2 Peter background

2 Peter

Author: Peter
See Ecclesiastical History by Eusebius; Book 3, Chapter 25, Verse 3.

Date: There is indication that it was soon before his death, so maybe 67 A.D. (1)

Language: Greek

Place: Rome

Purpose: To encourage people as an eyewitness of the life of Jesus when He was physically in this world. "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty"(2 Peter 1:16 NIV).

What kind of book?: A general letter to followers of Jesus

Reflection: Again, why all of this authorship research is important. If a person is inspired by the Holy Spirit, he could know something that happened to Jesus even if he was not there. Yet the more people get away from eyewitness accounts, the more people can claim that the information recorded in the "Holy Bible" is inaccurate. Yet the New Testament is full of eyewitness accounts indeed. Matthew and John were disciples of Jesus, members of the Twelve. Mark and Luke recorded much history having been directly told accounts by eyewitnesses. Paul never saw Jesus when Jesus was in this world, yet He had a direct encounter with Jesus after He ascended into heaven, an unusual encounter, appropriate since Paul was an unusual guy, as can be seen from his statement in Philippians 3:5. James & Jude were eyewitnesses, whether you take them to be the ones who grew up with Jesus, or two of the Twelve. And here is Peter, whom I have heard numerous ministers talk about, and even criticize, yet I do not recall a minister ever "quoting Peter." 2 Peter 1:16 is a quote to always remember!
Hunter Irvine
(1) See Samuel Cartledge, A Conservative Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing 1938), 174.
Note: Conservative as in Biblically conservative as in giving the text full authority and working to translate in accordance with the original intention, rather than having anything to do with politics.