Bible Commentaries
2 Peter

INTRODUCTION TO THE SECOND LETTER FROM PETER

There are some reasons to think that Peter wrote this Second Letter shortly after Paul’s death, as he himself expected execution (2 Peter 1:14), The probable date is 67 A.D.

Peter writes to warn of impending apostasy, which is already at work as he writes! Leaders in the church, false teachers, would permit immorality and encourage sin in general, in order to make themselves rich. Compare Acts 20:28-31 and notes. They would also cease to look for the Second Coming, and laugh at the idea of the Lord’s return! Some parts of Second Peter are so similar to Jude, that some think one must have copied from the other. And it seems reasonably sure that Jude had read Second Peter before he wrote. However, since they both deal with the same problem, and probably write within a year of each other, it is to be expected that they will say much the same thing, yet with important differences. It would also be expected that the messianic community would develop its own vocabulary, with certain ways of saying things, and certain Scripture examples repeated. Read the Introductions to the Letters from Jude and James.