[12], In both content and style this letter is very different from 1 Peter. So when 2 Peter 3:1 says, “Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you,” the letter in mind may well be Jude rather than 1 Peter, especially since the content of the letter described in 2 Peter 3:2 fits Jude better than 1 Peter. Since Peter was martyred during the reign of Nero, his death must have occurred prior to a.d. 68; so it is very likely that he wrote 2 Peter between 65 and 68. Identity Politics vs. Transactional Politics. The main things about salvation are also the plain things like “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9)? [3], Most biblical scholars have concluded Peter is not the author, considering the epistle pseudepigraphical. Second Peter is the third of the General Epistles (or Catholic Letters), the writings of apostles to the church at large. 16:18), has left one acknowledged Epistle; possibly also a second, but this is disputed." [16], The letter is usually outlined as follows:[citation needed]. Jesus gives all of us only one of two choices; “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36). For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation” (2nd Pet 3:3-4) and today, a lot of anti-Christian’s have been saying that, however “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2nd Pet 3:9), meaning God wants everyone to be saved but tragically not everyone will humble themselves and repent before God and trust in Christ. Also, send me the Evangelical Newsletter. Get updates from Christian Crier delivered straight to your inbox. When was James written? For them, “it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2nd Pet 2:21). Since Jude belongs in the postapostolic age, Peter cannot have written II Pet. Most critical biblical scholars have concluded Peter is not the author, considering the epistle pseudepigraphical.[1][2]. If so, Peter would have to be dead and 2 Peter already written. Understand the book of 2 Peter better. The questions of authorship and date are closely related. 165). Some were exploiting them with false words (2nd Pet 2:3) and “They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption” (2nd Pet 2:19). But based on the other three lines of evidence above, it’s more natural to take Peter’s reference to Gentiles as an ethnic distinction first, and a religious distinction only by extension. Basic Stages in the Book of Ages (New Testament), p. 325. 2 Peter 3:3) 25 Acceptance of the letter into the canon did not occur without some difficulty; however, "nowhere did doubts about the letter's authorship take the form of definitive rejection. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. but not ...". T. Callan, "Use of the Letter of Jude by the Second Letter of Peter", The Westminster dictionary of New Testament and early Christian literature, David Edward Aune, p. 256, Christian-Jewish Relations Through the Centuries By Stanley E. Porter, Brook W. R. Pearson, Textual variants in the Second Epistle of Peter, A sizeable article giving an overview of the problems with, and ultimately a defense of, the authenticity of 2 Peter, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Second_Epistle_of_Peter&oldid=996947977, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2019, Articles incorporating a citation from the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia with Wikisource reference, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Exhortation to Christian Virtue (2 Peter 1:3–21), Condemnation of the False Teachers (2 Peter 2:1–22). Peter wanted the church to know that God knows how to deliver them all safely into the kingdom and won’t allow the unrighteous to go unpunished on the day of Jesus’ visitation. Was it a follow up to his first letter or about something altogether different? He called on Christians to grow and become strong in their faith so that they could detect and combat the spreading apostasy. What Is The Purpose Of The Book Of 2nd Peter? 1 Peter was written to help suffering Christians, 2 Peter was written to expose false teachers. 17:1–8). "The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter". 1 Peter 1:1). Each of these can be fully justified on the basis of other texts. 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:. Adams, Thomas B. He specifically mentions that he was an eyewitness of the transfiguration (1:16–18; see Matt. We have no credible reason to believe that anyone but the Apostle Peter wrote the 2nd Book of Peter and probably very close to the time that Peter was crucified upside down so 2nd Peter was probably written near AD 68, just two years before the destruction and fall of Jerusalem to the Roman’s. For Petrine authorship to be authentic, it must have been written prior to Peter's death in c. AD 65–67. Supersessionism struggles to stay coherent if 1 Peter was written to Jews 2 Peter was written toward the end of Peter’s life (cf. This is part of the reason why commentators have so long debated whether 1 Peter was written to Jews or Gentiles. The Book of 2 Peter. (Confirming One’s Calling and Election. 