Following on from my reflection on Peter’s first letter published last month…

5th December 2024

Who Wrote the Book of 2 Peter? 

Christian tradition states that the Apostle Peter authored 2 Peter, his second letter to church communities in Asia Minor. 

Context 

The events in 2 Peter occur in the Roman province of Asia Minor. The composition of Peter’s second letter likely dates between 64 and 67 C.E. 

Themes 

• Humans nurturing their gifted faith 

• The unwavering faithfulness of God in delivering His people 

• Jesus is viewed as an exalted figure of significant importance. 

2 Peter is divided into three parts.  

Chapter 1: urges continuous growth in faith. 

Chapter 2: criticises the corrupt teachers’ behaviour. 

Chapter 3: reminds of God’s justice and righteousness. 

This letter is addressed to the same churches as Peter’s first letter. 

(1 Peter 1:1 WEB Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,;  

2 Peter 3:1 WEB This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you ) and was likely sent from the same location in Rome (1 Peter 5:13 WEB She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son.)  Peter has become aware of the fact that he is going to die soon, and the evidence we have from early tradition is that Peter was executed by the Roman authorities during the reign of emperor Nero. This letter acts as Peter’s farewell speech. 

He begins by challenging Jesus’ followers to never stop growing (2 Pet. 1). This is followed by two final warnings about the growing number of corrupt teachers who are leading Christians astray through their twisted way of life as well as by their distorted theology (2 Peter 2:1-22 WEB But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. [2] Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. [3] In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber. [4] For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment; [5] and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, [6] and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way, [7] and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked [8] (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds), [9] then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, [10] but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, [11] whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord. [12] But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed, [13] receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, revelling in their deceit while they feast with you; [14] having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin, enticing unsettled souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children! [15] Forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing; [16] but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A speechless donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet. [17] These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. [18] For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error; [19] promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him. [20] For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. [21] For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. [22] But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.” & 2 Peter 3  

Purpose of This Letter 

The Coming Day of the Lord 

2 Peter 3:1-18 WEB 

This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you [2] that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, [3] knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts [4] and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” [5] For they wilfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God, [6] by which means the world that existed then, being overflowed with water, perished. [7] But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. [8] But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [11] Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, [12] looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? [13] But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. [14] Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight. [15] Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, [16] as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. [17] You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness. [18] But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.). In each of these sections, Peter addresses and refutes the accusations made by these leaders against himself and the other apostles. His primary objective is to restore confidence and order within these church communities. R 

2 Peter 1: Encouragement Toward Continued Growth 

Peter begins by informing these churches that, through Jesus, God has invited people to become “participants of his divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3 WEB). Seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue,), that is, to share in God’s own eternal life and love. This is an incredible gift that requires lifelong responsibility. To receive this gift means a commitment to developing the same character traits that mark God’s own divine nature: moral goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, and family affection. The final trait, love, encompasses and crowns all the others. According to Jesus, love means devoting oneself to the well-being of others no matter their response or the cost involved. 

Peter continues to state the letter’s purpose. It will act as a memorial of his teaching, passing its knowledge onto later generations (2 Peter 1:12-15 WEB Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. [13] I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, [14] knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. [15] Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.), as he knows he won’t be around much longer to give it in person. Additionally, before he dies, he wants to address the accusations being made by leaders who distort the teaching of Jesus and the apostles. 

Peter first addresses an objection repeated by sceptics present and future—that Peter and the apostles fabricated everything about Jesus being the risen King of the world and his future return (2 Peter 1:16-20 WEB For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For he received from God the Father honour and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” [18] We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain. [19] We have the surer word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts, [20] knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation.). To counter this claim, Peter offers his eyewitness testimony of the powerful moment of Jesus’ transformation on the mountain (See Mark 9:1-8)., where the apostles saw Jesus exalted as King. His resurrection means that he is alive as King and will return to rescue our world one day. Furthermore, Jesus’ future return to bring God’s Kingdom will fulfil what the ancient Scriptures have been pointing to all along. The words of the Old Testament prophets are not fabricated fantasies, but through the human words of the Scriptures and through the human Jesus, God himself has spoken to us. 

2 Peter 2: Confronting Corrupt Teachers 

In Chapter 2, Peter moves on to address the corrupt teachers’ way of life, which is connected to another objection. These leaders deny the idea of a final reckoning (2 Peter 2:1-3 WEB But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction. [2] Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned. [3] In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.), the time when God will hold all people accountable for their choices. This denial conveniently allows them to ignore Jesus’ teaching about money and sex, as they are shamelessly sleeping around and making tons of profit by teaching in churches. 

