The apostle Simon Peter writes his letter 2 Peter to “those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 1:1), which yields no geographical indication. Peter mentions that this is the second letter they receive (2 Pet 3:1) which could indicate that his readers are the same as for 1 Peter. If so this letter addresses the churches of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia (1 Pet 1:2) in modern day Turkey. But the reference could also be to a letter of Peter that is now lost. If so we do not have any indication where the readers are.
Peter makes a reference to him soon dying (2 Pet 1:14-15). According to church tradition Peter was martyred during Nero’s persecution of the Christians in Rome in 64-65 AD. Therefore it is likely that 2 Peter was written at that time from Rome, being Peter’s last letter.
The churches of Asia Minor have been planted some ten to fifteen years ago, but by this time they have come under the influence of false teachers of a gnostic orientation. Gnostics taught that knowledge and revelation is the path to salvation, open not to all but only to a few enlightened people that can claim special experiences. Gnosticism declares the physical world to be inferior and evil, and the spirit world to be superior and good. Therefore it gave rise to both ascetic influences in the church (be spiritual by punishing the body!) and also licentious influences (what you do with the body can’t affect your superior spirit).
Peter writes against this false teaching in this letter. He asserts that everything needed for life and godliness has been given to the believes through the knowledge of God (2 Pet 1:3). So he affirms knowledge, but he says that is has been given to all believers. He also asserts that knowledge must always lead to a godly character, goodness, self-control, endurance, mutual affection and love (2 Pet 1:5-8). So Peter corrects the over focus on knowledge, revelation and spiritual experiences, and shows that this is not the goal in itself, rather it must lead to love and service of others. Peter challenges them to “Therefore be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble” (2 Pet 1:10). Peter, with the authority of being one of the twelve apostles and an eye witness even to the transfiguration (2 Pet 1:16-18), reminds the church of the basic tenents of the gospel (2 Pet 1:12-15) and assures them of the truth of what they have heard from the prophets and apostles and have believed based on their witness (2 Pet 1:19-21).
Peter then describes not so much the content of the false teaching but the character of the false teachers: by the fruit you will know the tree! The false teachers ultimately reject authority and correction (2 Pet 2:10), they are motivated by the power and influence they can gain over people (2 Pet 2:2-3, 2:14, 2:19 etc.), by greed (2 Pet 2:3, 2:14-15 etc.), by self-indulgence in general (2 Pet 2:10, 2:12-14, 2:19-20 etc.) and by sexual indulgence specifically (2 Pet 2:2, 2:10, 2:12, 2:14, 2:18-19 etc.). They follow cleverly devised myths (2 Pet 1:16), exploit with deceptive words (2 Pet 2:3), entice unsteady souls (2 Pet 2:14), speak bombastic nonsense (2 Pet 2:18), promise people freedom (2 Pet 2:19), scoff (2 Pet 3:3) and ridicule Jesus’ second coming (2 Pet 3:4-5). They claim to have ‘knowledge’, but their ‘knowledge’ does not lead to godliness, love and service, but rather to the opposite. Peter repeatedly warns the false teachers and those tempted to listen to them about where they will eventually end up: “their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Pet 2:3).
Peter writes to strengthen the believers in truth and godliness. He addresses those who are ignorant and unstable (warn these!), addresses new believers who are in danger of re-entangling themselves (save these!), he dismisses scoffers (ignore these!) and sorely challenges false teachers (repent now!).
Peter assures the readers of the reality of Jesus’ second coming. For unbelievers and especially deceivers this will be the day of final judgment (2 Pet 2:4, 2:9, 2:12, 3:7). For the believers it will be the day of vindication. Peter wants them to hold on to this assurance (2 Pet 1:16), to trust God to keep them in difficult times (2 Pet 2:9) and – waiting for that day – to live holy and godly lives (2 Pet 3:11).

The author

The apostle Simon Peter writes this letter, speaking with the authority of one of the original twelve apostles and eye witnesses (2 Pet 1:16-18). He refers to the transfiguration by saying (Mrk 9:2-8): “We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain”.

Doubts about Peter’s authorship

Some people doubt that Peter is the author of this letter because the Greek in which it is written is far more polished than that of 1 Peter. There is a simple explanation, though. Probably Peter wrote 1 Peter with the help of Silvanus (1 Pet 5:12, whose Greek might not have been that great), while he may well have used another co-writer capable of more polished Greek to write 2 Peter. Co-authors or scribes were commonly used (Rom 16:22, Gal 6:11).
Also there are quite a bit of rarely used words, which appear both in 1 Peter and 2 Peter, confirming both writings to be of the same author:
1 Pet 1:7,19              2 Pet 1:1     “precious”
1 Pet 2:9                   2 Pet 1:3     “virtue”
1 Pet 4:11                 2 Pet 1:5     “supply”
1 Pet 1:22                 2 Pet 1:7     “love of the brethren”
1 Pet 2:12, 3:2         2 Pet 1:16    to “see”, or “behold”, “eyewitness”
1 Pet 1:19                 2 Pet 3:14   “without blemish or spot”
In addition to the similarity of words used, there is a focus on Jesus’ second coming in both letters. The emphases are slightly different, but still the two letters have many parallel statements:

