2^nd Peter Chapter Three

2 Peter 3:1-2 ESV (All verses from the English Standard Version)

This 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, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,

APOSTOLIC REMINDER

Peter makes an honest and humble appeal to the brothers. He uses the term of endearment, beloved, to express his heartfelt warmth for them. He assumes their minds are sincere, which is why they look into the scripture for discernment and reminders. His emphasis on the words of Jesus and the apostles is evident, as has been through his letters, urging them to be obedient.

Remember the predictions…

As disciples of Jesus we need to always remind each other of the hope we have in Jesus and the wrath that will be visited upon the disobedient and the ignorant.

And the commandment of the Lord…

The commandment of the Lord, meaning the entire Gospel of Jesus, is to be on our mind always. Many commandments that Jesus did not teach in his three year ministry would be taught through the apostles in their writings:

John 14:24-26 ESV Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me. 25 These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 16:13 ESV When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

Hebrews 1:1-2 ESV Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.

So the apostolic reminder really comes from the Holy Spirit, which is really from Jesus!

2 Peter 3:3 ESV

knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.

Again Peter precedes this statement with “knowing this first of all”. He will contrast what the word of God says with what the false teachers advocate.

Their feverish pitch of scoffing will be more pronounced as this Christian Age closes in on them. We know these are the last days. Many scriptural references, including this one, mark the last days as being the time following the pouring out of the Holy Spirit:

Acts 2:17-16 NIV …this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams…

Acts 2:33 NIV Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.

Paul warned of the last days, just as we are reading in Peter:

2 Timothy 3:1 NIV But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

Which is why, in these last days, we need to focus on the words of the risen Lord Jesus! God had already said in Mat 17:5 “Listen to Him!”

Hebrews 1:2 NIV …but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

James also warns of what many will focus on in the last days:

James 5:3 NIV Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.

The scoffing Peter refers to is the boastful mocking that comes from the ignorant and unstable souls, deceived by the flesh and corrupted by the world. By implication these are the false teachers spoken of in the last chapter, who have perpetrated destructive heresies to turn people against what is good and holy. Thus all that is good is now called “bad”, and the bad is called “good”, fulfilling what Isaiah says:

Isaiah 5:20-23 ESV Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! 22 Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink, 23 who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!

Those who are scoffers are only fulfilling their own warped sense of reality, catering to their own sinful desires as opposed to the way of truth. Their confidence is in themselves, in their science and their logic, which does not stem from reality but from their own warped sense. They discard the holy word for man-made propaganda to support their self-indulgence.

2 Peter 3:4-6 ESV

They 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." For 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, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.

This verse is a good proof text to prove that Peter is writing these things before the fall of Jerusalem, circa AD 70. Why? Because if he is writing after that pivotal event, I doubt many people would still be saying: “…all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” The people of the day were putting their stock in the status quo, pretty much as ignorant people do today.

Those who trust the status quo, which is really the imagination of the world, mock the warnings given in Scripture. It happened in the days of Noah and it will happen again. In the days of Noah they mocked Noah saying: “Where are the rains you speak of? Why do you build a boat on dry ground? It has never rained and it never will! It is impossible!”

The same song and dance is heard today: “When is He coming?” “He will not come!” “It’s been two thousand years already since the apostles died, why does God delay?” “Someone else will come.”

Just like the Israelites got tired of waiting for Moses to come down from the mountain (it was only 40 days) and fashioned for themselves a God they could understand with their senses (Exodus 32:1), many today have abandoned the true hope held by the Gospel and have exchanged it for pseudo-science and pseudo-spiritual ideology to support their fleshly appetites and warped thinking.

Others just have erroneous presumptions about the end times saying, “We will kill ourselves with war.” “An asteroid will hit us.” “A black hole will swallow us.” These and a myriad of other fairytales and confabulations have been exchanged for factual science and historically verifiable divine events that point us to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

They deliberately overlook…

Again, this indicates Peter is saying that the scoffers are the false teachers and the unrighteous who we examined in the previous chapter. They know the facts, but deliberately overlook them. They prefer the senseless to the rational, the subjective to the objective, and the superstitious to the concrete. Why? Perhaps because they would feel too guilty, fearful or convicted to acknowledge the facts as they are: the truth of the word of God. It is easier on the flesh to pacify your conscience with sacraments, tradition and status quo than to deny the flesh and die to self, no?

Scoffers deliberately overlook facts:

1- God spoke and the world was made

a. The heavens were in existence since time immemorial, spoken into existence by the very words of God

b. The earth was formed out of water and through water by God's word (Genesis 1:6-10)

2- God spoke and the world was destroyed

a. The surface of the earth (and all former mockers within) was destroyed with water and the unrighteous of that time perished (Gen 7:11)

b. God intervenes when wickedness runs rampant

c. Man is not running things here. God is.

2 Peter 3:7 ESV

But 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.

3- God is speaking

a. He spoke through the prophets of the coming Messiah

b. He now speaks through Jesus

i. Through the apostles (in the Bible)

ii. Through the church (by Jesus’ disciples who obey His teachings). He says:

1. Judgment Day is coming

a. Everything will be destroyed again by fire, but permanently

b. Everyone will be judged for their actions

2. The ungodly will be separated from God forever.

2 Peter 3:8-9 ESV

But 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. The 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.

