The Second Epistle of Peter
Stanley Bruce Anstey
Table of Contents
Introduction
The fact that Peter calls this the “second” epistle to those to whom he wrote (chap. 3:1), shows that it was written to the same ones that his first epistle was written to—Christian converts from Judaism scattered through Asia Minor (modern day Turkey). J. N. Darby confirms this, stating: “The Second Epistle declares itself to be a second addressed to the same persons: so that the one and the other were destined for the Jews of Asia Minor” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, vol. 5, p. 423). Peter does not indicate how much time elapsed between the two epistles; but scholars generally agree that it was a relatively short period of time.
In keeping with all second epistles in our Bibles, Peter’s second epistle contemplates the breakdown and failure of the Christian testimony (Christendom). While the first epistle is silent as to the rise of evil in the Christian profession, this second epistle sounds a warning of it in no uncertain terms. Peter announces that there would be a great impending apostasy (an abandoning of Christian truth) in the closing days of the Christian testimony. The Apostle Paul tells us that it will reach its climax after the Church has been called away to heaven, when “the man of sin” (the Antichrist) will be revealed (2 Thess. 2:3). True believers will not apostatize, but they can get swept along with the current of apostasy and let go of certain principles and practices that they once held (chap. 3:17 – “led away along with the error of the wicked”). The epistle does not merely announce the coming declension, but it also gives us important instruction as to how we can be preserved from the influence of apostasy. This epistle, therefore, is very applicable to the saints in our day when the corruptions which Peter speaks about have entered the Christian profession. The epistle encourages faithfulness in a day of declension.
If, in the first epistle, Peter is seen as a teacher and a shepherd instructing and exhorting the flock of God, in this second epistle, he is seen as a prophet announcing the judgment of Christendom and the world at the Appearing of Christ. In the first epistle, Peter guides the sheep; here, in the second, he guards them.
An Outline
In chapter 1, the Apostle shows that God has anticipated the corrupt state that would characterize the Christian testimony in the last days and has made full provision for the saints to escape the corruptions of the world that would come into the Church.
In chapter 2, the Apostle announces that false teachers would be the instruments through which these corruptions would come into the Christian profession.
In chapter 3, the Apostle shows that these infidel mockers will deny the Lord’s coming and will meet with His judgment when He appears to judge the world in righteousness and create a new heavens and earth.
The Divine Means of Being Kept in an Evil Day
(Chapter 1)
The Salutation
Vss. 1-2—Peter introduces himself as “Simon Peter.” Simon was his old name that he had as a man in the flesh (John 1:41-42). Oftentimes, when he would act according to his old nature, he is called “Simon” (Mark 14:37; Luke 5:4-5; 22:31-32; John 18:10; 21:2). It is significant that in having to write about the failure of the Christian testimony, as Peter was led to do here, that he would use his old name. This shows that he was conscious of the fact that he himself had failed, and that in speaking of the collective failure of the Church, he was in no way doing it disparagingly.
He calls himself “a bondman and an apostle of Jesus Christ.” He was an apostle by the Lord’s choosing, but it was of his own volition that he was a bondman. The Lord has never asked or commanded anyone to be His bondman; it is something that the believer chooses to be, voluntarily, when he realizes that he has been “bought with a price” (1 Cor. 6:20; 7:23). The process of exercise that leads the believer to this surrender his life comes through first understanding what Christ’s work on the cross has done. It makes the believer “the Lord’s freedman” (1 Cor. 7:22a). As such, we have been set free from the judgment of our sins, from sin as a master, from Satan, and from the world. But when the cost of our freedom comes home to our souls, and we realize that the Lord has paid such a great price to redeem us, we will resolve to no longer use our freedom for our own interests, but for the furtherance of His interests. We, therefore, voluntarily enlist ourselves in His service as “Christ’s bondman” (1 Cor. 7:22b). Thus, the Lord’s work on the cross, received by faith, makes us freedmen; but we, by our own choice, make ourselves His bondmen. By Peter’s stating that he was the Christ’s bondman, he was indicating that he had gone through this exercise and had put himself at the Lord’s disposal in the Lord’s service.
By stating that those to whom he was writing had “obtained [received] like precious faith with us,” he meant that these believers had received the Christian revelation of truth from God—Christianity. It has been “delivered unto the saints” through the apostles and is the common possession of all believers (Jude 3). Peter was not speaking of faith as the inward energy of the soul’s confidence in God, which is in every person who believes, but of Christianity as distinguished from the religions of this world. H. Smith said, “The ‘precious faith’ is the faith of Christianity, in contrast with Judaism with which these believers had been connected” (The Epistles of Peter, p. 44). J. N. Darby said, “The faithfulness of the God of Israel had bestowed on His people this faith (that is to say, Christianity), which was so precious to them. Faith here, is the portion we have now in the things God gives, which in Christianity are revealed as truths” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, vol. 5, p. 463).
Peter says that this precious faith has come to the saints “through the righteousness of God.” This refers to God’s faithfulness to His promises in the Old Testament to bring salvation to man through Christ (Gen. 49:18; Psa. 14:7; 67:2; Isa. 12:2-3; 25:9; 45:8; 52:7, 10; 56:1, etc.). Peter adds, “and our Saviour Jesus Christ,” because He is the One who made atonement for God’s glory and for our blessing.
Vs. 2—Peter desired “grace and peace” to be “multiplied” to them. It is encouraging to know that in a day when evil is being multiplied on every hand, God can multiply grace and peace for His saints to meet it. This shows that no matter how dark the day gets, God can meet the challenge. Grace and peace for the Christian pathway comes to the saints “through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” Some seem to think that we need to be versed in the evil doctrines that are in Christendom in order to escape those errors. However, it is not knowing what is false that is going to keep us from error, but rather, knowing, believing, and walking in the truth. Delving into evil, even with good intentions, is potentially dangerous; we could get deceived by it in some way and get tripped up in our Christian lives (compare Deut. 12:29-32).
The Divine Way of Being Kept
Vss. 3-21—Peter then unfolds the divine way of being kept in an evil day. In an epistle that deals with the fallen and corrupted state into which the Christian profession would sink, it is refreshing that the Apostle does not begin on that sad note, but rather, with the faithfulness of God to keep His people in the path of faith.
Peter shows that there are two sides to our being kept: on the one hand there is what God has given to help us in the path, and on the other hand there is what we are responsible to do. As we will see, God wants us to be preserved in the path of faith and has made every provision necessary for this, but we need to be responsibly exercised about it too.
GOD’S PART
In verses 3-4, we have God’s part. He has “given” to us everything that we need for our path to ensure a safe journey in our pilgrimage to heaven. It is a spiritual journey wherein are many dangers, but God has outfitted us with a full provision so that none would fall by the way. In particular, God has given us two groups of things: “all things that pertain to life and godliness” and “the greatest and precious promises.”
Giving Us All Things That Pertain to Life and Godliness
As to the first of these, Peter says, “His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue.” We might ask, “What exactly are these ‘things’ that God has given to us?” The following list is by no means exhaustive:
Spiritual Capacity through New Birth—whereby we are able to appreciate and enjoy divine things (1 John 5:4-5).
The Word of God—to give us the knowledge of the truth and wisdom for the path (2 Tim. 3:15; Psa. 119:105, 130).
