Biblical historians have many different opinions on who is responsible for the authorship of the New Testament writings. Concentrating on 1 and 2 Peter, their different conclusions can be analyzed. Scholars approach the study of authorship by carefully going over the writings themselves. They discover the how, when, why, who, and where of the writings. Each New Testament scholar has come to their own conclusion of the authorship of 1 and 2 Peter through this. Their different views of the authorship of 1 and 2 Peter will be discussed and compared in this paper.
1 Peter is a New Testament writing. It has only five chapters that seems to portray the purpose of bringing hope to Christians. Christians should lead their lives by serving God and knowing that the judgement of God will be coming. Their faith will be tested, but Christians are told stay true to God. The point is to tell Christians that they should keep to their faith no matter what is going on in the world. The people being addressed where those of the church whom were estranged from their old life. This letter has the same pattern of a Pauline letter, opening with a greeting and thanksgiving. Then it gives the purpose and reflects on the identity of Christians. It ends with an exhortation and closing. It is done neatly and kept in order. 1 Paul seems to have been written in Rome. It is written
for the churches in the area of northern Asia Minor. The time period could range from 60-72 C. E. during the time of Paul whom is considered to have traditional authorship.
2 Peter appears to be the “last testament” of the apostle who had authorship of it. Correct teaching is emphasized, showing that is a major concern of the author. The letter gives a warning that judgement will condemn those without good ethical conduct. This includes all heretics. In 2 Peter’s three chapters, the author expresses his believe of the time when judgement will come. The author uses the Hebrew Scriptures, the prophets’
testimonies, Peter’s eyewitness of the transfiguration of Jesus, and the writings of Paul. The author’s point is that the Parousia is real and not a myth. 2 Peter tells that the reason for the delay of the Parousia is that God’s time is different from human time. So, the coming has not occurred when it was believed it should have. It also says that God is delaying the coming to give time for humans to repent. 2 Peter seems to also have been written during the Apostolic Age and is one of the last New Testament writings.
In The New Oxford Annotated Bible, the authorship seems to be pointing to Peter himself to be the author. It also says that Silvanus could have been the author, but it is very doubtful. In the beginning, Peter is named, but at the end, Silvanus is mentioned in the closing.
In 2 Peter, the letter is presented to have been written by Simeon Peter. He says that he is the servant and apostle of Jesus, but there is doubt to this. By him saying this, doubts of authorship is brought forth. The time period is confused by the author saying this. The reason for this is Simeon Peter’s death was predicted by Jesus. If this happened, then he could not have been an apostle of Peter. Also, he claims to have had fellowship with Peter, but the way the author presents his interpretation of Paul’s letters, it is doubtful.
Another source is The Interpreter’s Bible Volume 12. This source also expresses authorship concerns, stating that 1 Peter was written by Peter with the help of Sylvanus who was like a brother to Peter. The place where 1 Peter was written seems to have been Rome. This is because of the fact Babylon is mentioned, and it is considered to be a cryptic name meaning Rome. The time period seems to have been in 60 C. E. because this is during the time of the lifetime of Peter.
2 Peter’s authorship is also discussed. Simon Peter is said to have been the author but this source doubts it. The difference is style with 1 Peter expresses that they do not have the same authors. The author is unknown, but wrote in the spirit of Peter, condemning heresy. Rome is considered to have been the place of authorship. Since there is proof that 1 Peter was written in Rome, and due to the fact that 2 Peter is heavily influenced by it, then 2 Peter
was also written in Rome. The influence that 1 Peter has on 2 Peter proves this. 2 Peter is also considered to have been written in the middle of the second century.
A third source is The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. It expresses that the beginning of 1 Peter definitely shows that the author is Peter himself. Also, the author stating that he was an eyewitness to Jesus backs up the belief that he is the author. There is no evidence why he wrote it. Only the belief that he did it to fortify the faith of who he was writing to could have been the explanation. There are arguments against Peter being the author. These come from claims that he only speaks of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The only explanation is that he is less concerned with his life, and more concerned with the fact that his death brought grace. This source states that there is no proof that can say Peter was not the author. If Peter is the author, then the date of the writings can fall around 64 or 67 C. E.
This source also discusses the authorship of 2 Peter. The apostle Simon Peter is considered to have authorship. This is considered to be an unclear fact though. The purpose of 2 Peter is clearer than the authorship. It is to go against the skepticism of the
Parousia. It is considered to be written around the second century, long after the apostolic age.
