2 Peter 2:1-3 is part of the apostolic testimony and false teachers
section of the letter. This section can be further subdivided as follows:1
- Body middle: the apostolic testimony and the false teachers (2 Peter 1:12 – 2:22)
A call to remember (2 Peter 1:12–21)
The coming and the judgment of the false teachers (2 Peter 2:1–22)
- The rise and judgment of the false teachers (2 Peter 2:1–3)
When introducing the false teachers, it appears that Peter has arranged the material in a rather interesting manner, making use of a chiasm. A chiasm is a literary device in which a sequence of ideas is presented and then repeated in reverse order. The term chiasm
comes from the Greek letter chi, which looks like our letter X. The chiasm which Peter uses is shown below:2
A. New Testament apostles (2 Peter 1:16–18)
B. Old Testament prophets (2 Peter 1:19–21)
B. Old Testament false prophets (2 Peter 2:1a)
A. New Testament false teachers/apostles (2 Peter 2:1b-2 Peter 2:2–3)
1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.