CLASS 1 & 2 Peter

Intro

Pastor Kellen asked me to come and teach in CLASS, and then told me it would be on two books, one dealing with how to face persecution and suffering as a Christian and the other providing instruction on how to live as the end times approach. I see that Pastor Kellen is learning well.

1 and 2 Peter can be troublesome books for some when we think about the connections to suffering and enduring persecution. But there are some amazingly encouraging texts in these two books as well that we will get to read during the next week or so in our DBR.

1 Peter

Author: Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1)

Recipients: The elect exiles of the Dispersion (1 Peter 1:1)

Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia (Modern day Turkey)

Gentiles

1 Peter 1:14, 18

1 Peter 4:3-4

Elect exiles of the Dispersion

Allusion to the Jewish diaspora

Away from their homeland

Not the diaspora in terms of driven out by persecution

Nothing to show these were a group of displaced former Jews

Date: 62-63 A.D.

If Peter is the author, and he wrote from Rome (1 Peter 5:13), then there is good reason to believe it was near the end of his life since he was executed while imprisoned in Rome during the reign of Nero.

However, the lack of a specific mention of the Neronian persecution in an epistle largely focused on this subject leads to the assumption that it must have been written early in the 60’s before the fire of Rome in 64 AD which inaugurated Nero’s hostility toward the Christians in earnest.

Purpose: To encourage and bolster the faith of believers facing persecution and suffering for their faith

1 Peter 1:6-7

1 Peter 2:18-20

1 Peter 3:1, 13-17

1 Peter 4:1-4, 12-19

1 Peter 5:10

Themes:

Holiness

Suffering

Of Christ

Of Christians

Sovereignty

Church

Faith

Well-known Passages:

1 Peter 1:3-9 (The blessings of salvation)

1 Peter 1:10-12 (The process of inspiration)

1 Peter 1:15-16 (Be holy for I am holy)

1 Peter 2:2 (Long for the pure spiritual milk of the Word)

1 Peter 2:4-8 (Built into a spiritual house on the cornerstone that causes offense)

1 Peter 2:9-10 (chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation)

1 Peter 2:11 (sojourners and exiles)

1 Peter 2:17 (Fear God. Honor the emperor [Nero])

1 Peter 2:21-25 (Called to follow the example of Christ’s suffering)

1 Peter 3:1-2 (Wives winning husbands without a word)

1 Peter 3:7 (Husbands living with wives in an understanding manner)

1 Peter 3:8-17 (Suffering for righteousness; always be ready to make a defense)

1 Peter 4:3-5 (Past lives and the coming judgment)

1 Peter 4:12 (Do not be surprised at the suffering you endure)

1 Peter 5:1-4 (Instructions for elders)

1 Peter 5:8-9 (Be watchful for the adversary who prowls)

Problem Passages in 1 Peter

1 Peter 3:19 Who were the spirits in prison and what did Christ proclaim?

Options:

Christ descended into hell after his death and before his resurrection to offer the “imprisoned spirits” another opportunity to repent and believe

Christ descended into hell after his death and before his resurrection to declare victory to the “imprisoned spirits” (aka fallen angels referenced in 2 Peter 2:4-5 (cf. Gen 6:1-2)

These “spirits in prison” were the human souls who were contemporaries of Noah (1 Peter 3:20) who, after rejecting his preaching of righteousness (2 Peter 2:5), are in prison awaiting the final judgment.

BKC: The Spirit of Christ preached through Noah to the ungodly humans who, at the time of Peter’s writing, were “spirits in prison” awaiting final judgment.

1 Peter 3:21 What does it mean that baptism saves you?

The waters of the Flood brought death and similarly, submersion in the waters of baptism symbolizes the death of our old self.

But in baptism we do not stay submerged. We are raised from the waters as a demonstration of our union with Christ’s resurrection.

Romans 6:3-5

Peter distances his statement from the ordinance when he says, “not as a removal of dirt from the body.”

Rather, the power that saves us is “an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Thus it is our baptism in Christ, his death and resurrection, that saves us.