A fourth source is The Anchor Bible Series. This source discusses that the question of the author’s identity is raised in the text. Silvanus is questioned to be the author. He could be Peter’s secretary, his collaborator, or the true author. Paul is noted to be the author, but the mention of Silvanus in the text puts questions on this fact. The theological character of 1 Peter seems to have some of Silvanus’s touch in it. The language of 1 Peter also suggests this. The author has heavy influence of Pauline writings, and this shows that Peter might not be the author. For Peter to base a lot of 1 Peter on Pauline writings would make him switch from his Jewish beliefs to a more Gentile Christianity. It could be possible but very doubtful. The language of 1 Peter is more toward a Greek style than that of a Galilean fisherman, which was what Peter was. This could possibly show that he must have collaborated with someone, which was Sivanus.
2 Peter’s author presents himself as the apostle Peter. This would be Simeon Peter. This source believes that it was a follower of Peter that wrote 2 Peter though. The author’s purpose seemed to have been to preserve the apostolic tradition. Also, 2 Peter does not have any personal information about Jesus, showing that he could not have been Peter. The language is portrayed as Hellenistic, and not of a Galilean fisherman. This shows that the author is
unknown. There is no other evidence that tells who the author could have been. The latest 2 Peter was written could have been 90 C. E. It is also
believed that since the author wanted to have the identity of Peter, then the place of authorship was Rome.
As noted above, there are different views on the authorship of 1 and 2 Peter. Some of the bible scholars contrast each other and others are agree upon certain facts. For 1 Peter there is very many questions as to who the author is. The evidence points mostly to Peter being the true author. Silvanus has also been considered to be the author. If the evidence is examined closely, he could have only been Peter’s scribe. Some say that he was the author, or either he helped Peter write the letter. The text has many different influences that come from Peter though, so Silvanus might not have had anything to do with the writing of the letter.
2 Peter’s author will probably stay anonymous. Although Simeon Peter could have been the author there is strong evidence that he was not. It could have been someone who wanted to uphold the apostolic tradition, so this person wrote as Peter. The author only portrayed himself as Peter and was not actually Peter himself.
Bible scholars will probably continue to study the authorship if 1 and 2 Peter. One day they might find hard evidence to who the author really was.
Until then they can only use the text of the Bible to research the authorship. For 1 Peter, the authorship has more evidence showing Peter was the author. 2 Peter’s author could have been Peter but more evidence points to an unknown author.
Beasley, James R., et al. An Introduction to the Bible. Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 1991.
The Anchor Bible Series: The Epistles of James, Peter, and Luke. New York,
New York: Doubleday, 1964.
The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Nashville: Abingdon, 1962.
The Interpreter’s Bible: The Holy Scriptures Volume 12. New York:
Abingdon Press, 1957.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible. New York: Oxford University Press,
1994.
Другие работы по теме:
Mrs Dalloway
– Analysis Of The Film Essay, Research Paper Upon viewing ?Mrs. Dalloway? I was not impressed. The movie seemed to jump from the present to the past. The character Septimus didn?t appear to have any purpose in the storyline. Clarrisa also seemed to be tightly bound by the Victorian lifestyle of the day to make her interesting to me.
Alexander The Great Essay Research Paper Peter
Alexander The Great Essay, Research Paper Peter Green Alexander the Great New York, NY. Praeger Publishers, Inc 1970 In Peter Green?s Alexander the Great he tells some of the story of Alexander and how one must know the story of Philip of Macedon in order to know the story of Alexander. Philip was a powerful leader and figure in mid 300 B.C.
Office Space Essay Research Paper Movie Review
Office Space Essay, Research Paper Movie Review: Office Space Ron Livingston and Jennifer Aniston (this actress also stars in the comedy “Friends”) star in the comedy movie “Office Space.” Peter Gibbons (Livingston) is a computer software programmer who hates his job and his bosses. One of his Bosses is Bill Lumberg (Gary Cole), who is mean but acts very mellow when he acts mean.
