Terrance Callan, «The Christology of the Second Letter of Peter», Vol. 82 (2001) 253-263

The Christology of 2 Peter is very exalted. The author calls Jesus God and speaks of his divine power. He uses the title ‘Lord’ both for Jesus and for God; in the latter cases there is usually some ambiguity about which of them is meant. However, the author presents God as a person distinct from Jesus, and there is no suggestion that the author would affirm the existence of two Gods. The transfiguration revealed Jesus as the son of God. It may be understood as an epiphany of the divine Jesus. It was a moment when Jesus received glory from God, in virtue of which he is praised like God.
        2 Peter reflects a stage in early Christian thinking when the word ‘god’ was used in two ways. Usually it was a proper noun that designated the one who revealed himself in the Hebrew scriptures. Occasionally it was used as a common noun that designated those who belonged to the category of the divine. In this way 2 Peter can call Jesus God without either identifying Jesus with God or seriously affirming the existence of two Gods. Eventually these uses were related in the doctrine of the Trinity.

Jesus as God, he also believes that Jesus possesses divine power⁶. Another clear instance is 1,4 where the author of 2 Peter says that those he addresses are destined to become qei/aj koinwnoi_ fu/sewj. If divinity is the destiny of those who follow Jesus, Jesus himself is surely divine.

        The view that Jesus is divine is probably also implied by 2 Peter’s use of ‘Lord’ as a title both for Jesus and for God. In itself ‘Lord’ does not imply divinity. Use of this title indicates a relationship between the one who uses the title, and the one to whom it is applied. Calling someone ‘Lord’ indicates recognition of that person as a superior to whom one gives respect, and even obedience. ‘Lord’ was widely used as a title for God, but also as a title for any other superior⁷. Nevertheless, 2 Peter’s use of the title both for Jesus and for God suggests that they are Lord in the same sense of the word, as does the ambiguity of some of 2 Peter’s uses of the title; at times it is not clear whether the title refers to Jesus or to God.

        2 Peter uses the title ‘Lord’ 14 times. Seven times Jesus is explicitly said to be the Lord (1,2.8.11.14.16; 2,20; 3,18). In addition, the Lord and savior in 3,2 is very likely to be Jesus; elsewhere in 2 Peter Jesus is explicitly said to be the Lord and savior (1,11; 2,20; 3,18) or God and savior (1,1). The remaining six occurrences of ‘Lord’ probably refer to God.

        In 2 Pet 2,9 ‘Lord’ is the subject of the apodosis of the long conditional sentence that begins in 2,4. The subject of the protasis is ‘God’. It would be most natural to understand ‘Lord’ as another name for ‘God’ in this sentence. Thus the sentence would say that if God did not spare the sinful angels, etc., then God knows how to punish and save. It is possible that ‘Lord’ refers to Jesus here, and the sentence says that if God did not spare the sinful angels, etc., then Jesus knows how to punish and save. However, this would be comprehensible only if ‘Lord’ were so strongly connected with Jesus, that the title alone meant Jesus; this does not seem to be true for 2 Peter. 2,10 says that those whom the Lord will punish especially include those who despise kurio/thtoj. This refers back to ‘Lord’ in v. 9 and takes its meaning from that.

        In 2 Pet 2,11 the meaning of ‘Lord’ is ambiguous. I will suggest below that the slander of the glorious ones mentioned in 2,10 refers to the false teachers’ slander of God and Jesus. 2 Pet 2,11 contrasts this behavior with that of the angels. Though greater in might and power than the false teachers, the angels do not bring against them a slanderous judgment from the Lord. If it refers to the glorious ones, ‘Lord’ might mean either God or Jesus. Or it may refer back to kurio/thtoj in v. 10. If so, it most likely refers to God.

        2 Pet 3,8 immediately follows a reference to the present heavens and earth’s being treasured up for fire by the word of God (3,7). This makes it likely that ‘Lord’ in 3,8 refers to God. Likewise, since 3,8 quotes Ps 90,4, it would be most natural to understand ‘Lord’ as a reference to God. However, it is possible that the author of 2 Peter sees this as a passage that refers to the Lord Jesus. ‘Lord’ in 3,9 and 15 must refer to the same person as ‘Lord’ in 3,8.