2 PeterChapter 3

+ Secondary text Original text ← Previous 1. Johannes →Contribute

This is now the second letter I am writing to you, dear friends. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere minds by way of reminder,

so that you will remember the words spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command of our Lord and Savior given through your apostles.

First of all, understand this: in the last days scoffers will come, mocking and following their own desires.

They will say, "Where is this promised coming of his? Ever since our ancestors fell asleep, everything goes on just as it has since the beginning of creation."

They deliberately ignore this: that long ago the heavens existed, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by God's word,

and that through these the world of that time was deluged with water and destroyed.

By that same word the present heavens and earth are being kept in store for fire, reserved for the day of judgment and the destruction of the ungodly.

But do not overlook this one thing, dear friends: with the Lord a single day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a single day.

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness; rather, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Then the heavens will vanish with a roar, the elements will be dissolved in flames, and the earth and everything done on it will be laid bare.

Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You should live holy and godly lives,

as you look forward to the coming of the day of God and hasten it on — the day when the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt in the heat.

But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

So then, dear friends, since you are waiting for this, make every effort to be found by him at peace, spotless and blameless.

And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom given to him.

as he does also in all his letters when he speaks of these things. Some matters in them are hard to understand, and the ignorant and unstable twist them, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

So you, dear friends, since you know this beforehand, be on your guard, so that you are not carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your firm footing.

Instead, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Lookup

Summary2

Chapter 3

Main Theme: Peter prepares believers for the Lord's day by warning against scoffers and urging holy living in light of God's patience and the promise of a new creation.

Content: Peter warns against scoffers who doubt Jesus' return and claim that everything continues as it always has. He explains that God is not slow, but patient—he desires that all should come to repentance. The Lord's day will come unexpectedly like a thief, and the present heavens and earth will be consumed by fire. But believers await new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. Peter therefore urges holy living and growth in grace and knowledge of Christ.

Key Terms/Images:

The Day of the Lord: The coming day of judgment when heaven and earth will pass away and all things will be made new.
God's Patience: God delays judgment not out of slowness, but out of mercy so that more may repent.
New Heavens and a New Earth: The promise of a renewed creation where righteousness dwells permanently.
Like a Thief: A picture indicating that the Day of the Lord will come unexpectedly and without preparation for many.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for 2 Peter 3

People

The chapter explicitly mentions "our beloved brother Paul" (v. 15), which is remarkable because it is the only place in the New Testament where another New Testament author directly refers to Paul's letters as authoritative writings. The writer speaks of Paul with respect and acknowledges his wisdom as God-given. The reference that Paul "has written to you" suggests that the recipients were familiar with Pauline letters, possibly Romans or one of the letters to churches in Asia Minor. The fact that Paul's letters were already circulating and being read alongside "the other Scriptures" (v. 16) indicates an early recognition of them as authoritative texts on par with the Old Testament.

Events and Customs

The chapter addresses the issue of "scoffers" (ἐμπαῖκται, empaiktai) who mockingly ask, "Where is the promise of his coming?" (v. 4). This reflects a real crisis in the early church toward the end of the first century, when the first generation of Christians began to die without Christ having returned. The expression "the fathers fell asleep" (v. 4) likely refers to the first generation of believers, perhaps including the apostles. This "delay of the parousia" (Christ's return) created theological uncertainty and gave rise to skeptics who claimed that the world continued unchanged "from the beginning of creation."

Key Terms

The word παρουσία (parousia, vv. 4, 12) was a technical term in antiquity for the official arrival of a king or emperor into a city. The term carried expectations of preparation, purification, and celebration. For Christians, it became the central word for Christ's expected return. Στοιχεῖα (stoicheia, vv. 10, 12), translated as "elements" or "basic principles," referred in Greek philosophy to the four fundamental elements (earth, water, air, fire) that made up the universe, or to heavenly bodies. The writer's imagery that these would be "dissolved by fire" communicated to Greek readers a total cosmic upheaval. The expression "the day of the Lord" (ἡμέρα κυρίου, v. 10) has roots in prophetic literature and denotes God's final intervention in history.

Chapter-Specific Insights

The idea of the world's destruction by fire (ekpyrosis) was well known in Stoic philosophy at that time. The Stoics taught that the world was periodically destroyed by fire and reborn in cycles. The writer uses similar language (vv. 7, 10, 12), but with significant differences: here it is a one-time event leading to "new heavens and a new earth" (v. 13), not an endless repetition. This use of language shows how New Testament authors could adopt contemporary philosophical concepts and reshape them within a biblical framework. The reference to the flood as a type (vv. 5–6) also connects to Jewish apocalyptic tradition, where the flood served as typology for the coming judgment.

People2

Paul1 Jesus1

See all people →

Key words

No key words yet for this chapter.

Timeline1