Zoo Story Essay Research Paper Jerry s
Zoo Story Essay, Research Paper Jerry s Problems In Edward Albee s The Zoo Story, Jerry has trouble distinguishing between emotions of love and anger, because of his unhappy childhood. This is shown repeatedly throughout the
The Vedlt Essay Research Paper The VeldtIn
The Vedlt Essay, Research Paper The Veldt In the book The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, there are many short stories one of these being “The Veldt.” The story is told by tattoos on a traveling man’s body. Another man watches the stories occur during the night. Peter and Wendy are convinced that they can do anything to get what they want no matter what the consequences.
I Corinthians Essay Research Paper I Corinthians
I Corinthians Essay, Research Paper I Corinthians, the seventh book of the New Testament, was written by Paul to get across that Jesus is alive (15:3-18) and that we will be resurrected (15:35-38), among other things. Today there is no dispute that Paul is the author of I Corinthians. “Both external and the internal evidence for the Pauline authorship are so strong that those who attempt to show the apostle was not the writer succeed chiefly in proving their own incompetence as critics.”1 As internal evidence, Paul identifies himself as the author in 1 Corinthians 1:1 and 16:21.
Peter And The Lost City Essay Research
Paper Peter and The Lost City BY ANGEL MENDOZA email me at a_coolguy56@yahoo pleasee Last year, Peter looked for a lost city. It was in the Amazon jungle. He didn’t fly. The plane
Congo The Novel And The Movie Essay
, Research Paper Congo was an astounding bestseller novel. It was a great fictional novel that took place in the depths of the Congo rainforest. The novel was later made into a movie. Both the novel and the movie were good, however, I prefer the novel. It just seemed like a more entertaining piece than the movie.
Delaware Essay Research Paper The Delaware Colony
Delaware Essay, Research Paper The Delaware Colony was first settled by the Dutch, but their settlement didn’t last a year. The Indians massacred the settlers and burned their forts. In 1638, the first permanent settlement was founded. Swedish leader Peter Minuit founded the colony of New Sweden. New Sweden was captured by Stuyvesant in 1655, and remained under Dutch rule for nine years.
SAINT PETER CLAVER Essay Research Paper Angel
SAINT PETER CLAVER Essay, Research Paper Angel Mendoza Saint Peter Claver St. Peter Claver was born at Verdu, Catalonia, Spain, in 1580. He descended from a very distinguished family . When
Humor In Acts Essay Research Paper On
Humor In Acts Essay, Research Paper On January 23, 2001 Professor Walker gave our class his presentation titled ?Humor in the Book of Acts?. Some of the things he said have caused me to look at the way I read the New Testament in a different light. Even though I had read it a number of times before I never realized some of the humor or funny situations that he pointed out.
Judy Blume Essay Research Paper Blume Judy
Judy Blume Essay, Research Paper Blume, Judy. SuperFudge. New York: Dell Publishing, 1980. This story is about a boy named Peter and his little brother Fudge. It is about the struggle that kids face growing up with other brothers and sisters. Peter constantly is fighting with his younger brother and is always annoyed with him.
On The Beach Essay Research Paper In
On The Beach Essay, Research Paper In the beginning of this story you meet Peter Holmes, who is a Lieutenant Commander in the RAN (Royal Australia Navy). Next, you meet Mary Holmes, his wife, and their baby daughter, Jennifer. Peter has to go to a city called Melbourne to have a meeting with the Admiral of the Navy.
Walkabout Essay Research Paper Walkabout14In this section
Walkabout Essay, Research Paper Walkabout- 1/4-In this section of the book Peter and Mary wake up to find themselves stranded in the Australian Outback due their plane crashing. The pilot and the other passengers were killed when the plane exploded, but Peter and Mary got out just in time. Then they began to wander in search of food in a nearby gully.
Hungrey Essay Research Paper Global hunger is
Hungrey? Essay, Research Paper Global hunger is a major concern that effects the whole world. According to Peter Singer ?the whole way we look at moral issues-our moral conceptual scheme
The Eye Of The Dragon Essay Research
Paper Character Sketch In The Eyes of the Dragon, the author Stephen King shows that Thomas is more than just a character to us. Thomas shows his traits as being naivete, jealously, and low self-esteem in
History Essay Research Paper The film Europe
History Essay, Research Paper The film Europe, The Mighty Continent was an attempt entertaining film that was made from an entirely different angle than other history films. Although Peter Ustinov
The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe 2
The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe: An Analysis Essay, Research Paper The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe: An Analysis The main characters in this story are Peter, Susan, Edmund, and
Swing Kids Essay Research Paper Swing Kids
Swing Kids Essay, Research Paper Swing Kids was a disturbing film exposing the techniques of the nazi dictatorship in Germany during the early 1900?s. Peter, the main character is a student arrested for a petty theft. he was forced to join the Hitler Jugen (Nazi youth group) in order to avoid casting suspicion on his family.
