To make the texts of 1–2 Peter primary means we be attentive to the message of these books. We must read them theologically. This means we must wrestle with their doctrinal emphases and calls to faithful living coram deo—in the presence of God. If we miss the practical emphases of these letters, then we have not interpreted them rightly.

Textbooks and commentaries on 1–2 Peter must address a variety of issues. Often, questions of sources, traditions, authorship, and “problem passages” occupy a disproportionate amount of space. Did Peter write both 1 Peter and 2 Peter? Did he write neither? Does 2 Peter present a Stoic philosophical perspective? Who are the spirits in prison in 1 Peter 3:19–20? Who are the angels in gloomy chains? What was their sin (2 Pet. 2:4)? Where do these ideas come from? Do they borrow from Jewish traditions surrounding Genesis 6 that speak of the sexual sin of angels?

To be sure, such questions have their place. But questions of sources and underlying traditions should be secondary, not primary. Our primary concern when reading any book of Scripture—including 1–2 Peter—is interpreting the texts themselves. Most theories of sources must remain tentative. We simply don’t have enough information to answer them all decisively. Too often in biblical studies we go astray when we make secondary questions primary, and primary questions secondary.

To make the texts of 1–2 Peter primary means we be attentive to the message of these books. We must read them theologically. This means we must wrestle with their doctrinal emphases and calls to faithful living coram deo—in the presence of God. If we miss the practical emphases of these letters, then we have not interpreted them rightly.

The theological message of these letters offers hope for the future, and a reality check for the present. They are written to help readers live faithfully as they follow Christ in the “in-between” time between Jesus’s first coming and his second coming. In other words, these letters are written to audiences in a position much like our own.

To this end, I offer a brief overview of how we can read each of these letters theologically.[1] At times it may seem like these letters emphasize works instead of grace, but that is not true. They emphasize both the good news of the gospel that God has done for us what we could not do for ourselves, while also calling us to true discipleship. It is helpful to consider both these angles as we read 1–2 Peter theologically—both what God does for us (sometimes called the “indicative”), and how we are called to live as disciples of Jesus (sometimes called the “imperative”). The indicative and imperative are tightly tethered to one another, but should not be confused.

In what follows, I assume that the Apostle Peter is indeed the author of both canonical letters that bear his name, since both letters claim to be by him.

Read More