2 Peter

The 3d work from the past 3 months has changed the tools we have for studying the text. In this blog I go through the structure of 2 Peter as an example.

2 Peter (BRB)

The link here is to Second Peter in the BRB. What follows is my retelling of Ryan's private research notes for 2 Peter. That book follows the 25 letters of the alphabet and the related kings.

Seeing these runs is much easier than it has been before. This is an irregular run, so the lengths given to each letter/king are not even. This is something unexpected, but seen in other places too.

We believe this type of alphabet structured study applies nearly everywhere. Alphabet related high level structure limits how the text should be understood. Of course there are maybe 3 different ways the alphabet can be used, so a simple sequence, as used by Peter, is only 1 of at least 3 ways the alphabet can be used by writers.

Once structure like this is found, it then shows the field of play for any interpretation. You may not like every point I make below, but I am showing how the game of interpreting 2 Peter should be played. You might play it differently, as might I in the future. To win against me, you need to show a list of scripture matches at least as good as I give below.

For space I will not quote the BRB here. I will paraphrase key bits which should trigger your memory. If you are unfamiliar with the text, you can pull up the BRB beside this blog and study more closely.

While Ryan is working on these sorts of notes he is auditing English words against the Aramaic. Sometimes these audits trigger additional insight, as it did here. The more famous word in 2 Peter 'fables' is really the Aramaic word for 'parables.' Peter's point is the editors of the text invented many parables as they wrote. Fables implies off-bible, while parables implies in-bible.

I am listing verse ranges as per Ryan's current notes. Exact verse breaks for this list are subject to change. Some breaks in the alphabet pattern look to be mid-verse.

We may eventually put medallions into the BRB to mark these sorts of runs. Doing so now is a maintenance headache, so this will not happen for awhile.

0: Dot, Enoch, 2 Peter 1:1-2

Peter introduces his writing. The Dot usually lands on an introductory statement. In this part of the book Peter gives readers his name and purpose for writing. Peter's key audience are those made worthy with us in the precious belief. Worthy of what? To be taken up like Enoch.

1: Wa, Noah, 2 Peter 1:3-4

Peter then moves on to things that pertain to power and fleeing corruption caused by desires/lust. Wa as a letter calls out a star. Recent work on the models show an artificial star powering Eden. Peter is hinting at Eden in various ways in this section.

Pensacola on the US Map is the Wa, and big naval ships are also powered by artificial stars. These are ultimate sources of power. The star structure in Eden is the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Ultimate power destroys everything, as is about to happen again.

Peter then discusses fleeing the corruption caused by these desires in the world. Noah's world was this way. Noah fled via his ark.

2: Ba, Abraham, 2 Peter 1:5-7

Peter then exhorts his readers to add to personal belief. He gives a list of things to add, keyed to single words or short phrases. These are: belief, virtue, knowledge, self control, patience, reverence of god, brotherly kindness and love. The letter is Ba, a tent, a place to gather big things, like these things. Make them part of your house.

Each of these are illustrated by key events in Abraham's story. Belief: To leave Ur and go where he was shown. Virtue: either through famine, or when he separates from Lot. Knowledge: Of the promises made to him. Self Control: Negative example in Abraham's case, with Hagar. Patience: To wait for the promised son. Reverence of God: How he handled special visitors. Brotherly kindness: Not like Isaac and Ishmael. Love: How Abraham cared for his even dead wife Sarah.

3: Ge, Isaac, 2 Peter 1:8-9

Peter then wants his readers to abound in fruit. The letter is Ge, which is a scythe, a tool for harvesting food. He does not want readers to become blind like Isaac. Isaac was ultimately redeemed, but only with the help of his believing wife.

4: Du, Jacob, 2 Peter 1:10-11

Peter then admonishes his readers to good works to make your calling and election sure. Jacob returned after 20 years in Laban's service with a purse, Du, of treasure. His good works were to endure Laban in order to raise his family. Most fathers today do the same with their employers. Jacob was unsure of the blessing.

When Jacob wrestled with his walk-off father Isaac, Jacob asked Isaac again for that blessing. The blessing was now sure. But he also had met his eventual taxi driver.

5: Fe, Joseph, 2 Peter 1:12-15

Peter then writes about keeping these things in remembrance, even after his departure. Peter will leave just like Isaac and Jacob. He is then referencing Joseph who ordered his 'box of bones' (writings) be kept until his heirs left Egypt. These writings are patterns like from a rake, Fe, that can be used to grow stuff later.

6: Ve, Moses, 2 Peter 1:16-17

Peter belittles cunning parables. He says they have not gone after the parables/fables of Egypt. We know these as the bread and wine introduced to us as writers when Joseph is in prison.

Unspoken, but the matched king, Moses, was raised in these practices in Pharaoh's house. By not going after these things he means remain anchored, Ve, in the inspired text.

7: Jo, Joshua, 2 Peter 1:18

Peter now shifts to also hearing the voice from the mountain. Peter is equal, Jo, to Joshua son of Nun who also heard the voice that spoke to Moses on the mountain.

8: Ha, Samuel, 2 Peter 1:19

Peter then discusses a true word of prophecy, while a lamp shines, waiting for dawn. This is the story of Samuel when he had a night time encounter with Joshua. That encounter set the life trajectory for Samuel. When that encounter happened, Samuel, a child, was corralled, Ha, in the tabernacle.