1 Peter                                                    2 Peter
1 Pet: Christians under persecution > ‘hope!’
2 Pet: Christians swayed by false teachers: true knowledge and godliness!
1 Pet: Comfort, affirmation, encouragement, cross                            2 Pet: Warn, challenge, affirm judgment
1 Pet: Resurrection of Jesus                                                                     2 Pet: Jesus’ second coming
1 Pet: Apocalypsis = removal of the veil which hides sight of the faithful Lord who was there all along
2 Pet: Parousia = sudden appearance of an absent king among his obedient or disobedient servants
1 Pet 1:5, 4:7 the end of the age     2 Pet 3:3, 10 the end of the age
1 Pet 1:10-12 prophecy                    2 Pet 1:10, 3:2 prophecy
1 Pet 3:20 the flood                          2 Pet 2:5, 3:6 the flood
1 Pet 2:16 Christian liberty              2 Pet 2:19 Christian liberty
1 Pet 2:9 the divine initiative, calling to consequent character
2 Pet 1:3 the divine initiative, calling to consequent character
1 Pet 4:5, 4:13, 4:17 Jesus’ coming (‘parousia’) brings judgement, joy
2 Pet 3:7, 3:13 Jesus’ coming (‘parousia’) brings judgement, joy
1 Pet 4:7 Jesus’ coming is an incentive to holy living
2 Pet 3:11, 3:14 Jesus’ coming is an incentive to holy living

The readers

Peter addresses his letter to “those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 1:1), which yields no geographical indication.
Peter mentions that this is the second letter they receive (2 Pet 3:1) which could indicate that his audience is the same as for 1 Peter. If so this letter addresses the churches of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia in the Roman Province Asia Minor in modern day Turkey (1 Pet 1:2) . But it could also be that the readers are a different group of believers, who received an letter of Peter earlier, which is not preserved in the Bible.
Peter also mentions that the readers know Paul and have received writings from him (2 Pet 3:15-16) which can be reasonably said about Asia Minor, as the letter of Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and 1 Timothy all are addressed to this area.

Date and place of writing

Peter makes a reference about him dying soon (2 Pet 1:14-15). Peter was martyred during Nero’s persecution of the Christians in Rome in 64-65 AD. Therefore it is likely that this his last letter was written at that time, making it the last letter Peter wrote.

Historical setting: false teaching

The churches of Asia Minor have been planted some ten to fifteen years ago, but by this time they are affected by false teachers arising from their midst. These false teachers are mostly influenced by early Gnostic thinking.
Gnosticism taught that knowledge and revelation is the path to salvation, open not to all but only to a few enlightened people that could claim special enlightenment or spiritual experiences. Gnosticism was strongly dualist and declared the physical world to be inferior and evil, and the spirit world to be superior and good. It therefore gave rise to both ascetic thinking (becoming spiritual by punishing and subduing the body) and also licentious behavior (what you do with the body can’t affect your superior spirit, so immorality is no problem).
Gnosticism taught that no spirit god would ever pollute himself by entering the physical world, so it stood in opposition to the Biblical teaching of Jesus’ incarnation. Modified versions of the gospels arose, saying that Jesus was only a Spirit floating about in this world. Some gnostics taught that Jesus was a normal human who at his baptism was possessed by the divine Spirit Christ. The Spirit Christ left him again before the crucifixion, for no pure Spirit can suffer or be tainted by death. This false teaching is called Doceticism, a branch of Gnosticism.

Godliness and knowledge

Peter writes against the false teachings of Gnosticism and Doceticism in this letter. He picks up the gnostics’ favorite word ‘knowledge’ (in Greek ‘gnosis’) in his opening sentence (2 Pet 1:2): “May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ”. He already corrects one wrong teaching: it is not knowledge itself that saves, it is knowing what Christ did that saves.
He then asserts that everything needed for life has been given to the believers – to all believers – by God (2 Pet 1:3-4): “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you… may become participants of the divine nature”. Peter affirms knowledge but says that knowledge must always lead to godliness, to becoming like Jesus in character.
He shows an important progression (2 Pet 1:5-8): “For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love”. Peter shows that the basis is not knowledge, but faith, and that knowledge needs to lead to a life of Christ-like character and behavior. So Peter corrects the over focus on knowledge, revelation and spiritual experiences, and shows that this is not a goal in itself, rather it must lead to love and service of others. Peter challenges them “Therefore be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble” (2 Pet 1:10-11). God has called and elected us all, unreservedly, but now every believer needs to respond eagerly and be faithful.

Peter, with the authority of being one of the twelve apostles and an eye witness to Jesus and even to the transfiguration (2 Pet 1:16-18) reminds the church of these basic truths of the gospel that they have received (2 Pet 1:12-15). He assures them of the truth of what they have heard and believed from the prophets and apostles (2 Pet 1:19-21). Peter shows them that he, too, has been able to witness ‘special experiences’ which were also historic fact, unlike what the gnostics boast about.

