101 Questions on the Sanctuary and on Ellen White

99. Peter’s Literary Assistant

Did any of the Bible prophets have secretaries or literary assistants who helped them produce their books? QSEW 108.1

Yes. In fact, Peter apparently gave his secretary far more liberty than Ellen White ever gave to Marian Davis. The quality of the Greek language in First Peter is so different from that in Second Peter that some scholars think they could not have been written by the same author. Michael Green states: QSEW 108.2

“The language is different (strikingly so in the original), and the thought is also very different. There is a very great stylistic difference between these two letters. The Greek of 1 Peter is polished, cultured, dignified; it is among the best in the New Testament. The Greek of 2 Peter is grandiose; it is rather like baroque art.”—The Second Epistle General of Peter and the General Epistle of Jude, Page 16. QSEW 108.3

In addressing the question of Bible authors and their assistants, Allen A. MacRae, one of America’s ablest Old Testament expositors, declares: QSEW 108.4

“Toward the end of the Epistle to the Galatians, Paul indicates that he was writing with his own hand, perhaps implying that this was not his usual custom. He may have been following a procedure also used in parts of the Old Testament where the material was dictated to a scribe. Jeremiah, for instance, dictated his prophecies to Baruch. Nor can we rule out the idea that on occasion a writer may have given an assistant a general idea of what he wanted, telling him to put it into written form. In such a case, he would have checked it over to be sure it represented what he wanted to say, and therefore he could truly be called its author. The Holy Spirit would have guided the entire process so that what was finally written expressed the ideas God desired His people to have. QSEW 108.5

“Probably Paul seldom followed this latter procedure, since he was highly educated and must have had confidence in his ability to express himself in Greek. But the situation may have been different in the case of Peter and John. The styles of First and Second Peter differ so considerably that some critics have suggested one is a fraud. Yet Peter could well have written one book in Greek himself (2 Peter?) and, for the other, expressed his thought in Aramaic to an associate who was more experienced in writing Greek (1 Peter). This associate could then have written Peter’s ideas in his own style, afterward making alterations Peter might have suggested. The two letters would thus differ in style; yet, under the direction of the Holy Spirit both would express Peter’s thought as truly as if Peter had dictated every word. John Calvin held such a view, but had no doubt that both presented Peter’s thoughts accurately.”—Christianity Today, October 10, 1980, Page 34. QSEW 108.6