2 Peter - Introduction

If you knew you were about to die and only had time for one phone call or to write one letter, what would you want to say, and to whom?

Approximately three years have passed since Peter sent his first letter. He knows his time on earth is limited, so he writes what is on his heart, warning believers of what will happen after he is gone—especially concerning false teachers and reminds them of the unchanging truth of the gospel.

There were several problems within the first century churches. In their part of the world, there was a lot of false teaching going on. Those teachers claimed to be Christians, yet their lifestyle was far from anything to do with Jesus. They claimed to have special knowledge which allowed them to do away with the rules and were encouraging wild sexual excesses in the name of Christ! They’d lost all sense of shame and didn’t care who they dragged down with them. Life was quite permissive in those days, so this sort of teaching would attract many who did not want to give up the old lifestyle. Sound familiar? There are many “religions” today doing the same thing—doing away with the rules Christ gave us to live by for the sake of attracting more into their “church”.

Many were also becoming cynical about Jesus’s promise to come back. Years had gone by and nothing had happened, so they began to doubt if it ever would. Today, over 2000 years later, it is even more difficult for some to believe the truth of His promise to return.

Because the letter is very different in content and style from the first one, many questioned if Peter actually wrote it. But the writer identifies himself as Simon Peter and claims to be an eyewitness of the transfiguration. He also begins chapter 3 acknowledging this is his second letter written to the churches and refers to Paul as a “dear brother”, so its character seems compatible with that of Peter. The differences could be explained by the fact that Silas, who was more educated than Peter, helped write the first letter. Peter may have written the second letter himself, or had a different scribe help him. This could easily explain the differences.

In Peter’s first letter, he feeds Christ’s sheep by instructing them how to deal with persecution from outside the church. In this second letter, he teaches them how to deal with false teachers and evil within the church. His purpose is to stimulate Christian growth, to combat false teaching, and to encourage watchfulness for the Lord’s return.

Inasmuch as he admits this is his second letter, and he wrote this one very near the end of his life, it may seem safe to assume there were no other letters written by Peter to these particular churches in Asia Minor. However, it is possible he wrote other letters to others that have not been preserved for us. It is never made clear that this particular letter is to the churches in Asia Minor. It could have been written to other churches, meaning this is his second letter the them, so there is no way to know for sure to whom this letter was intended.

This letter may be intended for all believers everywhere. It contains Peter’s final words of wisdom and his appeal for Christians to stand fast in their beliefs and knowledge of Jesus Christ. It is a letter of warning from an experienced and faithful apostle of Christ. It is also a letter of guidance for growing Christians. It is addressed to those who “have received faith as precious as ours”. So it is addressed to us as well as those Christians of the first century. As we study this short book, keep in mind that our world is filled with false prophets and teachers who claim to have the truth and who clamor for attention. Listen carefully to Peter’s message and heed his warning. Determine to grow in your knowledge of Christ and to reject all those who preach anything inconsistent with God’s Word.

The study for 2 Peter – Chapter 1 will be posted on, or about September 1.