This essay will cover the issue of scoffers and the Parousia. The theme of 2 Peter 3:3-10 is Christ’s second return, the problem of the scoffers who will come and bring lies into the church as well as the reason for the delayed Parousia. 2 Peter 3:3-4 encompasses the problem of the scoffers who are doubting Christs second return and what they will follow. Peter tells his readers that the scoffers will come and will “follow their own desires” as well as doubt the second coming because they believe that “everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” Verses 5-6 covers Christ's sovereignty over creation since the beginning of time, Peter goes on to remind the readers that since the scoffers “deliberately forgot that by God’s Word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water, and that by these waters the world of that time was deluged and destroyed and by the same word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of the ungodly.” Structure In chapter two, Peter introduces the issue at hand, which is the rise and fall of the false prophets. “but there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. . .. their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” This quote illustrates what Peter was warning his readers about, in the fact that the false prophets will be among them, but they will also be destroyed one day. Throughout 2 Peter 2, he continues with the theme of scoffers and in verses 2-10 he introduces the concept of judgement that the false teachers will experience due to their wicked and evil ways. The letter ends with the author characterizing the false prophets, this leads into the third chapter in which Peter reminds them to be aware of the warning of the false teachers and the assurance that they will surely come. The third chapter of 2 Peter goes in depth into the issue of the false prophets and their doubt of the Lord’s second coming.
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2 Peter 3:3 opens with the reminder of the issue at hand; the false teachers whom Peter has been constantly reminding his readers about since the previous chapter. The theme in 2 Peter 3 picks up where 2 Peter 2 ends and really reiterates the importance of remembering the words of the Old Testament prophets. This passage continues with the initial warning that Peter was trying to get his readers to be aware of as well as telling of the importance of heeding his reminder. As the author continuously reminds his readers of the importance of being aware of the scoffers in 2 Peter 2, in the third chapter he continues writing about the same central theme however, he ties it all together in introducing the Parousia which leads into the concluding chapters where Peter ends his second epistle on a positive note, encouraging his readers on what is to come as well as an appeal to steadfastness in the faith. Background The authorship of 2 Peter is questionable according to Biblical scholars but according to Douglas Moo, 2 Peter was written by the apostle Peter from Rome in A. D 65. To where this letter went to is just as questionable according to Michael Green who says “the destination of this letter is puzzling. The crux here is 3:1. If, as most commentators take it, this reference to 1 Peter, then the recipients of the second letter are obviously meant to be the same people to whom 1 Peter was dispatched." Moo states that it is possible that Peter is writing to believers in modern-day Turkey; Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. He goes onto say “we would know rather specifically where these Christians lived if 3:1, where Peter refers to his letter as “my second letter to you” means that this second letter is addressed specifically Christians in several provinces in northern Asia Minor.” Peter’s occasion for writing his second letter was according to Hiebert, due to the problem of false teachers that would infiltrate the churches. Hiebert writes that, Peter wrote in his first
2 Peter 3:3 opens with the reminder of the issue at hand; the false teachers whom Peter has been constantly reminding his readers about since the previous chapter. The theme in 2 Peter 3 picks up where 2 Peter 2 ends and really reiterates the importance of remembering the words of the Old Testament prophets. This passage continues with the initial warning that Peter was trying to get his readers to be aware of as well as telling of the importance of heeding his reminder. As the author continuously reminds his readers of the importance of being aware of the scoffers in 2 Peter 2, in the third chapter he continues writing about the same central theme however, he ties it all together in introducing the Parousia which leads into the concluding chapters where Peter ends his second epistle on a positive note, encouraging his readers on what is to come as well as an appeal to steadfastness in the faith. Background The authorship of 2 Peter is questionable according to Biblical scholars but according to Douglas Moo, 2 Peter was written by the apostle Peter from Rome in A. D 65. To where this letter went to is just as questionable according to Michael Green who says “the destination of this letter is puzzling. The crux here is 3:1. If, as most commentators take it, this reference to 1 Peter, then the recipients of the second letter are obviously meant to be the same people to whom 1 Peter was dispatched." Moo states that it is possible that Peter is writing to believers in modern-day Turkey; Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia. He goes onto say “we would know rather specifically where these Christians lived if 3:1, where Peter refers to his letter as “my second letter to you” means that this second letter is addressed specifically Christians in several provinces in northern Asia Minor.” Peter’s occasion for writing his second letter was according to Hiebert, due to the problem of false teachers that would infiltrate the churches. Hiebert writes that, Peter wrote in his first