2 Peter 3:1-9
As chapter 3 of 2 Peter begins, Peter gives his motivation for writing both of his letters. He says:
2 Peter 3:1-2 (NKJV) 1Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
His concern is seen in the warnings he gives as he speaks of false teachers and the challenges we face as followers of Jesus. He also expresses his affection in his form of address, and he calls us “beloved.”
Jesus commanded us to love each other. Peter shows his love by reminding us of the truth. We also recognize that false teachers fake love and concern when we say this. However, the content of Peter’s message reflects his affection. He is concerned that we are “mindful of the words which were spoken” by the prophets and Apostles. He does not direct us to himself; he leads us to the words of others that have proven faithful. He is not seeking his own benefit but ours.
The words of the prophets and Apostles form the foundation of our faith; in other words, the Old Testament and the New Testament are our source. The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, always direct us to base our lives on the written word of God. For example, the prophet Isaiah says:
Isaiah 8:20 (NKJV) To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
Later in chapter three, Second Peter says that false teachers distort the writings of Paul as they do the rest of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). If Second Peter teaches us anything, it teaches us to base our lives and faith on the written word of God.
Anything I say and any teaching you hear must align with Scripture, or it is wrong. This is true of anything we read or that claims to teach the truth, and Scripture is how the Holy Spirit leads us into all truth. In Acts, the Bible recognizes the Bereans as noble-minded for checking what the Apostles were teaching against the Old Testament Scriptures.
Acts 17:11 (ESV) Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
The Bereans were “more noble” because they examined the Scriptures to see if the things taught were consistent with Scripture. They did not blindly accept everything they were told.
Let’s look at 1 Peter 3:1-2 again.
2 Peter 3:1-2 (NKJV) 1Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,
In verse one, we see that he stirs up our “pure minds.” Having a “pure” (sincere or unmixed) mind is essential. Jesus said:
Matthew 5:8 (NKJV) Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Titus 1:15 helps us understand why a pure heart is so important.
Titus 1:15 (NKJV) To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
The defiled mind and conscience lead to being what 2 Peter 3:3 calls “scoffers.”
2 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV) 3knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
By saying “knowing this first,” Peter emphasizes the essential nature of the promise of His coming. Not everyone who asks, “Where is the promise of His coming,” is a mocker. The mocker asks the question with a defiled heart and conscience. Peter says the scoffer (mocker) walks according to their own lusts (evil desires).
People suppress the truth if the truth does not serve their lusts. An impure (lustful) heart will hide from, twist, or otherwise, pervert the truth. In verse five of second Peter, Peter says people deliberately hide (from themselves) certain truths.
There is nothing wrong with the question, “Where is the promise of His coming.” However, the scoffer asks the question to mock the promise and follows it with the statement, “For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as [they were] from the beginning of creation.” They believe that everything has continued without change since the beginning. Verse five through seven of second Peter chapter three expose the error in the belief system of people who scoff at what the Bible says about the return of Christ.
2 Peter 3:5-7 says:
2 Peter 3:5-7 (NKJV) 5For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
Two errors in thinking or belief of scoffers are shown in these verses. The first error is that they do not believe or acknowledge the biblical account of creation. And the second error is that they do not consider the story of Noah and the Ark to be true. According to 2 Peter 3:7, people purposely (deliberately) hide or ignore facts. He is saying humanity knowingly covers (hides) the knowledge of creation and the flood. 2 Peter, like the rest of Scripture, is inspired by God. So it is God who is saying that creation and the flood provide enough evidence to answer the mockers. Romans 1:18 says essentially the same thing.
Romans 1:18 (NKJV) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Most people I know are not mockers. However, most people are deceived. The deceiver knows the truth and deliberately says something different. The devil is the great deceiver and the father of lies. And, as Ephesians 2 teaches us, the world is under the power of the evil one. Because of this, most of the world is deceived concerning the obvious truths of creation and the flood. However, while God excuses their ignorance, He does not excuse their unwillingness to acknowledge the truth when they are confronted with it.
Acts 17:30-31 speaks of God’s willingness to overlook ignorance and harsh judgment of willful hiding from the truth.
Acts 17:30-31 (NKJV) 30“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31“because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him [Jesus] from the dead.”
God sustains all creation, and in Him, all things exist and have their being. The power of God holds everything together. And, according to Romans 1:18, humanity has no excuse for not acknowledging these facts. However, even though humanity deliberately forgets God, God continues to sustain and provide for humanity. But, 2 Peter 3:4 contains a strong warning for the world; judgment is coming. God destroyed this world once by flooding it. God will destroy this world again, but everything will be destroyed by fire the next time. God destroyed the world by the flood because the inclinations of mens’ hearts were only evil continually. God is just, and God will see that justice is done. The coming judgment will be final, when this world is destroyed by fire.
If God is preserving this world for judgment, where is Jesus? Why has He not kept His promise to come back?
First, let’s consider where Jesus is. The Bible teaches that Jesus is at the right hand of God making intercession for us. Many verses say that Jesus is at God’s right hand interceding for us, and one such verse is Romans 8:34.
Romans 8:34 (NKJV) Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with His followers while He is at the Father’s right hand. The Holy Spirit teaches and keeps us. Through the Holy Spirit, God makes us alive spiritually (this is called “rebirth”). Jesus also gives gifts by the Holy Spirit so that His followers function together as a body. His body, known as the Church, remains in the world to tell others about Jesus and plead with each person to be reconciled to God. When Jesus comes back, this will end.
When He ascended to heaven, Jesus said that no one will know the day or the hour of His return. He did tell us to be aware of the signs of the times. While we do not know the time of His return, we know for sure that it is two thousand years closer than when He left. 2 Peter 3:8-9 encourages us with the following words.
2 Peter 3:8-9 (NKJV) 8But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
Focus on the words “the Lord is not slack concerning His promise.” In this case, the term “slack” means “slow.” However, He is waiting. Here is the answer to why Jesus has not come back yet. God “is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
God will not mess with your free will. If you choose to ignore Him and hide from the truth, He will not force you to turn. He is “longsuffering” (patience that only God can show) toward us. However, this will not go on forever. Do not try to figure out when the day of Jesus’ return will be, but know that it will be soon.
2 Peter 3:8 tells us, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” This is not meant to be interpreted as one thousand years equals one day, because the Scriptures are making the point that time is irrelevant to God. We are tied to time and think in terms of time. It seems like “forever” since Jesus left. We must not forget that time means nothing to God. He controls time and has set a time when Jesus will return, but time is not the measure for His work. When His will is accomplished, when everyone He wants to be saved is saved, He will return. We count “slackness” as time and impose that thinking on God.
“Boy, He sure is slow!”
No! He is not slow. He is perfect; all His works are always complete, and when, and only when, He is ready, Jesus will return.
Are we ready?
Let me end with 1 John 3:3.
1 John 3:3 (NKJV) And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
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