CLAIM: Peter writes, “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:1). Does this support Christ’s deity?

RESPONSE: Grammatically, this must modify the person of Jesus Christ. Peter uses what Greek grammarians refer to as the “Granville Sharp Rule.” This occurs “when two singular nouns, which are not proper nouns, fall under the same article.” If this occurs, then “they refer to the same entity.” And Schreiner adds, “The phrase used here fits every part of this definition.”^[1] That is, both “God” and “Savior” refer to Jesus Christ.

The identical grammatical construction is used to describe Jesus as “Lord and Savior” (2 Pet. 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 18). If Jesus is the “Lord and Savior” in verse 11, then he must be the “God and Savior” in verse 1.[2] Likewise, in his first letter, Peter writes, “Blessed be the God and Father” (ho theos kai sōtēr). Surely, this affirms the deity of the Father. Yet, the same grammatical construction occurs here to refer to Jesus (tou theou hēmōn kai sōtēros).

In the second verse, Peter deliberately separates “the knowledge of God” and “Jesus our Lord.” This passage follows the same grammatical construction of Titus 2:13. For a further explanation on this passage, see comments on Titus 2:13.

^[1] Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 37, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2003), 287.

[2] Gene L. Green, Jude and 2 Peter, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2008), 174.