The Holy Spirit—to give us power to live a holy life (Rom. 8:2).
The Throne of Grace—to give us access by prayer into God’s presence to obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
The High Priestly Intercession of Christ—to save us from spiritual dangers (Heb. 7:25).
The Advocacy of Christ—to restore us to communion if we fail (1 John 2:1-2).
The Whole Armour of God—to enable us to stand against the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:10-18).
The Help of Angelic Agencies—to give us deliverance from temporal dangers (Heb. 1:13-14).
The Fellowship of Brethren—to give us encouragement in the path (2 Tim. 2:22; Acts 28:15).
The Gifts Given from the Ascended Christ—to give us “teaching, shepherding, and spiritual help” (Eph. 4:11).
Peter adds, “Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue,” because these things are to be applied in conjunction with our life of communion with God who has called us into blessing.
Giving Us the Greatest and Precious Promises
Vs. 4—The second thing God has “given” to us is the greatest promises. These precious promises have been set before the saints to encourage them to go on in the path of faith. Peter says, “Through which He has given to us the greatest and precious promises, that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” Great promises were given to the patriarchs in the Old Testament, and they should not be minimized, but these promises of which Peter speaks are not those. The promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have to do with the earthly blessings that will be realized by Israel in a coming day. But these of which Peter is speaking are promises that God has given to Christians. They are greater because they have to do with superior blessings which we have in Christ in heavenly places (Eph. 1:3). Even the blessings of the New Covenant under the reign of Christ as Israel’s Messiah fall short of the height of Christian blessings with which these promises are associated.
Again, we might ask, “What would these promises be?” Some of these are:
• The promise of being eternally secure in our relationship with the Lord (John 10:28-29).
• The promise of His never forsaking us (Heb. 13:5).
• The promise of sweet fellowship and communion with Him every day of our lives (John 14:21, 23).
• The promise of answered prayer requests (John 14:13-14; 16:23-24).
• The promise to maintain us in the path of faith by interceding for us as our High Priest (Heb. 4:14-15) and as our Advocate with the Father if we fail (1 John 2:1-2).
• The promise of Him being in the midst of those whom the Spirit has gathered to His name (Matt. 18:20).
• The promise to come again and take us to the Father’s house (John 14:2-3; 1 Thess. 4:15-18).
• The promise of being made like Christ morally and physically (Phil. 3:21; 1 John 2:2).
• The promise to reward us in heaven for labours done for Christ here (1 Cor. 3:11-14).
• The promise that we will reign with Him in His kingdom (2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 3:21; 20:4).
God’s desire in all of these provisions for the pathway is that the saints would “become partakers of the divine nature.” We are made partakers of the divine nature when we are born again, at which time we receive a new life from God that has His very nature. But that is not the aspect of partaking of the divine nature that Peter is speaking about here. (The fact that he says, “That ye may become partakers ... ” shows that he is not referring to the initial reception of divine life, but something subsequent to it.) Peter is speaking of a practical partaking of that nature in a moral sense. It is to taste of the things that God enjoys and to be filled with His delights. When we thus “drink of the river” of His “pleasures,” we partake of the things which His nature enjoys (Psa. 36:8). J. N. Darby said, “We are thus made morally partakers of the divine nature, by divine power acting in us and fixing the soul on what is divinely revealed” (Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, p. 465). And what exactly is it that God delights in? His own words give us the answer: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I have found My delight” (Matt. 3:17; Prov. 8:30).
Peter’s point is simple; if we live in communion with God and enjoy the things He enjoys, we will escape the corruption that is in the world through lust, because in such a state, the flesh in us will be inactive. The attractions of the world lose their power to draw our souls off track when we are enjoying something so infinitely greater. The result is that we overcome the world practically, and thus, escape the lusts that characterize its corrupt state. This shows that it’s not what we know that keeps us going on in the path, but what we enjoy.
Having been given this great provision from God, there is really no excuse for any of us failing in the path—regardless of how dark and difficult the day may be. There is simply no truth to the idea that since things have gotten so disordered in Christendom in these last days, that God understands our situation and excuses our lack of faithfulness.
The Believer’s Part
Vss. 5-21—We have been called to “glory and virtue” (vs. 3). Glory is what we will receive when we are called home at the end of the path and virtue is what we need as we journey along the way. Since this is so, God would have us to be responsibly exercised about our preservation and participate with Him in it by doing our part. As we have seen, God has given us all things that pertain to a life of godliness and He has also given us the greatest promises, but we have to give too. Peter says: “Giving all diligence ... .” Thus, we are to apply ourselves in the things that he is about to mention. In the latter part of this 1st chapter, he puts the onus squarely upon the believer to “supply” (W. Kelly Trans.) the moral and spiritual exercises that are necessary to being preserved.
Having the Moral Qualities Needed for Living Faithfully
Vss. 5-11—The first thing is to have the moral qualities needed for living faithfully for the Lord. He says, “For this very reason also, using therewith all diligence, in your faith have [supply] also virtue, in virtue knowledge, in knowledge temperance [self-control], in temperance endurance, in endurance godliness, in godliness brotherly love, in brotherly love (divine) love.” Thus, there are seven moral qualities that we need to have in our lives. The KJV says, “Add to your faith...” placing the word “to” before each moral quality. But this is misleading. These supplements to the text imply that these moral qualities are to be added one after another in our lives in consecutive order. However, the thought in the passage is that they should be developed together. Similarly, the branches of a tree do not grow one after another but together as a whole.
Virtue [Spiritual Courage]
(Vs. 5)
Virtue refers to having the spiritual energy and courage to stand on the convictions of our faith. In a day when the general tendency in the Christian profession is to drift along with the current of things which is moving away from God and the truth, it is of utmost importance that we have this kind of conviction and energy to propel us along against the current.
Knowledge
(Vs. 5)
This has to do with being intelligent in the mind and will of God in a practical sense. It is quite possible to be full of energy and zeal for God but lacking an understanding of divine principles, and consequently, to take a wrong action in certain situations. Thus, we also need to have an “understanding of the times” to know what the saints “ought to do” in these difficult days (1 Chron. 12:32).
Temperance [Self Control]
(vs. 6)
We naturally tend to be creatures of extreme, and if we are not careful we become imbalanced. Therefore, it is necessary to remain in control of our bodily appetites and every other endeavour that we might engage in (1 Cor. 9:27).
Endurance
(vs. 6)
This refers to enduring hardship in the path of faith (2 Tim. 2:3). We can be sure that there will be resistance from the world in the way of reproach and persecution. Having this moral quality will enable us to fight through hardship and discouragement and to persevere in the path (2 Thess. 1:4). It is one thing to start out in the Christian path and quite another to continue (2 Tim. 3:14). There is nothing like persecution to sort out who is real and who is not (Mark 4:17).
Godliness
(vs. 6)
Personal holiness is not to be neglected, and therefore, is enjoined upon the saints here. Godliness is not obtained through passivity; it comes through serious exercise (1 Tim. 4:7).
Brotherly Love
(vs. 7)
This is affectionate love with emotion (Phileo). It is to be expressed toward our brethren in the Lord, but not toward the world. We are surely to love lost souls and reach out to them with the gospel (Rom. 13:8), but it is to be as God loves them (John 3:16) with divine love (agapao). If we love those of the world with phileo love, we might get drawn into the world through our affection for them.
