2 Peter: Gospel Truth, False Teaching, and the Second Coming of Christ

Do you ever long for some sage wisdom? Maybe for someone wiser than you to tell you what to do or provide clarity? Navigating life can be challenging. Discerning truth from the many messages we take in throughout the day is a relentless task, and if you add any pressure of injustice, persecution, or survival, it can be very tempting to believe whatever makes life easier rather than what is true. The apostle Peter could already see this temptation threatening the gospel message in the early Christian churches and wrote an urgent letter to address it. Join Groundwork for our series, “2 Peter: Gospel Truth, False Teaching, and the Second Coming of Christ,” and together, we’ll study the wisdom and warnings Peter imparted to encourage the believers to remember the gospel message and help them recognize the false teachings that threatened to draw them away from Jesus Christ, their Savior and Lord. 

Who Wrote 2 Peter?

It is commonly accepted that the epistle or letter in our Bibles, which we know as 2 Peter, was written by the apostle Peter. Indications within the letter itself seem to confirm Peter is indeed the author. In 2 Peter 1:14, the author references his imminent death and says “as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me” which harkens back to Peter’s conversation with Jesus in John 21:15-19. Then a few verses later (2 Peter 1:16-18), he writes as an eyewitness of Jesus’ transfiguration, which the gospels tell us was witnessed by Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8, and Luke 9:28-36). Lastly, in 2 Peter 3:1, the author references his previous letter which suggests a connection to the epistle 1 Peter, also generally attributed to Peter. 

Some scholars do question Peter as the author of this letter for two reasons. First, the style is quite different from 1 Peter. Second, the church was slow to recognize it and accept it in the canon of the Bible. However, since the objections haven’t been proven, it is typically accepted and taught that the apostle Peter is indeed the author of 2 Peter. 

Purpose and Themes 

As he indicates in 2 Peter 1:14, the apostle Peter is keenly aware he is at the end of his life. But he’s also keenly aware that false teachings were surfacing amongst the believers. New teachers were distorting the gospel message and Peter’s purpose in writing to the believers again was to establish and root their faith in the true gospel message. If the reference to his previous letter in 2 Peter 3:1 is indeed referencing 1 Peter, then we know the recipients of Peter’s letters were Christians in Asia Minor experiencing persecution for their faith, likely under the emperor Nero. 

The apostle Peter does not mince his words in this short letter. He encourages believers to continue their spiritual growth and establishes the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ by rooting it firmly in the original testimony of the apostles and the prophets. He makes clear the dangers of the false teachings they’re hearing and does not shy away from exposing the severe consequences of these teachings. He closes his letter by reminding them of the promise of the day of the Lord and encourages the believers to remain vigilant and faithful as they wait for Jesus Christ to return. 

2 Peter for Christians Today

While our lives might feel quite distant from the experiences of persecution the early Christians endured under Nero, the evil one has not stopped trying to distort the gospel to lure us away from the truth of our salvation in Jesus Christ. I invite you to study Peter’s wisdom and warnings through our Groundwork series, “2 Peter: Gospel Truth, False Teaching, and the Second Coming of Christ”:

• Growing in Our Salvation and Recognizing Truth - 2 Peter 1
• Be On Guard: False Teaching and Its Consequences - 2 Peter 2
• The Day of the Lord - 2 Peter 3

...and together we’ll heed Peter’s guidance to grow in our salvation by rooting and establishing our faith securely in the gospel of Jesus Christ as we wait patiently for the Day of the Lord.