2 Peter
by Dr. Grant C. Richison
Introduction to the Epistle
I. AUTHOR
A. Peter (11)
1. Peter’s given name was Simon.
2. Jesus gave him the name Cephas (John 142). Cephas means
stone or rock. The Greek translation of the Aramaic word Cephas is petros,
which also means stone or rock. Peter is the only man in the New Testament
called by this name.
3. Peter occupied a favored place among the apostles.
4. He occupied a central place in the book of Acts (first 12
chapters).
5. He married and lived in Capernaum.
6. He worked in the fishing business with his brother
Andrew.
7. The Lord came to him in a special appearance after the
resurrection (Luke 2434; 1 Corinthians 155).
8. God used Peter to win 3,000 souls to Christ on Pentecost.
9. Peter had an important part in the first Church council
in Acts, chapter 15 (AD 50; Peter is not mentioned after this in the book of
Acts).
10. Paul refers to Peter in Galatians 118; 211; 1
Corinthians 1-4; 95.
B. Peter was literate but unschooled.
1. Called from his trade as a fisherman.
2. Called to be a fisher of men (Luke 51-11).
C. Peter’s public ministry spanned 30 years and stretched
from Jerusalem to Rome.
D. Martyred by Nero (Tertullian, Cyprian, Lactantius, Clement
of Rome and Dionysius of Corinth tell us he suffered martyrdom).
1. Origen said he was crucified with his head downwards.
2.He died AD 67-68.
II. DATE
A. Probably just before Peter's death and just after the
writing of 1 Peter (112-15).
B. Written after a collection of Paul's epistles (315-16).
C. Since 31 probably refers to 1 Peter, this letter was
probably written after AD 62.
D. Eusebius places Peter's martyrdom in Rome during the period
of Nero's persecution (AD 64-68).
E. Date AD 67-68
III. DESTINATION
A. 2 Peter may have been written to the same crowd as 1 Peter
(31).
B. This epistle is written to believers (2 Peter 11).
IV. PURPOSE
A. Knowing that his time on earth is short, he warns God's
people of apostasy (113-14; 21-3).
B. Peter wants them to remember the fundamentals (112-21).
C. The main purpose of the epistle is to help believers grow
in grace and in knowledge of Christ that they may be established in the faith
(318).
D. Peter wants Christians to expect the return of the Lord
(31-14).
E. He wants to stir their minds to remember (31).
V. CANONICITY (why 2 Peter belongs in the Bible)
More people have challenged 2 Peter as authentic than any
other book of the New Testament.
A. External Evidence
1. The Church Fathers [None of the early Fathers definitely
quotes 2 Peter. Eusebius, the great church historian of the fourth century,
listed 2 Peter, along with 2 and 3 John and James as antilegomena (books
spoken against as belonging in the Bible)].
Cited or alluded to by Pseudo-Barnabas (c. 70-130)
Cited or alluded to by Clement of Rome (c. 95-96)
Named as disputed by Origen (c. 185-254)
Bodmer papyrus (P72) accepts 2 Peter as canonical Gospel of
Truth and the Apocrypha of John contain allusions to 2 Peter
Named as authentic by Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 315-86)
Named as disputed by Eusebius (c. 325-40)
Named as authentic by Jerome (c. 340-420)
Named as authentic by Augustine (c. 400)
2. Canons
This epistle is omitted in the Muratorian Canon (AD 200),
but this canon also omits 1 Peter and its present text is almost certainly
incomplete
Named as authentic by the Codex Barococcio (c. 206)
Named as authentic by Apostolic (c. 300)
Named as disputed by Cheltenham (c. 360)
Named as authentic by Athanasius (c. 367)
3. Translations
Second Peter was not included in the Tatian Diatessaron (c.
170) Old Latin (c. 200) or the Old Syriac #14 (c. 400) translations
4. Councils
Named as disputed by the council of Nicea (325-40)
Named as authentic by the council of Hippo (393)
Named as authentic by the council of Carthage (397)
Named as authentic by the council of Carthage (491)
B. Internal Evidence (Best support for 2 Peter)
1. The author calls himself Peter (11, 14, 16-18; 31, 15)
2. He is acquainted with the life of Christ and his
teachings
3. 2 Peter used a different amanuensis than 1 Peter. Thus
there is a different style of writing.
