Bible Commentaries
2 Peter 3

Verse 1

2 Peter 3:1

See Sermon.

Ch. 3 Scoffers of the Second Coming

Stir up your minds -- They had previously heard of this subject. These days people like to have their emotions and feeling stirred up, and not their minds, and by impure lewd methods.

Verse 2

2 Peter 3:2

Words spoken before -- Three sources: 1) prophets; 2) Lord; 3) the apostles. (Previously he has said that the prophets wrote by inspiration 2 Peter 1:21.

Commandment -- given by Jesus to his apostles.

Verse 3

2 Peter 3:3

Last days -- Last days of what? Usually the last days, or end of the Mosaic dispensation. Some take this to mean the last age or dispensation which is the Christian age and that it refers to the entire time from it’s beginning at Pentecost to the Second Coming.

Most probably however it refers to the last days of the Jewish nations which came in AD 70. Peter identifies the "last days" in Acts 1:17-18 as the time when Joel wrote of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Scoffers -- men who deride or mock.

Lusts -- passions, personal ambitions, self-glory.

Verse 4

2 Peter 3:4

Promise -- i.e, they refer to the fulfillment of the promise. Matthew 24:27, Matthew 24:37-44,John 14:3.

The Second Coming was a part of apostolic preaching Acts 3:20’ 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

All things continue -- Think of an unchanging fixed universe, "uniformitarians."

Verse 5

2 Peter 3:5

Willingly ignorant -- The philosophies of evolution and uniformitarianism are willfully ignorant of two great facts of history: 1) creation; 2) the world flood.

Point: If men understood the supernatural beginning they could believe in a supernatural end.

Heavens were of old -- Creationism

Earth standing out of the water -- a picture of creation.

Genesis 1-3 is not an allegory.

First law of Thermodynamics = Law of energy conservation; matter/energy.

Second law of Thermodynamics = Law of entropy or disintegration. Things wear out, Hebrews 1:3, Hebrews 1:10-12.

The Creation was: 1) complete; 2) mature; and 3) perfect.

Verse 6

2 Peter 3:6

World Flood

v. 6 = Gen 7-11, the flood. Genesis 7:1 -8:22

World -- kosmos. Orderly system.

Overflowed -- katahkydzo = cataclysm. World Flood in Hebrew = marone. 2 Peter 2:6 = catastorphy, but here a cataclysm.

Water -- plural; Peter thinking of all above and below the firmament. 1) world wide; 2) water flood.

1 Peter 3:20

*** The Bible Speaks of 5 Cosmologies

1. The cosmology of the creation ( 7 days) that ended with Adam & Eve’s creation. - v.5

2. The cosmology of the world that existed before Adam’s sin.

3. The cosmology of the world between Adam’s sin and the flood.

4. This "present world" - v.7

5. The cosmology of the world that will come . v. 10-13

Verse 7

2 Peter 3:7

V. 7, the reason why scoffers reject God’s Word.

Are now -- contrasted with "the world that then existed" of verse 5. 2 Peter 3:5

Same word -- Hebrews 1:3

Kept in store -- "to reserve, heap up in store."

Against -- the duration of the keeping.

Perdition -- destruction. Cognate of "perished" in v. 6. 2 Peter 3:6.

Verse 8

2 Peter 3:8

Lapse of time between God making a promise and its fulfillment is no valid argument against the certainty of its fulfillment. The context is 2 Peter 3:4 and 2 Peter 3:9.

Psalms 90:4

Verse 9

2 Peter 3:9

but is longsuffering toward us -- The fact that the Lord permits time to continue is an evidence of His goodness, and patience. (But how long will his patience continue?)

not willing that any shoudl perish -- God does not desire or wish that anyone be lost. His nature is benevolent, and He sincerely desires the eternal happiness of all, and His patience toward sinners “proves” that He is willing that they should be saved. 1 Timothy 2:4; Ezekiel 33:11;

Verse 10

2 Peter 3:10

"Day of the Lord" -- is a day of judgment. cf. 2 Peter 2:9, 2 Peter 3:7; and see the way the term is used in the Old Testament, esp. Joel; Isaiah 2:12; Joel 1:15, Joel 2:1, Joel 2:31, Joel 3:14;

(and the day speaks of future judgment, Malachi 4:5; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 2 Corinthians 1:14; Judges 1:6 )

Will come -- positive certainty.