1 Peter 4:1 What does it mean to have ceased to sin if one suffers in the flesh?

Options:

The one who “has suffered” is Jesus Christ, BUT he wouldn’t be described as one who has ceased to sin

The one who “has suffered” is the Christian, but to cease from sin should be understood as Paul writes in Romans 6:7 that we have been set free from sin.

The contexts are different though as in Romans 6 the believer has been united with Christ’s death; whereas in 1 Peter 4 the believer is suffering

The one who “has suffered” is the Christian and they have ceased from sin in the sense that in being willing to identify with Christ and participate in his sufferings they reveal that they are done with the world and its system.

2 Peter

Author: Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ

One of the biggest challenges facing the acceptance and canonicity of 2 Peter is the issue of authorship.

Tom Schreiner: Most scholars are now convinced that the letter was not written by Peter.

Pseudonymous - a work written by someone other than the ascribed author usually attributed to a name that would convey authority or garner acceptance.

Anti-Petrine Arguments

Dependent on Jude as a source.

Jude is given a late date, and if it is true that the content of 2 Peter is dependent on Jude, it could not have been written by Peter.

However, the late date attributed to Jude is debatable, especially if he was, as we believe, the half-brother of Jesus.

Also, it is just as likely that Jude was dependent upon Peter as that Peter was dependent upon Jude.

The familiarity with Greek culture, words, and concepts make it improbable that Peter, a Galilean fisherman would have been able to write it

This was a concern with regards to 1 Peter as well, but the Hellenistic influence is exaggerated here in 2 Peter.

57 words are unique to 2 Peter

32 of them do not appear in the LXX either

Unique words occur in 2 Peter that do not occur in 1 Peter

Stylistic variances could be due to different writers (Jerome)

A late date is suggested because the opponents in 2 Peter are thought by some to be Gnostics, a heretical sect that emerged late in the second-century.

Peter’s reference to Paul’s writings as Scripture imply a later date because there would not have been enough time during Peter’s lifetime for these letters to be collected and considered authoritative.

It is not necessary for Peter to have been referring to all of Paul’s letters. He may instead have been acquainted with a few of which he was convinced were canonical.

Similarities between 2 Peter, 1-2 Clement and Shepherd of Hermas imply a date for composition similar to these other works of late 1st century.

2 Peter suffered a delayed acceptance from the early church and was questioned as to it canonicity for many years.

Richard Baukham believes this was “transparent fiction,” that is that the writer and the audience assumed everyone knew this was not actually from Peter.

Schreiner summarizes Bauckham’s view: “We should not dismiss the work as fraudulent but should understand that the author wanted to mediate apostolic teaching to a new generation.”

The problem lies in the acceptance of 2 Peter.

The Gospel of Peter, which appeared late in the second century with claims of Petrine authorship, was rejected outright for its fraudulence.

Serapion: “For our part, bretheren, we both receive Peter and the other apostles as Christ, but the writings which falsely bear their names we reject, as men of experience, knowing that such were not handed down to us” (Euebius)

What’s more, the content of 2 Peter is consistent with the teachings of other NT texts. Often a pseudonymous writer was employing the name of an apostle in order to gain acceptance of a new position or teaching.

Pro-Petrine Arguments

Schreiner: “If one were inclined to doubt the authenticity of any letter in the New Testament, it would be 2 Peter.”

Internal Evidence

Greeting: Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1)

This form of Peter’s name is only used elsewhere in Acts 15:14. It does not appear in the writings of the Church Fathers or any known pseudepigraphal works.

The difference between this and the address in 1 Peter actually supports Petrine authorship because one would suspect a pseudepigrapher to copy the greeting from the first letter.

Eyewitness of the Transfiguration (2 Peter 1:16-18)

“We ourselves heard…for we were with him on that holy mountain”

Easily disproven if this letter had a late date from a known pseudepigraphal author

External Evidence

Against a late date

Strong possibility of allusions to 2 Peter in 1-2 Clement, Barnabas, and the Shepherd of Hermas (Dates?)

