. It seems to have been written a little before his martyrdom, about the year 66. (Witham) --- In this epistle St. Peter says, (Chap. iii.) "Behold this is the second epistle I write unto you:" and before, (Chap. i. 14.) "Being assured that the putting off of this my tabernacle is at hand." This shews that it was written a very short time before his martyrdom, which was about thirty-five years after our Lord's ascension. In this epistle he admonishes the faithful to be mindful of the great gifts they received from God, and to join all other virtues with their faith. He warns them against false teachers, by describing their practices and foretelling their punishments. He describes the dissolution of this world by fire, and the day of judgment. (Challoner) --- This epistle may be considered as the spiritual testament or last will of the apostle, as it contains his last admonitions to the faithful. He first calls their attention to the care they should have of their sanctification and perfection, next to the perils that concern the Church one the part of heretics, those that menaced her in her infant state, and those that will assail her in the latter days, which includes an invincible proof of her perpetuity; for is is the same infallible and indefectible Church that is to encounter the latter as the former trials, but always with promised success. Hence the great St. John Chrysostom says: the same day that shall see the Church of God ended, shall see the end of the world; and to these continued struggles shall succeed perfect peace, to be enjoyed through a blissful eternity. If some are still found to object, that the present epistle was not written by St. Peter, on account of the marked difference of the style, St. Jerome removes this objection thus: St. Peter employed different interpreters, sometimes Glaucias, and sometimes St. Mark; hence the difference of the style, from the diversity of his scribes. St. Mark was with him when he penned the first, but was not with him when he dictated the present. The present epistle contains, as we said above, an account of the last dreadful trials that are to assail the faithful before the end of time; but all that faith teaches us on that subject is: first, That the world will have an end; secondly, that it will end by fire; and thirdly, that the world will not be destroyed, but changed and perfected. Hence all that is said with regard to the duration of the world; on the nature and quality of the fire that is to burn and purify the world; if it be to precede or follow the last judgment, all is problematical, all is doubtful. Hence the Christian knows a good deal, who knows how to entertain proper doubts.

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Gill: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 2 PETER

Though there was, among the ancients, a doubt concerning the authority of this epistle, which is first mentioned by Origen ^a, and afterwards by Eusebius ^b and Jerom ^c, yet it prevailed not among the churches, nor hindered the diligent reading and use of it, together with other Scriptures; it appearing to be useful and profitable, as Eusebius declares; and in process of time this doubt was entirely removed, and it was universally received by fathers and councils into the canon of the Scriptures, where it is justly retained, it having plain signatures of its divine original. Nor is there anything in it unworthy of so great an apostle, whose name it bears; but the whole of it is agreeable to the analogy of faith, to the rest of the sacred writings, particularly to the epistle of Jude, between which, and the second chapter of this, there is a great likeness. The only reason of the doubt of the genuineness of this epistle, and whether it was written by the Apostle Peter, is the difference of its style from the former; but the Holy Ghost, the dictator of the sacred writings, is not limited to a man's natural style, but could vary it as he pleased: besides, a man's style is not the same at different times, and when writing on different subjects; add to which, that this objection can only regard the second chapter, for the first and third agree with the former epistle. And some have thought that the second chapter is an extract out of some ancient Hebrew book, describing the characters of the old false prophets; which book Peter and Jude having before them, took the characters of the old prophets, and, under divine direction, applied them to the false teachers of the present age; and if so it is not to be wondered at that the style of the epistle should differ from the former, and even from itself in this part. But that it was written by the Apostle Peter, not only the inscription shows, which, if false, would indeed discredit the genuineness of the book, but the account that is given of the writer of it, as one that was with Christ at his transfiguration, 2Pe 1:16. Now there were only the three following disciples there, Peter, John, and, James. The last of these had been dead some time when this epistle was written, and it was never ascribed by any to the Apostle John, and therefore it remains that Peter must be the writer of it. As for Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, that succeeded James, whom Grotius would suggest as the author of it, the character does not agree with him; he was not with Christ on the holy mount, nor heard the voice from heaven, asserting the sonship of Christ, and the divine complacency in him: moreover, this epistle is called a "second epistle", 2Pe 3:1 and supposes a first, and manifestly refers to the former epistle of Peter's, about which there never was any doubt, as the authors before mentioned observe. It was written by the apostle in his old age, when upon the decline of life, just as he was about to put off his tabernacle, 2Pe 1:13 a little before his martyrdom, in the year 68, though Dr. Lightfoot places it in 66; and it is sent to the same persons as his first, namely, to the believing Jews scattered throughout several parts of Asia, he being the minister of the circumcision; see 1Pe 1:1 compared with 2Pe 3:1. The scope and design of it are, to put them upon a concern for a larger increase of grace and spiritual knowledge; to confirm and establish them in the present truth of the Gospel; to warn them against false teachers, which he largely describes; and he puts them in mind of the dissolution of all things, and of what will precede and follow it; from whence he draws several useful hints and inferences.

