The Letters of 2 PETER and JUDE

PETER H. DAVIDS

The Pillar New Testament Commentary

General Editor

D. A. CARSON

William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company

Grand Rapids, Michigan / Cambridge, U.K.

© 2006 Peter H. Davids

All rights reserved

First published in the United States of America by

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

2140 Oak Industrial Drive N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49505 /

P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.

www.eerdmans.com

and in the United Kingdom by

APOLLOS

Norton Street, Nottingham,

England NG7 3HR

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Davids, Peter H.

The letters of 2 Peter and Jude / Peter H. Davids.

p. cm. (The Pillar New Testament commentary)

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN-10: 0-8028-3726-3 / ISBN-13: 978-0-8028-3726-4

1. Bible. N.T. Peter, 2nd—Commentaries.

2. Bible. N.T. Jude—Commentaries. I. Title. II. Series.

BS2795.53.D38 2006

227′.93077—dc22

2006012780

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN-10: 1-84474-151-6 / ISBN-13: 978-1-84474-151-9

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of The Zondervan Corporation and the International Bible Society.

All rights reserved worldwide.

Contents

Series Preface

Author’s Preface

Abbreviations

Select Bibliography

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

THE LETTER OF JUDE

INTRODUCTION TO JUDE

I. Introduction

II. Authorship

III. Place and Date

IV. Addressees

V. Language and Structure

VI. Theology

COMMENTARY ON JUDE

I. Letter Opening: Salutation (vv. 1–2)

II. Letter Body (vv. 3–23)

A. Body Opening: Thematic Statement (exordium/narratio) (vv. 3–4)

B. Body Proper: Proof for the Thematic Statement (vv. 5–16)

1. First Proof (vv. 5–7 and 8–10)

2. Second Proof (vv. 11–13)

3. Third Proof (vv. 14–16)

C. Body Closing (vv. 17–23)

1. Final Prophecy (vv. 17–19)

2. Closing Exhortation (vv. 20–23)

III. Letter Closing: Doxology (vv. 24–25)

THE LETTER OF 2 PETER

INTRODUCTION TO 2 PETER

I. Introduction

II. Authorship

III. Date, Language, and Style

IV. Recipients and Opponents

V. Jude and 2 Peter

VI. Literary Form

VII. Theology

A. God

B. Jesus

C. The Holy Spirit

D. The Human Condition

E. Deliverance

F. Eschatology

G. Scripture

COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER

I. Salutation (1:1–2)

II. Letter Opening (1:3–15)

A. Opening Sermon (1:3–11)

1. Historical Introduction: The Divine Benefaction (1:3–4)

2. Call to Virtue (1:5–11)

B. Purpose Statement (1:12–15)

III. Letter Body (1:16–3:16)

A. The Implications of the Transfiguration (1:16–21)

B. Condemnation of the False Teachers (2:1–22)

1. Introduction to the False Teachers (2:1–3)

2. Argument for the Judgment of the False Teachers (2:4–22)

Excursus on Balaam in Rabbinic Literature

C. Conclusions about the Day of the Lord (3:1–13)

D. Body Closing: Final Judgment (3:14–16)

IV. Letter Closing (3:17–18)

INDEXES

I. Modern Authors

II. Subjects

III. Extrabiblical ...