Peter recalls three ancient examples when God brought his justice against such rebellion (2 Peter 2:4-11 WEB For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness to be reserved for judgment; [5] and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, [6] and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way, [7] and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked [8] (for that righteous man dwelling among them was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds), [9] then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, [10] but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, [11] whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a slanderous judgment against them before the Lord.). In the first example, he mentions the story of the sons of God in Genesis 6 as it was interpreted in a popular Jewish work called 1 Enoch. In this text, these sons were identified as rebellious angels who crossed the line and slept with women, earning divine judgment. He also reminds us of the story of the ancient flood (Gen. 6-8), followed by the third example, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19). In each case, there was rebellion leading to divine judgment. But as Peter points out, God was always faithful to deliver his people, as the story of Lot shows. 

Peter then connects these ancient stories to the teachers’ corrupt way of life. They are after money and sex, they despise authority, and they lead people to think that God doesn’t care about our moral decisions. They teach a message of Christian freedom as a license to do whatever they want. This is why Peter brings up Paul’s letters later in 2 Peter 3:15-16 (2 Peter 3:15-16 WEB 

Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you, [16] as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.) It appears that these teachers have distorted Paul’s message of liberation in Christ (See Romans 6). These behaviours and the justification for their actions are not what Paul intended, and Peter makes it clear that these teachers are not free. They are slaves to their bodily impulses. The fact that they are Christians makes it more tragic because knowing Jesus’ teachings makes them doubly accountable. They have become pitiful examples of the ancient proverbs about a dog returning to its vomit and a washed pig going back to the mud (Proverbs 26:11 WEB As a dog that returns to his vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.). 

2 Peter 3: God Will Bring His Justice 

Peter continues by addressing the reasoning behind their denial of the final reckoning (2 Peter 3:1-4 WEB This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you [2] that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, [3] knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts [4] and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”). The sceptics say that “generations of God’s people keep passing away without seeing the fulfilment of their hopes. Where is this promised return of Jesus?” Peter counters by showing how shortsighted this objection is. “Look around,” he says, “at this remarkable universe we inhabit” (2 Peter 3:5-9 WEB For they wilfully forget that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of God, [6] by which means the world that existed then, being overflowed with water, perished. [7] But the heavens that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. [8] But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is patient with us, not wishing that anyone should perish, but that all should come to repentance.). The fact that we exist at all means that, at some moment in the past, God’s word intervened in a dramatic way to bring something out of nothing, order out of chaos, and he can do so again. 

The question might arise: Why does the process seem lengthy? Peter explains that human perception of time is limited. The extensive periods through which events unfold do not align with our short lifespans. This can be viewed as patience. Each generation has the opportunity to recognize their actions, reflect, and change before receiving grace. 

God’s grace will bring the story to a close on the Day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:10-13 WEB But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [11] Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, [12] looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? [13] But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.). Peter draws upon the prophetic poetry of Isaiah 34 and Zephaniah 3 (See Isaiah 34 and Zephaniah 3). These poems described the day of God’s justice as a consuming fire. Peter says that “the heavens will pass away and the “stoicheia” will melt by fire” (2 Peter 3:10 WEB 

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.). This is a Greek word that can refer to the elements, in which case Peter is talking about a future dissolution of the material universe. But the word can also mean heavenly bodies or the stars. The second meaning is how the word is used in Isaiah 34:4 (WEB) All of the army of the sky will be dissolved. The sky will be rolled up like a scroll, and all its armies will fade away, as a leaf fades from off a vine or a fig tree.), where Peter is quoting from. In that case, the statement is a metaphor about the “sky being peeled back” before the God who sees all. This is why the fire doesn’t result in the annihilation of creation but rather that “the earth and all its works are exposed” (2 Peter 3:10 WEB But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.). 

The ultimate goal of justice is not to eliminate the universe but to expose and remove evil and injustice, allowing a new kind of existence to emerge. This will be an environment filled with righteousness, where people understand and care for one another. Peter notes that this is the hope that has been emphasized. This includes Paul, whose writings can be misinterpreted if taken out of context. 

Peter’s second letter is intense because he believes that God loves the world and will save it through Jesus. This theme started at the garden of Eden, then continued through Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, then through to David and then onto Jesus. This love will confront sin and injustice, and in time, God will renew all humanity and all creation. 

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