Divine Love
(vs. 7)
This is agapao love. It is love that emanates from a settled disposition of the heart—a decision to love its object which does not involve emotion or merit in the object. God set His divine love upon us when there was nothing in us to love! (Rom. 5:8). God loves with both kinds of love (John 3:35; 5:20) and we are to love in both ways as well. Divine love tempers brotherly love. This is needed because if we only loved our brethren with brotherly love, we might be inclined to overlook certain faults in them that need to be addressed and rebuked.
Vs. 8—Peter concludes by saying: “If these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren [idle] nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Note: he doesn’t say, “If you know about these things,” but rather, “If these things be in you and abound.” This shows that it is not enough to have been made aware of the need of these moral qualities in our lives; they need to be an integral part of our beings, and as such, to have formed our character. If these things are only with us in a superficial way, they could easily be laid aside, and this has been the case with many. The result of these things being part of our beings is that we will be fruitful in the path of faith.
Vs. 9—Peter then warns: “He that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old [former] sins.” This shows that if the positive characteristics of the new life are not being developed in us, we will become blinded to our own state and will lose sight of God’s objective of having Christ displayed in His kingdom glory in the world to come. This may result in a sad departure from the path. Hence, if we are not going on in the Christian path, we will surely slide backward, because our state of soul is never static.
Vs. 10—Since this is the case, Peter says: “Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall [stumble]” (W. Kelly Trans.). Again, he puts the onus on the believer to apply himself in these things so that he wouldn’t stumble in the path. We might wonder: How we are to make our “calling and election” more sure when it is as sure as it could ever be? For it is something that is altogether God’s prerogative; He chose us, and He called us—and we’ve had nothing to do with it. However, Peter is not speaking of what is true and sure in the heart of God, but of what should be manifest in our personal lives as we walk with the Lord. We prove and confirm that we are His elect by manifesting the moral features that Peter has been speaking about and by bringing forth fruit unto God in our lives. These things are the unmistakable evidences of our calling and election.
Vs. 11—The great result is: “An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Thus, in a coming day, God will compensate the saints’ devotion to Christ and their service for His name, and it will be displayed before a wondering world (2 Thess. 1:10; Eph. 1:12). Many have thought that this verse is referring to our entrance into heaven when the Lord comes (the Rapture). This would mean that some of the saints are going to have a grander entrance into the Father’s house than others, due to their faithfulness on earth. However, this is not true. The saints’ responsibility is not taken up at the time of the Lord’s coming to take us home to heaven (the Rapture); we will all have an equally grand and happy reception then. The question of the saints’ faithfulness (or lack thereof) will be taken up later at the judgment seat of Christ, and the results will be manifested before the world at the Appearing of Christ and during His millennial kingdom (Matt. 24:45-47; Luke 19:15-19). This is what Peter is referring to in this verse. He is not speaking of our entrance into heaven but of our entrance into the public side of “the everlasting kingdom,” which will be when we come out of heaven with Christ at His Appearing (1 Thess. 3:13; 4:14; 2 Thess. 1:10; Jude 14, Rev. 19:14, etc.).
F. B. Hole said, “The everlasting kingdom is not heaven. No one gains heaven as the result of diligence or fruitfulness; nor do some gain an abundant entrance and others a meagre entrance there. There is no entrance into heaven save through the work of Christ—a work perfect and available alike for all who believe—so that all who enter at all enter in the same way and on the same footing without distinction. The everlasting kingdom will be established when Jesus comes again, and in connection with it, rewards will be given as the parable of Luke 19:12-27 teaches us. There will, consequently, be great differences as to the places that believers will occupy in the kingdom, and our entrance into it may be abundant or the reverse. All will depend upon our diligence and faithfulness. The remembrance of this will certainly stir us to zeal and devotedness.” (Epistles, vol. 3, pp. 127-128)
The positive results of having these moral things in our lives are:
• We will be fruitful in our Christian lives (vs. 8).
• We will be preserved from stumbling in the path (vs. 10).
• We will have an abundant entrance into the kingdom (vs. 11).
Being Established in the Present Truth
Vss. 12-14—The second thing needed to ensure preservation in the path is to be established in the Christian revelation of truth—and especially as it applies to the condition of things in the last days when Christendom would be in disorder, as chapters 2-3 indicate. Peter says, “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.” This shows that it is important to have an understanding of the truth; it will “preserve” us in the path when held in communion with the Lord (Psa. 40:11). The principles of God’s Word, when upheld and applied in one’s life, will guide us and keep us from getting off track (Psa. 17:4; 119:105, 130). Those who have not been grounded in the Christian revelation of truth are susceptible to being “carried about with every wind of doctrine” that comes along (Eph. 4:14). The Apostle Paul states that being “established” in the truth involves understanding both his “gospel” and “the revelation of the Mystery” (Rom. 16:25). The fact that Peter says, “Though ye know them, and be established in the present truth,” shows that he considered those to whom he was writing as having matured in the faith. Peter’s burden was to keep the saints “in remembrance of these things” because there is a very real danger of forgetting them.
Knowing the Old Testament Scriptures is a tremendous advantage for a Christian, for therein are many principles that can help us in our walk with the Lord. But they will not establish us in “the present truth.” Why? Because the present truth which Peter is referring to is not found in the Old Testament; it is the revelation of Christian truth which God has delivered to the saints through the apostles; it is New Testament truth.
Vss. 13-15—Sensing from the Lord that the time of his death was drawing near, Peter accounted it a right and profitable thing to use his time and energy to stir up the saints by putting them “in remembrance” of “these things.” This shows that he knew the value of repetition. It also shows us that while we may know the truth and have been established in it, we still need to go over those things, again and again, so that they remain “always in remembrance.” Thus, we are not to be looking for new truth—for with such endeavours some have turned aside into error—but rather, to go over the same truth that was “once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
The Lord had told Peter that when he was “old,” he would be called upon to die for God’s glory as a martyr (John 21:18). In the fact that he says, “As our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me,” suggests that his death would be by crucifixion (vs. 14). Religious history tells us that he, by his own request, was crucified upside down, for he didn’t feel worthy to be crucified in an upright position as the Lord was.
Keeping God’s Glorious End Before Our Souls
Vss. 15-21—The third thing needed for preservation in the path is to have our eyes fixed on God’s glorious end—which is to have Christ publicly displayed in His kingdom glory in the world to come (the Millennium). To assure the saints that this great end will be reached in the ways of God, Peter points us to what took place on the Mount of Transfiguration. He says, “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to Him from the excellent glory, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with Him in the holy mount.” The apostles (Peter, James, and John) were given a preview of Christ’s coming kingdom glory (Matt. 17:1-9). It was God’s confirmation and guarantee that His ultimate end would be reached by Christ being publicly glorified in the world to come.
Being actual “eye-witnesses” of the event, the apostles have “made known” to us the certainty of it and its meaning. Peter assures us that what they saw was not a dream, nor was it some well thought up scheme that they had “cleverly imagined”—it was a divine reality. Thus, we have living proof in the testimony of the apostles that God will crown Christ publicly as “King over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9) and that He will reign as such in millennial kingdom glory. Many Christians look no further than the Rapture, thinking that it is the fruition of God’s purpose. It will mark the end of the Church’s history on earth, but God’s great end has to do with the display of Christ in His kingdom glory in two great spheres—in heaven and on earth (Eph. 1:10). It’s true that we will be called to heaven at the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:15-18) and glorified together with Christ at that time (Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:21), but Peter does not dwell on that side of things here.
