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Encyclopedia > Second Epistle of Peter
New Testament
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The Second Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament of the Bible. John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The Gospel of Matthew (literally, according to Matthew; Greek, Κατά Μαθθαίον or Κατά Ματθαίον) is one of the four Gospel accounts of the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Mark (anonymous[1] but ascribed to Mark the Evangelist) is a Gospel of the New Testament. ... The Gospel of Luke is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ... The Gospel of John is the fourth gospel in the canon of the New Testament, traditionally ascribed to John the Evangelist. ... The Acts of the Apostles (Greek Praxeis Apostolon) is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Romans is one of the letters of the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament. ... Philippians redirects here. ... The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The First Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the First Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, also known as the Second Letter to the Thessalonians, is a book from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... This article or section should be merged with Second Epistle to Timothy The First Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... This article or section should be merged with First Epistle to Timothy The Pastoral Epistles are often considered together, as each throws light upon the others. ... The Pastoral Epistles are often considered together, as each throws light upon the others. ... The Epistle to Philemon is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... The Epistle of James is a book in the Christian New Testament canon. ... In Christianity, the First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. ... The First Epistle of John is a book of the Bible New Testament, the fourth of the catholic or general epistles. ... The Second Epistle of John (normally just called 2nd John or 2 John) is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The New Testament Third Epistle of John (often referred to as 3 John) is the 64th book of the Bible. ... The brief Epistle of Jude is a book in the Christian New Testament canon. ... Visions of John of Patmos, as depicted in the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ...


According to the epistle itself, it was written by the apostle Peter, an eyewitness to Jesus' ministry. He criticizes "false teachers" who distort the authentic, apostolic tradition, and predicts judgment for them. He explains that God has delayed the Second Coming so that more people will have the chance to reject evil and find salvation. He calls on Christians to wait patiently for the parousia and to study scripture. The Second Coming refers to the Christian belief in the return of Jesus Christ, an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic prophecy such as the resurrection of the dead, last judgment and full establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth (also called the Reign of God), including the...


For the most part, scholars of the historical-critical method, on the other hand, generally consider the epistle to be the last-written book of the New Testament, written c 150,[1] though this position is not without exceptions.[2] Higher criticism is a branch of literary analysis that attempts to investigate the origins of a text, especially the text of the Bible. ...

Contents

Authorship

The letter opens by identifying the author as “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (2Peter 1:1). Elsewhere, the author clearly presents himself as the Apostle Peter, stating that the Lord revealed to him the approach of his own death (2Peter 1:14), that he was an eyewitness of the Transfiguration (2Peter 1:16-18), that he had previously written another epistle to the same audience (2Peter 3:1; cf. 1 Peter), and he called Paul the Apostle “our beloved brother” (2Peter 3:15). Saint Peter, also known as Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha — original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14) — was one of the Twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose as his original disciples. ... The word Transfiguration means a changing of appearance or form. ... In Christianity, the First Epistle of Peter is a book of the New Testament. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ...


Although 2 Peter internally proports to be a work of the Apostle, a large majority of biblical scholars have concluded that Peter is not the author, and instead consider the epistle pseudepigraphical. Reasons for this include its linguistic differences from 1 Peter, its apparent use of Jude, allusions to second-century gnosticism, encouragement in the wake of a delayed parousia, and weak external support.[3] In addition, specific passages offer further clues in support of pseudepigraphy, namely the author's assumption that his audience is familiar with multiple Pauline epistles (2Peter 3:15-16), his implication that the Apostlic generation has passed (2Peter 3:4), and his differentiation between himself and "the apostles of the Lord and Savior" (2Peter 3:2). Pseudepigrapha (Greek pseudos = false, epi = after, later and grapha = writing (or writings), latterly or falsely attributed, or down right forged works, describes texts whose claimed authorship is unfounded in actuality. ... The brief Epistle of Jude is a book in the Christian New Testament canon. ...


