2 Peter 3
1599 Geneva Bible
3 1 He showeth that he writeth the same things again. 2 Because they must often be stirred up, 3 because dangers hang over their heads through certain mockers. 8 Therefore he warneth the godly that they do not after the judgment of the flesh, 12 appoint the day of the Lord, 14 but that they think it always at hand, 15 in which doctrine he showeth that Paul agreeth with him.
1 This [a]second Epistle I now write unto you, beloved, wherewith I stir up, and warn your pure minds,
2 To call to remembrance the words, which were told before of the holy Prophets, and also the commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Savior.
3 (A)[b]This first understand, that there shall come in the last days, [c]mockers, which will walk after their lusts,
4 [d]And say, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the Fathers died, all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation.
5 [e]For this they willingly know not, that the heavens were of old, and the [f]earth that was of the water, and by the water, by the word of God.
6 [g]Wherefore the world that then was, perished, overflowed with the [h]water.
7 [i]But the heavens and earth, which are now, are kept by the same word in store, and reserved unto fire against the day of condemnation, and of the destruction of ungodly men.
8 [j]Dearly beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord, (B)as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 [k]The Lord of that promise is not slack (as some men count slackness) [l]but is patient toward us, and (C)would have no man to perish, but would all men to come to repentance.
10 [m]But the day (D)of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a [n]noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up.
11 [o]Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolved, what manner persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for, and [p]hasting unto the coming of that day of God, by the which the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with heat?
13 But we look for (E)new heavens, and a new earth, according to his promise, [q]wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in [r]peace, without spot and blameless.
15 (F)And suppose that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, [s]even as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given unto him wrote to you.
16 As one that in all his Epistles speaketh of these things: [t]among the [u]which, some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest, as they do also other Scriptures unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware, lest ye be also plucked away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your own steadfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: to him be glory both now and for evermore. Amen.
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 3:1 The remedy against those wicked enemies both of true doctrine and holiness, is to be sought for by the continual meditation of the writings of the Prophets and Apostles.
- 2 Peter 3:3 He voucheth the second coming of Christ against the Epicureans by name.
- 2 Peter 3:3 Monstrous men, who will seem wise by their contempt of God, and wicked boldness.
- 2 Peter 3:4 The reason which these mockers pretend because the course of nature is all one as it was from the beginning: therefore the world is from everlasting, and shall be forever.
- 2 Peter 3:5 He setteth against them the creation of heaven and earth by the word of God, which these men are willingly ignorant of.
- 2 Peter 3:5 Which appeared when the waters were gathered together into one place.
- 2 Peter 3:6 Secondly, he setteth against them the universal flood which was the destruction, as it were of the whole world.
- 2 Peter 3:6 For the waters returning into their former place this world, that is to say, this beauty of the earth which we see, and all living creatures which live upon the earth perished.
- 2 Peter 3:7 Thirdly, he pronounceth that it shall not be harder for God to burn heaven and earth with fire in that day which is appointed for the destruction of the wicked, (which thing he will also do) than it was for him in times past to make them with his only word and afterward to overwhelm them with water.
- 2 Peter 3:8 The taking away of an objection: in that he seemeth to defer this judgment a long season, in respect of us it is true, but not before God with whom there is no time either long or short.
- 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord will surely come, because he hath promised: and that neither sooner nor later than he hath promised.
- 2 Peter 3:9 A reason why the latter day cometh not out of hand, because God doth patiently wait till the elect are brought to repentance, that none of them may perish.
- 2 Peter 3:10 A very short description of the least distinction of the world, but in such sort as nothing could be spoken more gravely.
- 2 Peter 3:10 With the violence as it were of a hissing storm.
- 2 Peter 3:11 An exhortation to purity of life, setting before us that horrible judgment of God both to bridle our wantonness, and also to comfort us, so that we be found watching and ready to meet him at his coming.
- 2 Peter 3:12 He requireth patience of us, yet such patience as is not slothful.
- 2 Peter 3:13 In which heavens.
- 2 Peter 3:14 That you may try to your profit, how gentle and peaceable he is.
- 2 Peter 3:15 Paul’s Epistles are allowed by the express testimony of Peter.
- 2 Peter 3:16 There be certain of these things obscure and dark, whereof the unlearned take occasion to overthrow some men that stand not fast, wrestling the testimonies of the Scripture to their own destruction. But this is the remedy against such deceit, to labor that we may daily more and more grow up and increase in the knowledge of Christ.
- 2 Peter 3:16 That is to say, among the which things: for he disputeth not here whether Paul’s Epistles be plain or dark, but saith, that amongst those things which Paul hath written of his Epistles, and Peter himself in these two of his own, there are some things which cannot be easily understood, and therefore are of some drawn to their own destruction: and this he saith to make us more attentive and diligent, and not remove us from the reading of holy things, for to what end should they have written vain speculations?
