Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Peter 1:15

σπουδάσω δὲ καὶ ἑκάστοτε … “I will take measures (besides reminding you while I am alive) that you shall have the means of reminding yourselves of these truths whenever you please, after my death.” In other words, “I will leave my teaching with you in a permanently accessible form”—in some written work which the writer means to provide. What work is meant? Not the Epistle; the future σπουδάσω excludes that; and, besides, the context shows that the promised work was to be one which would strengthen the reader’s belief in the truth of Christianity: it would contain some narrative of facts (see 2 Peter 1:16).

It has been strongly urged that the Gospel of Mark is here meant. The probably true tradition of its origin, which goes back to a personal disciple of the Lord, John the Presbyter, represents Mark as dependent upon Peter for his information, and Clement of Alexandria adds that Peter’s hearers at Rome begged Mark to put the substance of the Apostle’s discourses into writing, and that the record was subsequently confirmed and authorized by Peter. This relation between Peter and Mark would justify the expressions in our text.
There are other possibilities. If 2 Peter is not the work of the Apostle the reference to St Mark’s Gospel is as likely as ever: but we can also conceive that another pseudo-Petrine work is meant, e.g. the Preaching of Peter (see Introd.) which may very well have contained both religious instruction, and also some narrative portions: or, just possibly, the Apocalypse of Peter, which contained teaching about the παρουσία of Christ (see 2 Peter 1:16).

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

2 Peter 1:15

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