62 Terrance Callan Jude 18 contains a direct quotation of the predictions of the apostles, “In the last time there will be scoffers, indulging their own ungodly lusts”. 2 Pet 3,3 is an adaptation of this. In Jude the quotation spells out what the readers are to remember. 2 Peter has transformed it into an additional point made by Peter himself (52). The author of 2 Peter replaced the formula with which Jude introduced the quotation, i.e., “for they said to you”, with the statement that the readers must first know this; what they must know is an adaptation of Jude’s quotation. 2 Peter changed the verb from “there will be” to “there will come” and put it first in the sentence. 2 Peter changed “in the last time” to “in the last days”; Bauckham observes that the latter is the more familiar expression (53). Before mentioning the scoffers, 2 Peter inserted the phrase “with scoffing”. Bauckham sees this as an imitation of the style of the Septuagint (54). It is also another example of paronomasia. 2 Peter followed Jude 18 closely in describing the scoffers as “indulging their own lusts”. However, 2 Peter used a different word for “their own” than Jude 18 did, and 2 Peter omitted “ungodly”. All of these changes seem to reflect stylistic preferences on the part of 2 Peter. 2 Peter then went on in 3,4 to a direct quotation of the content of the false teaching, after which 2 Peter refuted it. Thus 2 Pet 3,1-3 is an adaptation of Jude 17-18. 2 Pet 3,1 does not derive from Jude. But 2 Pet 3,2-3 is virtually a quotation of Jude 17- 18. However, the author of 2 Peter made many small changes in this material to make it better serve his purpose and to reflect his stylistic preferences. * ** We began by noting that in adapting Jude the author of 2 Peter transformed Jude’s critique of the behavior of its opponents into a critique of opponents who will not only behave improperly, but also teach falsely, i.e., deny that Jesus will come again. 2 Peter also transformed Jude’s critique of present opponents into a prediction that opponents will arise in the future. (52) BAUCKHAM (Jude, 2 Peter, 283) suggests that the author of 2 Peter here transforms Jude’s quotation of the apostles into a direct statement of the apostle Peter. So also WATSON, Invention, 127 n. 325. (53) Jude, 2 Peter, 288. (54) Jude, 2 Peter, 289. So also WATSON, Invention, 127.