Vss. 19-21—What they saw on the mount confirmed the prophetic Word in the Old Testament. Peter says, “We have also the prophetic Word confirmed, in giving heed to which we do well (as to a light shining in a dark place), until the day shall dawn, and the morning star arise in our hearts.” (A translation from J. N. Darby’s Synopsis of the Books of the Bible, Loizeaux edition, p. 473 – footnote.) The Old Testament prophets wrote about that day, but the apostles saw it with their own eyes! There is one difference; the prophetic Scriptures tell of Christ’s earthly glory in that coming day, whereas the Mount of Transfiguration tells of Christ’s heavenly glory. These two testimonies do not contradict each other; on the contrary, they complement one another, for Christ will have glory in both spheres. The KJV rendering of verse 19 suggests that the prophetic Word was made “more sure” by the experience that the apostles had on the mount, but those prophetic Scriptures couldn’t have been made any more sure than they already were; they are God’s inspired Word! What Peter is simply saying is that the scene on the mount coincided with and confirmed what the Old Testament Scriptures had stated.
He says that we will “do well” to “take heed” to such passages of Scripture. This was a needed exhortation for these believing Jews because they may have been tempted to neglect the Old Testament Scriptures after they converted to Christianity. In their minds, those things pertained to their old life as Jews, and therefore, had no real application to them now. Peter addresses this mistaken idea and explains that those Old Testament prophecies are of great practical value to Christians, and we would do well to heed their message. Those passages of Scripture are like “a light shining in a dark place”—this world. They present God’s unchanging moral standards for man; we learn from them that while man’s morals change and decline with the times, God’s do not. The prophetic Word sets before the believer the hope of this world being set right when Christ reigns. At that time, there will be a “regeneration” of moral life on earth, and everything will be ordered according to the mind and will of God (Matt. 19:28).
Thus, being occupied with the prophetic Scriptures causes the millennial “day” to “dawn” in our “hearts” before the time when it will dawn upon this world at Christ’s Appearing. The saints whose hearts are fixed on Christ’s coming kingdom glory “love His Appearing” (2 Tim. 4:8), because it is the time when He will be openly vindicated in this world where He was shamed; and, if we have been enlightened in the present truth (vs. 12), “the Morning Star” will arise in our hearts. This refers to the imminent hope of the Lord’s coming to take us home to heaven at the Rapture (Rev. 22:16). It rises in our hearts in the sense that it becomes an imminent thing to us, because we know that the Morning Star appears on the horizon before the sun rises and a new day begins. So, Christ will come for His saints at the Rapture before He comes with His saints at His Appearing to bring in the millennial day. If the Appearing of Christ to set the world right is shortly to come to pass (Rev. 1:1), then the Rapture is even nearer! This is the Christian’s “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).
When these two things are realized in our souls, they will make an impact on our lives. The immediate effect of “the day” dawning in our hearts delivers us from this world. We realize that there is no point in putting our energy into building up something for ourselves here in this world when that whole system is about to be judged by God. The immediate effect of “the Morning Star” rising in our hearts bestirs bridal affections in us toward our heavenly Bridegroom and a longing to be with Him; and it also begets in us a genuine concern to reach the lost with the gospel (Rev. 22:17). Thus, there is nothing so refreshing and spiritually healthful than to have our hearts fixed on that future scene of glory when God will publicly exalt His Son.
Vss. 20-21—Drawing this subject to a close, Peter gives a word of caution as to the handling of the prophetic Scriptures. He says: “Knowing this first, that [the scope of] no prophecy of Scripture is had from its own particular interpretation, for prophecy was not ever uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spake under the power of the Holy Spirit.” In saying, “No prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation” (KJV), he means that no passage has its own isolated interpretation. Hence, when interpreting the prophetic Word, we must keep in mind that no one passage can be fully understood without the rest of Scripture having its bearing on it. This is a great guiding principle for correct Bible interpretation. The J. N. Darby Translation footnote on verse 20 states, "One might almost say 'no prophecy explains itself.'" Therefore, we must have the light of all the Scriptures shed on any one passage to correctly understand the full scope of its meaning. F. B. Hole said, “It is a warning against treating each prophetic utterance as though it were, by itself, a kind of self-contained saying to be interpreted apart from the mass of the prophetic teaching. All prophecy is connected and inter-related and to be understood only in connection with the whole” (Epistles, vol. 3, p. 131).
This “golden rule” of Bible interpretation is of paramount importance; it will deliver us from error. In spite of this warning, the cults in Christendom are notorious for isolating passages of Scripture in the Word of God and building spurious doctrines out of their mistaken ideas. Peter reminds us that the prophets did not write the Scriptures in that way—that is, “by the will of man.” Being “moved by the Holy Spirit” under inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16), they wrote the Scriptures in such a way that it all fits together as one harmonious whole—no passage contradicts another (John 10:35). This is remarkable because many of those men whom God used lived in different places and their lives were hundreds of years apart in time; they couldn’t have consulted one another to assure consistency. There were many writers but one Author—God Himself. On occasion, God would use unholy men to communicate a prophetic word—like Balaam (Num. 22-24) and Caiaphas (John 11:49-52)—but He would only use “holy men” to write the Scriptures. Since the Scriptures are divinely inspired of God, we can expect with the fullest assurance that the future glories of Christ, which those Old Testament prophecies forecast, will surely come to pass.
The Character of Evil That Would Come Into the Christian Profession Through False Teachers
(Chapter 2)
In the latter part of the epistle, Peter sounds a warning against two forms of evil that would characterize the Christian profession in the days when the apostles would no longer be on earth; one is false teaching (chap. 2) and the other is unbelief (chap. 3). The purpose of Peter’s exhortations in these last two chapters is to make the saints aware of these dangers, to the end that they would avoid this drift away from the truth.
The Danger of False Teachers Leading People Astray
Vs. 1—Having set forth, in chapter 1, God’s way of being kept in times when confusion and corruption come into the Christian testimony, in chapter 2, Peter explains how this deplorable state of things would come to exist. He says: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable [destructive] heresies, even denying the Lord [Master] that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Thus, evil would come into the Christian profession through leaders going awry and teaching “perverse things” that would lead “disciples” away after themselves (Acts 20:30; Rom. 16:18; 2 Tim. 2:16-18; 1 John 2:19).
At the end of the first chapter, Peter made reference to holy men of God in Old Testament times being moved by the Spirit to communicate the truth, but in this chapter, he tells us that not all who spoke as a prophet in those days were moved by the Holy Spirit. Some were “false prophets” who masqueraded as God’s messengers and did the enemy’s work “among the people” (1 Kings 18:19; 22:6; 2 Kings 10:19; Jer. 28:10-17; 29:30-32, etc.). Peter says that it would be just the same in Christianity; corruption would come in through evil men working their way into positions of influence, and then using their influence to bring in evil. Thus, the wholesale departure from God that would characterize the mass of people in the Christian profession, in the latter days, would come in through defective leaders.
