Encountering the New Testament, 4th Edition

A Historical and Theological Survey

series: Encountering Biblical Studies

Materials available for professors by request only

Chapter

23. Peter, John, and Jude

Discussion Questions

  1. What circumstances contributed to Peter becoming the rock that Christ said he would be?
  2. What examples do we have today of people who are suffering because of their faithfulness to Christ?
  3. What do you think might be the reason for John maintaining that he was writing the letter so many times in his letters?
  4. Contrast the messages of 1, 2, and 3 John.
  5. What similarities do you see between our modern world and the world to whom Jude wrote his letter?

Assignment Ideas / Class Activities

  1. Assign a group to investigate the controversy about the authorship of 2 Peter. Have the group make a ten-minute presentation to the class.
  2. Assign a group to study the two positions about who the “chosen lady” of 2 John was: (1) a woman who allowed her house to be used for a church, or (2) a personification of a particular church. Have the students present their findings in the form of a debate.
  3. Select a group of three to four students to study the warnings about false teachers in Jude 8–16 in light of the historical setting. This should result in a ten-minute presentation about why the church then and today needs to be warned about false teachers.
  4. Using 1 Peter, prepare an outline for a devotional that emphasizes suffering for Christ.
  5. Research the current persecution of Christians throughout the world. Write a brief report on it, presenting statistics as much as they are available.
  6. Write a short paper on the authorship of Jude.
  7. Design a tract that addresses the issue of contending for the faith in the modern world using passages from Jude.