A Commentary of the Book of 2 Peter
By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins
Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible
Bible Study 2 Peter 3: 1-18
Text:
The Day of the Lord Will Come
3 This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” 5 For [a]when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, 6 through which the world at that time was destroyed, being deluged with water. 7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and [b]its works will be [c]found out.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
Be on Your Guard
14 Therefore, beloved, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest you, having been carried away by the error of unprincipled men, fall from your own steadfastness, 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Verse by verse commentary:
Verse 1: “This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,”
Following up from 1 Peter’s message, the reminder is probably Peter’s general concern, quite evident in both epistles, that his readers should live holy lives worthy of the gospel. I believe that repentance is the most neglected doctrine today and the need for personal holiness the second. Peter understood the importance of living a life that brings glory to the Lord Jesus Christ and that life is one of holiness, righteousness and sanctification.
Verse 2: “that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles,”
The “holy prophets” refers to the Old Testament prophets. The “commandment of the Lord” is a reference to a consistent theme in Peter and the Old Testament prophets about the day of judgment coming. The false teachers gave a smooth message discounting the return of our Lord. Peter wants his readers to know that Christ is coming again and this time in judgment to punish evil. Peter sets the record straight here stating that he and the other New Testament teachers were consistent with the Old Testament prophets.
Verse 3: “knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,”
“First” here is not first as in a list, but rather first in importance. Peter is warning against the false teachers who were saying that there would be no second coming. They mocked and made fun of the Apostles’ teaching that Christ would return in judgment. The false teachers created a doctrine that matched their sexual sins. The false teachers, not being saved, had nothing to restrain their sexual lusts and they walked in that lifestyle. “Last days” refers to that entire period of time from the arrival of the Messiah to His return.
Verse 4: “and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’”
Due to the delay in Christ’s return, the false teachers incorrectly concluded that the Lord Jesus Christ would never return to judge them. The “fathers fell asleep,” is mostly a reference to the Old Testament prophets. Peter argues that the scoffers of the second coming and judgment day are evidence of the last days.
Verse 5: “For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,”
The false teachers forgot that God created the world only using His Words. God spoke and the physical came from nothing but His Words. In addition, the false teachers were clearly in denial of the Sovereignty of God. They forgot that God created the earth by separating the waters at creation.
Verse 6: “through which the world at that time was destroyed, being deluged with water.”
Peter uses the example of the flood to prove the false teachers wrong. God brought judgment on the world through the flood. Peter’s point is that if God did that once before, i.e. bring judgment, He will do it again. The false teachers were deceiving the people about the coming judgment.
Verse 7: “But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”
The world system with its lust for power, money and sexual immorality is reserved for future judgment, which will come by the Word of God just as creation and the flood came. God will speak the Word and it will manifest in our physical world. God promised never to destroy the world with water again. However, in the future, God will destroy the heavens and the earth by fire. The earth waits for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men and women. The godly will not be present on earth when God speaks into existence the judgment by fire. The godly will have been raptured at the beginning of the tribulation period.
Verse 8: “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.”
Some mistakenly teach that a literal day equals a thousand years and use this verse to create some very interesting scenarios that merely tickle the ears. They are like movie plots with imagined endings. The better view is that Peter is asserting that God is Sovereign over time and that His perspective on time differs radically from ours. He declares “the end from the beginning.”
Verse 9: “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some consider slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
Many denominations mistakenly teach that this verse states that God wants to save everybody. He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. The picture is of an inept old grandfatherly type figure wringing his hands (I used a little “h” because this is not the God of the Bible) because he is powerless to save anyone on his own. This is why context is so important. First, who is Peter’s audience? 2 Peter 1: 1 reads: “Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received the same kind of faith as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ….” (Emphasis supplied.) Peter was not writing to the unsaved. He was writing to Christians. Remember the context. He has been writing about the false teachers saying judgment is not coming. Peter is explaining in this verse that one reason the day of judgment has not come is to give the elect the additional time to repent and be saved. Judgment is delayed for the sake of the elect.
Verse 10: “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be found out.”
The “day of the Lord” is a technical term pointing to God’s intervention into human history for judgment. It ultimately refers to the future time of judgment whereby God judges the wicked on earth and ends this world system in its present form. All evil will be punished throughout eternity in the flames of hell. “Like a thief” refers to the sudden climatic event that will occur with disastrous consequences to the lost. “Heavens” means the physical universe. “With a roar” is the sound that will be heard as the earth is consumed by fire. Think about burning wood around a campfire and multiply that noise by millions and you can understand Peter’s descriptions. The phrase “found out” is literally translated “burned up.” The earth will be burned up. This world is not our home and ultimately, it will be no one's home.
Verse 11: “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,”
“What sort of people ought you to be,” is not a question, but rather an announcement of a fact. This is a direct challenge for Christians to conform their lives to God’s standards in light of the reality of the coming day of the Lord and judgment. We are to be a holy people, not in perfect way, but in our efforts to mortify, i.e. kill, sin in our lives. The Puritan John Owen said: “Either you are killing sin or sin is killing you.”
Verse 12: “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens burning will be destroyed, and the elements will melt with intense heat!”
The time of Christ’s coming is determined by the Sovereign Will of God, but it does not take place in a vacuum. There are several events that will precede the “day of God” (these also are ordained by God and His Sovereign Will). God’s delay is merciful because it gives time to evangelize the elect. The several events include the rapture of the church, the rise of the Antichrist and the tribulation period.
Verse 13: “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”
The word “new” means new in quality, i.e., different from before, not just new in time. This new earth will be the residence of “righteousness.” Sin will be gone. There will be no sin. Let that sink in. We say that we have been saved from the penalty of sin, are being saved from the power of sin in our lives and one day from the presence of sin. This verse is speaking of the latter.
Verse 14: “Therefore, beloved, since you are looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless,”
We are to be earnestly looking for this time to come and at the same time do all we can to reach the elect lost. When Christ returns to rapture the church or at the time He comes all the way to earth at His second coming, every Christian should be found enjoying the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ which knows no worry or fear about the day of the Lord, i.e. judgment.
Verse 15: “and consider the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you,”
In addition to what Peter has already explained in verse 9 about the Lord’s patience being a reason He delays judgment, here he adds that during the time of God’s patience, Christians should evangelize everyone they can. No one knows who the elect are so we must assume everyone is and give them the Gospel. Only those who have received grace in their hearts as a gift from God will respond affirmatively. However, our duty is not dependent on the response to our efforts.
Verse 16: “as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
Peter views Paul’s letters in the same category as the inspired, authoritative writings of the Old Testament as well as the other Apostles in the New Testament. Peter confirms that there is only one consistent message from all the inspired authors. The reference to “which the untaught and unstable distort” means that the false teachers are distorting Paul’s words regarding the day of the Lord and final judgment.
Verse 17: “You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest you, having been carried away by the error of unprincipled men, fall from your own steadfastness,”
The false teachers are characterized as people who ignore all moral restraints. They created their doctrine to excuse or justify their sexual immorality. The phrase “fall from your own steadfastness” does not mean that salvation could be lost but rather a warning to them of their own weakness and the dangers that surround them. Those truly saved by the Lord Jesus Christ will persevere to the end.
Verse 18: “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.”
We are to grow in grace every day as we follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Every day is an opportunity to be molded more and more into His image. That should be the daily goal of every Christian. Peter affirms Christ’s Deity giving Him glory. That glory will continue throughout all of eternity.