The fact that he says that these “false teachers” would rise up “among you” shows that this corruption would not come from those outside the Christian profession who reject the gospel, but from those within the Christian testimony who have professedly received the gospel! He says that these men would do their work “privily”—or “secretly,” as many translations render it. This means that they would use stealth and deception to accomplish their objectives. Peter does not occupy us with the details of their evil doctrines—such an occupation would be profitless and defiling—but he warns the saints that it was coming. In retrospect, we know that this is exactly what has happened.
Peter says that these evil workers would lead their followers into “destructive heresies.” Heresy is an outward division in the Christian testimony, wherein a party separates itself as a distinct company. These groups usually take a religious name to distinguish themselves and will have their own rules and regulations to govern the people involved in them. Thus, “heresy” is the making of a “sect” among Christians, and is translated as such in 1 Corinthians 11:19 in the J. N. Darby Translation. It is an evil that emanates from the flesh—the fallen sin-nature (Gal. 5:20). In Scripture, it is applied to divisions that developed in the Jew’s religion (Acts 5:17; 15:5; 24:5; 26:5), and also to the divisions that would develop in Christianity (1 Cor. 11:19; Gal. 5:20; 2 Peter 2:1). A person who engineers an outward split of this kind among Christians is a “heretic” (Titus 3:10).
Heresy is commonly thought to be defined as bad doctrine and has been popularized as such by the Roman Catholic Church. Historically, that system has labeled everyone who would not uphold its doctrines as heretics. Bible teachers sometimes use the term in that way in reference to doctrinal error, but they are speaking conventionally. Heresy, as to its Scriptural meaning and usage, does not necessarily involve bad doctrine at all. G. V. Wigram tells us that the worst and most difficult kind of heresy to deal with is that which doesn’t involve bad doctrine, yet the spirit of party-making and division are there (Memorials of the Ministry of G. V. Wigram, vol. 2, p. 91). Heresy has become synonymous with bad doctrine in the minds of most Christians because heretics usually form their sect around bad doctrine.
Peter says that these heretical men would “deny the Master that bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.” Some think that this means that these men were saved at one time, but because they denied the Lord they lost their soul-salvation, and as such, they will be judged along with all the rest of the world who reject the gospel. However, this is not what Peter is saying; such a notion denies the eternal security of the believer—a doctrine which Scripture clearly teaches (Luke 15:3-6; John 6:37-40; 10:28-29; Rom. 8:30-39; 1 Cor. 1:7-8; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5, etc.). He was saying that even though these men will assume a leading role among God’s people as teachers, they will not be real believers at all (Matt. 7:21-23). Being shams, Christ is said to be their “Master” but He is not their Lord and Saviour. (See also Jude 4.) Such a class of men are the most responsible persons on earth because they know the gospel and profess to have believed it but are not real. Since these men pose as teachers and traffic in Christian truth (the greatest light that God ever gave to man) with a design to further their own fleshly ambitions, their judgment will be the greatest of all (Luke 12:47-48).
Thinking that this verse is teaching that these men lost their soul-salvation betrays an ignorance of the Scriptural difference between the terms “bought” and “redeemed.” Bought refers to what Christ did on the cross to purchase all persons and all things in the world. He tasted death for “every thing,” and thus, has paid the price to be the Master of all (Heb. 2:9). As the Lord indicated in a parable in Matthew 13, He bought “the field,” which, as He explains, is the whole world and all who are in it (Matt. 13:38, 44). This does not mean that all men are saved, but that they all belong to Him. Bought, indicates that there has been a change of ownership (a change of masters), but not necessarily a change in a person’s condition of being lost: Redeemed goes further than being bought, to include being set free. This is a blessing that is entered upon “through faith in His blood” (Rom. 3:24-25). That is, all who in faith own Christ’s purchase on the cross are consequently redeemed, and as such, they are set free from the penalty and judgment of their sins (Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19). These false teachers that Peter speaks of here were “bought,” but it doesn’t say that they were “redeemed,” because they denied Him who made the purchase.
Their Evil Ways
Vss. 2-3—Peter then informs us of their evil ways. He says: “And many shall follow their pernicious [dissolute] ways; by reason of whom the way of the truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned [well-turned] words make merchandise of you.” The fact that “many” will follow these false teachers shows that these heretical movements would not be small-scale endeavours; they will attract large followings. In saying that “covetousness” will play a part in these religious movements, he shows that these teachers will be in “the ministry” for personal gain, even though they will cleverly hide their motives. They will use “well-turned words” to undermine the truth and to put forth their error. Their favourite ploy is to redefine Biblical terms and expressions by putting their own false interpretations to them. These false teachers will “make merchandise” of the poor people who join their destructive heresies. This shows that money will have a large part in it. Peter assures us that “judgment” is waiting for them, and that it is well deserved.
Their Condemnation
Vss. 4-9—The Apostle then produces three examples from history that prove that this kind of wickedness will be justly recompensed with an intervention of divine judgment.
Firstly, there are the “angels” who sinned at the time of the flood. They tried to co-habit with the daughters of men and to create a sort of super race (Gen. 6:2-4), but God intervened and cast them into “the deepest pit of gloom” (Tartarus) in the abyss where they await the great day of judgment (Jude 6). At that time, they—along with the devil and all the other fallen angels—will be cast into “the lake of fire,” which is Hell (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10). This 4th verse is not referring to the fall of Satan and his angels when they were cast out of the abode of God (Ezek. 28:11-19). It is referring to certain ones among those fallen angels who engaged themselves in this great wickedness at the time of the flood, and consequently, were taken and confined in the abyss. The rest of the fallen angels are still at liberty and are doing their evil work. They, too, will be captured and cast into the abyss when Christ appears (Isa. 24:21-22; Rev. 20:1-3). They will remain there through the Millennium until the great day of judgment at the end of time, when they will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).
Secondly, there are the unbelievers who lived at the time of the flood who were judged by God when the waters overflowed “the world that then was” (chap. 3:6). Judgment came upon them because they refused the message of Noah, “a preacher [herald] of righteousness.” When the judgment came, Noah and his family were delivered by God’s mercy in the shelter of the ark (vs. 5).
Thirdly, there are the men of Sodom and Gomorrah who were judged by God raining down fire and brimstone upon them (vss. 6-8). As Noah’s family was spared, so also was “Lot.” He escaped the city before the judgment fell (Gen. 19). Peter does not call Lot godly, but he does say that he was “righteous,” because he was a man who had faith in God. He had a saved soul, but sadly, a lost life, because he chose to live for the things of the world rather than for the things of God. Consequently, he lost everything that he lived for! Verse 8, tells us that Lot lived an unhappy life in Sodom; his soul was “vexed” on a daily basis by the corruption that surrounded him. His life stands as a warning to all Christians who seek the world and who live for it (1 Cor. 3:15), and his wife stands as a warning to all merely-professing believers (Luke 17:32).
Vs. 9—Peter comforts our hearts by reminding us that “the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of trial, and to keep the unjust to the day of judgment to be punished.” This shows that the Lord will sort out the mess and confusion present in the Christian testimony, for He knows who is real and who is not (2 Tim. 2:19). If we are truly exercised about being preserved in an evil day, regardless of how dark and difficult the times may be, we can count on God to do it.