Gill: 2 Peter 1 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 2 PETER 1

In this chapter, after the inscription and salutation, the apostle takes notice of gifts of grace bestowed; and exhorts to the exercise of holiness and good works; and gives the reasons why he was so pressing to them; and endeavours to establish the saints in the Gospel that had been preached among them. In the inscription, the writer of the epistle describes himself by his names, the one given him by his parents, the other by his Lord and master, and by his character and office; and the persons to whom he writes are described as having faith, and that of the same kind with the apostles, and which they obtained through the righteousness of Christ, 2Pe 1:1. The salutation is the same with that in the former epistle, only here is added a wish for an increase of divine knowledge, 2Pe 1:2 and which might be expected, since, by the power of living grace, everything necessary to a spiritual and godly life bad been given them in the effectual calling, through the knowledge of Christ; even exceeding great and precious promises, whereby they partook of the divine nature, and escaped the vices which prevailed in the world, 2Pe 1:3 upon which he exhorts not to rest where they were, but to go on in the exercise of grace, and performance of duties, many of which he enumerates, 2Pe 1:5 to enforce which he adds several arguments, as that through an abounding in these things they would appear not to have a superficial and speculative knowledge of Christ, 2Pe 1:8 or otherwise it would be evident that they were blind and ignorant, and in an unrenewed state, 2Pe 1:9 whereas by these things they would make their calling and election sure and manifest to men, and would never fall totally and finally, and in the issue have an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of Christ, 2Pe 1:10 and then he gives the reasons of his conduct, why he so much urged a regard to these things, and put them in mind of them; namely, the usefulness of them for their establishment, the duty of his office, which required it, the short time he had to live, and the profitableness of such exhortations to them, after his decease, 2Pe 1:12 and in order to establish them in the truths of the Gospel, and particularly in that which concerns the coming of Christ in power and glory, on which he enlarges in the latter part of this epistle; he observes, that this was not a cunningly devised fable, but was what he and others were eyewitnesses of, even of that which was an emblem and pledge of it; namely, the transfiguration of Christ on the mount, when they saw the glory he received from God his Father, and heard the voice from heaven which declared him to be his well beloved Son, 2Pe 1:16, and besides, they had a surer proof of the certainty of his coming; namely, the prophecies concerning it, which should be regarded and given heed to, being as a lamp to direct in the present state of darkness and imperfection, until the illustrious day of Christ's coming appears, 2Pe 1:19 and the rather this should be attended to, since no scriptural prophecy is an invention and device of men; nor was it formerly given out at the pleasure of men, but by saints, who were influenced and moved unto it by the Holy Ghost, 2Pe 1:20.

College: 2 Peter (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION

ABOUT THIS COMMENTARY

This commentary is written for serious students of the Bible, including Bible class teachers, preachers, college students, and other motivated readers. However, it is written on a popular rather than a scholarly level, so that readers need not be familiar with Greek or scholarly methods or jargon.

The goal is to help the modern reader to hear the message of 2 Peter as its first readers heard it. Our assumption is that we must know what it meant before we can know what it means . Peter wrote for a particular group of Christians facing a particular set of problems. The letter was therefore not written to us (although we believe that it was written for us). To be faithful to Peter's intent, we must attempt to place ourselves in the shoes of the earliest readers.

