2 Peter 3:1-16

The Coming Judgment

1 Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking ¹

2 by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

3 Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. ^[a]

4 “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”

5 But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

6 through which ^[b] the world of that time perished in the flood.

7 And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

The Day of the Lord

8 Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. ^{[c] 2}

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed ^[d] by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare. ^[e]

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness

12 as you anticipate and hasten the coming of the day of God, when the heavens will be destroyed by fire and the elements will melt in the heat.

13 But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Final Exhortations

14 Therefore, beloved, as you anticipate these things, make every effort to be found at peace—spotless and blameless in His sight. ^[f]

15 Consider also that our Lord’s patience brings salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him.

16 He writes this way in all his letters, ^[g] speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, ^[h] as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

2 Peter 3:1-16 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 PETER 3

In this chapter the apostle makes mention of the end and design of his writing this second epistle; foretells that there would be scoffers at the coming of Christ in the last days; describes the coming of Christ and the burning of the world; and closes with the use saints should make of these things. The end of his writing both this and the former epistle was to put the persons he writes unto in mind of the doctrines and ordinances of the Gospel, delivered by the prophets and apostles, 2Pe 3:1,2; and then, agreeably to what the prophets had said, he predicts that there would be scoffers in the last day; who are described by their sinful course of life, and by their words, what they would say concerning the coming of Christ, and their reasoning about it, 2Pe 3:3,4; which arose from their ignorance of the creation of the heavens and the earth, and of the situation of them; and is refuted by showing that things have not remained as they were from the creation; that the earth standing in and out of the water, as it was capable of being overflowed with a flood, so it perished by one; and that the present heavens and earth are reserved and prepared for a general burning at the day of judgment, in which wicked men will be destroyed, 2Pe 3:5-7; but let these men scoff as they will, the length of time since the promise of Christ's coming was made should be no objection with the saints to the performance of it; since the longest term of time is nothing with God, however considerable it may be with men, 2Pe 3:8; besides, the reason of the coming of Christ being deferred, is not owing to any dilatoriness in the performance of the promise, but to the longsuffering of God towards his elect, being unwilling that anyone of them should be lost, but that all should be brought to repentance, 2Pe 3:9; but as for the coming of Christ, that is certain, and will be sudden; at which time will be the general conflagration, which is described in a very awful manner, 2Pe 3:10-12; and the use to be made of such a tremendous dispensation by the saints is to live a holy and godly conversation, 2Pe 3:11; to be eagerly looking for the coming of Christ, 2Pe 3:12, and to expect, according to his promise, new heavens and a new earth, in which will dwell righteous persons, 2Pe 3:13; and to be diligent to be found in peace at that day, 2Pe 3:14; and to account the longsuffering of God salvation; and the whole of this account, and the use of it, is strengthened by the testimony of the Apostle Paul, of whom, and of his epistles, a character is given, 2Pe 3:15,16; and the epistle is concluded with some cautions and exhortations to the saints, to beware lest they should be carried away with the errors of wicked men, and so fall from any degree of steadfastness in the faith; and to be concerned for a growth in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus, to whom glory is to be ascribed for ever and ever, 2Pe 3:17,18.

Cross References

• 1. (Genesis 7:1–24; Jude 1:17–23)
• 2. (Zephaniah 1:7–18; Malachi 4:1–6; 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11)

Footnotes

• [a]. See Jude 1:18.
• [b]. NA through whom
• [c]. See Psalms 90:4.
• [d]. Or dissolved; also in verses 11 and 12.
• [e]. Or will not be found. BYZ and TR will be burned up; SBL, NE, and WH will be found, i.e., will be unable to hide.
• [f]. Or to be found by Him in peace, without spot and without blemish.
• [g]. Or in all the letters
• [h]. NA will distort