2 Peter 3

10. The certainty, suddenness, and concomitant effects, of the coming of the day of the Lord. FABER argues from this that the millennium, &c., must precede Christ's literal coming, not follow it. But "the day of the Lord" comprehends the whole series of events, beginning with the pre-millennial advent, and ending with the destruction of the wicked, and final conflagration, and general judgment (which last intervenes between the conflagration and the renovation of the earth).
will--emphatical. But (in spite of the mockers, and notwithstanding the delay) come and be present the day of the Lord SHALL.
as a thief--Peter remembers and repeats his Lord's image ( Luke 12:39 Luke 12:41 ) used in the conversation in which he took a part; so also Paul ( 1 Thessalonians 5:2 ) and John ( Revelation 3:3 , 16:15 ).
the heavens--which the scoffers say' shall "continue" as they are ( 2 Peter 3:4 , Matthew 24:35 , Revelation 21:1 ).
with a great noise--with a rushing noise, like that of a whizzing arrow, or the crash of a devouring flame.
elements--the component materials of the world [WAHL]. However, as "the works" in the earth are mentioned separately from "the earth," so it is likely by "elements," mentioned after "the heavens," are meant "the works therein," namely, the sun, moon, and stars (as THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH [p. 22, 148, 228]; and JUSTIN MARTYR [Apology, 2.44], use the word "elements"): these, as at creation, so in the destruction of the world, are mentioned [BENGEL]. But as "elements" is not so used in Scripture Greek, perhaps it refers to the component materials of "the heavens," including the heavenly bodies; it clearly belongs to the former clause, "the heavens," not to the following, "the earth," &c.
melt--be dissolved, as in 2 Peter 3:11 .
the works . . . therein--of nature and of art.

11. Your duty, seeing that this is so, is to be ever eagerly expecting the day of God.
then--Some oldest manuscripts substitute "thus" for "then": a happy refutation of the "thus" of the scoffers, 2 Peter 3:4 (English Version, "As they were," Greek, "thus").
shall be--Greek, "are being (in God's appointment, soon to be fulfilled) dissolved"; the present tense implying the certainty as though it were actually present.
what manner of men--exclamatory. How watchful, prayerful, zealous!
to be--not the mere Greek substantive verb of existence (einai), but (huparchein) denoting a state or condition in which one is supposed to be [TITTMANN]. What holy men ye ought to be found to be, when the event comes! This is "the holy commandment" mentioned in 2 Peter 3:2 .
conversation . . . godliness--Greek, plural: behaviors (towards men), godlinesses (or pieties towards God) in their manifold modes of manifestation.

12. hasting unto--with the utmost eagerness desiring [WAHL], praying for, and contemplating, the coming Saviour as at hand. The Greek may mean "hastening (that is, urging onward [ALFORD]) the day of God"; not that God's eternal appointment of the time is changeable, but God appoints us as instruments of accomplishing those events which must be first before the day of God can come. By praying for His coming, furthering the preaching of the Gospel for a witness to all nations, and bringing in those whom "the long-suffering of God" waits to save, we hasten the coming of the day of God. The Greek verb is always in New Testament used as neuter (as English Version here), not active; but the Septuagint uses it actively. Christ says, "Surely I come quickly. Amen." Our part is to speed forward this consummation by praying, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus" ( Revelation 22:20 ).
the coming--Greek, "presence" of a person: usually, of the Saviour.
the day of God--God has given many myriads of days to men: one shall be the great "day of God" Himself.
wherein--rather as Greek, "on account of (or owing to) which" day.
heavens--the upper and lower regions of the sky.
melt--Our igneous rocks show that they were once in a liquid state.

13. Nevertheless--"But": in contrast to the destructive effects of the day of God stand its constructive effects. As the flood was the baptism of the earth, eventuating in a renovated earth, partially delivered from "the curse," so the baptism with fire shall purify the earth so as to be the renovated abode of regenerated man, wholly freed from the curse.
his promise--( Isaiah 65:17 , 66:22 ). The "we" is not emphatical as in English Version.
new heavens--new atmospheric heavens surrounding the renovated earth.
righteousness--dwelleth in that coming world as its essential feature, all pollutions having been removed.

14. that ye . . . be found of him--"in His sight" [ALFORD], at His coming; plainly implying a personal coming.
without spot--at the coming marriage feast of the Lamb, in contrast to 2 Peter 2:13 , "Spots they are and blemishes while they feast," not having on the King's pure wedding garment.
blameless--( 1 Corinthians 1:8 , Philippians 1:10 , 1 Thessalonians 3:13 , 5:23 ).
in peace--in all its aspects, towards God, your own consciences, and your fellow men, and as its consequence eternal blessedness: "the God of peace" will effect this for you.

