2 Peter 3

Peter reminds believers to recall prophetic words and apostolic commands, warning them against scoffers who deny Christ's promised return. He refutes these scoffers by recalling the world's creation and destruction by water, stating that the current heavens and earth are reserved for judgment by fire. Peter emphasizes God's longsuffering as an opportunity for repentance, urging believers to live holy lives in anticipation of the Lord's sudden coming. Ultimately, believers are to look for new heavens and a new earth, growing in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

In this second epistle, Peter aims to stir up the pure minds of believers by reminding them of the words of the holy prophets and the apostles' commandments. He forewarns of scoffers in the last days who will question the promise of Christ's coming, asserting that all things remain unchanged since creation. Peter counters this by recalling the world's creation by God's word from water and its subsequent destruction by a flood, explaining that the present heavens and earth are similarly reserved by the same word for dissolution by fire on the day of judgment. He clarifies that God's apparent delay is not slackness but longsuffering, desiring all to come to repentance. The Day of the Lord will arrive unexpectedly, bringing the dissolution of the heavens and earth by fervent heat. Therefore, believers are exhorted to live in holy conversation and godliness, looking for new heavens and a new earth wherein righteousness dwells, and to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Peter commences his second epistle by reiterating his purpose: to awaken the pure minds of his beloved readers through remembrance of the holy prophets' words and the apostles' commandments. He warns them to be mindful of a critical truth: that in the last days, scoffers will emerge, driven by their own lusts, who will mock the promise of Christ's return. These scoffers will argue that since the time of the fathers, all things have continued as they were from the beginning of creation. Peter refutes this willingly ignorant stance by recalling that by God's word, the heavens and earth were formed from water, and by water, the world that then was perished in a flood. He then reveals that the present heavens and earth are, by the same divine word, kept in store and reserved for fire, awaiting the day of judgment and the perdition of ungodly men. Addressing the perceived delay, Peter clarifies that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day, emphasizing that God is not slack concerning His promise. Rather, His apparent delay is an act of longsuffering, not desiring that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Nevertheless, the Day of the Lord will come suddenly and unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, when the heavens will pass away with a great noise, the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the earth and all its works will be burned up. In light of these impending dissolutions, Peter exhorts believers to consider what manner of persons they ought to be, living in all holy conversation and godliness, eagerly looking for and hasting the coming of the Day of God. He reminds them that, according to God's promise, they anticipate new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will dwell. Therefore, they are encouraged to be diligent, striving to be found by Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. Peter also advises them to account the Lord's longsuffering as salvation, referencing the writings of Paul, some of which are difficult to understand and are twisted by the unlearned and unstable to their own destruction. He concludes with a final admonition to beware of being led astray by the error of the wicked, urging them instead to grow in grace and in the knowledge of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.