The Fathers
The Fathers
For many, the lifetime of Peter was too early for Christians to be referring to their early leaders as "the fathers” (2 Pet. 3:4; NIV ’s "our fathers” is based on inferior MSS). Perhaps it was, but we should bear in mind that nowhere else in the New Testament is the expression "the fathers” used of the early Christians. It is much more likely that here, as elsewhere, it refers to the Jewish patriarchs. And a pseudepigraphist would not be likely to assume that in Peter’s day the first Christians were called "the fathers.” Even if we assume that the writer made a slip, we should bear in mind that he is not using the expression of himself but ascribing it to the false teachers, which would mean a generally accepted way of speaking. The objection is not decisiv