15. account . . . the long-suffering . . . is salvation--is designed for the salvation of those yet to be gathered into the Church: whereas those scoffers "count it (to be the result of) slackness" on the Lord's part ( 2 Peter 3:9 ).
our beloved brother Paul--a beautiful instance of love and humility. Peter praises the very Epistles which contain his condemnation.
according to the wisdom given unto him--adopting Paul's own language, 1 Corinthians 3:10 , "According to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master-builder." Supernatural and inspired wisdom "GIVEN" him, not acquired in human schools of learning.
hath written--Greek aorist, "wrote," as a thing wholly past: Paul was by this time either dead, or had ceased to minister to them.
to you--Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, the same region as Peter addresses. Compare "in peace," 2 Peter 3:14 , a practical exhibition of which Peter now gives in showing how perfectly agreeing Paul (who wrote the Epistle to the Galatians) and he are, notwithstanding the event recorded ( Galatians 2:11-14 ). Colossians 3:4 refers to Christ's second coming. The Epistle to the Hebrews, too (addressed not only to the Palestinian, but also secondarily to the Hebrew Christians everywhere), may be referred to, as Peter primarily (though not exclusively) addresses in both Epistles the Hebrew Christians of the dispersion Hebrews 9:27 Hebrews 9:28 , Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:37 , "speak of these things" ( 2 Peter 3:16 ) which Peter has been handling, namely, the coming of the day of the Lord, delayed through His "long-suffering," yet near and sudden.

16. also in all his epistles-- Romans 2:4 is very similar to 2 Peter 3:15 , beginning. The Pauline Epistles were by this time become the common property of all the churches. The "all" seems to imply they were now completed. The subject of the Lord's coming is handled in 1 Thessalonians 4:13 , 5:11 ; compare 2 Peter 3:10 with 1 Thessalonians 5:2 . Still Peter distinguishes Paul's Epistle, or Epistles, "TO YOU," from "all his (other) Epistles," showing that certain definite churches, or particular classes of believers, are meant by "you."
in which--Epistles. The oldest manuscripts read the feminine relative (hais); not as Received Text (hois), "in which things."
some things hard to be understood--namely, in reference to Christ's coming, for example, the statements as to the man of sin and the apostasy, before Christ's coming. "Paul seemed thereby to delay Christ's coming to a longer period than the other apostles, whence some doubted altogether His coming" [BENGEL]. Though there be some things hard to be understood, there are enough besides, plain, easy, and sufficient for perfecting the man of God. "There is scarce anything drawn from the obscure places, but the same in other places may be found most plain" [AUGUSTINE]. It is our own prejudice, foolish expectations, and carnal fancies, that make Scripture difficult [JEREMY TAYLOR].
unlearned--Not those wanting human learning are meant, but those lacking the learning imparted by the Spirit. The humanly learned have been often most deficient in spiritual learning, and have originated many heresies. Compare 2 Timothy 2:23 , a different Greek word, "unlearned," literally, "untutored." When religion is studied as a science, nothing is more abstruse; when studied in order to know our duty and practice it, nothing is easier.
unstable--not yet established in what they have learned; shaken by every seeming difficulty; who, in perplexing texts, instead of waiting until God by His Spirit makes them plain in comparing them with other Scriptures, hastily adopt distorted views.
wrest--strain and twist (properly with a hand screw) what is straight in itself (for example, 2 Timothy 2:18 ).
other scriptures--Paul's Epistles were, therefore, by this time, recognized in the Church, as "Scripture": a term never applied in any of the fifty places where it occurs, save to the Old and New Testament sacred writings. Men in each Church having miraculous discernment of spirits would have prevented any uninspired writing from being put on a par with the Old Testament word of God; the apostles' lives also were providentially prolonged, Paul's and Peter's at least to thirty-four years after Christ's resurrection, John's to thirty years later, so that fraud in the canon is out of question. The three first Gospels and Acts are included in "the other Scriptures," and perhaps all the New Testament books, save John and Revelation, written later.
unto their own destruction--not through Paul's fault ( 2 Peter 2:1 ).

17. Ye--warned by the case of those "unlearned and unstable" persons ( 2 Peter 3:16 ).
knowing . . . before--the event.
led away with--the very term, as Peter remembers, used by Paul of Barnabas' being "carried," Greek, "led away with" Peter and the other Jews in their hypocrisy.
wicked--"lawless," as in 2 Peter 2:7 .
fall from--(grace, Galatians 5:4 : the true source of) "steadfastness" or stability in contrast with the "unstable" ( 2 Peter 3:16 ): "established" ( 2 Peter 1:12 ): all kindred Greek terms. Compare Jude 1:20 Jude 1:21 .

18. grow--Not only do not "fall from" ( 2 Peter 3:17 ), but grow onward: the true secret of not going backward. Ephesians 4:15 , "Grow up into Him, the Head, Christ."
grace and . . . knowledge of . . . Christ--"the grace and knowledge of Christ" [ALFORD rightly]: the grace of which Christ is the author, and the knowledge of which Christ is the object.
for ever--Greek, "to the day of eternity": the day that has no end: "the day of the Lord," beginning with the Lord's coming.