2 Peter
3 chapters · New Testament
Second Peter is presented as a letter from the apostle Peter, written near the end of his life, likely in the mid-60s AD as he anticipated his own martyrdom. While some scholars debate its authorship, the letter carries the authority of apostolic witness and has been received by the Church as Scripture. It addresses believers broadly, building on the themes of Peter's first letter while responding to new and urgent dangers arising within the Christian communities of the first century.
The letter's primary purpose is twofold: to encourage genuine spiritual growth and to sound a clear warning against false teachers who were distorting the gospel and living immorally. Peter calls believers to cultivate virtues such as faith, goodness, knowledge, and love, grounding them firmly in the reliable testimony of Scripture and the eyewitness accounts of Christ's glory. A significant portion of the letter addresses doubts about the Second Coming, reassuring readers that God's apparent delay is rooted in patience and mercy, not failure. The letter closes with a stirring call to holy living in light of the coming Day of the Lord.