Second Peter is a short, urgent letter written by an apostle who knows his time is nearly over. Peter wants believers to remember what they already know and to keep growing in it. He opens by describing the qualities that flow from God's power and promises, urging his readers to add goodness, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness and love to their faith. He grounds their confidence in what he himself saw on the mountain where Jesus was revealed in glory, and in the prophets who spoke by the Holy Spirit. The middle chapter warns against false teachers who twist the truth and lead people into indulgence, using examples from Israel's history. The closing chapter answers scoffers who doubt that Christ will return, explaining that God's patience is meant to give people time to repent, and that his people should live holy and expectant lives. It ends by mentioning Paul's letters and calling readers to grow in grace. Scholars debate whether Peter himself wrote it or a close follower did, and Christians hold different views on that question.

Author

The apostle Peter by its own claim; many scholars think a close follower wrote it in his name, and Christians differ.

Date

Probably the mid-60s AD if Peter wrote it; some scholars date it later, into the early second century.

Audience

Christian communities across the Roman world, likely the same readers as Peter's first letter.

Themes

Outline

1. 1:1–1:11Greeting and growing in the faith
2. 1:12–1:21Eyewitness and prophetic word
3. 2:1–2:22Warning about false teachers
4. 3:1–3:13The scoffers and the promise of Christ's return
5. 3:14–3:18Final exhortation to grow in grace

Key verses