Peter began his second epistle as he did to introduce himself to his readers and to lay a foundation for what follows.
1:1 The writer could hardly have stated his identity more clearly than he did in this verse. "Simon"was Peter's Hebrew name, and "Peter"is the Greek translation of the nickname Cephas ("Rocky,"cf. Matt. 16:18).
"Double names like Simon Peter' were common in the ancient Near East. Many people used both the name they were given in their native language and a Greek name, since Greek was so widely spoken."13
This is the only New Testament epistle in which the writer identified himself with a double name. Peter may have done this to suggest the two aspects of his life, before and after discipleship to Jesus Christ.14Peter called for discipleship in this letter and referred to the changes that it produces in Christians (e.g., vv. 4-11). As I mentioned in the notes on 1 Peter, there is only one Peter in the New Testament. He regarded himself first as a bond-slave (Gr. doulos) of Jesus Christ and secondarily as His apostle (cf. Rom. 1:1; Tit. 1:1).15
Peter did not mention his apostolic authority in his salutation in 1 Peter, but in this epistle he dealt with false teachers. His readers needed to remember that what they were reading came from an apostle and was authoritative.
Peter referred to his audience in very general terms that could apply to all Christians. This reference does not help us identify exactly who the original recipients were. The faith of all believers is a gift from God. Other non-biblical Greek writers used the unique Greek word translated "same kind"(isotimos) to describe immigrants who received citizenship privileges equal to those of native inhabitants. The word "our"may be an editorial plural, but it is more likely a reference to the other apostles (cf. 3:2; 1 John 1:1-4; et al.). Some of the early Gnostic false teachers claimed a higher level of spiritual experience that they said only Christians who followed their teaching could attain. However, Peter here asserted that every Christian has the same essential faith, including all of its spiritual benefits, as the apostles did.
The Christian's faith, in both its subjective and objective aspects, comes to us through Jesus Christ's uprightness. The Greek grammatical construction of the last phrase of this verse indicates that Peter believed Jesus Christ was both God and Savior (cf. Matt. 16:16; John 1:1; 20:28; Tit. 2:13).16This is one of the verses in the New Testament that explicitly calls Jesus God. Jesus' role as Savior was one that Peter emphasized in this letter because of his readers' need of deliverance (cf. v. 11; 2:20; 3:2, 18).
1:2 The first half of Peter's benediction on his readers is identical with the one he gave in his first epistle (1 Pet. 1:2). Grace and peace were the typical greetings the Greeks and Jews used respectively. This probably suggests that Peter wrote this epistle to a mixed audience of Christians as he did his former letter. Both grace and peace come to us through the full knowledge (Gr. epignosei) of God and of Jesus (again equal, cf. v. 1). The Greeks prided themselves on their knowledge, but Peter noted that knowledge of God and Jesus was the key to grace and peace (cf. 3:18). These blessings become ours as we get to know God intimately by reading His Word and abiding in Him. The false teachers could offer nothing better than this.
". . . as used in 2 Peter, . . . epignosis[full knowledge] designates the fundamental Christian knowledge received in conversion, whereas gnosisis knowledge which can be acquired and developed in the course of Christian life . . ."17
"In our day we are rightly warned about the danger of a sterile faith, of a head' knowledge that never touches the heart. But we need equally to be careful of a heart' knowledge that never touches the head! Too many Christians knowtoo little about their faith; we are therefore often unprepared to explain how our God' differs from the God' of Mormonism or of the Jehovah's Witnesses."18
"The first chapter vividly portrays the nature of the Christian life with its challenge to spiritual growth and maturity, built on a sure foundation. The second part of the epistle is a ringing polemic against the false teachers who would allure and seek to mislead God's people, while the third chapter deals with the heretical denial of the return of Christ and concludes with some fitting exhortation to the readers."19
Second Peter is one of the few New Testament epistles in which chapter divisions coincide with thought divisions.