Their Character
Vss. 10-17—In this next series of verses, Peter shows that bad doctrine leads to bad practice. It is a fact that bad doctrine affects one’s moral ways (2 Tim. 2:16). Peter divests these false teachers of their cloak, showing us their true moral condition as it is before God. The purpose of his expose` is not to occupy the saints with failure and evil—for those who are occupied with failure become a failure themselves—but to simply show us the seriousness of holding erroneous doctrine and what it leads to.
Being characterized by insubjection, these men vaunt themselves against all authority—whether human, angelic, or divine (vss. 10-11). They attack the “truth” (vs. 2) and “speak evil of the things that they understand not” (vs. 12). Consequently, they will receive “the reward of unrighteousness” in a coming day of judgment (vs. 13). Having hearts “full of adultery” and “covetous practices,” they are “children of curse” (vs. 14). Having “forsaken the right way,” they have “gone astray” after “the way of Balaam,” which is to seek riches and honour in this world (vs. 15). Balaam was rebuked, and these false teachers will be rebuked too, by way of God’s judgment (vs. 16). They are “wells without water,” promising their audiences great things, when they really have nothing to offer spiritually (vs. 17).
In saying that these evil teachers would be “among you” (vs. 1) and “with you” (vs. 13), we might wonder why Peter wouldn’t have instructed the saints to “judge” their ministry for what it was and to excommunicate them (1 Cor. 10:15; 14:29), for surely, no assembly that is Scripturally gathered should allow such wickedness to exist in its midst (1 Cor. 5:11-13; Gal. 5:7-12). However, Peter was not using the words “among” and “with,” to indicate the fellowship of the saints at the Lord’s Table, but to indicate the saints’ outward association with all that exists under the Christian banner. These men would not be in fellowship at the Lord’s Table; being heretics, they would go out from the fellowship of the saints and start their own sects in Christendom.
Their Converts
Vss. 18-22—A change in the use of the pronouns occurring in the latter verses of the chapter indicates that Peter has turned to speaking of the victims of these false teachers. He has been using the words “these” and “they” to denote the teachers, but now, in these verses, he speaks of “those” and “them” who swallow their evil teachings. He says, “While speaking great highflown words of vanity, they allure with the lusts of the flesh, by dissoluteness, those who have just fled those who walk in error, promising them liberty, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a man is subdued, by him is he also brought into slavery [bondage].” This shows that there is a certain kind of people who fall for these evil teachings. These are “unstable [unestablished] souls” (vs. 14) who are characterized by “the lusts of the flesh” and “wantonness” (vs. 18). Being dissatisfied with the things they have pursued in the world, they turn to religion, and being of such a character as Peter describes, they will be attracted to what these men teach (2 Tim. 4:3-4). The false teachers will encourage these poor souls to indulge in the “liberty” that they themselves indulge in—which is not true Christian liberty (Gal. 5:1), but liberty for the flesh (Gal. 5:13). In doing so, they are brought into the same bondage that the teachers are in (vs. 19).
Vss. 20-21—Peter goes on to show us how responsible these people are. They come into the Christian profession, and thus, momentarily “escape the pollutions of the world.” In taking such a stand, they will be enlightened with “the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” This does not mean that they will be saved, for knowledge of Christ and faith in Christ are two different things: knowledge brings enlightenment (Heb. 6:4), but faith brings salvation (Eph. 2:8). Not being satisfied with this knowledge of Christ, and having no faith, they will turn from it and apostatize. As a result, they will become “entangled” in the errors of these false teachers and be “overcome.”
Peter says that “the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.” This is because in their “beginning”—before they identified themselves with Christianity—they were less responsible. But having assumed a place in the Christian testimony wherein are great privileges and much spiritual light, they have made themselves more responsible, for the greater the light that one has received, the greater his responsibility becomes (Luke 12:47-48). To turn away from the light that one has professed to have received only brings greater judgment in their “end.” Peter, therefore, reasons that it would be: “Better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment.”
Vs. 22—He points to two unclean animals, according to the Levitical order, that illustrate the true condition of these merely professing Christians. Being enlightened with the knowledge of Christ did not change them. Like a “dog” that has “turned back to his own vomit, and the washed sow to her own rolling in mud,” these people prove by their turning back to their old ways of sin that nothing has changed in them (Prov. 26:11). The washing that Peter speaks of here is a superficial thing—the cleaning up of one’s life outwardly—it is not an inward cleansing of the soul resulting from new birth (John 3:5; 13:10; 1 Cor. 6:11) and salvation (1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5). Thus, these people will undergo an outward reformation of sorts, but it won’t last long, because there has not been an inward work of God in their souls in conversion (Luke 8:13).
Summarizing chapter 2, Peter has foretold of the rise of false teachers within the Christian testimony who will teach perverse things, and as a result, will bring in destructive heresies whereby the mass of professing Christians would fall into worldliness, lawlessness, and corruption. Living in our day, we see that this is exactly what has happened in Christendom.
The End of Christendom, the World, and the Creation
(Chapter 3)
In this last chapter, Peter shows that the government of God will bring everything in Christendom and the world to its proper end. In the Day of the Lord, every evil will be judged, and all in the heavens and the earth will be re-arranged according to the will of God, for the glory of God and for man’s eternal blessing.
The Importance of Having the Word of God Always in Remembrance
Vss. 1-2—Having, in chapter 2, set forth the character of evil that would come into the Christian testimony through false teaching, in this 3rd chapter, Peter mentions another thing that would mark Christendom in the last days—unbelief. With this in view, Peter undertakes to prepare the saints for the dark times ahead. He says: “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 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 Saviour.” Every believer, through new birth, has a “pure” mind, but God would have us to be exercised about keeping our minds pure in a practical sense. This is a considerable challenge indeed, and especially so for those who live in the last days when corruption will be escalated on every side. Peter indicates here, that this is done on the principle of displacement. We are to have our minds filled with the truth that God has given—both in the writings of “the holy prophets” (the Old Testament) and “the commandment of us the apostles” (the New Testament). When our hearts and minds are full of the Word of God, there is no room for the corruption to get in. This means that we need to be occupied with what is positive and up-lifting, not with what is negative and defiling. And where else can we go for this but to the Holy Scriptures? There is nothing so sanctifying to the soul of the believer than to have his mind saturated with the Word of God (John 17:17).
Peter doesn’t tell us to look for some new revelation of truth, but to be more intimately acquainted with the truth that God has given in both Testaments. We are to keep it “in remembrance” by going over it again and again because we forget so easily. This shows that there is value in repetition. Being equipped with such knowledge, we will be able to discern the false teachings of men. Thus, the way to meet the dangers of the day is by knowing and walking in the truth; it is our greatest defense against the errors of Christendom.
Vss. 3-4—Peter then explains why it is important to have the truth always in remembrance—there would be an attack on it by those who profess to be Christian! Peter gives us an example: “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 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.” Thus, the false teaching in Christendom will produce a generation of merely professing believers who will openly deny and scoff at the truth—especially the truth of the coming of Christ.
