Names of the Book
English: | 2 Peter |
Greek: | 2 Πέτρος |
Transliterated: | 2 Petros |
Other names: | The second epistle of Peter |
Who
Wrote the book: | likely Peter |
Are the key people: | Peter, Paul, false teachers |
Is it written to: | Messianic Jews |
What
Instruction for believers (2 Peter 1:1-21) |
Caution against false teachers (2 Peter 3:1-22) |
Hope for believers (2 Peter 3:1-18) |
When
Was it written: | c 67 CE |
Did the events occur: | c 60-67 CE |
Was it canonized: | c 800-1500 CE |
(see the Timeline of the First Century) |
Where
Was it written: | unknown |
Did the events occur: | within various congregations |
Why
2 Peter was written to inform us that: |
Faith is expressed in behavior. |
Believers should be digilent in their faith. |
False teachers advised believers to disregard G-d's law. |
Messiah will return and create a new heaven and earth. |
Introduction
The letter of Second Peter is directed at believing Jews everywhere to exhort them to trust in the truth of G-d's Word in order to combat heresy and false teachings. He sets forth seven pillars of moral excellence that undergird true knowledge of the Messiah Yeshua and condemns heretics and false prophets as "unreasoning animals" who have "no knowledge" and will be destroyed. He encourages the Messianics to be a people of holy conduct and godliness "looking for and hastening the coming day of G-d". He cautions them that Paul's letters contains things that are "hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort... to their own destruction". Peter closes with the reminder to be on guard against unprincipled men and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Messiah.
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