This is a difficult task for a couple of reasons. First, this "book" of the New Testament is a letter. This means we are reading someone else's mail. The problem is that both Peter and his readers knew the situation, so that Peter only makes allusions to what was going on. For example, we would like to know much more about the false teachers. However, Peter had no need to discuss in detail what both he and his readers already know. We are left to read between the lines in order to reconstruct the situation. Second, we are dealing with literature written in an ancient language to an ancient culture. They had a very different worldview, lived very different lifestyles, and practiced very different customs from those with which we are familiar.

Our task is therefore difficult, but it is not hopeless. We will never grasp the details of this letter exactly as the first readers did, but we can have confidence that we are understanding the larger picture. Greek scholars, historians, specialists in ancient Jewish and Christian literature, and others have spent countless hours studying this and other ancient documents. We are fortunate to stand on their shoulders.

Finally, we must mention the nature of this letter. Many dislike it because it is largely negative. After all, it is Peter's scathing denunciation of false teachers. Everyone prefers the message of grace to the message of judgment. However, it is sometimes necessary to expose error, even if the task is not enjoyable. This letter ought to remind Christians of the importance of guarding the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. As Peter makes painfully clear, bad doctrine leads to bad living, which leads to sure judgment. Christians must never shrink from the unpleasant task of fighting heresy.

The reader will quickly discover that I am greatly indebted to the fine commentaries of Douglas J. Moo and especially Richard Bauckham. Moo offers excellent comments from an evangelical perspective. Bauckham's detailed discussion of linguistic, historical, and literary matters is without equal. The reader is referred to his commentary in numerous footnotes simply because his discussion is the most thorough available.

AUTHORSHIP AND DATE

Second Peter claims to have been written by Simon Peter, the apostle of Jesus (1:1) and eyewitness to his transfiguration (1:16-18). Since he writes of his approaching death (1:14-15), Peter must have written this letter by the mid-60s of the first century A.D. (The tradition that Peter was martyred in Rome under the emperor Nero is probably reliable.)

A large number of modern scholars, however, are convinced that Peter could not have written this letter. In fact, this New Testament writing more than all others is believed to be pseudonymous (written under a false name). A number of reasons are given for this belief.

First, there is the language and style of the original Greek. Second Peter is written in elaborate Greek, often using rare and poetic terminology. Many believe that a Galilean Jew could not have written in this style. More significantly, 2 Peter is very much unlike 1 Peter. Most argue that the writer who wrote 1 Peter could not have written this letter. In response it must be admitted that this is an argument of some weight. However, conservative scholars are not convinced. First, no one can really know what Peter could and could not have written at different times in life and to different audiences. The style argument always involves considerable subjectivity. Second, many conservative commentators admit that the style of 2 Peter disallows thinking that Peter wrote it himself. They suggest that an amanuensis probably wrote the letter for Peter, as Silvanus may have done in 1 Peter (5:12). A trusted "secretary" may well have written Peter's thoughts in a different style from that of Peter.

A second argument against Petrine authorship is that even some of the early Christians had their doubts about this letter. The evidence is quite complex and difficult to analyze, but a few facts are fairly clear. Origen (3rd century) notes that 2 Peter was a disputed letter, although he believes that Peter wrote it. Eusebius (4th century) rejects its authenticity, although he suggests that the majority accepted it. Jerome (end of 4th century) writes that many rejected it because it was so unlike 1 Peter; yet he contends that Peter probably used two different amanuenses (secretaries). In response, it must again be granted that this is a substantive claim. More than any other New Testament book, 2 Peter was late in being universally accepted. However, evangelical scholars underscore the fact that it was accepted; and it was accepted at a time when a number of works falsely attributed to Peter were being rejected. The evidence from the early church is not unanimous, but it is clearly for the authenticity of 2 Peter.