It seems hard to believe that those who profess to be Christian would oppose the plain statements of Scripture concerning the second coming of Christ. But living in “the last days,” as we are in today, we can see in retrospect how this has come to be. A large sector of the Christian profession (Neo-orthodox Protestantism, Unitarianism, etc.) has given itself over to so-called “Higher Criticism,” which has led scholars to conclude that many parts of the Bible are not divinely inspired—such as the first ten chapters of Genesis, Jonah, etc. This has weakened the confidence of the masses in Christendom as to the reliability of Scripture, and there has come out of this infidelity those who mock God’s Word. Peter says that the reason they scoff at the thought of the Lord’s coming is because (they say) “all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
Three Catastrophic Interventions of Judgment
Vss. 5-7—Peter exposes the folly of their reasoning by stating that all things haven’t continued from the beginning without divine interventions of judgment. He points to two such catastrophic judgments in history and tells us that there is a third judgment coming that will far exceed the proportions of the other two. He says: “For this they are willingly ignorant of, that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing [having its subsistence] out of the water and in [through] the water: whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water perished: but the heavens and the earth, which are now [present], by the same Word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”
Verse 5, is a reference to a primeval intervention of judgment, by God, that left the earth in the chaotic state of “having its subsistence out of water and in water.” This lacustrine scene is described in Genesis 1:2. Some think that this 5th verse is referring to the flood in Noah’s day, but if that were the case, it would contradict the Genesis account of the flood. Genesis 7:19-20, states that the waters of the flood completely covered the earth; there were no pieces of land “standing out of the water and in the water,” as verse 5 states. This verse, therefore, must be referring to something other than the flood. Since Peter speaks of it before he describes the flood, in verse 6, he must be speaking of something that happened before the flood. What else could it be but Genesis 1:2? Many Bible teachers correlate it with Genesis 1.
The description of the earth, in verse 5, may not look like the description given in Genesis 1:2 when compared, but there is really no difficulty in reconciling the two passages when we remember that the Bible is a progressive revelation of truth. That is, what is given in the Old Testament is often expanded upon in the New, wherein more detail is given. This, we believe, is the case with 2 Peter 3:5. From reading Genesis 1:2, we might have thought that the waters covered the earth, but taking a closer look at the passage, we see that it doesn’t say that. It may be argued that it wasn’t until the 3rd day that the land emerged from the waters. Again, Scripture doesn’t say that; it says that the earth became “dry” on the 3rd day. (The word “land” in Genesis 1:9-10 is in italics, indicating that it is not in the Hebrew text.) Putting the two passages together, we gather that the earth’s condition when it was “waste and empty” was a partially submerged wasteland.
In verse 6, Peter speaks of a second intervention of divine judgment which is, unquestionably, the deluge in Noah’s day. W. Kelly remarked, “The passage before us [vss. 5-6] is by some applied only to the earth’s primeval constitution, by others to the deluge. It is plain enough that the Apostle looks successively at each.” (The Second Epistle of Peter, p. 165) Since “Higher Criticism” denies the divine inspiration of the first ten chapters of Genesis, we can see why these so-called scholars would say that nothing has changed from the beginning of the creation; the two judgments that Peter cites, in verses 5-6, are both recorded in those early chapters of Genesis, which they don’t accept!
In verse 7, Peter points to a third intervention of judgment that is yet to come. He tells us that the instrument that God will use in this coming judgment will not be water, as in the flood, but “fire.” Moreover, this judgment will touch everything in “the heavens and the earth,” unlike the flood which affected the earth only. Thus, everything that we lay our eyes upon in this creation is “reserved unto fire.” This third judgment will not occur at the second coming of Christ; nevertheless, the coming of Christ, which these men deny, is as sure as the Word of God itself. In fact, Christ’s coming is stated in 23 of the 27 books of the New Testament!—Galatians, Philemon, 2 John, and 3 John are the exceptions. Denying that Christ will come again, as the scoffers do, is a clear proof of the rank infidelity that exists in these last days.
Vss. 8-9—As to the time when Christ will come, Peter explains that God doesn’t count time as men do. He says: “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.” (See also Psalm 90:4.) Thus, while the infidels of this world are “willingly ignorant” (vs. 5), let not the saints be “ignorant” concerning these things (vs. 8). In God’s reckoning, the time of Christ’s absence from this world has really only been about two days, which is not long at all! Peter tells us that the reason for the short delay is that God is merciful! It is clear from Scripture that when Christ does come (His Appearing), it will be to execute judgment upon the ungodly sinners of this world (Jude 14-15)—for God will not allow things to go on in their present state indefinitely. He says, “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.” Thus, the lapse of time in regard to Christ’s coming is a proof of God’s longsuffering mercy, not His inability to bring it to pass. If the ungodly sinners of this world were in their right mind, and understood this, they would be thanking God that Christ’s coming has been delayed.
The Day of the Lord
Vs. 10—Let us be assured, Christ will come again, and judgment will be executed in the Day of the Lord. In that day, there will be a closing up of everything connected with this present creation and the beginning of a new order of things in a new heavens and earth. Peter says: “The Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” In this statement, he speaks of two future events happening in “the Day of the Lord”—the Lord’s coming as “a thief in the night,” which is His Appearing (Matt. 24:43-44; Luke 12:39-40; 1 Thess. 5:2; Rev. 3:5; 16:15), and the dissolving of “the elements” of the material creation, which will happen in man’s reckoning of time, a thousand years later (Rev. 20:4–21:8). Thus, Peter shows us that “the Day of the Lord” is not a 24-hour day, but a period of one thousand years when Christ will exercise His Lordship authority over the world. This, as he has explained in verse 8, is just “one day” with the Lord. He does not speak of the Millennium here, which comes between these two events, but skips over it to focus on the moment when God will fulfil His Word in the dissolution of all things. Hence, Christ will appear at the beginning of the Day of the Lord, and at the end of that day He will effect a dissolution of everything in the material creation (Matt. 24:35; Heb. 1:11-12; 2 Peter 3:7, 10-12; Rev. 20:11b; 21:1).
The Practical Effect These Things Should Have on Us
Vss. 11-16—Having informed us of the things that are coming, in the latter part of the chapter, Peter turns to speak of the practical effect that those things should have upon our lives, and exhorts us to that end. Thus, his purpose in bringing up future events is intensely practical.
Vs. 11—He asks rhetorically, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation [manner of life] and godliness?” The very first effect that these things should have on us is to produce an exercise to live godly lives in the little while that we have left. Thus, the knowledge of prophecy has been given to us not merely to build a calendar of future events in our minds, but also to build solid Christian character in our lives.
The Day of God
Vss. 12-13—Peter continues: “Looking [waiting] 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? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look [wait] for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Knowing that these things are coming should not produce laxity in us, but an earnest expectation of those things. His logic is simple and poignant; if there is going to be a dissolution of everything that is material, then we ought to be living for spiritual things which are eternal, rather than for present things that are going to pass away.
“The Day of God” is the Eternal State, which follows the Millennium. There are only three places in Scripture where the Eternal State is described—1 Corinthians 15:24-28; 2 Peter 3:12-13; Rev. 21:1-8. Besides being called the Day of God, it is also called “the Day of Eternity” (vs. 18) and “the Ages of Ages” (Gal. 1:5; Eph. 3:21; Phil. 4:20; 1 Tim. 1:17; 2 Tim. 4:18; Heb. 1:8; 13:21; 1 Peter 4:11; 5:11; Rev. 1:6, 18; 4:9-10; 5:13; 7:12; 10:6; 11:15; 15:7; 19:3; 20:10; 22:5). This eternal day is one of three future things we are to be “looking” for:
• The “blessed hope”—the Rapture (Titus 2:13a).