The character of the false teachers

Peter then describes not so much the content of the false teaching but rather the character of the false teachers: by the fruit you will know the tree! The false teachers ultimately

• reject authority and correction
• use deception, are motivated by the power and influence they can gain over people
• are motivated by greed
• are motivated by self-indulgence in general and sexual indulgence in particular

Here follows the detailed description of the false teachers in 2 Peter (colored as above):

1:16    follow cleverly devised myths
2:1     deny Master who bought them
2:2    licentious ways
2:2    influence / collect followers
2:3    in greed they will exploit by deceptive words
2:3    their behavior maligns the truth
2:10  indulge flesh in depraved lust
2:10  despise authority
2:10  bold, willful
2:10  slander glorious ones
2:12  behave like animals
2:12  creatures of instinct
2:12  slander what they don’t understand
2:13 count it a pleasure to revel in daytime
2:13 blots and blemishes
2:14 feast with you
2:14 eyes full of adultery
2:14 insatiable for sin
2:14 entice unsteady souls
2:14 hearts trained in greed
2:15 follow Balaam who loved wages of wrong
2:15 left straight road … gone astray
2:17 waterless springs … mists driven by storm
2:18 speak bombastic nonsense
2:18 with fleshly licentious desires entice people
2:19 promise them freedom
2:19 slaves of corruption
2:20 again entangled / overpowered
2:20 dog returning to vomit, sow wallowing in dirt
3:3 scoffers
3:4-5 ridicule 2nd coming / believers
3:3 scoffers indulging lust

Peter repeatedly warns the false teachers that if they refuse to repent, they will bring ultimate judgment on themselves: “their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Pet 2:3). In this short letter Peter mentions judgment twelve times! If people influenced by these teachers keep following them and will not repent they, too, will end up in judgment like the teachers they followed.
Peter uses powerful metaphors to describe the false teachers. He describes them as “irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught, killed” (2 Pet 2:12), “blots and blemishes” (2 Pet 2:13), having “eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin” (2 Pet 2:14), as “waterless springs, mists driven by a storm” (2 Pet 2:17).
Peter encourages his readers to evaluate a person not by how grand and spiritual they sound, nor by what experiences they claim to have, but by their character and behavior, which will reveal their true motivation.

How to deal with false teaching

When false teaching comes to a church there will be a wide range of responses: some believers will be wise enough to reject it, some will be influenced, but recognize it as wrong, some will be influenced and think the teaching right, some will fully fall for it. Peter therefore has to address a range of believers in the same church in his letter:

Peter writes to strengthen all believers in truth and godliness. He addresses those who are ignorant and unstable and warns them (2 Pet 3:17): “You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability”. He sorely warns new believers to not fall into the trap of false teaching (2 Pet 2:18-22): “They entice people who have just escaped the defilements of the world… they are again entangled in them and overpowered”. Peter dismisses the scoffers (2 Pet 3:3-5): “You must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts and saying ‘Where is the promise of his coming?”.

When Peter describes false teachers in 2 Peter he basically speaks about people who teach wrong things intentionally to reach their selfish goals. They create dependency, gain influence and power over people, gain obedience from people to obtain sex, money or power. They are to be warned, but if they don’t repent, they are not to be tolerated, but rather resisted and shown the door.
In other places of the New Testament there are also other types of false teachers mentioned, those who are believers and are not intentionally deceiving, rather they are deceived themselves. This type of false teacher is less guilty, yet not for too long. For there is a connection between deception and will: in the beginning somebody can maybe truly say ‘oh, I didn’t know’. But in the end, if I don’t know, I didn’t want to know. Being deceived is therefore a transitory state, either I eventually repent or else I will eventually become an intentional deceiver.
To Peter the best prevention of false teaching is to strengthen the believers in truth and sound teaching, encouraging a lifestyle of godliness and service. And that is what he does in 2 Peter.

Jesus’ second coming

It seems that one thing the false teachers or scoffers made fun of, was Jesus’ second coming. They say “all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” and taunt the believers about the delay in Jesus’ return: “Where is the promise of his coming?” (2 Pet 3:4). Gnosticism ridiculed the idea of a pure, spiritual God coming in bodily, human form to enter this physical world and live among humans, so a second coming of Jesus made no sense to them.
Peter assures the believers of the reliability of the message they have heard from the prophets and apostles (2 Pet 3:1-2), and that judgments (at least partial ones) have hit the world before, as for example the flood of Noah’s time (2 Pet 3:5-7). Peter cautions the believers not to doubt God’s promise because of a perceived delay, – God’s timing is beyond human comprehension (2 Pet 3:8) – but rather to see this as the grace of God who “is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9).
Peter draws an important application from the assurance of Jesus’ second coming and the assurance of final judgment: Lead holy and godly lives now! In 2 Pet 3:11-12 he says: “Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lived of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the way of God?” As always in the New Testament the knowledge of Jesus’ coming should not lead to a fearful paralysis but rather to a faithfulness in our daily lives, doing what God told us to do without fear, for “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial” (2 Pet 2:9).

Color Coding Suggestions

When color coding 2 Peter watch out for:

• who, when, where, contrasts, comparisons, metaphors

Repeated Themes

• godliness, character, good behavior, love, effective, fruitfulness
• sin, evil, wrong, immorality, selfishness, desires, indulgence, greed, ineffective,  fruitless
• deception, entice, lead astray, loose stability, false way, deceive
• judgment
• knowledge, know, wisdom
• prophecy, testimony

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Author

• 2 Pet 1:1    “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ”
  • Simeon is the old Hebrew form of the contemporary ‘Simon’
  • It is also used for Peter by James during the Jerusalem council in Acts 15:14
  • Not used in the many Gnostic writings that claimed to be authored by Peter > maybe for authenticity?
  • Peter … what Jesus made him: the Rock!
  • Servant of Jesus Christ … humility, identification with the reader
  • Apostle of Christ, stating authority (this title is mostly used of the 12, Paul, but also of Barnabas, Titus, Andronicus, Junia, Epaphroditus, Jesus … and a gift God might give … so not a sharp, exclusive title)
• 2 Pet 1:16-18   only Peter, James and John were eyewitness of the transfiguration
  •  ‘eyewitnesses of Christ’s majesty’ – when Jesus was transfigured, receiving honour & glory from God the Father
  • Father’s voice from heaven, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him”
• 2 Pet 1:14        The author was warned by Jesus about his approaching death, a reference to Jhn 21:18-19.
• 2 Pet 3:15-16  Author is a close friend of Paul ‘our beloved brother Paul’, he is familiar with Paul’s letters and with the fact that the audience has received letter of Paul before
• 2 Pet 2:14       the word “entice” is the fisherman’s word for catching fish with a bait, perhaps a link with Peter’s profession
• 2 Pet 3:1         He calls this letter his second letter to the same readers. It is usually assumed that 1 Peter was the first letter, but that is not really sure.

