²⁰ who formerly were disobedient, ^[a]when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. ^21 (A)There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism ^(B)(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, ^(C)but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

God’s Promise Is Not Slack^(A)

3 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which ^(B)I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), ² that you may be mindful of the words ^(C)which were spoken before by the holy prophets, ^(D)and of the commandment of ^[a]us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, ³ knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, ^(E)walking according to their own lusts, 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 ^(F)creation.” ⁵ For this they willfully forget: that ^(G)by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth ^(H)standing out of water and in the water, ^6 (I)by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. ⁷ But ^(J)the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for ^(K)fire until the day of judgment and ^[b]perdition of ungodly men.