4. The book claims to be Peter's second epistle (31)
5. The author claims to be Paul's brother in Christ (315)
6. The letter gives no hint of influence from the second
century
7. Peter was at the transfiguration and 2 Peter refers to
the transfiguration in 116-18
8. The letter contains no allusions to second century
gnosticism
9. 2 Peter's doctrine is consistent with 1 Peter's doctrine
10. The text is similar to Peter's speeches
11. 2 Peter is superior to spurious books
C. B. B. Warfield
"It cannot be denied, therefore, that it was a part of
the Church Canon of the early Third Century; and the evidence goes further and
proves that it was naturally in the Canon at this time--that the men of the
early Third Century did not put it in, but found it in the Canon. It was,
therefore, in the Canon of the later years of the Second Century … but it was
commented on by Clement of Alexandria, and has a place in both the Egyptian
versions and in the early form of Peshito (Syriac), all of which date from the
Second Century--known all over the church at this period and securely fixed in
the Canon, we find it quoted here and there back to the very earliest in
writers; nay, Justin Martyr, before 147 AD, quotes it in such a way as to prove
that he esteemed it authoritative."
VI. PLACE OF WRITING
It is not possible to know the place of writing since Peter
did not mention the place and he traveled widely from Palestine to Rome.
VII. OCCASION
A. New outbreak of heresy
B. Design of 2nd Peter 2 fold
1. To warn against false teachers.
2. To exhort to progress in grace.
C. There is an air of urgency in the epistle. D. Two heresies
in particular
1. Incipient Gnosticism
2. Antinomianism.
VIII. THEME Knowledge of Christ
IX. KEY VERSE--3:18
X. KEY WORDS
A. "Know" and "knowledge"
1. 16 times in various cognates
2. six times in intense form
B. Knowledge is the antidote to false teaching
1. It is through Christ that the great promises of God
become available to men
2. The best method for combating error is to learn the truth
rather than study error
C. Knowledge 1:2,3,5,6,8; 2:20; 3:18
XI. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
Written to the same people as 1 Peter (3:1)
Written just before the death of Peter (1:14)
Epistle deals with apostasy.
No one mentioned with Peter.
Three chapters, 61 verses, 1,559 words
Peter's name occurs 210 times in the New Testament; Paul's
name, 162 times; and all other apostles, 142 times.
Old Testament quotes 222 (Proverbs 26:11); 38 (Psalm 90:4); 39
(Ezekiel 33:11)
Character general epistle
2 Peter is Peter's last words
Elliptical Greek because of Peter's passion against false
teachers.
XII. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN JUDE AND 2 PETER
A. Similarities
1. Nature Both have the same literary style.
2. Most of 2 Peter and Jude are parallel. 15 of 25 verses in
Jude appear in 2nd Peter
B. Differences
1. The groups of false teachers are similar but not identical.
2. Jude is harsher and 2 Peter more positive.
3. Jude uses apocryphal books and Peter does not.
XIII. DISTINCTIVE Polemical
XIV. OUTLINE
I. EXHORTATION TO GROW BASED ON TRUE KNOWLEDGE (13-11)
A. God’s provision (1:3-4)
B. Our responsibility (1:5-11)
II. BASIS FOR GROWTH -- CERTAINTY OF KNOWLEDGE (112-21)
A. Experience of the apostles (1:12-18)
B. Ground for certainty (1:19-21)
III. WARNING AGAINST FALSE KNOWLEDGE (21-22)
A. Incursion of false teachers (2:1-3)
B. Judgment of false teachers (2:4-19)
C. Danger of false teachers (2:20-22)
IV. REMINDER OF THE CHRISTIAN’S HOPE (3:1-13)
A. The mockers (3:1-7)
B. The character of the day (3:8-13)
V. CONCLUSION (3:14-18)
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