Canonicity

• It had a rough ride in being accepted into the canon of the NT, because of differences of style between the 2 letters (2 Peter is much better, more elegant Greek, with special words, word pictures)
• There is not much evidence from the early church. 2 Peter was probably not well known. It was not often quoted and so also not generally accepted.
• Origen first quoted 2 Peter (?) and said that Peter wrote two letters. He quoted 2 Pet 1:4 as authoritative Scripture, mentioned it was disputed.
• Eusebius listed 2 Peter as a disputed book of the canon, acknowledged that many found it useful to be read with other scriptures
• 2 Peter was accepted as canonical in the Council of Laodicea (AD 363) and the Council of Carthage (AD 397)
• Jerome was concerned over the differences in style in the two letters, but included 2 Peter in the Latin Vulgate. He suggested that Peter used two different secretaries.
• Augustine and Luther accepted it as genuine, Erasmus rejected it, and Calvin had doubts about it.

Similarities between “1 Peter” and “2 Peter”

• Some words and phrases are found in both letters, but rarely in other writings, for example:
  1 Pet 1:7,19                2 Pet 1:1      Precious
  1 Pet 2:9                     2 Pet 1:3      Virtue
  1 Pet 4:11                   2 Pet 1:5      Supply
  1 Pet 1:22                  2 Pet 1:7      Love of the brethren
  1 Pet 2:12, 3:2            2 Pet 1:16    To see, or behold, eyewitness
  1 Pet 1:19                  2 Pet 3:14   Without blemish or spot

Similar teaching on certain subjects:

• The centrality of Christ
• 2nd coming of Christ is affirmed and emphasized
• importance on fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies … Noah

Similarity between 2 Peter and Peter’s words in Acts

• Acts 1:17                   2 Peter 1:1             obtained
• Acts 3:12                   2 Peter 1:7             godliness
• Acts 2:23                   2 Peter 2:8             unlawful
• Acts 2:20                   2 Peter 3:10           day of the Lord
• Acts 1:18                   2 Peter 2:13,15      wages or reward of iniquity
• The style of 2 Peter is similar to Peter’s speech at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15), personal, direct and emphatic … but since it is better, more elegant Greek the use of a secretary is very likely.
• In 1 Peter a possible secretary is mentioned: Silvanus (1 Pet 5:12). Probably 2 Peter is written by Peter himself and that he used a secretary, Silvanus, to write 1 Peter.
• Simply two letters to two different audiences (?) about two different topics, the same author but using two secretaries.

Similarity between 2 Peter and Jude

• 2 Peter and Jude have many parallels. The material in common is almost totally concerned with the false teachers. There are only 10 verses in Jude which do not have parallels in 2 Peter (Jude 1,3,5,14,19,20,22-25). Most parallels are in 2 Peter 2.
• Jude 2      2 Peter 1:2    May peace … be multiplied to you
• Jude 4      2 Peter 2:1    False teachers deny the Master
• Jude 6      2 Peter 2:4   Angels who sinned, pits of nether gloom until judgement
• Jude 7      2 Peter 2:6    Sodom & Gomorrah … destroyed as example to ungodly
• Jude 8      2 Peter 2:10  Men defile flesh, reject authority
• Jude 9      2 Peter 2:11   Angels not pronouncing reviling judgement
• Jude 10    2 Peter 2:12  Men, revile things they do not understand – of instinct like irrational animals, will be destroyed
• Jude 11     2 Peter 2:15  Gone the way of Balaam, forsaking right way for sake of greed
• Jude 12    2 Peter 2:13  Blots and blemishes
• Jude 12    2 Peter 2:17  Waterless mists and clouds, blown by storm
• Jude 13    2 Peter 2:17   Nether gloom of darkness reserved for them
• Jude 15    2 Peter 2:6-9 Judgement on the ungodly
• Jude 16    2 Peter 2:18   Loud boasts of folly
• Jude 17    2 Peter 3:2     You must remember the predictions …
• Jude 18    2 Peter 3:3    Scoffers will come in the last days following their own passions Waiting for the day of the Lord and eternal life

Written to whom

• 2 Pet 1:1        “to those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.” No geographical indication. General address to
  believers.
• 2 Pet 3:15-16 People who have been written to by Paul
• 2 Pet 3:1           mentions this to be the second letter they receive. Is this the 1 Peter we know?
• Actually, the main theme of 1 Peter is right conduct under persecution (outside pressure), the main theme of 2 Peter is false teachers (inside pressure, possibly outside also)
• 2 Pet 1:12-15 and 3:1-2 seems to say that Peter wrote them before on the same topics … > some say this letter therefor was not 1 Peter, but another letter. If so, Peter wrote at least one other letter not preserved in the Bible.
• The audience has been written to by Paul before (2 Pet 3:15), Asia Minor was written to by Paul (Galatians, Colossians, Philemon, circular letter Ephesians) so that matches reasonably well.
• If 1 & 2 Peter are to the same audience … then as in 1 Pet 1:1 “to the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood” > Christians in Asia Minor (maybe especially Jewish believers? Or rather metaphorical for all believers?).
• Presence of Triplets, Septets in the letter, which is catering towards Jewish ears … > especially catering to Jewish believers? Or to all as these are mature churches?
• In summary: it is not completely sure, possibly the same audience as in 1 Peter, people written to by Peter and Paul before.

