Jude and 2 Peter

The letter of Jude is less than two pages in length, and has little to offer. The author of the letter claims to be Jude, the brother of James, the leader of the Jerusalem church, and by implication a brother of Jesus. This family connection is doubtful. Jude, the brother of Jesus, was a Galilean peasant who spoke Aramaic. This letter was written in Greek with no claim to have been dictated. There is also no evidence that Jude ever left Palestine. In addition, the letter defines religion in terms of correct belief, a characteristic of the late first and early second century, rather than in Paul’s terms as faith in the power released by the death and resurrection of Jesus.

As a result, the letter is almost certainly pseudonymous. It also has little to offer modern Christians. The letter is a polemic against false teachers, and is filled with nasty name calling and vitriolic. It’s amazing that it was included in the canon.

2 Peter has similar problems. The vast majority of scholars agree that this letter was not written by Peter, the disciple of Jesus, despite the claim of the author that this was so (1:1). The author further claims to have been with Jesus at the Transfiguration (1: 16-18), and asserts that this was his second letter to the faithful (3:1). Several arguments are presented to deny these claims. The letter is in Greek, and Peter was an illiterate peasant. There is no suggestion that the letter was dictated. In addition, much of chapter 2 is taken directly from Jude. Why would an eye witness copy material in this way? The author, like Jude, defines the Christian faith as a set of beliefs, rather than trust in the power of God (Paul). Finally, there is no reference to the letter until 220 C.E., and it was not widely circulated until the end of the third century.

Like Jude, much of the letter is a polemic against false belief. It does contain one interesting section, however (see 3: 1-15). Apparently there were some members of the Christian community who began to harbor doubts about the impending Judgment and the return of Jesus. They even went so far as to deny that God was in control of history. The author of 2 Peter responds forcefully to these heretical beliefs. He argues that God both controls history and the Judgment is coming, but that God’s time is not like our time. With God, one day can be a thousand years, and a thousand years can seem like one day (3:8). Be patient, the delay has been ordered by God to allow the maximum number of people to come to Christ, and by implication this resolution to history will come within their lifetimes.

I have argued in several places in these blogs that Christians believed that the kingdom was coming in the first century, that most believers in Jesus thought that it would come within their lifetimes. I have also argued that there was no dissent, that this was the near unanimous view presented in the New Testament. I still stand by that position. Although 2 Peter provides evidence to the contrary, this letter does not belong in the canon. It is a forgery. The author obviously lies about his presence at the transfiguration, and by doing so destroys his credibility. As with Jude, I am amazed that 2 Peter was allowed to become a part of the canon.