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2 Peter – Chiasm
If the theme of 2 Peter is “make every effort to confirm your calling and election (1:10),” which is our part; then that fits in with the chiastic middle which is God is able to rescue the godly (2:4-10a), which is God’s part.
A – Peter Teaching Knowledge (1:1-2)
B – Make Every Effort to Confirm Your Calling (1:3-11)
C – Coming of the Lord (1:12-18)
D – True Prophets and Teachers (1:19-21)
E – False Prophets (2:1-3)
F – Judgment of the Ungodly and Rescue of the Godly (2:4-10a)
E’ – False Prophets (2:10b-22)
D’ – True Prophets and Teachers (3:1-2)
C’ – Coming of the Lord (3:3-13)
B’ – Make Every Effort to Be Found in Peace (3:14)
A’ – Paul Teaching Knowledge (3:15-18)
A – Peter Teaching Knowledge
A – 1:(1) Simeon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. (2) May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
- Peter (1:1); Paul (3:15) – Since it is unusual to mention another apostle’s writings, we can see at least one reason Peter does here. It is part of the chiastic structure, possibly given credence to Paul’s authority and relationship as an equal to Peter.
- Knowledge/epignosis (1:2); knowledge/gnosis (3:18)
- Savior (1:1); salvation (3:15)
- Grace/charis (1:2); grace/charis (3:18)
- Lord/kurios (1:2); Lord/kurios (3:18)
B – Make Every Effort To Confirm Your Calling
B – (3) His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (4) By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. (5) For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, (6) knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, (7) godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (8) For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. (10) Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. (11) For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you.
- Make Every Effort/spoudē (1:5); Make Every Effort/spoudazō (1:10); Make Every Effort/spoudazō (3:14)
- Part B is far more detailed than B’. But both are about cleansing. In B we have the phrases “escaping the corruption” (1:4) and “cleansing from his past sins” (1:9). In B’ it is “without spot or blemish” (3:14). The connection therefore is not only linguistic as it is also idealistic.
C- Coming of the Lord
C – (12) Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you have. (13) I consider it right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder, (14) knowing that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has also shown me. (15) And I will also make every effort that you may be able to recall these things at any time after my departure. (16) For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (17) For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him! (18) And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain.
- Coming/parousia of our Lord Jesus Christ (1:16); “Where is the promise of His coming/parousia (3:4); the coming/parousia of the day of God (3:12)
- Cleverly contrived myths (1:16); Scoffers (3:3)
- Heaven/ouranos (1:18); Heaven/ouranos (3:5,7,10,12,13)
- Wake up (1:13) vs. Asleep (3:4)
D – True Prophets and Teachers
D – (19) So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (20) First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, (21) because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
- Prophecy/prophēteia (1:20-21); Prophets/prophētēs (3:2)
- Scripture (1:20); “the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles” (3:2).
E – False Prophets
E – 2:(1) But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. (2) Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the way of truth will be blasphemed because of them. (3) They will exploit you in their greed with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.
- Destructive/ apōleia (2:1,3); destruction/ phthora (2:12,19)
F – Judgment of the Ungodly and Rescue of the Godly
F – 4) For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but threw them down into Tartarus and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness until judgment; (5) and if He didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when He brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; (6) and if He reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes and condemned them to ruin, making them an example to those who were going to be ungodly; (7) and if He rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the unrestrained behavior of the immoral (8) (for as he lived among them, that righteous man tormented himself day by day with the lawless deeds he saw and heard) — (9) then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, (10) especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority.
E’ – False Prophets
E’ – Bold, arrogant people! They do not tremble when they blaspheme the glorious ones; (11) however, angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring a slanderous charge against them before the Lord. (12) But these people, like irrational animals — creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed — speak blasphemies about things they don’t understand, and in their destruction they too will be destroyed, (13) suffering harm as the payment for unrighteousness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, delighting in their deceptions as they feast with you. (14) They have eyes full of adultery and are always looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse! (15) They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path and have followed the path of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness (16) but received a rebuke for his transgression: A donkey that could not talk spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s irrationality. (17) These people are springs without water, mists driven by a whirlwind. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them. (18) For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error. (19) They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them. (20) For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first. (21) For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them. (22) It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit, and, “a sow, after washing itself, wallows in the mud.”
D’ – True Prophets and Teachers
D’ – 3:(1) Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to develop a genuine understanding with a reminder, (2) so that you can remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles.
