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Subject: Kata Markon

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  • From: "L. J. Swain" <larry.swain AT wmich.edu>
  • To: Kata Markon <gmark AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: Gospel Fiction
  • Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 23:51:17 -0500




JFAlward AT aol.com wrote:

> =========
> 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.
>

Joe,
This does seem to be exegesis from conclusion though. The context of the
verse
you cite is a contrast between the author who is "still in the body"
reminding the
readers of "these things" and the false prophets arising among the body
described
at the beginning of chapter 2. Thus, it seems to me that the statement in
1:16 is
best understood not as a defense of the Christian message but rather as a
contrast
to those who are not "orthodox" if you'll pardon the anachronism. Fuller
exegesis
could follow if necessary.

Larry Swain





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