Peter's Second Epistle

The emphasis falls on false teachers and false teachings; consequently the former Epistle is one of consolation, the latter, of warning. Peter’s antidote to false teaching is true spiritual knowledge. The word know and its cognates occurs sixteen times in the Greek text (1:2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 20; 2:9, 20, 21 twice; 3:3, 17, 18, 20). In six of these references Peter uses an intensified form of the word (1:2, 3, 8; 2:20, 21 twice). This word means additional knowledge, full knowledge. Peter speaks of a knowledge that rests on facts and is communicated to the believer by the Holy Spirit.