PETER’S EPISTLES: PREPARING FOR ETERNITY

XXI. The Authenticity Of 2 Peter By Its Introduction

(2 Peter 1:1-2)

I. Introduction

A. Before the Apostle Peter began to minister for the Lord in the Church, his outlook was impacted by Christ’s prophecy in John 21:18-19 that he would be crucified for Christ. Eternity was thus often on Peter’s mind.

B. Peter’s epistles bear the theme of preparing for eternity, and though 2 Peter abundantly dwells on this theme, it has long been attacked by critics as having been written by an imposter. (Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 859)

C. The introductory verses of 2 Peter 1:1-2 alone contain valuable information supporting Peter’s authorship:

II. The Authenticity Of 2 Peter By Its Introduction, 2 Peter 1:1-2.

A. For “more than 17 centuries,” the epistle of 2 Peter has been attacked by critics as not being written by Peter “because of the marked difference of style between 1 and 2 Peter,” and as a result, “most nonconservative scholars reject the apostolic authorship of 2 Peter,” Ibid.

B. However, “none of the arguments” by critics “is unanswerable,” and in “the third century three men referred directly to the Petrine (Peter’s) authorship of 2 Peter:” they were “Methodius of Olympus, martyred in the Diocletian persecution . . . Firmilian, a bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia . . . (and) Origen . . . seems from the content and frequent references in his other writings to have accepted 2 Peter as authoritative,” Ibid., p. 860.

C. The text of 2 Peter 1:1-2 itself provides significant evidence that 2 Peter was written by Peter (as follows):

1. In 2 Peter 1:1a, the author’s name provides strong evidence for Petrine authorship:

a. “Some Greek manuscripts have the common Greek spelling (Simon), whereas others have the direct transliteration of the Hebrew (Sumeon).” (Ibid., p. 863) “The best textual evidence supports the more unusual Hebrew spelling, used elsewhere only in Acts 15:14. This” evidence supports “the authenticity of Petrine authorship, for an impostor probably would have used the more widely accepted spelling,” Ibid.

b. In addition, Sumeon in Acts 15:14 appears in James’ speech to the Early Church’s Jerusalem council, the form of this name being what a native Hebrew of first century Israel like James would naturally use. Thus, its presence in 2 Peter 1:1 as suggested by the best textual evidence would imply that Peter indeed wrote it to refer to himself since he along with James was also a native Hebrew of first century Israel.

2. In 2 Peter 1:1b, the Greek grammar provides strong evidence of Peter’s apostolic authorship:

a. There is one Greek article used for the two substantives “God and Savior,” indicating one Person, Ibid.

b. In other words, the author of this epistle clearly grammatically authored here one of the “great Christological passages of the New Testament which plainly teach that Jesus Christ is coequal in nature with God the Father (cf. Matt. 16:16; John 1:1; 20:28; Titus 2:13).” (Ibid., p. 863-864)

c. However, the false teachers about whom the apostles John and Paul warned believers denied that Christ was God come in the flesh (1 John 4:1-3 with 1 Corinthians 12:3), the opposite of the 2 Peter 1:1b claim.

d. Thus, the author gives evidence of his apostolic theology and authority, what Peter would clearly do.

3. 2 Peter 1:2a “corresponds exactly with 1 Peter 1:2b,” evidence that Peter wrote both epistles, Ibid., p. 864:

i. In 2 Peter 1:2a, “Grace and peace were the characteristic greetings (eirene being the Gr. trans. of the Heb. shalom). The verb translated be . . . in abundance (plethuntheie; also used in 1 Peter 1:2; Jude 2) is in the optative mood . . . stressing a sincere, prayerful wish for his readers,” Ibid., p. 864.

ii. The unusual optative mood for this verb that appears in the passive voice with the greeting “grace and peace” exists only in 2 Peter 1:2a and 1 Peter 1:2b in all of Scripture. (Wm. D. Mounce, The Analyt. Lex. to the Grk. N. T., 1993, p. 377; U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 791, 805, 832)

iii. Church Fathers “Polycarp, Clement and Irenaeus (to name only a few) show that the early church unquestionably accepted the authenticity of 1 Peter” (B. K. C., N. T., op cit., p. 837f), so the exact correspondence between the 1 Peter 1:2b and 2 Peter 1:2a greetings, being unique in their structure compared to all other greetings in the rest of Scripture, give evidence that Peter wrote both epistles.

Lesson: Though critics deny Peter’s authorship of 2 Peter, the better reading of the Hebraistic form of Peter’s name in 2 Peter 1:1a that implies that a native Hebrew of first century Israel wrote it, the grammatical claim of Christ’s Incarnation in 2 Peter 1:1b that reflects apostolic belief that Peter held and the exact correspondence of Peter’s well-supported 1 Peter 1:2b greeting with the 2 Peter 1:2a greeting are evidence that Peter wrote 2 Peter.

Application: May we accept Peter’s apostolic authorship of 2 Peter and thus view its contents as the Word of God.