A third argument for the pseudonymity of 2 Peter concerns the time references regarding the false teachers. At times the writer speaks of false teachers who will come, but at other times he makes it clear that they are already present. The argument is that the actual writer attempts to write as if Peter is predicting the future. In reality he betrays the fact that he is actually living during the times of the false teachers. In response, conservatives note that there are many possible reasons for the changing tenses. The possibility that the pseudonymous writer forgot to continue his fiction is not the most likely. Perhaps the false teachers had not arrived yet but were known because they were already present in other locations. The full discussion is found in the comments on 2:1.

Fourth, many think that the inference in 3:16 that Paul's letters are "Scripture" betrays a late date. Paul's letters, it is argued, were not considered Scripture until at least the late first century. Those who accept Petrine authorship must admit that Peter's words are somewhat surprising. However, it cannot be ruled out that the written words of one regarded as an inspired apostle would be called Scripture. Scholars are often too sure that they know what early Christians could and could not think.

Fifth, many who deny that Peter wrote this letter do so on the basis that it is a "testament," a final address of a leader before his death to the group which reveres him (see comments on 1:11). Most often, a testament was written well after the death of the hero whose name is attached to it, and it addressed the needs of the later generation. Many believe therefore that someone wrote this testament in Peter's name in order to lend his authority to the crisis provoked by the false teachers. Conservatives have responded that there are certainly some elements of the testament genre in 2 Peter, but that these elements do not make 2 Peter a testament like others. Furthermore, testaments need not be pseudonymous. Peter certainly could have written this way at the end of his life.

Sixth, many scholars reject 2 Peter on the basis of the false teaching it opposes. Many think that the heresy is Gnosticism, which developed in the second century. However, while there are minor similarities to that heresy, there is nothing in 2 Peter that would identify the false teachers as second-century Gnostics. The sort of false teaching in 2 Peter is already seen in Paul's letters.

Finally, some also argue that the apostle Peter would not have borrowed from the letter of Jude (see section on "Relation to Jude"). However, this argument is really quite weak. It is not clear why Peter would not have borrowed useful material from another source. Neither is it certain that Peter borrowed from Jude. Jude may have borrowed from Peter, or both may have borrowed from another source, whether oral or written.

In the final analysis, most conservative scholars argue that the apostle Peter wrote 2 Peter. They know that this can never be proven and that the decision is in part based on faith and tradition. Nonconservative scholars make significant arguments against Petrine authorship, but they wrongly claim that they have proven that Peter did not write this letter. We find their arguments weighty but not conclusive. In this commentary we will assume that Peter wrote 2 Peter.

OCCASION

Peter wrote to a specific church (or group of churches) facing specific problems, namely the coming of false teachers. Second Peter may have been written to the same churches as 1 Peter (churches in Asia Minor, according to 1:1), since 2 Peter mentions an earlier letter to this group (3:1). However, the fact that he may have written letters to other churches means that we cannot be sure.

Peter wrote this letter primarily because false teachers were 1) denying the Second Coming of Jesus, and 2) living without moral restraint and encouraging others to do so. Peter writes that they denied the teachings of prophets and apostles and that they arrogantly slandered spiritual beings. They denied the Second Coming, arguing that the world was simply continuing on its course as it had since the creation.

Their belief that there would be no Second Coming (and therefore no final judgment) led these false teachers into ungodly lifestyles. They willfully satisfied their sinful desires, including greed, sexual immorality, and gluttony. They encouraged others to follow their sinful examples, especially recent converts who were just escaping these very sins.

Readers of 2 Peter would like to know more about these teachers of error. There is much that we do not know, because of the nature of a letter. (Both author and recipients knew the situation, so there was no need to rehearse the details.) It would be helpful to know more precisely the identity of the false teachers, their background, their practices, and their teaching. This lack of information has led scholars to speculate regarding the identity of the troublemakers. Many have theorized that they were Gnostics, a group of second-century heretics who argued that knowledge was the key to salvation. They believed in a strict dualism between the spiritual and the physical worlds. Therefore they did not believe that Christ was actually human. They also tended to discount the importance of sins involving the body, such as sexual sin. The body, they claimed, belonged to the evil physical world that was created by an inferior god.

