'The Angels who Sinned . . . He Cast into Tartarus' (2 Peter 2:4): Its Ancient Meaning and Present Relevance

Like many formed by the same thought world, the author of 2 Peter is familiar with the extensive mythology generated by Genesis 6:1—4. What has often gone unacknowledged is the manner in which the writer seeks to create a 'linguistic bridge' into the socio-cultural context being addressed, by appropriating (in 2 Peter 2:4) the particular language of Graeco-Roman mythology. In doing so, the writer of 2 Peter provides a ready template for theological and evangelistic communication in the Postmodern milieu.