Discovering Second Peter

Background Information

Peter wrote this letter from a place called Babylon.

We know Peter, Christ’s close disciple and a key apostle of the early church, wrote this letter (1:1). Though the letter doesn’t disclose his location, he was likely in Rome, where church history indicates he was martyred, which likely occurred shortly after this letter.

Though we know that Christ foretold that Peter would die as a martyr (John 21:18-19), Scripture doesn’t record his actual martyrdom. Church records and witnesses, however, consistently claim that Peter died by crucifixion (upside down) after being forced to observe his wife being crucified first. Clement says that Peter called to her by name and said, “Remember the Lord.” What a sad but climactic conclusion to Peter’s life.

He wrote to believers throughout Asia Minor.

He wrote this letter to people who had believed on Christ as God and Savior (1:1). These also happened to be the same people he had written to with his first, previous letter (3:1). These were believers in churches throughout the Asia Minor region who were experiencing difficult persecution and pressure for their faith. So, why did Peter write to them a second time after having already written to them once shortly before?

The theme of this book is “Withstanding False Teaching.”

As the early church progressed through the first century into the next, they faced two challenging dilemmas. The first was the dilemma of suffering, but the second was the dilemma of false teaching. Somehow Peter had received word that false teachers were influencing and infiltrating the churches of Asia Minor, or else they were going to do so.

Since he was no longer with them and was about to be martyred, he wanted to prepare them to withstand the influence of false teachers and remain doctrinally and spiritually sound beyond his lifetime and immediate influence.

For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things … to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. (2 Pet 1:12-15)

Peter didn’t reveal any new teaching or information to these believers. Instead, he urged them to “remember” and “stir up” what they had already believed, to review what they had been taught and to grow deeper and more mature in those things. To “remember” means both to keep something firmly in mind and to put what you know into practice in meaningful, real-life ways. To “stir up” means to arouse or to “wake up,” implying that the believers were “sleepwalking” rather than living out their faith in an active, intentional way.

To live this way required “adding” and “diligence.” By “adding,” Peter emphasizes making a deliberate effort to become more like Christ by focusing on and developing more Christlike values, affections, and habits (1:5-9).

Throughout this letter, Peter repeatedly emphasizes the importance of God’s Word in our spiritual growth and maturity (1:4, 19-21; 3:1-2, 14-16), while he also emphasizes reliance upon the grace of God at the start and end of the letter (1:2; 3:18). Furthermore, Peter continually speaks of the necessity for correct, biblical, godly knowledge, a word which he uses fifteen times – that’s a lot of times for a letter as small as this one. He also drew attention to Christ’s future, second coming as a key motivation for resisting false teaching and for living godly lives (1:11; 3:4, 7, 11-14).

It’s fascinating to see how much Peter referred to the Old Testament (OT), equating New Testament (NT) apostles (but not pastors) with OT prophets (3:2, 15-16) and describing the way God has given us Scripture (1:19-21). He also alludes to key OT characters and events, such as Noah (2:5), Sodom and Gomorrah (2:6), Lot (2:7), and Balaam (2:15-16).

As in his first letter, Peter makes clear references to his past experiences with Christ, such as the Transfiguration (1:15-18; cf. Matt 17:1-13) and Christ’s foretelling of his martyrdom (1:13-14; cf. Jn 21;18-19). He refers with dramatic language to the past creation of the world (3:4-5) and the future eternal new creation (3:13), while also contrasting the historical flood (3:6-7) with the eventual destruction of the world (3:10-12).

Outline of the Book

The following is an outline of this letter adapted from Robert Gromacki.

1.         Safeguards against false teaching (1)

A.        The maturing of believers (1:3-11)
B.        The testimony of Peter as an apostle (1:12-18)
C.        The authority of Scripture (1:19-21)

2.         Description of the false teaching (2)

A.        Their deceptive and destructive methods (2:1-3a)
B.        Their coming judgment (2:3b-13)
C.        Their evil, ungodly character (2:14-22)

3.         Refutation of the false teaching (3)

A.        The false accusation (3:1-4)
B.        The proper defense (3:5-18)

            i.          The past destruction of the world by water (3:5-7)
            ii.         The present patience of God (3:8-9)
            iii.        The future destruction of the world by fire (3:10-14)
            iv.        The ignorance of false teachers (3:15-16)
            v.         The hope of genuine believers (3:17-18)