A number of scholars, however, have disagreed with this position and forwarded reasons in support of genuine Petrine authorship. The text’s claim to have been written by “Simeon Peter” is unique. “Simeon” is an archaic Hebrew form of the standard "Simon", and appears only in Acts 15:14, and then just as “Simeon” (not “Simeon Peter”). “Simeon” is not used in any other place in the New Testament, in any of the Apostolic Fathers, or in any pseudepigraphic literature.[4] 1 Peter uses simply “Peter”, and it has been argued that it would be unlikely for a later writer attempting to feign an original letter to use a different name than one used in the genuine text, especially an archaic and obscure naming convention like "Simeon Peter." Concerning the relation between 2 Peter and Jude, three observations have been made. First, it could be that, conversely, Jude used 2 Peter, extracting information from it and adding a doxology, perhaps motivated by the prophetic statements of 2 Peter having been fulfilled.[5] Second, even if 2 Peter used Jude, that does not exclude Petrine authorship.[6] D. Guthrie stated simply that it was “a fallacious supposition” to assume that an apostle would not have made use of an earlier source, and that, though it might be unexpected, it would be equally or more unexpected for a forger to do so.[7] Third, Ben Witherington III argued that the text we have today is a composite, including points taken from the Epistle of Jude, but that it containing a genuine “Petrine fragment”, which he identified as 2Peter 1:12-21.[8] A doxology (from the Greek doxa, glory + logos, word or speaking) is a short hymn of praise to God in various Christian worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. ...


If the letter were pseudepigraphy, in many respects it would be unparalleled with other such literature, and it has been remarked that, if the text is pseudepigraphical, then it is “of its own class”.[9] The common convention in pseudepigraphy, when attempting to further the verisimilitude of their claims to authorship, was to adopt a first-person narrative style; however, 2 Peter’s claims do not do so, even in the passage concerning the Transfiguration, where it would be most expected.[10] Furthermore, the account of the Transfiguration differs in certain details from the accounts in the synoptic gospels, unexpected of a forger, and the passage shows a complete lack of embellishment that sets it apart from the trend in apocryphal books.[11] Also unusual is the description of Paul, “our beloved brother” (2Peter 3:15). Later literature referred to Paul as “the blessed Paul”, “the blessed and glorious Paul”, and “the sanctified Paul right blessed”, and thus the subdued usage in the letter is more fitting of genuine Petrine use than of a later forgery.[12] Lastly, the statement that the author finds Paul’s letters difficult to understand (2Peter 3:15-16) runs counter to the tendency in pseudoepigraphy, which is to enhance the heroic alleged author.[13] The Synoptic Gospels is a term used by modern New Testament scholars for the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke of the New Testament in the Bible. ... Apocrypha (from the Greek word απόκρυφα meaning those having been hidden away[1]) are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned. ...


On remaining points, differences in style could be explained by Peter having employed different amanuenses (secretaries) for each epistle, or if Peter wrote the second letter himself, while using Silvanus (Silas) as an amanuensis for the first. The use of amanuenses was widespread in antiquity. The reference to the collection of Pauline letters does not in any sense imply the existence of a complete or authorized corpus of Paul’s letters.[14] With tradition placing Paul and Peter in Rome at nearly the same time, he might have had opportunity to read material copied from originals in the possession of Paul or his companions. The reference to “the fathers” (οι πατέρες) is not used anywhere else in the New Testament or in the Apostolic Fathers to refer to Christian “patriarchs”, or the first generation of Christian leaders, and instead would more naturally (given the context) be interpreted as referring to the Jewish patriarchs.[15] A secretary is a person who performs routine, administrative, or personal tasks for a superior. ... Silvanus may refer to: Silvanus (mythology), a Roman tutelary spirit of woods, apparently inherited from the Etruscan deity Selvan Silvanus, also called Silas, an early Christian and companion of Paul Silvanus of the Seventy, another early Christian and traditionally among Jesus seventy apostles Saint Sylvanus, Bishop of Emesa in Phoenicia... The Patriarchs, known as the Avot in Hebrew, are Abraham, his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. ...


Despite these arguments, the great majority of scholarship agrees that Peter could not have written this letter. For example, textual critic Daniel Wallace writes that, for most experts, "the issue of authorship is already settled, at least negatively: the apostle Peter did not write this letter" and that "the vast bulk of NT scholars adopts this...perspective."[16] Werner Kummel exemplefies this position, stating, "It is certain, therefore, that II Pet does not originate with Peter, and this is today widely acknowledged."[17], as does Stephen L Harris, who states that "[v]irtually no authorities defend the Petrine authorship of 2 Peter."[18] Evangelical historians D.A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo wrote that "most modern scholars do not think that the apostle Peter wrote this letter. Indeed, for no other letter in the New Testament is there a greater consensus that the person who is named as the author could not, in fact, be the author."[19] Stephen L Harris is Professor and Chair, Department of Humanities and Religious Studies at California State University, Sacramento. ...