• The “glorious Appearing” of Christ (Titus 2:13b).
• The “Day of God” (2 Peter 3:12).
Peter says that we should not only be “waiting” for that eternal day with earnest expectation, but that we should also be “hastening” it! What does this mean? In what way can we hasten the coming of that day? Reformed (Covenant) Theologians tell us that it means that we need to get busy in evangelistic work and convert the world to God, for the Lord will not come until this is done. In being so engaged, we “speed” (NIV) up His coming and the accomplishment of His purposes. But this is not true; the time of its arrival is set in God’s perfect timetable, we can’t hurry it up. Furthermore, verses 12-13 are not speaking of the promise of the Lord’s coming as these theologians imagine, but of “the promise” of the coming of the Day of God—the Eternal State. It is not that we can make its time arrive more quickly than God has ordained, but if we would live morally and spiritually as though we were in that day now, as to our experience, we bring it closer to us personally.
The phrase, “a new heavens and a new earth,” is borrowed from Isaiah 65:17; 66:23; but there, it is referring to the millennial kingdom of Christ. This can be seen in the fact that sin and death are seen in those passages as still being present. In Isaiah, the expression is used figuratively to describe the new moral order of life that will be enforced through righteousness reigning in that day (Isa. 32:1; 61:11). The Lord referred to it as “the regeneration” (Matt. 19:28). Here, in 2 Peter 3, the term involves not only a new moral order (which should be exhibited by Christians now – Titus 3:5), but also a new physical creation of the heavens and earth.
Peter adds, “Wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Today, in the time of Christ’s absence, righteousness suffers because sin is abounding on every hand. Grace reigns through righteousness in the believer’s heart (Rom. 5:21), but publicly, in every aspect of life in the world, righteousness suffers. But when Christ appears and judges this world in righteousness (Acts 17:31), He will set up His millennial kingdom wherein righteousness will reign (Isa. 32:1). Sin will still exist in the creation, but it will be subdued. If and when it is manifested, it will be judged (Psa. 101). When the Day of God (the Eternal State) is ushered in, righteousness will dwell in perfect repose, for sin and death will be eradicated (1 Cor. 15:26; Rev. 21:4). There will be no need to enforce righteousness in that day because everything will be ordered according to the mind of God.
Vss. 14-15a—Peter then addresses our outward life before the world in view of sharing the gospel with the lost. He says, “Be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of the Lord is [to be] salvation.” We see from this statement that it is important that our lives are ordered rightly before the world if we expect to have them receive what we say in regard to being saved. Gospel work without a life that backs up what we say will lack power and sincerity. We must, therefore, first live in “peace” with our fellow man (without compromising Christian principles) and be “without spot and blameless” before them. When that is the case, we can use our time profitably in sharing the gospel, and it might result in their “salvation.” Thus, the delay of the coming of the Lord and the coming of the Day of God, if rightly understood, does not make believers careless, but motivates them to godly living (vs. 11), earnest expectation (vss. 12-13), and diligent service (vss. 14-15a).
Three Heavens and the Earth
In review, Peter has spoken of three different “heavens and the earth” in this chapter:
• The heavens and the earth that were “of old” (vs. 5). This is the original creation that passed into chaos through a judgment of God (Gen. 1:1-2).
• The heavens and the earth that “are now,” which is the reconstructed earth and heavens described in Genesis 1:3–2:3. This is presently waiting to be dissolved with fire at the end of time (vss. 6-7).
• A “new” heavens and earth in the Eternal State that is yet to be created (vs. 13: Rev. 21:1-8).
The Importance of Paul’s Epistles
Vss. 15b-16—In drawing the epistle to a close, Peter takes the opportunity to endorse Paul’s epistles and to encourage the saints to receive them. He says, “Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given to him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned [untaught] and unstable [ill-established] wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.” It is sweet to see Peter affectionately calling Paul “beloved.” After Paul’s public rebuke of Peter at Antioch (Gal. 2:11-21), Peter could well have harboured feelings of resentment toward him, but this shows that that was not the case. Peter then tells the saints that the things which he had taught them were “also” taught by Paul in “his epistles.” This shows that their ministry is complementary. Thus, the things that Peter had penned in his epistles were not some private opinion of his own.
Peter also makes reference to Paul having “written” an epistle to the Jewish saints. Most, if not all, reliable Bible teachers say that this is an allusion to the epistle to the Hebrews. It may be asked that if Paul is the writer of that epistle, why didn’t he introduce himself in his normal fashion as an apostle, as he does in his other epistles? There are at least three reasons why he didn’t: Firstly, because Paul’s apostleship was exclusively for his work among the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; 15:16; Gal. 2:8). He had no authority to address his fellow countrymen as an apostle. This does not mean that Paul couldn’t address his Jewish brethren; it is just that he couldn’t do it with apostolic authority; hence, his apostleship is not mentioned. A second reason why he did not mention his apostleship was because the burden of the Spirit of God, in Hebrews, is to present Christ as the great “Apostle” of our confession (Heb. 3:1). For Paul to have brought in his apostleship there might have distracted from this truth. He wanted his readers to understand that the message in the epistle was coming from One who was a far greater Apostle than himself (chaps. 1:2; 12:24-25). Paul, therefore, happily remains in the background in order to bring Christ to the forefront in a more pronounced way. A third reason is that if the epistle, which was written to believing Jews, fell into the hands of unbelieving Jews, and they knew that its author was Paul, they would never have received it. They would have dismissed the whole thing immediately because they saw him as a renegade from Judaism.
Peter recognized that for a person coming from a Jewish background, Paul’s doctrine (especially his dispensational teaching) would be “hard to be understood”—not in the sense of intellectually grasping what he taught, but in accepting that it was truly from God. The truth concerning God’s temporary setting aside of Israel on account of the Jews’ rejection of the Messiah (Mic. 5:1-3, etc.) and a consequent outreach toward the Gentiles through the gospel to bring them into greater blessing in the Church than was ever offered to Israel (Acts 15:14, etc.) was a hard thing for them to believe. Peter also recognized that there was a present attack upon Paul’s doctrine by men who were “unlearned [untaught] and unstable [ill-established].” This attack has only intensified in our day.
In speaking of this, Peter placed Paul’s epistles among “the other Scriptures.” This means that he saw them as being divinely inspired, and endorsed them as such. Being Scripture, the saints should receive Paul’s doctrine in the same fashion as the Bereans—“with all readiness of mind” (Acts 17:10-12).
Two Final Admonitions
Vss. 17-18—Closing the epistle, Peter gives two final admonitions: One is a warning against becoming affected by the apostasy that would characterize the last days. He says: “Beware lest ye also, being led away [along with – JND] the error of the wicked [unprincipled men – NASB], fall from your own stedfastness.” It is not that real believers can apostatize (abandon the Christian faith), but that they can be swept “along with” the current of apostasy and give up certain Scriptural principles and practices that they once held. This was Peter’s concern. The other is a word of encouragement to continue in the truth, and thus, to “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” He deserves all the glory and praise, “both now and to the day of eternity.”