Source edition
The New Testament in the original Greek. Westcott, Brooke Foss; Hort, Fenton John Anthony, editors. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1882-1892.
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This epistle is written in the name of the Apostle Peter to strengthen the faith of believers in the face of false teachers and skepticism regarding Christ's return. The author begins by encouraging believers to cultivate virtues and knowledge in response to God's grace, emphasizing the certainty of the prophetic word and the eyewitness testimony of Christ's glory. The letter then issues a stern warning against the moral corruption and deception of false teachers who will emerge within the community, drawing on biblical history to show how God judges the ungodly but rescues the righteous. Finally, addressing those who deny the Second Coming, the author recalls the Creation and the Flood to affirm the certainty of the final judgment and the promise of "a new heaven and a new earth." The work concludes with an urgent exhortation for believers to stand firm and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.