Introductory remarks:
Peter stresses the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in this chapter. "Peter is writing to remind them to hold onto what they were taught because scoffers will come and say Jesus isn't coming and things are as they have always been. The earth was once destroyed by water and it waits for the fire on the judgment day. Time with God is different and He won't forget His promises. The end will take the world by surprise. We should be looking forward to the new heavens and earth where righteousness will live and strive to achieve a state of perfection for when Jesus comes, just as Paul taught. Peter ends by telling them to guard against error and grow in knowledge of Christ" (A Survey of Acts - By Brenda). This chapter may be outlined as follows: the promise of the Lord's coming vv.1-18.
The Promise of the Lord's Coming
Verse 1, "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance."
LGT "This now, beloved, a second epistle I write to you, in [both] which I stir up your sincere minds in putting you in remembrance."
This now, beloved, a second epistle I write to you: Peter changes now from speaking against the false teachers in the last chapter to speaking to his beloved brethren. This is also proof that Peter was the author of both epistles. In both which I stir up your sincere minds: The Authorized Version has "pure minds" which is a bit misleading for no one other than the Lord Jesus Christ ever had a pure mind; I believe the word sincere fits the context best, because what Peter was alluding to was that they were genuine Christians. Peter says here that he wanted to stir up, that is, bring back to their remembrance the doctrines of grace they had already heard, and that he knew that they were sincerely genuine in their desire to learn more; and that is exactly what he is about to reveal to them.
Verse 2, "That ye 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."
LGT "That ye should remember the words spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of the Lord and Savior, through us the apostles."
That ye should remember the words: the words refer to the gospel of grace and its prevailing grace doctrines. Spoken before by the holy prophets: the prophets foretold the incarnation, life, death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And of the commandment: this has to with doctrines Christ instructed them to preach and teach. Of the Lord and Savior: the Author and Finisher of their faith. Through us the apostles: Christ hand picked His apostles to bring grace doctrine to the entire world; and certain ones of the twelve to write church doctrine down for all posterity.
Verse 3, "Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts."
LGT "Knowing this first, mockers will come with mockery, walking, according to their own lusts."
Knowing this first: Peter now takes up the subject of the Parousia of Christ; he had been talking of the strength and power of Christ, and now he takes up the doctrine of Christ's second coming. In the last days: the days we are living in today are the last days before Christ raptures the church, and the beginning of the Great Tribulation on earth. Mockers will come with mockery walking: these mockers are the liberals in the organized churches, who teach doctrines contrary to grace, and pervert the truth in words and deeds. According to their own lusts: these false teachers are greedily teaching for power and money; examples in our day are Robert Schuler, and his entire family, and that corrupt Rick Warren of Saddleback fame; these charlatan's follow the horrible teachings of the late Norman Vincent Peal from the Reformed Church in America.
Verse 4, "And saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation."
LGT "And saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue from [the] beginning of [the] creation."
And saying: the false teachers in the last days will be saying, Where is the promise of His coming: first they deny the resurrection, and then deny the second coming of Christ. For since the fathers fell asleep: since the O.T. prophets who were predicting Christ would come and set up His kingdom, Christ has not come, so they will mock, saying, "When is He coming?" All things continue from the beginning of the creation: this is the same thing the so-called atheists claim; they think because they have not yet been judged, they never will be.
Verses 5-6, "For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished."
LGT "For this is hidden from them, [they] willing [it], that heavens were of old, and earth and in water subsisting, by the Word of God: through which [waters] the then world having been deluged with water perished."
For this is hidden from them, they willingly it: they willingly admit, contrary to truth, that the world continues as it was from the beginning. That heavens were of old, and earth and in water subsisting: God created the heavens and the earth in the beginning, and separated the water from the land. By the Word of God: God spoke the earth into existence. Through which waters the then world having been deluged with water perished: God spoke and the waters obeyed, and the earth was covered with water, and only eight persons survived. Things have not continued as it was in the beginning of creation; however the unbelievers refuse to believe this.
Verse 7, "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."
LGT "But the now heavens and the earth by the same Word are treasured up for fire being kept to a day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men."
Peter is teaching here that just as God judge the earth with flood that destroyed the anti-deluvian civilization, at the end of the Messianic reign God will destroy this earth as we know it with fire, and purge it forever of the ungodly. It seems incredible to me that even during Christ's reign on this earth, men will still reject Him.
Verse 8, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
LGT "But let this one thing be not hidden from you, that one day with [the] Lord [is] as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."
It may seem to be a very long time until the judgment day, but Peter tells them that with God time is not an issue, for He sees things as an eternal moment. The scoffers may ridicule the time that has elapsed and Christ has not returned, but you can be very sure, He will return.
Verse 9, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."
LGT "The Lord does not delay the promise, as some esteem delay, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing [for] any to perish, but all to come to repentance."
The Lord does not delay the promise: God is not forgetful about His promise, nor is He delaying His promise of Christ's return, as these mockers like to present their case. As some esteem delay: these mockers who interpret time according to man's concept of time. But is longsuffering: God is divinely patient. Toward us: God's patience in time is for the benefit of all men, having the opportunity to accept His Son as their Savior. Not willing for any to perish: even though God wishes all men everywhere to be saved, He does not tamper with man's free will; God could not receive glory from a robot, that is, one who He forced to become His child. But all to come to repentance: all men are born with a bent toward sin, that is, all men are sinners having a filthy sin nature. God has provided the greatest gift to mankind in the sacrifice of His only begotten Son for the entire world, that all men have to do is change their minds and accept this free gift of His love offering.
Verse 10, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned."