When written

• Peter’s first letter was written during Nero’s persecution (64-67 AD)
• 2 Peter has a reference to Peter soon dying in 2 Pet 1:14-15, Peter is martyred in the Neronian persecution, presumably towards the beginning > 64-65 AD most likely.

Where from

• It seems Peter is near death, most likely under the Neronian persecution, therefore he is in Rome when writing 2 Peter. Also church tradition and 1 Pet 5:13 point to Rome.

Historical setting

• either not known or same as 1 Peter.
• Peter is probably in Rome, under Nero’s persecution, facing soon death, writing his ‘testament’ to the churches he has been planting or shepherding
• If readership as in 1 Peter, background of strong idolatry, mystery religions, growing influence of gnosticism, also then the readers are under at least a local persecution (Still the Jews? Nero? Rising Emperor cult?)
• Clearly the churches are assaulted by false teachers (soon) arising from out of their midst, likely this is Gnosticism, a false teaching claiming that knowledge leads to salvation. Peter is combating that.

Definition and History of Gnosticism

• An ungodly philosophy, that became a persistent false teaching attacking the churches mid-first and 2nd century AD.
• Gnosticism < Gnosis (Greek), which means knowledge, a group of heresies.
• Different people use the term differently, some use it for a heresy that arose within the church, others to denote a way of thinking which was un-biblical, but heavily influenced of challenged the church.
• It slowly appeared, first in Asia Minor, being combated by Paul in Ephesians and Colossians
• It grew stronger in the 2nd half of 1st century, and the major NT writer to combat gnosticism is John, in his gospel and letters.
• Later church fathers like Ireanaus, Hippolytus, Epiphanius combated its full blown form in the 2nd century. Gnosticism Content / Common features
• Valuing, stressing, offering knowledge … dualistic thinking, struggle between good & evil with knowledge as the answer.
• High-minded ascetics … till licentious charlatans.
• Low gnosticism … knowledge as magic power, secrets of the future, like astrologers, fortune-tellers today, but religious
• Grappling with question: how came good and evil into this world? How do they relate to God?
• Sometimes: special knowledge of Jesus offered, on basis of secret, closely guarded sources, similar to mystery religions
• Knowledge and salvation are key words
• God is no utterly transcendent, that he can have no direct contact with the world / with matter.
• God is good, and matter is evil, therefore matter can have no contact with God
• Gnosticism is mystical, it seeks union with / absorption into the divine
• Gnosticism: how did the divine become trapped in the human body, how can it escape? > drama of cosmic forces’ power struggle
• Between God and man a hierarchy of intermediary spirit beings or gods, earliest ones emanating from God, then keep emanating … one version: material universe is a mistake, accident, brought about by an ignorant / mischievous anti-god.
• Some men have in them a spark of the divine, which is now incarcerated in the body … man is therefore of mixed origin, a mixture of incompatibles

Gnosticism’s Conflict with Christianity

• Gnosticism thinks orthodox Christianity as self-condemned / in error: God does not take on human form, a man could never be fully good etc.
• Some gnosticism was very close to orthodox Christianity, other gnosticism parted completely, though borrowing heavily
• Some claims: Christ (being the divine spirit) was never crucified. Jesus was not human, he was an apparition, floating about the floor.
• Doceticism: The divine Spirit Christ possesses the normal sinful human Jesus at baptism, but then leaves him before he gets crucified.

Founding of the church

• either not known or else same as 1 Peter
• 1 Missionary Journey … from 47 AD onward Paul and Barnabas church planting started in Galatia
• 3 Missionary Journey … maybe by evangelism based out of Ephesus 53-57 AD > all of Asia hears the gospel
• Lateral spread by normal believers, local preachers

Church strengths

• 2 Pet 1:1          have received a faith as precious as ours (apostles’)
• 2 Pet 1:12        I intend to keep on reminding you … though you know them already and are established in the truth
• 2 Pet 2:18-20 evangelistic, mentioning new believers, people who have just escaped from those who live in error, who – after they have escaped – are again entangled

Church weaknesses

• 2 Pet 2:1     false teachers (generally around?) will soon arise among them > need to be aware, sober, dealing with them
• 2 Pet 1:3     concerned about knowledge, challenge to add godliness
• 2 Pet 2:14  entice unsteady souls (general description or already happening?)
• 2 Pet 3:5    doubting Jesus’ 2nd coming?
• 2 Pet 3:8    hear ridiculing of the 2nd coming hope? … ‘God is really slow!’
• 2 Pet 3:11   paralysis at Jesus’ 2nd coming?
• 2 Pet 3:17   in danger of loosing stability

Literary Kind

• All prose > literal interpretation, some quotes

Structure

• Epistle, Greek style … testament epistle

Composition

• Principality false teachers, 62%
• Problem > solution
• many triplets, quintets, septets (catering for Jewish ears), powerful metaphors

