{Peter} (Petros). Greek form for the Aramaic (Chaldaic)
C(8870)h(8373), the nickname given Simon by Jesus when he first saw him
( Joh 1:42 ) and reaffirmed in the Greek form on his great
confession ( Mt 16:18 ), with an allusion to petra, another
form for a rock, ledge, or cliff. In  2Pe 1:1  we have both
Sim(936e) and Petros. Paul in his Epistles always terms himself
Paul, not Saul. So Peter uses this name, not Cephas or Simon,
because he is writing to Christians scattered over Asia Minor.
The nominative absolute occurs here as in  Jas 1:1 , but without
chairein as there, the usual form of greeting in letters ( Ac
23:26 ) so common in the papyri. {An apostle of Jesus Christ}
(apostolos I(8873)ou Christou). This is his official title, but in
 2Pe 1:1  doulos is added, which occurs alone in  Jas 1:1 . In
II and III John we have only ho presbuteros (the elder), as
Peter terms himself sunpresbuteros in  1Pe 5:1 . Paul's usage
varies greatly: only the names in I and II Thessalonians, the
title apostolos added and defended in Galatians and Romans as
also in I and II Corinthians and Colossians and Ephesians and II
Timothy with "by the will of God" added, and in I Timothy with
the addition of "according to the command of God." In Philippians
Paul has only "doulos (slave) Christou I(8873)ou," like James and
Jude. In Romans and Titus Paul has both doulos and apostolos,
like II Peter, while in Philemon he uses only desmios
(prisoner) I(8873)ou Christou. {To the elect} (eklektois).
Without article (with the article in  Mt 24:22,24,31 ) and dative
case, "to elect persons" (viewed as a group). Bigg takes
eklektois (old, but rare verbal adjective from ekleg(935c), to
pick out, to select) as an adjective describing the next word,
"to elect sojourners." That is possible and is like genos
eklekton in  2:9 . See the distinction between kl(8874)oi (called)
and eklektoi (chosen) in  Mt 22:14 . {Who are sojourners}
(parepid(886d)ois). Late double compound adjective (para,
epid(886d)ountes,  Ac 2:10 , to sojourn by the side of natives),
strangers sojourning for a while in a particular place. So in
Polybius, papyri, in LXX only twice ( Ge 23:4 ; 38 or 39 12), in
N.T. only here,  2:11  Heb 11:13 . The picture in the metaphor
here is that heaven is our native country and we are only
temporary sojourners here on earth. {Of the Dispersion}
(diaspor(8373)). See  Joh 7:35  for literal sense of the word for
scattered (from diaspeir(935c), to scatter abroad,  Ac 8:1 ) Jews
outside of Palestine, and  Jas 1:1  for the sense here to Jewish
Christians, including Gentile Christians (only N T. examples).
Note absence of the article, though a definite conception (of the
Dispersion). The Christian is a pilgrim on his way to the
homeland. These five Roman provinces include what we call Asia
Minor north and west of the Taurus mountain range (Hort). Hort
suggests that the order here suggests that Silvanus (bearer of
the Epistle) was to land in Pontus from the Euxine Sea, proceed
through Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, to Bithynia, where he would
re-embark for Rome. This, he holds, explains the separation of
Pontus and Bithynia, though the same province. Only Galatia and
Asia are mentioned elsewhere in the N.T. as having Christian
converts, but the N.T. by no means gives a full account of the
spread of the Gospel, as can be judged from  Col 1:6,23 .