VI. Final Words (2 Peter 3:14-18)

VI. Final Words (3:14-18)

3:14 This final section recaps some of the themes highlighted elsewhere in the letter. In light of the imminent return of Christ, believers are to make every effort (cf. 1:5, 15) to be holy and godly. As sacrificial animals in the Old Testament were to be without spot or blemish in [God’s] sight, new covenant believers are to be without moral defect before the Lord, repenting when they do sin.

3:15 The Lord’s delay in coming is designed to give men and women time to repent of their sin and come to salvation. Therefore, we must take advantage of his patience by repenting, rather than presuming upon his patience and living for unrighteous purposes. The apostle Paul, Peter says, has written similar admonitions in his epistles.

3:16 Paul’s letters spoke often of godly living and the Lord’s patience (e.g., Rom 2:4; 3:25; 9:22), but false teachers apparently distorted Paul’s statements because they were hard to understand. The distortions did not reflect any fault in Paul’s writings. Rather, the fault was with the untaught and unstable false teachers who [twisted] them to their own destruction. A passing comment acknowledges that Paul’s letters already were regarded by the church as among the Scriptures.

3:17 Because false teachers are going to infiltrate the church, believers must be on [their] guard not to be led away by the error of men who talk like Christians but live rebellious, ungodly lives. Maintaining a stable position spiritually is a key to godly living.

3:18 The theme of spiritual growth bookends the letter, recurring here after its introduction in 1:1-15. Believers are to grow in their understanding of grace and their experiential knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. They should resist false teachers, focusing on growth and spiritual development in a way that glorifies God both now and to the day of eternity.