103) Does Peter Call Jesus ”Our God” in 2 Peter 1:1?

For text notes to this podcast, click here: ⁠https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2023/08/does-apostle-peter-call-jesus-christ.html⁠

In 2 Peter 1:1 did Peter claim that Jesus Christ was “our God? Two points:

 

1.  Even for deity of Christ believing Trinitarians, to claim that Peter is calling Jesus Christ “our God” is a big problem. Isn’t your God the Trinity? And, what about the Father? What about the “Spirit”? In a frantic effort to find some evidence that “Jesus is God”, aren’t you ignoring and dishonoring the One whom Jesus called the only true God, the Father (John 17:3). Aren’t you dishonoring the one of whom Paul said “as for us there is one God, the Father” (1 Cor. 8:6)?

  

The deity of Christ interpretation dishonors Peter and falsely testifies about Peter. And, any and all “deity of Christ” claims are a denigration of the Father, since they claim that the Father is not the one true God.

 

2.  It is clear from many other Scriptures that Peter knows exactly who God is, and who the Lord or Savior Jesus Christ is. Peter does not confuse the identity of God and Jesus. The fact that the deity of Christ claim appeals to some supposed point of Greek grammar for one two less clear verses, and ignores the testimony of the rest of Scripture is simply poor exegesis.

 

To Peter, the Lord and Savior Jesus is not God. To Peter, but the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has a God, who raised him from the dead. We can see what Peter means in 2 Peter 1:1, “in the righteousness of our God, and (the) Savior Jesus Christ” by reading Peter’s other descriptions of God and Jesus. Let’s start with the very next verse:

 

2 Peter 1:2, "May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord."

Who is “God” in this verse? Are we really to believe that Peter switched who was God from verse 1 to verse 2. I hate the deity of Christ identity confusion. I reject the deity of Christ identity confusion.

 

John 17:1-3, having eternal life involves knowing, having knowledge of two persons, two beings: 1. The Father, the only true God, and

2. Jesus the Messiah whom the Father sent.

 

Compare the “distributive” aspect of both 1 Pet. 1:1 and 1 Peter 1:2:
“the knowledge of…” two persons (God, and Jesus our Lord).

“the righteousness of…” two persons (our God, and the Savior Jesus Christ).

 

1 Peter 1:3. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”

For Peter, God is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. God and the Lord Jesus are two different persons, two different beings.

 

Acts 2:22-24. "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know --   this Jesus... God raised him up…”

For Peter, Jesus was a man whom God worked through, a man who was killed, whom God raised up. Two different persons, two different beings.

 

Acts 2:36   “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

For Peter, God MADE Jesus Lord and Christ.

The ultimate testimony of Peter as to whom he considered Jesus to be is found in Peter’s declaration after Jesus asked him point-blank, “Who do you say that I am?”

In Mark, Peter declared: “The Christ!”  The Christ is not God.

In Luke, “The Christ of God!” The Christ of God is not God.

In Matthew, “The Christ, the Son of the Living God”.  The Son of the Living God is not the Living God.

 

Peter in 1 Peter 1:1 is not contradicting himself. He is not confused about the identity of Jesus. It is deity of Christ interpreters who are confused about the identity of Jesus.

Related web link: Troy Salinger Examines the Granville Sharp Rule:https://letthetruthcomeoutblog.wordpress.com/2022/01/16/2-peter-11-titus-213-and-the-granville-sharp-rule-a-new-approach/

#deityofchrist, #1Peter1:1, #nontrinitarian, #trinity, #billschlegel