The Power of God’s Word (3:1-7)
1This is now the
second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring
up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2that you should remember
the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior
through your apostles, 3knowing this first of all, that scoffers
will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4They
will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell
asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
5For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed
long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word
of God, 6and that by means of these the world that then existed was
deluged with water and perished. 7But by the same word the heavens
and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of
judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Returning to the figure
of the apostle as author and authority behind the teaching of the letter,
invoking a previous letter, presumably, 1 Peter, and reminding the readers
about the true prophetic and apostolic tradition, Peter reestablishes personal
contact with them and provides further refutations for the opposing arguments.
In short, vv 1-2 are written to refute the verses that follow them.
Peter reestablishes the
authority behind the teaching that the letter presents: the prophets, the
command of the Lord, and the apostolic tradition (v. 2; 1:16-21). He identifies
his opponents (v.3) and cites their argument (v.4). Who are these opponents? As
mentioned in my presentation on chapter 1, they are Greek and Jewish
philosophers, the intellectual elite of his day. They are quite familiar with
the teachings and writings of the Stoics and the Epicureans. Since his
opponents and readers are a mixture of Greek and Jewish Christians, Peter must
argue against his opponents using philosophy and Scripture. His use of the term
fathers (v. 4) refers to the patriarchs and other Old Testament figures.
Similarly, in John 7, Jesus refutes the crowd referring to Moses and using the
term “fathers.” “Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. Moses
gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and
you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.” (vv.21-22) In Romans 9, Paul uses
the term “patriarchs.” “To them belong the patriarchs, and from
their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed
forever. Amen.” (v. 5) We also find this language in the opening verse
of Hebrews. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by
the prophets.” (1:1)
Peter also knows that
his opponents believe not in the eternity of the world, but in the “beginning
of creation” (v. 4). If they accept the fact of the creation, then they should
remember the agency of God’s word in creation itself. So, he argues that their
acceptance of the earth’s beginning should lead to the belief that God’s word,
which was powerful enough to create all things and bring the earth out of the
destructive waters a second time after the flood. If God’s word is powerful
enough to create, His word is powerful enough to sustain all things in
existence.
This existence is not
one of eternal sameness as his opponents claim in v. 4b: “For ever since the fathers fell
asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
Rather, in keeping with the Jewish tradition that often described the flood and
the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as examples of the destruction at the
judgment, Peter points out in vv. 5-7, that God is keeping all things until the
Day of Judgment.
Delay is a Sign of God’s Mercy (8-10)
8But do not
overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand
years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slow to
fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not
wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10But
the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away
with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the
earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
2 Peter used creation
and flood stories to argue for the power of God’s word. If God has the power to
control all things, then 2 Peter must explain the delay in God’s use of that
power. He must differentiate human and divine perceptions of time. Fortunately,
Psalm 90:4 provides evidence that a thousand years are like a day in God’s
sight (v. 8).
There is an important
reason for God’s apparent delay: It provides all with the opportunity for
repentance.
In Joel 2, we read, ““Yet
even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting,
with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger,
and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” (vv.
12-13)
In Jonah 4:2, we read, “And
he prayed to the Lord and said, “O Lord, is not this what I said when I was yet
in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that
you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast
love, and relenting from disaster.”
We find other passages
in the Hebrew Scriptures and in the writings of pagan authors. However, the
delay will not be eternal. 2 Peter reminds readers of the well-established
tradition that the end will come like a thief (v. 10). We read this in Luke
12:29-40, in two passages in Revelation (3:3; 16:15), and in 1 Thessalonians: “For
you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief
in the night.” (5:2)
The roar (v. 10) is
more than the noise of fire at the judgment. It signals God’s appearance as
judge.
All elements will be
dissolved. For the Stoic, all things returned to the original spirit from which
they came. 2 Peter is not interested in a cosmological theory, but the Second
Coming (Parousia) as divine judgment against the wicked.
All Things Will Be Dissolved (11-13)
11Since all these
things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives
of holiness and godliness, 12waiting for and hastening the coming of
the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,
and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13But according to
his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which
righteousness dwells.
Dissolution of the
elements, which meant condemnation for the wicked, signaled salvation for the righteous,
a precondition for the new heaven and new earth. 2 Peter anticipates the coming
of the Lord
2 Peter may have
modified familiar phrases to fit the Stoic imagery of all the elements being
dissolved in the fire that he uses in this passage. In any case, the readers
should not be concerned with how creation ends, but how they should live their
lives.
The new creation forms
the basis for a new way of living. Rewards drive out thoughts of punishment. Moreover,
we expect our children to grow into the people who do what is right because it
is good for them and others. Once children have developed the ability to govern
their own, parents no longer have to lay down the law.
Await Salvation in Holiness (14-18a)
14Therefore,
beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him
without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15And count the patience of
our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you
according to the wisdom given him, 16as he does in all his letters
when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are
hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own
destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17You therefore,
beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with
the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18aBut grow
in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
This section includes
topics already discussed, but contains a new piece of information. False
teachers are distorting passages from Paul’s letters to make their case (vv.
15-17). The opposition rejected God’s word as human interpretation (1:20), but
2 Peter insists that these letters agree with the apostolic tradition. See 1
Thessalonians 5 and 2 Tim 2:18).
Gnostic authors used
Paul’s letters to claim that salvation came through knowledge of the heavenly
revealer. Peter reminded readers to compare Gnosticism to Paul’s apostolic
authority. Then they will not be confused. As long as readers remember the
general picture of God’s promises and Christian life described I the letter (2
Peter), they will not be misled.
Concluding
Doxology (18b)
18bTo him be the
glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
This is a conventional
final greeting. There are no indications as to who the readers are, but they
are reminded of the final judgment.
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