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.

the words of v. 17 as an allusion to Ps 2,7²⁵. Nevertheless, he may understand them in a Hellenistic sense. This would be consistent with the presentation of Jesus as God, yet distinct from God described above. Jesus is God in the sense that he was revealed to be son of God at his transfiguration. He is distinct from God because he is the son, not God himself.

4. The background and foreground of 2 Peter’s Christology

        Jesus is the son of God the father. If the author of 2 Peter understands this as an ontological relationship, it is easy to understand why he calls Jesus God and sees Jesus as having divine power, sharing divine nature, possessing God’s glory. It is also easy to see why both Jesus and God are properly called Lord. What is not easy to understand is why the author of 2 Peter does not think there are two Gods.

        Calling Jesus God would most naturally mean either that he is identical with God, or that there are two Gods. Because early Christians did not wish to assert either of these things, use of the title ‘God’ for Jesus is rare in the New Testament, though more common in post-New Testament Christian literature²⁶. Jesus is clearly called God only in John 1,1; 20,28 and Heb 1,8, though there are several other passages (in addition to 2 Pet 1,1) that are probably to be interpreted this way²⁷. The adjective qei/oj is used elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts 17,29, where it refers to God.

        Jesus is frequently called son of God in the New Testament. In the synoptic gospels the title is likely to be used as it is in the Hebrew scriptures. In the gospel and letters of John and the letter to the Hebrews, the title is likely to have a more Hellenistic sense, as I have argued it does in 2 Peter. Like 2 Peter, these writings also call Jesus God. The meaning of the title in the letters of Paul is uncertain²⁸.

        The use of ‘God’ and related titles for Jesus in 2 Peter and elsewhere in the New Testament, probably reflects theological developments among Jews influenced by Hellenistic culture. In its early history the people of Israel seem to have given exclusive allegiance to one God without denying the existence of others. Because of this the Hebrew Bible often refers to gods alongside the God of Israel (e.g., Exod 2,2-3; Ps 82,1.6) and even occasionally uses ‘God’ as a title for human beings²⁹. For example, Moses is called god (Myhl)) in Exod 7,1; cf. 4,16, and the king is called god in Ps 45,6 (Myhl)) and Isa 9,6 (l)). From at least the sixth century BCE onward Israel was monotheistic in the strict sense, denying the existence of other gods.

        Greco-Roman religion was polytheistic, recognizing the existence of