B. SECOtiD Peter. — As compared with 1 Peter, the problems of 2 Peter are less perplexing and will be treated much more briefly.
1. Content. — Tlie Epistle may be outlined as follows :
(ffl) Salutation (1"). — The author, styling himself ' Symeon Peter, slave and apostle of Jesus Christ,' addresses fellow-Christians in general.
(b) The surety of the Christian salvation (P"^'). — Certainty is guaranteed (1) by the present experi- ence of believers who share in the Divine nature (1^'-), and who should therefore be diligent in cultivating the Christian virtues (vv.°-"). Further assurance is given (2) through the personal testi- mony of the apostle Peter (vv. '-•"') and (3) through ancient prophecy, which is a true exjiression of God's own will (vv.'"--').
(c) Condemnation and refutation of false teachers (2'-3"*). — (1) The errorists are successors of the f.alse prophets of former times, and a sure judg- ment, like that which befell the sinners of old, awaits them (2'"'). (2) Their depravity is displayed (i.) in a disposition to throw otl'all Divine restraints (vv.'""'-), and (ii.) in the licentious life wliich they themselves live, and persuade others to live, in the name of liberty (vv.'^-"). As a result (iii.) they have become slaves of licentiousness and are worse than before they associated themselves with the Christian community (vv. "■-'). (3) Consequently, impending judgment threatens them, notwithstand- ing their sce|iticism regarding the Parousia. They should remember that (i.) a catastrophic end has been predicted by apostles and prophets (3'"''), and that (ii.) the order of nature is Hrst a destruction of the world by water and tlien a destruction by tire
(vv.^''). Furthermore,
the delay is easily ex-
plicable, since God reckons time in larger units than do men, and by temporarily holding off the Judgment He is giving men o])portunit.y to repent (v.*'') ; but (iv.) of the certainty of impending judg- ment there can be no reasonable doubt (v.'").
(d) Duty of Christians in the present situation (3ii-i8a)._(i) xiiey ,vill live a pure life, thus making ready for the new life of righteousness in which they are to participate after the earth has been purified (3""'''). (2) They will not misinterpret the delay, nor will they pervert the Christian doctrine
•See W. Bousset, op. cit. p. 238 ft. ; A. Dieterich, Nektiln, LeipzifT, 1893, p. 128 ff.; M. liriickner, Der sterhende yiid (in/- ersteheade GotthciUiitd m den orunitalisehen lielujionen mid ihr Verhaitnis zmn Chriatentuiti. Tubintjren, 1908"; S. J. Caae, Evolution oj Early Christianity, Chicago, 1914, pp. 219-238, 2S3ff. For evidence that NT writers other than the author of 1 Peter toolt advantaj^e of these notions about the under world, see Mt 27'Wf-, Ro lu«r- I4i», 1 Co 16M, Eph 49f-, I'h 2"', Col 2'6 He 1223, Rev Ii« r.ls 69 ".
t See A. Dieterich, Eine Mithrai^liiurgie", Leipzifr. 1910, pp. 92-179 ; R. Kcitzenstein, Poiinamires, do., 1904, pp. 226 ff , 368 S. ; S. J. Case, ap. cit. p. 350, n. 1.
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of liberty, particularly as stated by St. Paxil (3'"-). (3) They will steadfastly resist the false teachers and will derive their spiritual instruction and nourishment from the Lord only (3"' '**). (e) Benedictitm (3""').
2. Historical situation. — The chief purpose of the Epistle undoubtedly is to combat false teachers who, in the opinion of the author, are making the Christian teaching' of liberty identical with licence and are ridiculini; the notion of an impending punitive catastroiihe as preached by an earlier generation of Christians. Thus the main purpose of the writing is clear, but more exact information about the actual historical situation in which it arose is hard to obtain. Although the writer calls himself ' Symeon Peter,' the document is notably devoid of specific temporal and local indicia. There is no clear statement as to its destination, and, unlike most of the other NT letters, the con- clusion does not contain any personal items which might help to identify the circumstances more exactly. In fact, the writing is epistolary only in a very liberal sense of the term, for in reality it is a homily addressed to Christians at large (!'). And the errors which the author would correct seem not to have been confined to one particular con- gregation, but to have been somewhat widespread.
In order to ascertain more accurately the his- torical situation, we must examine more closely the character of the heresy. The false teachers are distinguished by two distinct, though not un- related, traits : they are antinomians and anti- eschatologists. They are not open antagonists of the Christian movement, but are actually within the community, where they propagate their per- nicious doctrines among their unwary brethren (21-3. 13'- i8t.) They lay stress upon freedom, claim- ing St. Paul as their authority (3'*), and apply their doctrine so literally in daily conduct that their character is severely impugned by the writer, who accuses them of gross immorality. Their sin is classed with that of the fallen angels mentioned in Gn 6, and their fate is to be like that which overtook the wicked people of Sodom and Gomorrah. They are bestial debauchees, given over to adultery and insatiable wickedness, and they persist in drawing others down to their own base level. Furthermore, they have cast off that restraint which belief in an impending judgment would naturally impose, and they even scotf at the teach- ing of the early Christian worthies who made so much of this belief (v.^''). Thus, in addition to being grossly immoral, they are disrespectful to- ward authorities ('2'' '"), and are greedy for worldly things in a way ill becoming those whose gaze should be fixed chiefly upon the future, and especi- ally upon that moment when the present world- order is to pass away (2^' '^''^ 3"''^).