2 Peter 3
Expanded Bible
Jesus Will Come Again
3 ·My friends [L Beloved], this is [L now] the second letter I have written you [C the first is probably 1 Peter] to ·help your honest minds remember [L awaken/arouse your sincere understanding/intentions with a reminder]. 2 I want you to ·think about [remember; recall] the words the holy prophets spoke in the past, and remember the command our Lord and Savior gave us through your apostles [Jude 17]. 3 It is most important for you to understand what will happen in the last days. ·People [L Scoffers] will ·laugh at [scoff at; ridicule] you. They will ·live doing the evil things they want to do [indulge their own desires/lusts; Jude 18]. 4 [L And] They will say, “·Jesus promised to come again. Where is he [L Where is his promised coming]? [L For] Our ·fathers [ancestors] have ·died [L fallen asleep], but ·the world [L all things] continues the way it has been since ·it was made [it began with creation].” 5 But they ·do not want to remember [willfully forget/ignore] what happened long ago. By the word of God heaven ·was made [came to be; Gen. 1:3–20; Ps. 33:6; 148:5; Heb. 11:3], and the earth was made from water [Gen. 1:2; Ps. 24:2] and with water [Gen. 1:6–7, 9; Ps. 33:7; 136:6; Prov. 8:27–29]. 6 ·Then [L Through these; C either the water and the word of God, or the heavens and earth which poured forth their water; Gen. 7:11] the world was flooded and destroyed ·with water [L being deluged with water; Gen. 6—9]. 7 And that same word of God is ·keeping [reserving; holding in store] heaven and earth that we now have in order to be destroyed by fire [Deut. 32:22; Is. 66:15–16; Zeph. 1:18; Mal. 4:1]. They are being kept for the judgment day and the destruction of ·all who are against God [L the ungodly/impious people].
8 But do not forget [ignore; miss] this one thing, ·dear friends [L beloved]: To the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day [C our perception of time is not the same as God’s; Ps. 90:4]. 9 The Lord is not ·slow [or late] in doing what he promised—the way some people understand ·slowness [lateness; Hab. 2:3]. But God is being patient with you [Ex. 34:6]. He does not want anyone to ·be lost [perish], but he wants all people to ·change their hearts and lives [L come to repentance].
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief [C with surprise and danger]. The ·skies [heavens] will ·disappear [pass away; Matt. 5:18; 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 16:17; 21:33] with a loud noise. ·Everything in them [L The elements; C either everything in the cosmos or specifically the heavenly bodies] will be ·destroyed [or dissolved] by ·fire [heat; burning], and the earth and ·everything in it [or all the deeds done on it] will be exposed.[a] 11 In that way everything will be ·destroyed [or dissolved]. So what kind of people should you be? You should live holy lives and ·serve God [be godly/pious], 12 as you wait for and ·look forward to [strive for; or hurry; hasten] the coming of the day of God. When that day comes, the ·skies [or heavens] will be ·destroyed [or dissolved] with fire, and ·everything in them [the elements; 3:10] will melt with ·heat [fire; burning]. 13 But God made a promise to us [Is. 65:17; 66:22], and we are waiting for a new heaven and a new earth where ·goodness [righteousness] ·lives [makes its home].
14 [L Therefore] ·Dear friends [L Beloved], ·since [or while] you are waiting for this to happen, ·do your best [make every effort; strive] to be [L found] without ·sin [L spot] and without ·fault [L blemish; C the characteristics of the false teachers in 2:13]. ·Try [Make every effort; Strive] to be at peace with God. 15 ·Remember [Consider; Bear in mind] that ·we are saved because our Lord is patient [L our Lord’s patience is our salvation; C his delay in coming allows more to be saved]. Our ·dear [L beloved] brother Paul told you the same thing when he wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes about ·this [L these things] in all his letters. Some things in Paul’s letters are hard to understand, and people who are ·ignorant [untaught] and ·weak in faith [unstable] ·explain these things falsely [L twist/distort them]. They also ·falsely explain [L twist; distort] the other Scriptures, ·but they are destroying themselves by doing this [or which will lead to their destruction].
17 [L Therefore] ·Dear friends [L Beloved], since you already ·know [are forewarned] about this, be ·careful [on guard]. Do not let those ·evil [lawless; unprincipled] people lead you away ·by the wrong they do [or by their deception; or into error]. Be ·careful [on guard] so you will not fall from your own ·strong faith [stability; firm position]. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him now and ·forever [L to the day of eternity]! ·Amen [So be it].
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 3:10 and … exposed Some Greek copies read “and everything in it will be burned up.”
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