2 Peter was written toward the end of Peter’s life (cf. The 2 Peter usage seems to be later in time, after the fuller meanings of Christ’s prophecies became more apparent to the Church; thus the usage of 1 Peter is logically followed by 2 Peter. [10], Eusebius (c. 275–339) professed his own doubts (see also Antilegomena), and is the earliest direct testimony of such, though he stated that the majority supported the text, and by the time of Jerome (c. 346–420) it had been mostly accepted as canonical. Clearly, Clement bears witness to the existence and character of the letter of 2 Peter showing that 2 Peter is authentic. There is hypocrisy in their teachings; they say one thing but then do the very thing they teach others to abstain from and tragically, they’ve become “entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first” (2nd Pet 2:20) which is all the more reason why Peter wanted to church to remember “that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. But what is lost when the priesthood of the believer is based upon this passage is its original significance regarding the remnant of Israel. Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. 48-50 A.D. Jude 3 speaks as if the age of the apostles has ended. Most critical biblical scholars have concluded Peter is not the author, considering the epistle pseudepigraphical. Association, 1985. The Second Epistle of Peter, often referred to as Second Peter and written 2 Peter or in Roman numerals II Peter (especially in older references), is a book of the New Testament of the Bible, traditionally held to have been written by Apostle Peter. In the book, Peter challenges Jesus' followers to continue growing in their faith, love and service to God. Eusebius rejected it but indicated that the majority accepted the epistle, including James and Jude. 2 Pet. Jude 17 gives 3 strong indications of who came first. Peter identifies himself as an “apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1). Some interpreters identify the genre of 2 Peter as a testament, the final words and exhortations of a revered figure. Already in the early church there were Christian scholars who argued that Peter did not write 2 Peter…The book called 2 Peter was written long after Peter’s death, by someone who was disturbed that some people were denying that the end was coming soon. "[7] The earliest record of doubts concerning the authorship of the letter were recorded by Origen (c. 185–254), though Origen mentioned no explanation for the doubts, nor did he give any indication concerning the extent or location. The earliest reference by any apostolic writer to 2 Peter, appears to be Origen. Author: Peter Date Written: 67-68 AD Major Theme: To expose false teachers and encourage believers to be on guard against destructive doctrines. Why did Peter write the Book of 2nD Peter? the writing styles [between 1 and 2 Peter] are vastly different. It criticizes "false teachers" who distort the authentic, apostolic tradition, and predicts judgment for them. "A Commentary on the Second Epistle General of Second Peter" Soli Deo Gloria Ministries, 1990. Frank did not write this post. Just thinking about this should make us ask, “what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn” (2nd Pet 3:11-12) so “since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace” (2nd Pet 3:14). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Getting The Most Out Of Your Bible Reading. Purpose of Writing: Peter was alarmed that false teachers were beginning to infiltrate the churches. Some have argued that this date is too early for the writing of 2 Peter, but nothing in the book requires a later date. Peter wrote 2nd Peter due to infiltration of false teachers into the church bringing destructive teachings contrary to the gospel of repentance and faith brought by Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15) and so Peter wrote to them that, “false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction” (2nd Pet 2:1) and tragically “many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. Second Peter is the apostle Peter’s last reminder to the church. Lillie, John. This is a blog series featuring contributors to the new book, Cruciform Scripture. Peter’s point is for the Christians to believe the Scriptures and not “someone’s own interpretation.” That should keep them from being led into error by these many false teachers. Guest Essay: Is America Suffering from Moral Injury? Like Like "[7], Origen, in another passage, has been interpreted as considering the letter to be Petrine in authorship. Peter was martyred about 67 (The Ryrie Study Bible, p. 425).” Furthermore, it is argued that Peter states Mark (5:13) was with him at the time the epistle was written. This lesson in Second Peter looks at the latter part of chapter one. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! The Second Epistle of Peter, often referred to as Second Peter and written 2 Peter or in Roman numerals II Peter (especially in older references), is a book of the New Testament of the Bible, traditionally held to have been written by Saint Peter. • Reading 2 Peter as a "testament" of the Apostle Peter. The letter refers to the Pauline epistles and so must post-date at least some of them, regardless of authorship, thus a date before 60 is improbable. 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