The Letters of Peter and John

The Gospel accounts tell us that Peter’s original name was Simon, a common Jewish name, and his father’s name was John. Simon grew up in the town of Bethsaida on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, then later moved to Capernaum. He first heard about Jesus of Nazareth from his brother Andrew. After that, Simon became one of Jesus’s key disciples. Simon was an insider to some of the most glorious moments in Jesus’s life, such as when Jesus revealed his divine nature on the top of a mountain in the event known as the Transfiguration. Jesus later gave him the name Peter, which means “rock.”

First Peter (“1 Peter”) is a letter written by the apostle Peter to the “pilgrims of the Dispersion” (the “scattered exiles”). These were followers of Jesus spread throughout various regions of the Roman Empire. The main themes of the letter are hope in the midst of suffering, the importance of living a holy life, and the certainty of an eternal future with Jesus in heaven.

Second Peter (“2 Peter”) addresses the rise of false teachers and emphasizes the importance of biblical knowledge and ethical behavior in the Christian life. As inspiration, Peter reminds believers of the certainty of the Lord's return.

According to the Book of Acts, the Apostle John was a leader in the early Christian church. After the executions of Peter and Paul in Rome during the mid-60’s AD, John took on a greater leadership role as pastor of the church in Ephesus. After the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple in 70 AD, John remained a leading voice of church leadership in the region.

First John (“1 John”) is a heartfelt letter, packed with messages about truly understanding love, faith, and the nature of God. John’s first letter can be organized into some basic themes, so let’s dive in.

In this episode, we’ll cover John’s second and third letters in the Bible’s New Testament. These are super short, each only one chapter long. In both, John referred to himself as “the Elder,” probably because he was an old man at this point in history, having outlived all the other apostles. He used each letter to deliver snapshots of how different people handled difficult situations in life.