Also potential allusions letters of Ignatius and the Martyrdom of Polycarp (Dates?)

Origen cited from 2 Peter at least six times even though he admitted that there were many who doubted its character

Also included it in his canonical list published around 250 AD.

Eusebius (265–339) had doubts about its authenticity, but at the same time he acknowledged that the majority of the church accepted it as canonical.

Clement of Alexandria wrote a commentary on what we believe to be 2 Peter

Jerome suggested the differences stylistically between the 1 & 2 Peter could be attributed to Peter using 2 different scribes

Following Jerome there were no more legitimate challenges to the canonicity of 2 Peter

2 Peter was recognized as canonical at the councils of Laodicea (363-364), Hippo (393), and Carthage (397)

2 Peter appears in the Bodmer papyrus P72 (ca. 200) as well as Sinaiticus and Vaticanus (mid 4th century), and Alexandrinus (ca. 200)

Enjoyed full acceptance by the time of Athanasius’ Paschal Letter in 367 AD

At the end of the day, the letter clearly claims Petrine authorship, and in light of the lack of clear evidence to believe otherwise, it should be accepted as written by the same Peter who wrote 1 Peter.

Recipients: Those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours

2 Peter 3:1 is helpful in determining their identity as he references the “first letter”

Appears to be the same recipients as 1 Peter

Date: 64-68 AD

Purpose: To combat a false teaching that called into question the return of Christ and encouraged a libertine and licentious lifestyle.

2 Peter 1:16

2 Peter 2:1-2

2 Peter 2:14

2 Peter 2:20

2 Peter 3:1-3

2 Peter 3:8-9

2 Peter 3:11-13

Themes:

Assurance

Endurance

Hope

False Teaching

Well-known Passages:

2 Peter 1:3-11 (Confirm your calling and election)

2 Peter 1:16-21 (Prophetic word confirmed; no prophecy comes from someone’s interpretation)

2 Peter 2:21-22 (Turning back to sin after receiving the truth is like a dog returning to its vomit)

2 Peter 3:5-13 (Anticipating the return of the Lord)

Problem Passages:

2 Peter 1:5-11 What does it mean to confirm your calling and election?

Salvation by grace alone does not mean that we don’t have work to do once we are saved.

2 Peter 1:5 says we are to “supplement” our faith with these things, not in the sense that our faith is lacking, but in order that we might have the assurance of our standing before the Lord.

2 Peter 1:10-11

2 Peter 2:4 Who were the angels confined to chains?

Genesis 6:1-4 the angels who sinned by taking wives from the “daughters of man”

2 Peter 2:10 What does it mean to blaspheme the glorious ones?

The false teachers blaspheme the fallen evil angels even though even the good angels don’t venture to do this

The false teachers blaspheme the angels but the angels do not pronounce judgment upon them

Hard to be certain

Either way it is a reminder that judgment is the Lord’s to pronounce and does not belong to any man

2 Peter 3:9 What does it mean that the Lord does not wish that any should perish?

The Lord’s patience for the sake of more coming to repentance is a common theme in the Bible

Joel 2:12-13

Romans 2:4

Exodus 34:6

But who are the “any”?

1) All people

1 Timothy 2:4 Wishes all men everywhere to come to repentance

Ezekiel 18:32 The Lord does not delight in the death of the wicked

God’s sovereignty over eternal state

John 6:44-45

Romans 8:29-30

The different senses of God’s will

Decretive

Desired

Schreiner: God desires the salvation of all in one sense, but he does not ultimately ordain that all will be saved.

2) Peter was referencing the people under the influence of the false teachers from earlier in the epistle

This would explain the “you” earlier in verse 9

Still the difference between the decreed and desired will plays a factor

Thus, because God desires that all should come to repentance, He will certainly be patient until those have come to repentance who He has decreed to do so.

Conclusion:

Both 1 Peter and 2 Peter are immensely encouraging passages as they remind us simultaneously of the reality of our identity as strangers and aliens and our hope in a secure future with Christ.