9: The, Gad, 2 Peter 1:20

Peter explains that every prophecy is not its own exposition of writing. It does not come by the will of man. The prophet Gad traveled (The/Wheel) with David. Even Saul spoke prophetic words to prove this is out of Saul's will. For us we must roll the text on itself to unpack written prophecy, and unroll(The) the text across time(The).

10: Yo, Jonathan, 2 Peter 2:1

Peter shifts to lying prophets among the people. Jonathan is the prophet who ensured Solomon was crowned. Solomon was the first lying prophet, the first editor. The Yo is a hand and writing is the highest use of a hand. Of course it can be used to write lies.

11: Ku, Ahijah, 2 Peter 2:2

Peter then explains that many will go after those written abominations. The way of truth will be blasphemed. The Ku is a sprout in a field of many more, all alike. So the many (Ku) going after Solomon's writings is a tail on Peter's previous point.

Ahijah was used to offer most of Solomon's kingdom to Jeroboam. Jeroboam was like (Ku) Solomon. Jeroboam also refused to stick with inspired text. So Solomon's writings had no competition when young(Ku), and thus took root(Ku).

12: Lu, Amos, 2 Peter 2:3

Peter explains how greed and Babel/Bible people will be exploited. The Lu is a shepherd's staff. So kings, priests and bankers, all the common Shepherds(Lu) are implicit in this point. Amos, a shepherd, called out the eventual invasion of Babel. (Amos 7:11-14)

13: Mo, Elijah, 2 Peter 2:4-9

Peter goes long on Elijah's day. Likened prophetically to Noah's flood, Water, the letter Mo. Elijah was preserved as was Noah. By natural means both should have ended up dead. Peter is elaborating on how Noah and other stories were all military invasions, floods of soldiers.

14: Ne, Micah, 2 Peter 2:10-12

Peter deals with kings who do not listen so in their destroying will be destroyed. The Ne is a seed. It breaks when it germinates. In germination, a seed is destroyed. So kings who do not listen go through this process too.

This is a retelling of the story in Micah's day when 400 prophets told the king to go to war. Micah said otherwise, but the kings would not listen to Micah. They preferred listening to their own false prophets. Those kings went to war and King Ahab died in battle.

15: Sa, Elisha, 2 Peter 2:13

Peter explains how reveling in the daytime, with spots and blemishes and feasting in idleness... Will receive a reward of iniquity. Jezebel covered her spots with makeup, and was thrown down from high up the building, Sa.

In contrast, Naaman gave Elisha the supply (Sa) to build a house of logs (Sa) for the prophets. Then they went to hard work building a place near the Jordan.

16: Oo, Jonah, 2 Peter 2:14-16

Peter then calls out eyes full of adultery. The Oo letter is an eye. The 3d model is 2 eyes. Jonah himself had to leave is own place and travel to Nineveh to be heard. He saw that place far way. Those nearby to Jonah were in trouble. Jonah's Ninevites would later invade.

17: Pe, Isaiah, 2 Peter 2:17-18

Peter discusses great swelling words of vanity, and those who flee at a word of warning. Pe of course is an ear. Listening to language is the highest function of an ear. These things happened in Isaiah's day when the Assyrians were surrounding the wall.

18: Ze, Jeremiah, 2 Peter 2:19-22

Peter moves to the problem of having received inspired words, but then returning to abominations, like a dog to vomit. It would have been better to have known nothing.

This is Jeremiah, when he helped Baruch read from the Hilkiah scroll to the leaders of Jerusalem. The text had been unlocked, unbuckled, the Ze. But, those Jerusalem leaders returned to the vomit, the edited text. Because they would not listen to Jeremiah, they were hauled away in chains(Ze).

19: Qu, Zechariah, 2 Peter 3:1-2

Peter now wants to stir up words of remembrance. Memory is a function of the brain, a Qu. Zechariah is built in part on riddles. Solving those riddles involves remembering what was said/written in former times.

20: Re, Ezekiel, 2 Peter 3:3-7

Peter moves to latter days, scoffers, and how fire is reserved for the day of judgment. The Re, or ram, sometimes battle ram, is a sign of war.

Ezekiel was part of the captivity, a result of war. His forehead (Re) was made harder than adamant, so he could ram his rebellious audience.

21: Sha, Daniel, 2 Peter 3:8-9

Peter then reminds his readers of the standard prophetic ratio, 1 day is as 1000 years. Sha, a tooth, deals with sequencing, like eating food. A row of teeth is like a timeline, with points along the way. The prophet here is Daniel who has time sequential stories and time references at the back of his book.

22: Ta, Job, 2 Peter 3:10-14

Peter shifts to the time of Job, when Babylonians burned down the country on their way to destroy Jerusalem. Job's ranching operations were impacted, but Job survived. Job was covered, Ta, at the end (Ta) of Jerusalem. Peter tells his readers to be diligent so as to be found without spot. Job was similarly spotless when he appeared before Joshua near the end (Ta) of his book.

23: Colon, Haggai, 2 Peter 3:15-16

Peter now discusses writing by Paul that they have also received. The Colon often deals with received or harvested seed. These other writings match that punctuation letter.

Peter's warning about being unstable and untaught may be linking to Haggai's admonitions to work on the house so as to have a place to learn. Editors of Haggai may have shifted focus to the Temple from a rebuilding of Moses' fallen tent.

24: Quad, Joshua Himself, 2 Peter 3:17-18

Peter closes by asking his readers to grow in the grace and knowledge of Joshua. The quad is Joshua's letter, a fitting close to Peter's writing.

More Later,

Phil