Today we began 2nd Peter in our Tuesday Morning Men's Group. I have led 2nd Peter before in Sunday School, and here are some of my introductory notes for the book...
WHAT:
- The 2nd epistle of Peter is a letter…
WHO:
- From Simon Bar Jonah, nicknamed Peter or Cephus (2Pet 1:1, John 1:35-42, Mat 4:18-19, Mat 16:16-18, Mat 17:1-6, Mat 26:69-75, Mark 16:5-7, Acts 2:14, Acts 2:22-26, Acts 2:42)
- to Christians in general (2Pet 1:1)
WHEN:
- Towards the end of Peter’s life (2Pet 1:14-15)
- Peter was crucified upside down by Nero probably sometime between the great fire of Rome (AD 64) and Nero’s own death in AD 68
WHERE:
- Peter may have written this from jail in Rome just before his execution
- Perhaps it was written specifically to Christians in Asia Minor (2Pet 3:1, 1Pet 1:1-2)
WHY:
- 2Pet 1:12-15, 2Pet 3:1
HOW:
- John Mark (author of the Gospel of Mark) was Peter’s secretary/translator/scribe, and may have written 2Peter for him.
- Dead Sea scroll fragments found in Qumran suggest that The Gospel of Mark may have been packaged with 2Peter as a cover letter when it was sent to the community at Qumran.
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And one of the things that I appreciated about today's study is seeing again what things Peter thought to be of first importance, knowing that his earthly life would soon be over.
ReplyDeletePeter wrote, "I think it right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me" (2 Peter 1:13-14.
He reminded his readers of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty" (1:16).
And he reminded them of the absolute truth of Scripture, adding that "above all" we must "understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation...but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (1:20-21).
Knowing that he would soon face death, Peter pointed his readers to Christ and to the Scriptures, affirming that Christ is all that He claimed to be and that Scripture is all that it claims to be!