"In seeking to prepare the readers against the danger from the false teachers, Peter states in chapter 1 that their safety lies in their clear apprehension of the nature of the new life in Christ and their spiritual growth and maturity in the faith as the best antidote against error."20
Peter next warned his readers of the false teachers who presented a message contradictory to that of the apostles to help them avoid their influence. In chapter 1 Peter stressed the importance of building oneself up spiritually. In chapter 2 he described the reason it is important that we are strong. He began by describing the characteristics of false teachers, then the consequences of their teaching, then their conduct, and finally their condemnation. The connecting link with the end of chapter 1 is the reference to the Old Testament prophets.
"Only Christ's withering woes on hypocritical leaders in Matthew 23 and the parallel picture in the Epistle of Jude convey the same severe denunciation of false teachers contained in this chapter."71
This whole chapter gives evidence of being written out of great emotional concern. Peter did not discuss his subject of false teachers in a cool, logical fashion. He kept returning to previous thoughts and adding additional information. Some of his sentences are quite long and involved. His thoughts seem to have been rushing ahead of his ability to state them.
Peter turned from a negative warning against false teachers to make a positive declaration of the apostles' message to help his readers understand why he wrote this letter. His language had been strong and confrontive, but now he spoke with love and encouragement in gentle and endearing terms.
"While in chapter 2 the writer delivered a fervid denunciation of the false teachers and their immorality, in this section he renews his pastoral concern to fortify his readers in regard to another aspect of the danger facing them, namely, the heretical denial of Christ's return."129
"In the third chapter Peter refutes the mockers' denial of Christ's return (vv. 1-7), presents the correct view concerning Christ's return (vv. 8-13), and concludes with timely exhortations to his readers in view of the dark and dangerous days facing them (vv. 14-18)."130
Peter concluded his epistle with a summary of what he had said and a doxology. He did so to condense his teaching for his readers and to redirect their living to glorify God.
3:17 Much of what Peter had written was warning that he summarized here. His appeal was tender throughout this epistle (cf. vv. 1, 8, 14). The threat to his readers was the false teachers (ch. 2). Peter's mental picture was of a torrent of false teaching knocking believers off their feet and sweeping them away. The possibility of loss of salvation is not in view, but loss of steadfastness is.
This is the fourth and last time Peter addressed his readers as "beloved"in this chapter, and in each instance he gave them a challenge. He told them to remember (vv. 1-2), to be informed (v. 8), to be diligent (v. 14), and to beware.
3:18 Next he added a positive exhortation (cf. 1:5-10). Rather than being swept away by error his audience should keep on growing (present imperative in Greek) in God's grace. They could do so by consciously depending on His resources (His power and promises, 1:3-4) and by growing in the knowledge (Gr. gnosei) of "our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ"(cf. 1:11; 2:20; 3:2). They could do the latter by getting more intimately acquainted with Him day by day (1:5-8).
"Christian knowledge fosters fellowship with God and deepens a consciousness of the believer's obligation to live a life worthy of His grace."170
"The command to grow is an appeal to the will. But growth, in the spiritual as in the physical realm, is not produced by an assertion of the will. Yet the human will plays a decisive part in the experience of spiritual growth. Believers must will to remove the hindrances to growth while actively fostering the conditions which promote growth. When the conditions for spiritual growth are maintained the divinely implanted life will assuredly grow and mature. . . .
"Growing knowledge fosters fellowship with God and deepens the consciousness of one's obligations to lead a life worthy of His grace."171
Continuing growth ". . . is the unfailing panacea for all spiritual ills."172
"We grow best in a loving family, and this is where the local church comes in. A baby needs a family for protection, provision, and affection. Tests prove that babies who are raised alone, without special love, tend to develop physical and emotional problems very early. The church is God's nursery' for the care and feeding of Christians, the God-ordained environment that encourages them to grow."173
The greatest goal for the Christian should be to glorify Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 10:31).174Peter's final words focused his readers' attention anew on that ultimate priority. The day of eternity is the time when we will be living on the new earth (v. 13).
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