The New Testament (NT) has two epistles whose authorship is accredited to the Apostle Peter. Titles of books and letters of the Bible were often penned after they were written and probably by a different hand. The early church unanimously accepted that Peter wrote 1 Peter; but for centuries the church disputed whether he wrote 2 Peter. Most modern, historical-critical, NT scholars have rejected that he did so. Since its salutation attests to Peter’s authorship, and for other reasons, I am inclined to accept that he did.
The only problem passage in 1 and 2 Peter that has to do with whether Jesus is God is 2 Peter 1:1. It has grammatical problems very similar to those in Titus 2:13 and 2 Thessalonians 1:12, which mostly concern word order. The question is, Does the last phrase in 2 Peter 1:1 mention Two Persons, viz., the Father and Christ, or One Person, viz., Christ? The One Person view calls Christ “God;” the Two Persons view does not.
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Author: Kermit Zarley
Keywords: Trinity, Triunity, Trinitarianism, Trinitarian, Arianism, Arian, Three in one, Three gods, Three gods one person, Arius, Arias, Nicene Creed, Nicaea, Nicea, Athanasian Creed, Athanasius, Father son holy spirit, Father son holy ghost, Triune, Three persons in one God, Socinian, Socinianism, Socinian heresy, Jesus God, God the Son, Nicene, Nicean Creed, Council of Nicaea, Council of Nicea, homoiousios, Homoousios, Homoiousian, Son of Man, Jesus son of Man
Bible reference(s): 2 Peter 1:1
Source: “Is Jesus God in 2 Peter 1:1?” The Restitution of Jesus Christ, 2008.
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