Main Themes

• Warning of, description of, future of, challenge to deal with false teachers
• Jesus’ 2nd coming is sure and soon, will bring judgement on the ungodly / false teachers
• The right response to God and Jesus’ 2nd coming is growing in godliness, holiness, knowledge, eagerness, self-control > leading to maturity & stability

Main Reasons

• To warn the church of false teachers, to equip them to recognize and deal with them
• to assure them of Jesus’ 2nd coming, judgement of all evil, giving them an ‘eternal perspective’
• Encourage the believers to grow till then in godliness, knowledge, zeal > maturity, stability
• against rising gnostic teaching stressing knowledge as means of salvation

Occasion of letter

• Peter had heard news of false teachers who were coming with Gnostic ideas, stressing knowledge as the means of salvation, which will be a threat to the young churches. He exhorts the believers to persevere in the truth which leads to godliness (the True Knowledge), even in the midst of error and infidelity. He warns the false teachers of their danger in the light of the second coming, which will be a time of judgement for them, not a time of rejoicing. He exhorts the believers to live in the light of the Lord’s coming, with lives characterized by holiness and godliness.

CHAPTER 1 Repeated Theme – Knowledge > Godliness

• 2 Pet 1:2      May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ … affirming knowledge, a gnostic buzz word
• 2 Pet 1:3-4  His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that though them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature
• knowledge as ‘buzz word’ of rising gnosticism … salvation by knowledge, no need for godliness or application
• true knowledge of God, of what Jesus has done, of what he wants, of what he has done and will do for the believers > that leads us to live right.
• The goal is godliness, participants of the divine nature … we just want to ‘make it into heaven’, God wants to make us like he is … and he will, so we better start learning now
• 2 Pet 1:5-8  Progression! … For this very reason, you must make every effort to support our faith with goodness … knowledge … self-control … endurance … godliness … mutual affection … love
• This is similar to James: knowledge is good, but it is secondary to character.
• 2 Pet 1:9    “For anyone who lacks these things is near sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.” Unless there is life change and holiness > one has not yet really understood grace and salvation.
• 2 Pet 1:10-11  “Therefore be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of Christ will be richly provided for you.” Confirm your call and election: God called and elected, freely, unreservedly, but now we need to respond, be eager.
• Don’t hang around the door discussing what you can do without losing salvation … who wants to dance on the edge?
• Get in, farther up, farther in … towards the king, taking on his nature and character, thinking like him, desiring like him, becoming like him!
• This is not duty, it’s right, it’s sanity, it’s adventure, it’s glory!

2 Pe 1:12-15  Reminding them of truth

• 2 Pe 1:12-15, 2 Pe 3:1-2  need for repetition and reminders … we never outgrow our need for basics.
• Peter’s humility in this … no ‘having to be new and different’ … no sensationalism
• C.S. Lewis … ‘don’t try to say anything original, try to say something true, and often you will find it is original’

2 Pet 1:16-18 Recalling the transfiguration

• Peter showing his authority as a first hand witness, assuring them of truth and apostles’ teaching
• Peter combating gnosticism or assuring the readers of their Savior and salvation: a view into the invisible, spiritual, divine … Jesus is God, he is fully endorsed … are you impressed with great revelations: here is one! … the reality of the divinity of Jesus

2 Pe 1:19-21 Affirmation of Prophecy

• Peter is affirming the importance and reliability of prophecy, though he will contrast it with false prophecy in the following verse (2 Pet 2:1) he still affirms its value and goodness … as he has done for knowledge in 2 Pet 1:2 and 1:3.
• Application: we, when correcting a mistake, go overboard the other direction … total prohibition and denial …
• Here: the thing is good, what is its proper use and function, its power and its limits …
• One definition of virtue is: to give things their right place

CHAPTER 2  Repeated Themes – False Teachers

Character, behavior, actions

• motivated / thriving on SEX / SELF-INDULGENCE
• motivated / thriving on POWER / INFLUENCE
• motivated / thriving on MONEY / SELF-INDULGENCE
• despising / refusing AUTHORITY

2 Pet 1:16     follow cleverly devised myths
2 Pet 2:1      deny Master who bought them
2 Pet 2:2     licentious ways
2 Pet 2:2      influence, collect followers
2 Pet 2:3      in greed they will exploit you with deceptive words
2 Pet 2:3      their behavior maligns the truth
2 Pet 2:10    indulge flesh in depraved lust
2 Pet 2:10    despise authority
2 Pet 2:10    bold, willful
2 Pet 2:10    slander the glorious ones
2 Pet 2:12    behave like animals
2 Pet 2:12    creatures of instinct
2 Pet 2:12    slander what they don’t understand
2 Pet 2:13    count it a pleasure to revel in daytime
2 Pet 2:13    blots and blemishes
2 Pet 2:14    feast with you
2 Pet 2:14    eyes full of adultery
2 Pet 2:14    insatiable for sin
2 Pet 2:14    entice unsteady souls
2 Pet 2:14    hearts trained in greed
2 Pet 2:15    follow Balaam who loved wages of doing wrong
2 Pet 2:15    left straight road … gone astray
2 Pet 2:17    waterless springs … mists driven by storm
2 Pet 2:18   speak bombastic nonsense
2 Pet 2:18   with licentious desires of the flesh entice people
2 Pet 2:19   promise them freedom
2 Pet 2:19   slaves of corruption
2 Pet 2:20  again entangled / overpowered
2 Pet 2:20  dog returning to vomit … sow wallowing in dirt
2 Pet 3:3     scoffers
2 Pet 3:4-5 ridicule 2nd coming / believers
2 Pet 3:30   scoffers indulging lust

Character of the false teachers in 2 Peter and Jude

2 Peter contains more positive Christian teaching, Jude is mostly denouncing the false teachers. The false teachers are not identical in the two books, but similar descriptions are used in both.