There is no evidence in 2 Peter that the false teachers were Gnostics since there is not a trace of the developed Gnostic systems of the second century. Furthermore, all of the teachings which Peter attacked are also found in Paul's letters. For example, in 1 Corinthians Paul writes against some who deny the resurrection (15:12-34) and others who argue for the right to engage in sexual sin (5:1-2; 6:12-20). The most that can be said is that 2 Peter's antagonists may have been the predecessors of what would later be called Gnostics.

A better and more cautious approach is to call these false teachers simply libertines. Their libertine approach seems to have sprung from their (false) understanding of grace and their denial of the judgment at the Second Coming of Jesus.

Another reason Peter wrote 2 Peter is that he was nearing the end of his life. This may have been his last opportunity to offer his teachings concerning sin, judgment, and false teachers. This was especially important because he was an eyewitness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. As an apostle, it was his responsibility to testify to the truth about Jesus and to destroy the efforts of the false teachers.

RELATION TO JUDE

Portions of 2 Peter and Jude are remarkably similar. This applies not only to their contents but also to their order. They use the same examples of destruction for sinfulness: evil angels cast into hell and the judgment against Sodom and Gomorrah. They use similar metaphors, such as clouds or mists driven by a storm. They speak in the same way of the false teachers, including their slander of celestial beings and their following the way of Balaam. They speak of their opponents as "scoffers" and their readers as "friends."

Most scholars think that the resemblance between the two letters is simply too close to be coincidental. It is remotely possible that both may be relying on an oral body of teaching against false teachers. However, it is likely that there is a literary dependence between the two letters. It could be that Peter has used Jude, Jude has used Peter, or that both have used another written source. Very few argue for a third (unknown) source used by both, since this only compounds the problem. Most think that Peter used Jude, and they may be correct. It does seem more plausible that Peter adapted and expanded Jude than that Jude used only a portion of 2 Peter and added very little to it.

However, the fact is that all theories about the literary relationship are conjectural. Fortunately, we need not know the direction of influence in order to interpret the letter. It is obvious that both writers are facing similar problems. Their churches were facing so-called Christian teachers who not only taught false doctrine but lived ungodly lives.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2 PETER

Bauckham, Richard. Jude, 2 Peter. Word Biblical Commentary. Waco, TX: Word, 1983.

Green, Michael. The Second General Epistle of Peter and the General Epistle of Jude. Tyndale New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1968.

Hillyer, Norman. 1 and 2 Peter, Jude. New International Biblical Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1992.

Kelly, J.N.D. A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of Jude . Harper's New Testament Commentary. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1969.

Mayor, Joseph B. The Epistle of St. Jude and the Second Epistle of St. Peter: Greek Text with Introduction, Notes, and Comments. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979 (orig. 1907).

Moo, Douglas J. 2 Peter and Jude. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Neyrey, Jerome H. 2 Peter, Jude: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1993.

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV

College: 2 Peter (Outline)

OUTLINE

I. INTRODUCTION - 1:1-15

A. Salutation and Greeting - 1:1-2

B. Preface: Exhortation to Godly Living - 1:3-11

C. Occasion: The Approaching Death of Peter - 1:12-15

II. BODY OF LETTER - 1:16-3:13

A. Reasons for Believing in Christ's Return - 1:16-21

1. Peter's Eyewitness Testimony - 1:16-18

2. The Sure Prophetic Word - 1:19-21

B. Warning against False Teachers - 2:1-22

1. The Coming of False Teachers - 2:1-3

2. The Condemnation of False Teachers - 2:4-10a

3. The Sins of the False Teachers - 2:10b-16

4. The Future Suffering of the False Teachers - 2:17-22

C. The Necessity of Believing in Christ's Return - 3:1-13

1. The Content of the False Teaching - 3:1-7

2. The Sure Return of Christ - 3:8-10

3. Christian Living in Light of Christ's Return - 3:11-13

III. FINAL EXHORTATIONS - 3:14-18

-College Press New Testament Commentary: with the NIV