This letter was written in 67 AD addressing a wide circle of early Christians. Its main concern is to combat the work of false teachers and the immorality which results from such teaching.
The answer to these problems is found in holding to the true knowledge of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, knowledge which has been conveyed by people who themselves have seen Jesus and have heard him teach. The writer is especially concerned with the teaching of those who claim that Christ will not return again. He says that the apparent delay in Christ's return is due to the fact that God “does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins”. (3.9)