2 Peter

Definition and Meaning

Second Peter is the twenty-second book of the New Testament. It belongs to the "General Epistles" (also called the Catholic Epistles), a collection of letters addressed not to a particular church but to churches broadly. The author introduces himself as "Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1) and calls this letter his "second epistle" (2 Peter 3:1).

Biblical and Historical Background

The letter consists of three chapters.

• Chapter 1: Sets out in sequence the virtues of the Christian life, from faith to love (1:5-7). The author then testifies that he personally witnessed Jesus' Transfiguration (1:16-18) and states that the prophecy of Scripture came not by the will of man but as men were moved by the Holy Spirit (1:20-21).
• Chapter 2: Warns against false teachers within the church. Its wording and content overlap considerably with Jude.
• Chapter 3: Responds to those who scoff that the Lord's return has been delayed. It declares that "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (3:8) and that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief" (3:10). Finally, it urges readers to look for new heavens and a new earth (3:13) and mentions the letters of Paul alongside "the other scriptures" (3:15-16).

Views differ on authorship and date. Tradition holds that Peter wrote the letter in the mid-first century, shortly before his martyrdom. Many scholars, however, point to its style, which differs from that of 1 Peter, and to signs that it drew on Jude, and conclude that it was written in Peter's name after his death. Second Peter is known as one of the books that took the longest to gain acceptance into the canon. Origen in the third century and Eusebius in the early fourth century both recorded that opinions about the book were divided, and it secured its place in canonical lists by the late fourth century.

Practice in the Korean Church

• The virtues of 1:5-7 are widely used across denominations in sermons and Bible studies on sanctification, the process by which believers grow progressively in holiness.
• Verses 1:20-21, together with 2 Timothy 3:16, are cited as proof texts for the doctrine of biblical inspiration, the teaching that Scripture was written by the inspiration of God. Conservative Presbyterians and others emphasize these verses in connection with biblical inerrancy. Progressive denominations tend to affirm inspiration while keeping their distance from a literal understanding of inerrancy.
• Verses 3:8-10 are frequently cited in criticism of date-setting eschatology, which fixes a date for the Second Coming. These verses were widely invoked during the 1992 Rapture controversy. Those who interpret the days of creation as long ages sometimes appeal to 3:8, while young-earth creationists counter that the verse addresses only the delay of the Second Coming.
• In denominations that follow the liturgical calendar, the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) appoints 3:8-15 for the Second Sunday of Advent and 1:16-21 for Transfiguration Sunday.