• 2 Peter 2:1              Jude 4      Lives and teaching denied the Lordship of Jesus
• 2 Peter 2:10-18      Jude 4,12  Defiled love feasts, were immoral, infected others, emphasized freedom
• 2 Peter 2:3,12-18   Jude 16     Plausible, crafty, eloquent, out for gain, flatterers
• 2 Peter 2:1,10-11   Jude 8       Arrogant and cynical
• 2 Peter 2:1              Jude 8       Posed as prophets to support their claims
• 2 Peter 2:2,10,18  Jude 18        Self-willed, divisive and superior
• 2 Peter 3:3             Jude 18       Scoffers
• 2 Peter 3:15-16                         Twisted scriptures and Paul’s letters to their own end
• Jude 4                                       Perverted the grace of God into licentiousness

Powerful metaphors!

• 2 Pet 2:12   irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught, killed > like animals, not humans
• 2 Pet 2:13   blot and blemishes > immoral, staining you
• 2 Pet 2:14   they have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin > immoral, driven, selfishly motivated
• 2 Pet 2:17   waterless springs, mists driven by a storm > no giving, no fruit, only appearance

The future of the false teachers – Surety of their judgment

• 2 Pet 2:4     if God did not spare sinning angels but cast them into hell
• 2 Pet 2:5     if God did not spare the ancient world but brought a flood on it
• 2 Pet 2:6     if he turned Sodom & Gomorrah to ashes
• 2 Pet 2:7-8 if he rescued Lot, outraged by their behavior
• 2 Pet 2:9    then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial and to keep the unrighteousness under punishment until the day of judgment
• 2 Pet 2:1    bring swift destruction on themselves
• 2 Pet 2:10  judgment, especially those who indulge the flesh
• 2 Pet 2:12  born to be bought and killed
• 2 Pet 2:13  suffer penalty for doing wrong
• 2 Pet 2:14  accursed children
• 2 Pet 2:17  for them the deepest darkness is reserved
• 2 Pet 2:3   their condemnation pronounced long ago, destruction not asleep …

What a strong repeated theme! The believers are assured of the judgement of these false teachers (who confused, mislead, used, hurt, ruined many)Their judgment is not immediate judgment (which makes it look like there is no judgment > confusing), but their time is ticking, unless they repent their judgment is sure to come.

How do I tell a false teacher?

• Character, behavior … revealing motivation eventually.
• Peter here doesn’t so much focus on what they teach but on who they are … though Peter does mention the ridiculing of Jesus’ second coming. He doesn’t argue doctrine, he argues character, behavior, in line with the priority he established in 2 Pet 1:5.
• By its fruit you shall know the tree … but the metaphor also includes: it takes time for fruit to fully show
• Do keep evaluating! Do keep testing! Do keep eyes open!
• Sometimes truth takes time to show, time to become known … strong appearances, be patient, crumbling soon …
• Faith gives us the strength to wait it out, to know it is good to do good after all, to live a different life, to know I will not be ultimately put to shame

What types of people mentioned in 2 Peter?

• 2 Pet 1:9           lacking knowledge that leads to fruitfulness, forgetting past cleansing from sin (> believers!)
• 2 Pet 3:16         ignorant & unstable > in danger, warn these
• 2 Pet 2:1-19     false teachers … among you, as false prophets rose among the Israelites … in or associated with church > shun these, stay away
• 2 Pet 2:18-22  new believers (escaped), in danger of re-entangling > in danger, save these
• 2 Pet 3:3-5      scoffers > ignore these

False Teachers throughout the New Testament

• Gal 2:12           certain people came from James … keeping of law > believers, less revelation
• Gal 2:4            false believers secretly brought in to enslave us > outsiders, intentionally entering, influencing
• 1 Cor 5:5         immoral man influencing > hand over to Satan > believer, gone astray, discipline > repentance
• 1 Cor 2:6-8     re-accept that man who repented > handed to Satan, repented, re-accepted
• 2 Cor 11:4       super apostles, preach another Christ > outsiders, come in, influence, divide > rid!
• 2 Cor 13:1       third time coming, not lenient > Paul will throw them out
• Acts 20:29     Paul predicts savage wolves coming in > outsiders coming in, intentionally deceiving
• Acts 20:30     own people, distorting truth, enticing others to follow > believers, deceived themselves and others
• 1 Tim 2:11-12  rebuking a woman not to teach / have authority but learn > believer, but deceived, > silence, make learn
• 1 Tim 1:19        rejecting conscience, shipwrecked faith, > to Satan > believers, deceived, deceiving > discipline
• 2 Tim 3:4-5     outward godliness, deny its power, avoid, captivate > outsiders, entice people, intentionally deceive
• 2 Pet 2:1          false teachers arise from inside > believers, deceived & deceiving
• 1 Jhn 2:19       gone out from us, but were not of us > never really believer, seemed so

Who is a false teacher? a wide and confusing spectrum!

