Category:2 Peter (text)

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The Second Letter of Peter (see Online Text) is a New Testament document.

Overview

Some major themes of the letter

Life after baptism

Faith… goodness… knowledge… self-control… endurance… godliness… mutual affection… love… Anyone who lacks these things is nearsighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins (2Peter 1:9)

False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you… After they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overpowered, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was passed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb: “The dog turns back to its own vomit” and “The sow is washed only to wallow in the mud” (2 Peter 2).

The interpretation of Scripture in 2 Peter

The letter contains anti-gnostic statements, similar to John.

“No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation” (2Peter 1:20). Therefore, I intend to keep on reminding you of these things… I think it right.. to refresh your memory…” “I am tying to arouse your sincere intention that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the commandments of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles…. The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief…”

The “patience of God” is the reason for the delay of the end

[Some people falsely say:]] "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!" 5 They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, 6 through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless. 8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief (2 Peter)

On this issue, the author "corrects" Paul claiming that he was "misunderstood":

“So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures”

External links

• Wikipedia
• Early Christian Writings