Fly Away Peter notes To Get Started
) Essay, Research Paper David Malouf was born in Brisbane in 1934 (he lived through WW2). The novel was written in 1982. He was a poet before a writer and this has had a strong impact on his style of writing. Malouf is fascinated by opposites, i.e. Australia and England.
Is Shakespeare Really Who We T Essay
, Research Paper Is Shakespeare Really Who We Think He Is? Was the man we know as Shakespeare really the author of the “Shakespearean Works”? We know little about the man called Shakespeare, did he really write the plays, or is he just a man that got confused within history? (Sobran 44) There is not even a correct spelling of the man s name.
Shakespeare Authorship Essay Research Paper No discussion
Shakespeare Authorship Essay, Research Paper No discussion group on Shakespeare would be complete without someone discussing whether the Stratford man really whote all the works attributed to Shakespeare. Some claim Christopher Marlowe to be the author; others, Francis Bacon; and several web pages are devoted to the premise that Count Edward deVere wrote these books.
The Black Mountain Essay Research Paper The
The Black Mountain Essay, Research Paper The title of the novel is The Black Mountain and Rex Stout wrote it in 1954. Nero Wolfe is the main character in the story. He is the grand master of detection that lives in New York with his partner Archie Goodwin. The main incident of the story occurred right in the beginning when Nero s best friend, Marko, got killed.
St MaryS Catholic Church Vs St PeterS
Catholic Church Essay, Research Paper St. Mary’s Catholic Church vs. St. Peter’s Catholic Church Who would think that two Catholic churches would be so different from one another? I attend two churches of the same religion; it is a very diverse experience at each one. I am a member of St. Mary’s Bryantown Catholic Church, but I also attend St.
Effects Of Prozac Essay Research Paper Transformation
Effects Of Prozac Essay, Research Paper Transformation of Personality Peter D. Kramer, M.D. Psychology Today July / August 1993 8 Pages Peter D. Kramer, M.D. tells of his first experience with Prozac involving a woman named Tess. Tess was the eldest of 10 children, born to a passive mother and an alcoholic father.
Absolute Monarchs Essay Research Paper An absolute
Absolute Monarchs Essay, Research Paper An absolute monarch is a ruler whose power is unlimited, this is known as absolutism. This essay will discuss the characteristics of absolutism and how they affected 17th century absolute monarchs.
The Magic Circle Essay Research Paper The
The Magic Circle Essay, Research Paper The Magic Circle The Magic Circle, by Donna Jo Napoli dealt with three main characters. In the story a woman named The Ugly One possesses the power to heal. The woman has a beautiful daughter named Asa. The Ugly one is a sorcerer; who also helps sick people who are possessed by demons.
Peter Thegreat Essay Research Paper Peter I
Peter Thegreat Essay, Research Paper Peter I the Great 1672 – 1725 Russian Czar Peter was born in Moscow. He was joint czar with his mentally retarded half-brother, Ivan, under the regency of their sister, Sophia (1682-9). On Ivan’s death (1696) Peter became sole czar.
Peter The Great Essay Research Paper Peter
Peter The Great Essay, Research Paper Peter the Great or Peter I, czar of Russia, reigned from (1672-1725). In many ways he bettered the country of Russia, but in other ways he hurt Russia. The ways in which bettered the country outweighs the bad
Peter The Great And Catherine The Great
Essay, Research Paper Peter was the first of the Romanov Czars. He ruled Russia for about 40 years. Peter?s most important contribution to Russia is his trying to westernize and modernize his country. He did that by traveling through Europe, and by that, learning new ideas and ways to modernize his country.
Anne Frank Journal Essay Research Paper Journal
Anne Frank Journal Essay, Research Paper Journal #1 I think that when Mr. Frank, Mrs. Frank, Anne, and Margot needed to hide from the Nazis in Mr. Kraler loft in his factory the living conditions were so appalling. They only had two rooms and one space for Peter to sleep in. I feel it is amazing how two families, the Franks and the Van Daans, and one dentist, Mr.