Kata Markon

[JFAlward AT aol.com]

Alward:
> That's an excellent point, George.  Peter, too, worried that people 
naturally
> supposed that what he wrote was fiction:
>
> "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto
> you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitness of 
his
> majesty." (2 Peter 1:16)
>
> In other words, Peter swears that it's not true what people have been saying
> about the gospels--that they're fables.
>
=========
Swain:

I'm not sure that that was the author's point in 2 Peter.  Is he defending the
gospels, or is he maligning the works of other "Christian," Jewish, and pagan
religions?  The context seems to me to suggest the latter.
========
I disagree.  Peter seems to be defending himself and the gospel writers.  
Peter and Matthew made it clear that Jesus was going to return soon, within 
the lifetimes of some of his disciples.  

"But the end of all things is at hand; be ye therefore sober, and watch unto 
prayer.  (1 Peter 4:7

"Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of 
death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom."  (Matthew 16:28) 

"This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled."  
(Matthew 24:29-34) 

 "And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand....Ye shall 
not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the son of Man be come."  
(Matthew 10:5-6, Matthew 10:23)

Thus, the end of the world would come so soon that Jesus' disciples would not 
even have time to spread the word to all of the Jews in the cities of Israel. 
 When Jesus' promise wasn't kept, Peter felt he had some explaining to do, 
and he did it in his second letter in which he assured believers that Jesus 
would keep his promise and that the stories told about Jesus were not fables:

"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing... The Lord is not slack 
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness"  (2 Peter 3:8-10) 

"For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto 
you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitness of his 
majesty." (2 Peter 1:16) 

Both of these comments remind me of Nixon's "I'm not a crook" speech.


Regards,


Joe Alward