Canonical Acceptence

Acceptence 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."[20] 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. As D. Guthrie put it, “It is fair to assume, therefore, that he saw no reason to treat these doubts as serious, and this would mean to imply that in his time the epistle was widely regarded as canonical.”[21] Origen, in another passage, has been interpreted as considering the letter to be Petrine in authorship.[22] Before Origen’s time, the evidence is inconclusive;[23] there is a lack of definite early quotations from the letter in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers, though possible use or influence has been located in the works of Clement (d. c. 211), Theophilius (d. c. 183), Aristides (d. c. 134), Polycarp (d. 155), and Justin (d. 165).[24] Eusebius (c. 275 – 339) professed his own doubts, 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.[25] Origen (Greek: ÅŒrigénÄ“s, 185–ca. ... Look up Circa on Wiktionary, the free dictionary The Latin word circa, literally meaning about, is often used to describe various dates (often birth and death dates) that are uncertain. ... The Apostolic Fathers were a small collection of Christian authors who lived and wrote in the late 1st century and early 2nd century who are acknowledged as leaders in the early church, but whose writings were not included in the collection of Christian scripture, the New Testament Biblical canon, at... Clement of Alexandria (Titus Flavius Clemens), was the first member of the Church of Alexandria to be more than a name, and one of its most distinguished teachers. ... Theophilus, Patriarch of Antioch (Eusebius Ecclesiastical History iv. ... This article is about the Christian author. ... Polycarp of Smyrna (d. ... Justin Martyr (Justin the Martyr, also known as Justin of Caesarea) (100 – 165) was an early Christian apologist. ... Eusebius of Caesarea Eusebius of Caesarea (c. ... “Saint Jerome” redirects here. ...


Content

This epistle presciently declares that it is written shortly before the apostle's death (1:14). Arguments have been made both for and against this being part of the original text, but this debate largely is centered on the acceptance or rejection of supernatural intervention in the life of the writer. An epistle (Greek επιστολη, epistolē, letter) is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons, usually a letter and a very formal, often didactic and elegant one. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles...


The epistle contains eleven references to the Old Testament. In 3:15, 16 a reference is made to one of Paul's epistles, which some have identified as 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11. Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ... Paul of Tarsus (b. ... (Redirected from 1 Thessalonians) The Epistles to the Thessalonians, also known as the Letters to the Thessalonians, are two books from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ...


The book also shares a number of shared passages with the Epistle of Jude, e.g. 1:5 with Jude 3; 1:12 with Jude 5; 3:2f with Jude 17f; 3:14 with Jude 24; and 3:18 with Jude 25. The brief Epistle of Jude is a book in the Christian New Testament canon. ...


Tartarus is mentioned in 2:4 as devoted to the holding of certain fallen angels. It is elaborated on in Jude 6. Jude 6 however, is a clear reference to the Book of Enoch. In classic Greek mythology, below Heaven, Earth, and Hades is Tartarus, or Tartaros (Greek Τάρταρος, deep place). ... Fallen Angels (1991) (ISBN 0743435826) is a Prometheus Award-winning novel by science fiction authors Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle, and Michael Flynn. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...