As a thief -- suddenly and unexpectedly. Matthew 24:43-44; Luke 12:39-40; 1 Thessalonians 5:2-3.

Great noise -- ? the roar of a fire ?

Elements -- i.e. heavenly elements; i.e. sun, moon, stars, etc.

Earth also ..

Works -- all of man’s accomplishments.

See Isaiah 51:6 (which may be only personifying Israel’s fall to Assyria and Judah’s fall to the Babylonians) How literal is this to be understood of the final day of God’s judgment on the world.

Verse 11

2 Peter 3:11

New Paragraph:

Our Response to the Second Coming vv. 10-15.

1. Look for it; v. 12, v. 13, v.14.

2. Live accordingly, v. 11, v. 14, v. 17

3. Labor, v. 12, 15, v. 9

4. Long, (ASV)

Seeing then -- Peter sees a close connection between "belief" and "conduct".

Conversation -- conduct, life.

Godliness -- piety and reverence; the effect of the parousia.

Verse 12

2 Peter 3:12

Looking for -- hasting -- waiting for an expecting the Second Coming (judgment) and hastening - How? By doing utmost to accomplish His work. "earnestly desiring", "sincerely desiring".

Heavens -- atmosphere? or universe?

Shall melt -- the repeat of v. 11 serves to reinforce the warning.

Verse 13

2 Peter 3:13

Promise -- Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; cf. John 14:2-3; John in Revelation 21:1.

Verse 14

2 Peter 3:14

Vs. 14-18 Exhortations Based on the Fact of the Second Coming

Seeing that ye look -- Such expectation calls for a certain type of life.

Peace -- Peace with God and man, Romans 12:18.

Without spot -- moral defilement.

Blameless -- -ness, "blemish" Contrast to the false teacher who were, 2 Peter 2:13.

Verse 15

2 Peter 3:15

And -- Parallel to v. 9 2 Peter 3:9.

Longsuffering -- patience, evidence of His mercy.

Paul -- Not sure what Scripture is referred to, but see Romans 2:4. This may be a general reference to Paul’s teaching on the importance of holiness in reference o the Second Coming.

Wisdom -- A way of saying Paul wrote by inspiration. 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 Corinthians 3:10, Galatians 2:9, Colossians 1:28.

Verse 16

2 Peter 3:16

These things -- plural.

Unlearned -- uninstructed.

Unstable -- weak and un-steadfast.

Wrest -- force them to yield a meaning not intended. Pervert them.

Other scripture -- Not only Paul’s but others.

This is an unequivocal declaration of Peter that he regarded the writings of Paul as a part of the holy Scriptures, and of course that he considered him as inspired. The word “Scriptures,” as used by a Jew, had a technical signification - meaning the inspired writings, and was the common word which was applied to the sacred writings of the Old Testament. As Peter uses this language, it implies that he regarded the writings of Paul as on a level with the Old Testament; and as far as the testimony of one apostle can go to confirm the claim of another to inspiration, it proves that the writings of Paul are entitled to a place in the sacred canon. - BN

NOTE: how Peter regards Paul’s writings. *** Authoritative writing.

Verse 17

2 Peter 3:17

Seeing ye know before -- you will be armed for the future.

Wicked -- lawless men.

Fall -- Peter expresses fear that this could happen. Paul uses the same verb lose in Galatians 5:4, RS V here "lose your own stability." [See the Greek word.]

See James 5:19 note on APOSTASY

Stedfastness -- Steadfastness, RSV stability, Gk noun form occurs only here, but the verb form in several places, Luke 22:32, 1 Peter 5:10, 2 Peter 1:12.

Verse 18

2 Peter 3:18

Grow -- present imperative verbs, they are commanded to keep on growing.

Grace -- increase in the favor and good will of Christ.

Knowledge -- to grow in understanding of the revelation which Christ has given to men through His apostles.

DOXOLOGY.

Forever -- RSV. to the day of eternity. Eternity = an endless day.

1 John = See ISBE outline and article.