The Promise of His Appearing: An Exposition of Second Peter

by Peter Leithart

Publisher:

Canon Press

, 2004

Overview

The second book of Peter has long troubled biblical scholars and interpreters. Not only has its authorship been disputed, but also its claims about the imminent return of Christ. In this study, Peter Leithart offers a preterist reading of the epistle, arguing that it describes first-century events and not the end of the world. At the same time, he maintains orthodoxy, avoiding hyper-preterism and affirming the epistle’s authenticity. Leithart’s accessible style and convincing arguments make a valuable addition to the study of the Bible’s apocalyptic prophecies.

Contents

Top Highlights

“Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom’” (Page 40)

“Thus the ‘kingdom of our Lord and Savior’ describes not the consummation of all things but the world of the New Covenant.” (Page 36)

“Through baptism, we enter into the new life of the Spirit, receive a grant of divine power, are incorporated into Christ’s body, and die and rise again with Christ. In the purification of baptism, we are cleansed of our ‘former sins’ (v. 9) and begin to participate in the divine nature and the power of Jesus’ resurrection. But we must be diligent not to become forgetful or nearsighted (v. 9; cf. v. 4), forgetting our purification. Instead we must, as the Westminster Divines put it, ‘improve upon our baptism.’ Baptism thus marks our entrance into Christ’s kingdom, points to our future entry, and demands perseverance and effort in working out our salvation with fear and trembling.” (Page 32)

“The New Testament records a diaspora of the Jerusalem church, scattered because of the attack of another ‘Babylon’ (1 Pet. 5:13), which is Jerusalem.” (Page 18)

“In a few prophesies, a Gentile city is compared to Sodom (Babylon in Is. 13:19 and Jer. 50:40; Edom in Jer. 49:18), but predominantly the prophets use Sodom as a type of apostate Jerusalem.” (Page 57)

Product Details

• Title: The Promise of His Appearing: An Exposition of Second Peter
• Author: Peter J. Leithart
• Publisher: Canon Press
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 126

About Peter Leithart

Peter Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute and serves as Teacher at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Birmingham. He is the author of many books, including a two-volume commentary on Revelation (T&T Clark, 2018), God of Hope (Athanasius, 2022), On Earth As In Heaven (Lexham, 2022), and a forthcoming book on God the Creator (IVP). He writes a fortnightly column at FirstThings.com, and has published articles in many periodicals, both popular and academic.

Leithart has served in two pastorates: He was pastor of Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church), Birmingham, Alabama from 1989 to 1995, and was pastor of Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, Idaho, from 2003-2013. From 1998 and 2013 he taught theology and literature fulltime at New St. Andrews College, Moscow, Idaho. He received an A.B. in English and History from Hillsdale College in 1981, and a Master of Arts in Religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 1986 and 1987. In 1998 he received his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England.

He and his wife, Noel, have ten children and fifteen grandchildren.