2 Peter - Chapter 3
Now we come to the strong meat of Peter’s teaching as he concludes his final epistle to the Christians who are under his teaching. Peter gives his wisdom, gathered from his personal experience with the Lord, of the certainty of Christ’s return, as He will come again in judgment. Peter warns the godly as to the need for their repentance and teaches of the long patience of God.
Peter brings his strongest teaching yet given to describe the events of those last times for his readers. Surely we should take these words to our hearts just as if he was sitting here with us now. They are just as powerful and just as effective today as they were in his day. This last portion of his writing brings to mind the clear conclusion that Jesus used in The Revelation:
“HE THAT HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR”
1 – 2:
Peter advises that this is his second letter to his Christian friends and he contrasts the impurity of the minds and hearts of the false teachers to the pure minds of his readers. He wants them to remember what he has taught and for the second time uses the word picture of telling them he wishes to “stir up” their minds.
God’s words were true, and he wants these who listen to be sure they remember (were mindful) that the truth was given by the holy prophets of the OT as well as the commands given by Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry, which we can now study in the four gospels.
How lucky we are to have the Word in its completed book form at our hand for ready reference and study.
3:
While the Lord came to earth incarnated into our flesh over 2000 years ago, we have his promise that He will return and we who are faithful will await his arrival which is gain for each of us whether he comes before our own mortal death or not. If not, he will bring us with him when he comes. But in these last days, there are (and will be) those who will pursue only their own fleshly desires and will challenge whether His promise is true. WE KNOW IT IS TRUE! We also know that those scoffers will be headed for a different destination at that final hour.
4:
These scoffers and false teachers claim that nothing had changed since God had created the world and therefore nothing would change in the future. They claimed that Jesus was NOT God incarnate and had not brought us the truth. Peter answers these false ones in four ways:
God’s word (verses 5-7)
God’s time (verse 8)
God’s patience (verse 9)
Peter’s warning (verse 10)
5 – 6:
God’s word had created all we have, earth, sky, water, & heavens. He had commanded these things to appear and they had appeared. Genesis teaches clearly of the evidence of God’s work, which continues to surround us each day we spend on earth.
Note how Peter teaches that these false ones are not simply ill informed; he teaches that they are “willingly ignorant” which means they have chosen their own ignorance. This type of ignorance is especially wicked as the truth is available and evident, and they choose to disbelieve. Peter reminds us that those wicked ones in the days of the flood perished as a result of their wickedness and unbelief.
7:
The method to be used in the next destruction will not be water again, but this time will come the fire of His judgment. Joel 2:30-31 teaches us of the fire and smoke and blood to come and we see its promise in The Revelation of John as well.
8 – 10:
Peter creates a wonderfully different concept of time of man versus time of God. He advises that 1000 years here is equal to one day there in eternity (this concept he borrowed from Psalm 90:4). God rules time, just as He rules and sustains all other matters of life. While people here think that many years have passed with no change, in truth, not long has passed outside of human time. But we who remain faithful do not couple the passage of our time with a thought that God has forgotten His promise. Remember all those we studied in Hebrews 11 who remained in faith even though they died having not received the result of the promise. Because it did not happen in their lifetime here did not mean it was not still to come. Our faith must include things unseen to be faith.
God is neither slow nor slack. His promise is as pure today as it was thousands of years ago. His patience is His kindness to allow more to come to Him as our time passes. But His patience, while long, is NOT everlasting.
He sent our redeemer in the fullness of time. He will send the judgment also in the fullness of time. But we who are faithful and are His children will not be appointed to His wrath.
11 – 14:
Now Peter brings one of his most profound questions of all his teaching to his readers which is:
Now that you know all these things, how should you live?
We have been taught that life is at best a vapor, quickly gone. What should we do with this blessing of life now that we know the truth of His gospel and of His return?
We should be holy, set apart. We should be godly, seeking always first His kingdom and all other things will come from that effort.
We should be joyful at the promise to come as new heavens and new earth will arrive for His people. Peter borrows from Isaiah 65:17 in these verses to confirm again the promise of the OT. There will be no wickedness there and no false ones. Peter teaches them and us to live lives pleasing to God, without spot or blemish and therefore awaiting in purity the return.
15 – 16:
Peter reminds his readers that Paul also had written of the patience of the Lord perhaps thinking of Paul’s teaching in Romans 2:4 that helps us to recall that it is God’s kindness that leads people to change their behavior.
Paul also taught clearly of the return of Jesus Christ and Peter acknowledges that some of Paul’s works were difficult to understand, particularly for those who are unlearned or unstable or as we saw earlier, choose willing ignorance. Their choice will bring their destruction.
17 – 18:
Christians knew before that false ones would come. Therefore they (and us) must be careful and guarded as the temptations of the false teachings and false doctrine are at time easy to accept. But this easy acceptance actually weakens the faith. The only answer to these issues is for believers to gain in strength and maturity, understanding more deeply the love God holds for His own. Notice how Peter closes his letter with the use of the most reverent title for our Lord:
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
Peter wishes each believer to grow in grace and to extend all the glory of our lives to Him both now and forever.
He closes with a strong AMEN! This word transforms this letter into a prayer of praise. Remember in those days, as in our day, this word signifies a conclusion, which means, “it is true” & “we agree”.