LGT "But [the] day of [the] Lord shall come as a thief, in which the heavens with rushing noise shall pass away, and [the] elements burning with heat shall be dissolved, and [the] earth and the works in it shall be exposed."
But the day of the Lord shall come as a thief: Christ's coming will be as a thief in the night to those scoffers who say, "Where is the promise of His coming", vs. 4. In which the heavens with rushing noise shall pass away: our heavens in our earthly universe shall pass away with a terrible noise, as McGee said, an atomic explosion. And the elements burning with heat shall be dissolved: at the end of the thousand-year reign of Christ, the entire world will be judged, and Christ will destroy it with the sword of His mouth. And the earth and the works in it shall be dissolved: the material universe will be dissolved and then God will create a new heaven and a new earth.
Verse 11, "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness."
LGT "These things thus all being to be dissolved, what kind of [persons] ought ye to be in holy conduct and piety:"
Peter is saying that in light of the future judgment that is coming to the earth how should the Christian's conduct be, but that he should adjust his life to Bible doctrine. Christ could come at any time, and we should be ready to meet Him by being absorbed in the Word, and helping one another learn the grace of God, for that is our only hope of joy in this veil of tears.
Verse 12, "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"
LGT "Expecting and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God by reason which [the] heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and [the] elements burning with heat shall melt?"
Verses 11 and 12 are one sentence. Verse 12 completes the thought that these Jews of the Diaspora should earnestly desire and expect Christ to come at any time; and I might add so should we. If we truly believe the rapture could appear at any time why would we not endeavor to live in fellowship constantly?
Verse 13, "Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."
LGT "But new heavens and a new earth according to His promise we expect, in which righteousness dwells."
Those who say the New Testament has no promises for the believer today have never read this wonderful promise of God (see Rev. 21:1). We try vainly today to make a perfect society, and fail miserably. There will be no peace until Christ returns and takes us home to Himself, and then create a new heaven and new earth wherein righteousness dwells; how marvelous this day will be, when we are united again with our loved ones in heaven to celebrate forever. We will no longer have this filthy sin nature to drag around, and we will be able to enjoy our new abode in true righteousness. "True righteousness is not at home in this present world, in the individual (except it is present positionally), the family or nation" (Robertson).
Verse 14, "wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
LGT "Wherefore, beloved, expecting these things be diligent without spot and unblameable by Him, to be found in peace."
Peter says that they should live in this expectancy of Christ's soon coming, and that they should be living in fellowship with the Father through His Word, and that they should be at peace with all that is happening around them, and not to get anxious living in this devil's world. There are so many external influences that seem to lead us to be distraught and ready to give up; however, Peter says take heart, this is not going to last much longer, and then Christ will rule, the Great Prince of Peace.
Verse 15, "And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you."
LGT "And the longsuffering of our Lord esteem ye salvation, according as also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given to him wrote to you."
And the longsuffering of our Lord esteem ye salvation: Peter says that they should consider the salvation of some of the lost as reason for His delay. According as also our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given him wrote to you: Peter recognizes Paul as his brother inspired by the Holy Spirit the same as he. This verse should put to rest the Roman Church's fallacious teaching of Peter's primacy as the first Pope.
Verse 16, "As also in all his epistles, speaking of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."
LGT "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them concerning these things, among which some things are hard to understand, which the untaught and un-established wrest, as also other Scriptures, to their own destruction."
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them concerning these things: Peter acknowledges that Paul was inspired and did write Scripture. He also says that Paul also wrote concerning the second coming of Christ. Among which some things are hard to understand: Peter may be referring to the Thessalonian believers who had a rough time accepting the second coming of Christ, mainly because of the false teachers who were saying that Paul was teaching grace doctrine which was different from the other apostles, and also they were misleading the believers into believing that Paul was antinomian. Which the untaught and un-established wrest, as they do also other Scriptures: these untaught and un-established were those who went along with the false teachers. The word wrest means "to twist or dislocate", and this is exactly what those listened to the false teachers did to the Word of God, and they did it to their own destruction: these false listeners did so deliberately for they did not want to hear faith alone in Christ alone, but they had itching ears to hear how wonderful they were, and how mush self-esteem they possessed, and all that self-promoting garbage given out at the Crystal Cathedral and Saddleback Church.
Verse 17, "Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with all the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness."
LGT "Ye therefore, beloved, knowing beforehand, beware lest with the error of the lawless [ones] having been led away, ye should fall from your own steadfastness."
Ye therefore, beloved, knowing beforehand: Peter is speaking of the entire Word of God at their disposal. Beware lest with the error of the lawless ones: the only defense they had, and that we have, of not falling into error is daily Bible study; believe me, there are no shortcuts to learning Bible doctrine; it takes disciplined daily saturating yourself with the Word of God. Having been led away, ye should fall from your own steadfastness: this is the beauty of God's Word, you never learn it all; I am seventy-five years old, and it seems as though I have just began to learn the Word. This is truly falling from grace when you quit studying the Word; falling from grace means that you have decided to go it alone and leave God out of the equation; all this does is leave you open for His disciplining rod. Don't be stupid; keep studying.
Verse 18, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever."
LGT "but grow in grace, and in [the] knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him [be] glory both now and to [the] day of eternity. [Amen]."
What a wonderful closing to a wonderful epistle. I love how Peter spends so much time emphasizing the need for growing in grace. The Lord Jesus Christ has begun a good work in us, and by His grace He will finish this work, and perfect us unto that great and wonderful day of eternity. The only way I know that we may grow in grace is to study God's grace, and the only place I know that teaches God's grace in God's Word. May God continue to bless us in His wonderful grace teaching.
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