C’ – Coming of the Lord
C’ – (3) First, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, living according to their own desires, (4) saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” (5) They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water by the word of God. (6) Through these waters the world of that time perished when it was flooded. (7) But by the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (8) Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. (9) The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. (10) But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. (11) Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness (12) as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat. (13) But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
B’ – Make Every Effort To Be Found at Peace
B’ – (14) Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found at peace with Him without spot or blemish.
A’ – Paul Teaching Knowledge
A’ – (15) Also, regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. (16) He speaks about these things in all his letters in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures. (17) Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. (18) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Another benefit of the chiastic structure is putting together the halves and seeing how they complement one another either by adding additional information, comparison or contrast, and other elements. If done properly, reconstructing the chiasm by placing the parts together will still make sense.
A,A’ – Peter and Paul Teaching Knowledge
A – 1:(1) Simeon Peter, a slave and an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those who have obtained a faith of equal privilege with ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. (2) May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
A’ – (15) Also, regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation, just as our dear brother Paul has written to you according to the wisdom given to him. (16) He speaks about these things in all his letters in which there are some matters that are hard to understand. The untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures. (17) Therefore, dear friends, since you know this in advance, be on your guard, so that you are not led away by the error of lawless people and fall from your own stability. (18) But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
B,B’ – Make Every Effort to Confirm Your Calling and Be Found in Peace
B – (3) His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (4) By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires. (5) For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, (6) knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, (7) godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (8) For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (9) The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. (10) Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. (11) For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you.
B’ – (14) Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found at peace with Him without spot or blemish.
C,C’ – Coming of the Lord
C – (12) Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you have. (13) I consider it right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder, (14) knowing that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has also shown me. (15) And I will also make every effort that you may be able to recall these things at any time after my departure. (16) For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; instead, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. (17) For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory: This is My beloved Son. I take delight in Him! (18) And we heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain.
C’ – (3) First, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, living according to their own desires, (4) saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” (5) They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water by the word of God. (6) Through these waters the world of that time perished when it was flooded. (7) But by the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (8) Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. (9) The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance. (10) But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. (11) Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness (12) as you wait for and earnestly desire the coming of the day of God. The heavens will be on fire and be dissolved because of it, and the elements will melt with the heat. (13) But based on His promise, we wait for the new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell.
D,D’ – True Prophets and Teachers
D – (19) So we have the prophetic word strongly confirmed. You will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. (20) First of all, you should know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation, (21) because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
D’ – 3:(1) Dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written to you; in both letters, I want to develop a genuine understanding with a reminder, (2) so that you can remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles.
E,E’ – False Prophets
E – 2:(1) But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. (2) Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the way of truth will be blasphemed because of them. (3) They will exploit you in their greed with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.
E’ – Bold, arrogant people! They do not tremble when they blaspheme the glorious ones; (11) however, angels, who are greater in might and power, do not bring a slanderous charge against them before the Lord. (12) But these people, like irrational animals — creatures of instinct born to be caught and destroyed — speak blasphemies about things they don’t understand, and in their destruction they too will be destroyed, (13) suffering harm as the payment for unrighteousness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, delighting in their deceptions as they feast with you. (14) They have eyes full of adultery and are always looking for sin. They seduce unstable people and have hearts trained in greed. Children under a curse! (15) They have gone astray by abandoning the straight path and have followed the path of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness (16) but received a rebuke for his transgression: A donkey that could not talk spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s irrationality. (17) These people are springs without water, mists driven by a whirlwind. The gloom of darkness has been reserved for them. (18) For by uttering boastful, empty words, they seduce, with fleshly desires and debauchery, people who have barely escaped from those who live in error. (19) They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them. (20) For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first. (21) For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy command delivered to them. (22) It has happened to them according to the true proverb: A dog returns to its own vomit, and, “a sow, after washing itself, wallows in the mud.”
F – Judgment of the Ungodly and Rescue of the Godly
F – 4) For if God didn’t spare the angels who sinned but threw them down into Tartarus and delivered them to be kept in chains of darkness until judgment; (5) and if He didn’t spare the ancient world, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others, when He brought a flood on the world of the ungodly; (6) and if He reduced the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes and condemned them to ruin, making them an example to those who were going to be ungodly; (7) and if He rescued righteous Lot, distressed by the unrestrained behavior of the immoral (8) (for as he lived among them, that righteous man tormented himself day by day with the lawless deeds he saw and heard) — (9) then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, (10) especially those who follow the polluting desires of the flesh and despise authority.
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