• Those teaching truth, in a balanced way
• Those teaching true things, but a bit unbalanced
• Those teaching true things, but very unbalanced
• Those teaching a mixture of true and wrong things
• Those teaching wrong things but unintentionally (deceived, deceiving)
• Those teaching wrong things, intentionally, but thinking them ‘good for others’ (deceiving with ‘good motivation’)
• Those teaching wrong things, intentionally, to reach selfish goals (creating dependency, gaining power, gaining obedience … for sex, greed, power)
• Careful, we all are only partially understanding
• Example: I teach today as good as I understand, maybe in another 10 years, I will weight things differently, or add important points I have not yet seen now … but I am not intentionally mis-teaching you, and I did prepare
• Revelation is progressive … and that is fine. We all should be constantly learning.
• We know truly, but not exhaustively.
• Right now maybe not completely clear / obvious (character flaws) … but time will most certainly tell (know tree by the fruit)
• Connection between knowledge and will: Do I know? Do I want to know? Do I respond to truth?
• In the beginning I maybe can say “oh, I didn’t know” … but in the end, if I don’t know, I didn’t want to know.
• I can be a deceived, a victim of deception for a time, but eventually I cannot claim that any more
• God is faithful to keep pulling me the right direction, if only I keep responding I will grow in true knowledge
• It doesn’t matter where we started the journey, but we need to keep moving in the right direction

How do I prevent becoming deceived? Becoming a deceiver?

• Study the Bible earnestly … Illustration of bank people receiving training to catch false money by counting blindly
• obey known truth
• Do not reject conscience, do not harden your heart when hearing God’s prompting
• Be very honest with yourself
• Invite correction of God and of other people (test it, but seriously consider it)
• Expose yourself continually to the Word of God with intention to keep it
• Do not forget that attitude, action are the true measure, not knowledge / ability / eloquence
• Keep in fellowship, do not become a loner … one-man-churches tend to go weird
• Pray for a soft & willing heart
• Humility is the key character quality

CHAPTER 3 Repeated Theme – Jesus second coming, Day of the Lord

For believers

• 2 Pet 1:16  “we did not follow myths when we made known to you the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but were eye witnesses of his majesty” … discern! Hold on to the gospel passed to you!
• 2 Pet 1:19   “You will do well to pay attention to this (prophetic word) as a lamp … until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” … hold on to it, till Jesus 2nd coming!
• 2 Pet 2:9     “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial” … assurance of God’s help, sustaining
• 2 Pet 3:11    “Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness?” … In the meantime: holiness and good works
• 2 Pet 3:12    “live lives in holiness … waiting for and hastening the coming of the Day of the Lord.”

For unbelievers

• 2 Pet 2:4      God did not spare angels … cast them into hell … to be kept until the judgement
• 2 Pet 2:9      the Lord knows how to … keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgement
• 2 Pet 2:12    but these (false teachers) will be destroyed in the same destruction assurance of destruction of deceivers
• 2 Pet 3:4      scoffers … saying ‘where is the promise of his coming’? Warning of scoffing
• 2 Pet 3:7      world … stored up for fire, being kept until the Day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men
• 2 Pet 3:10    but the Day of the Lord will come like thief you won’t know, you won’t expect

What does the 2 Peter say about the 2nd coming?

• Surety of Jesus’ 2nd coming, the Day of the Lord, end and recreation of heavens and earth, judgment … it’s no joke, though it’s 2000 years later …
• Why would God say ‘soon’ to people for centuries? … this seems to be the mindset we need, the eternal perspective
• There will be an end to all evil, a day when justice will be established … for the evil a day of disaster, for the righteous a day of joy, vindication, justice at last
• To steady the church, to direct their eyes to God, to give them hope in pressure, to assure them of God’s justice against deceivers and hurters
• So no fear, rather joy … if somebody tries to make you panic with end time teaching, he is wrong!
• heaven and earth will be dissolved in fire and a new heaven & earth will be created … did you hear that? no fleeing from earth to heaven!
• waiting for ‘destruction’ does not mean ‘nothing matters what we do with the world’ but rather a life of holiness & godliness, engaged, God-like

How is 2 Peter combating Gnosticism?

• In 2 Peter “knowledge” is repeated 13x, “wisdom” 1x
• 2 Pet 2:4    “For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgement” … Establishing that spirit beings can choose to be evil. Spirits here are evil, weak, judged by god, ‘worse than men’, committed to darkness!
• 2 Pet 2:11   “Angels, though greater in might and power, do not slander the glorious ones spirits respecting the believers.”
• 2 Pet 1:2     “May grace and peace be yours in abundance in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord” … knowledge is not limited, hidden, exclusive, elusive, proving superiority
• 2 Pet 1:3     “through knowledge of him who called us > his divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness” … fruit of, measure of, goal of knowledge is godliness, granted in abundance to all, no exclusive or special access.
• 2 Pet 1:4     “Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises” … the action lies with God / the reward is from him / his effort is the guarantee! … so that though them you …may become participants of the divine nature … the goal of all gnosticism!
• 2 Pet 5:7    divine nature means … goodness, self-control, godliness, … contra libertinism
• 2 Pet 1:8    “don’t be ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” … unless godliness and good works, knowledge is ineffective and unfruitful
• 2 Pet 1:11   “entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior … will be richly provided for you” … again for all, richly provided, non excluded, complete access to God
• 2 Pet 1:16-18 and again 2 Pet 1:19-21 “For we did not follow cleverly devised myths … focus on the reality of God commending Jesus, Jesus 2nd coming, eternal glory, contrasted with human deceitful myths or philosophy … So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed, be attentive to this … no prophecy of scriptures is a matter of one’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by human will.”