Second of Peter

Following the early Church fathers through their New Testament epistles, we now come to the 2nd Epistle of Peter. Knowing the author, the time and the circumstances of a particular book are important to the appreciation and understanding of the doctrines presented in that book. I love and use several study Bibles every day. I find the text notes of Scofield and Ryrie are the best, doctrinally. The Master Study Bible has many helpful references which I enjoy using. By far the best book introductions are found in the Open Bible. I recently expressed this opinion to my son, who pastors a church and teaches New Testament courses and Greek at Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Little Rock. He wholeheartedly agreed, and said the Open Bible book introductions are the ones he always uses in his classes. So, here I share with you excerpts from the Open Bible introduction to

THE BOOK OF 2 PETER

First Peter deals with problems from the outside; 2 Peter deals with problems from the inside. Peter writes to warn the believers about the false teachers who are peddling damaging doctrine. He begins by urging them to keep close watch on their personal lives. The Christian life demands diligence in pursuing moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and selfless love. By contrast, the false teachers are sensual, arrogant, greedy, and covetous. They scoff at the thought of future judgment and live their lives as if the present would be the pattern for the future. Peter reminds them that although God may be longsuffering in sending judgment, ultimately it will come. In view of that fact, believers should live lives of godliness, blamelessness, and steadfastness. The statement of authorship in 1:1 is very clear: “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ.” To distinguish this epistle from the first by Peter it was given the Greek title Petrou B, “Second of Peter.”

THE TIME OF 2 PETER Most scholars regard 3:1 (“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle”) as a reference to 1 Peter. If this is so, Peter had the same readers of Asia Minor in mind (see “The Time of 1 Peter”), although the more general salutation in 1:1 would also allow for a wider audience. Peter wrote this epistle in response to the spread of heretical teachings which were all the more insidious because they emerged from within the churches. These false teachers perverted the doctrine of justification and promoted a rebellious and immoral way of life. This epistle was written just before the apostle’s death (1:14), probably from Rome. His martyrdom took place between A.D. 64 and 66 (if Peter were alive in A.D. 67 when Paul wrote 2 Timothy during his second Roman imprisonment, it is likely that Paul would have mentioned him).

Key Word: Guard Against False Teachers—The basic theme that runs through 2 Peter is the contrast between the knowledge and practice of truth versus falsehood. This epistle is written to expose the dangerous and seductive work of false teachers, and to warn believers to be on their guard so that they will not be “led away with the error of the wicked” (3:17). It is also written to exhort the readers to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (3:18), because this growth into Christian maturity is the best defense against spiritual counterfeits. This letter serves to remind its readers of the foundational elements in the Christian life from which they must not waver (1:12, 13; 3:1, 2). This includes the certainty of the Lord’s return in power and judgment.

Nelson, Thomas (2006-04-11). Open Bible, NKJV (Kindle Locations 123073-123081). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.