Notes

  1. ^ Harris, Stephen L.. Understanding the Bible: a reader's introduction, 2nd ed. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. page 354.
  2. ^ e.g. S. T. Zahn, Introduction to the New Testament II p. 250; F. Spitta, Der Zweite Brief des Petrus und der Brief des Judas (1885); C. Bigg, ‘The Epistles of St Peter and St Jude’, in International Critical Commentary; E. M. B. Green, 2 Peter Reconsidered (1961) and other works.
  3. ^ Grant, Robert M. A Historical Introduction To The New Testament, chap. 14. http://religion-online.org/showchapter.asp?title=1116&C=1234
  4. ^ M. R. James, ‘The Second Epistle General of St. Peter and the General Epistle of St. Jude’, in, Cambridge Greek Testament (1912), p. 9; Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 820.
  5. ^ S. T. Zahn, Introduction to the New Testament II p. 250; F. Spitta, Der Zweite Brief des Petrus und der Brief des Judas (1885), pp. 145-146; C. Bigg, ‘The Epistles of St Peter and St Jude’, in International Critical Commentary (1901).
  6. ^ E. M. B. Green, 2 Peter Reconsidered (1961), p. 10-11; ibid., ‘The Second Epistle General of Peter and the General Epistle of Jude’, in Tyndale New Testament Commentary (1987).
  7. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 831; on a reason for the use of Jude, see E. H. Plumptre, ‘The General Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude’, in The Cambridge Bible of School and Colleges (1879), p. 80.
  8. ^ Ben Witherington III, “A Petrine Source in 2 Peter”, Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers (1985), pp. 187-192.
  9. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 820.
  10. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 820.
  11. ^ E. M. B. Green, 2 Peter Reconsidered, p. 27.
  12. ^ J. B. Major, The Epistle of St Jude and the Second Epistle of St Peter (1907), p. 166; Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 826; references to quotes from antiquity are 1 Clement 47.1 and Polycarp, Ad Phil. 11; Polycarp, Ad Phil. 3; Ignatius, Ad Eph. 12.2.
  13. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 827.
  14. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 824.
  15. ^ R. J. Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter (Word) 1983, p. 290; Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 829.
  16. ^ http://web.archive.org/web/20031209164253/http://www.bible.org/docs/soapbox/2petotl.htm
  17. ^ http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/2peter.html
  18. ^ Harris, Stephen L.. Understanding the Bible: a reader's introduction, 2nd ed. Palo Alto: Mayfield. 1985. page 354.
  19. ^ Carson, D.A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament, second edition. HarperCollins Canada; Zondervan: 2005. ISBN-10 0310238595, ISBN-13 978-0310238591. p.659.
  20. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 806.
  21. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 806.
  22. ^ M. R. James, ‘The Second Epistle General of St. Peter and the General Epistle of St. Jude’, in, Cambridge Greek Testament (1912), p. xix; cf. Origen, Homily in Josh. 7.1.
  23. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), p. 807.
  24. ^ C. Bigg, ‘The Epistle of St Peter and Jude’, in International Critical Commentary (1901), pp. 202-205; R. E. Picirilli, ‘Allusions to 2 Peter in the Apostolic Fathers’, in Journal for the Study of the New Testament 33 (1988), pp. 57-83; J. W. C. Wand, The General Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude (1934), p. 141.
  25. ^ Donald Guthrie, Introduction to the New Testament 4th ed. (Leicester: Apollos, 1990), pp. 808-809, though the exception of the Syrian canon is noted, with acceptance occurring sometime before 509; cf. Jerome, De viris illustribus chapter 1.

Stephen L Harris is Professor and Chair, Department of Humanities and Religious Studies at California State University, Sacramento. ... Stephen L Harris is Professor and Chair, Department of Humanities and Religious Studies at California State University, Sacramento. ...

External links

Online translations of the epistle

Other

  • Christian Classics Ethereal Library
  • Jerome's De viris illustribus chapter 1
  • A sizeable article giving an overview of the problems with, and ultimately a defense of, the authenticity of II Peter
  • Biblaridion magazine: Examining the relationship between Jude and II Peter (part-1)
Preceded by
1 Peter		 Books of the Bible Succeeded by
1 John

  Results from FactBites:
 
Second Epistle of Peter - Theopedia (489 words)
The second epistle of Peter was written to warn Christians about false teachers and to exhort them to grow in their faith in and knowledge of Christ.
The second epistle of Peter is generally attributed to the apostle Peter as the letter opens with salutation "Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ," however there are some questions concerning the authenticity of this claim.
The Authorship of Second Peter, by Hampton Keathley
First Epistle of Peter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (589 words)
Peter's own amanuensis was the evangelist Mark, according to Clement of Alexandria and other early Christian writers.
Some scholars reject both Peter and Silvanus as authors, and date its composition during the reign of the emperor Domitian (AD 81 - 96), from its reference to persecution of Christians, which had not occurred until the persecution under Nero, in which Peter was martyred himself.
This epistle is addressed to "the strangers scattered abroad", though it otherwise appears to be addressed to Gentiles rather than to the Jews of the Diaspora.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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