4- God’s message:

a. I am patient – time is of no consequence to me, but it is to you – be saved today!

b. I wish for all to know me and my Son Jesus (John 17:3)

c. I wish for all to repent (change their minds from worthless things to the truth)

d. I wish for all to come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved (1 Tim 2:4)

Truth has to be arrived at. Truth is not in man, as Quakers and Calvinists teach. Man himself needs to decide to repent and come to the truth to be saved! Apart from truth there is no salvation! Do not overlook the fact that no one can oppose the word of God! His message cannot be ignored!

Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Jesus himself gave us the warning:

Matthew 7:24-27 ESV "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

Listen to Jesus words of Jesus and obey them. Make your house on these words and live by them. Don’t be like those who ignore truth and embrace a fairytale that will surely end in destruction! Do not overlook the fact that God is in control!

Turn Away From Myths:

1- The Big Bang? – did the universe really begin without God's involvement? Was matter put into motion by mere chance? Can monkeys type up a Shakespearean play by accident?

2- Macro Evolution, Spontaneous Generation & Uniformitarianism? – This is trusting in other people’s fantastic presumptions (Darwin, etc.) and at the same time trusting too much in what you see in front of you. It is not Mother Nature, or genetics or the weather that is in control. This would be like believing in Neptune, Dionysius and Zeus, only with more sophisticated explanations and names!

3- Asteroid Impact, Worldwide Deluge or Extreme Volcanic Activity? People want to hunt for any other explanation other than a worldwide deluge. To accept that would be to accept that God does get involved and that He is keeping the score. The evidence for the deluge is just so overwhelming that to consider anything else is tantamount to superstition.

4- End of the world by World War Three, Comet Collision or Black Hole proximity? Keep dreaming!

a. God is in control and He will bring about the end just as he brought about the beginning.

b. Man cannot bring about the end of the world any more than he could have brought about the beginning of it.

c. There are plenty of biblical warnings about the end:

i. Heb 12:27 – the shaking of the heavens and of the earth…

ii. Matthew 24:35 – heaven and earth will pass away…

iii. 2 The 1:7-10 – Jesus will come with his mighty angels and flaming fire…

iv. Mat 25 – the wicked will be cast into everlasting fire…

5- Purgatory: the second chance? No chance of that! Your second chance is right now! Repent while God patiently waits! After this life is over there’s no more do-overs!

6- God is uninvolved and distant? This is what the Universalists, animists and spiritualists believe. They do not accept that God wants a tight relationship with man. They are blind to the love of God on the cross of Calvary! They resist the Holy Spirit and seek to make themselves mighty by their own strength. They are the ones that will be distant from God for eternity!

2 Peter 3:10 ESV

But 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.

THE DAY OF THE LORD

What an awesome day that will be! It is for this day I have been preparing all my life since I was baptized for the forgiveness of my sins. Whether I die before experiencing this day or whether I have the pleasure to experience it, I am prepared for the outcome in Jesus! What will happen?

1- It will come like a thief – Peter recalls what Jesus said in Matthew 24:42-44. It will catch the majority by surprise, coming unexpectedly or suddenly, especially among the apostate who willfully ignore the facts in scripture. This is in contrast to the destruction of Jerusalem, which Jesus warned about in the beginning of Matthew 24. They would have warning and were instructed to do certain things.

2- The heavens will pass away with a roar – this is most likely referring to the first and second heaven, the third being the abode of God, the eternal heavens. What is eternal and good does not need to pass away, only the created part.

3- The heavenly bodies (elements, rudiments) will be burned up and dissolved (destroyed, melted) – whether Peter refers to the stars, moons and planets; or to the particles (elements: protons, neutrons and electrons) that make up everything in the creation of God – their end will be the same: they will be burned with an intense heat (verse 12) and be destroyed. How? We will find out!

4- The earth and the works done in it will be exposed (consumed, burned up) – All the work that has been done on earth and the earth itself will be exposed for what it is: temporary sand. Everything in it will be consumed as it itself is burned up! Appropriate are the words uttered by Solomon: “…when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:11

The destruction of everything we might have taken for granted will be experienced on that day to expose the temporary for what it was: temporary. The eternal will be clearly seen after that day. Let us be prepared in Jesus to see it today, before we are carried away by the deeds of darkness.

Hebrews 12:25-29 NIV See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, "Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens." 27 The words "once more" indicate the removing of what can be shaken--that is, created things--so that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, 29 for our "God is a consuming fire."

It is important to point out that the authenticity of this epistle is sustained by these words in this chapter, taken from Jesus’ words in Matthew 24 which Peter had heard. All the imagery and language Jesus used is reproduced by Peter, which also teaches us Jesus was speaking about His second coming towards the end of that chapter as opposed to just the destruction of Jerusalem!

Another thing to note is that no distinction is made between “The Day of the Lord” and “The Second Coming” or “The Coming of Christ”. They are one and the same which completely disproves the premillennialist or millennialist interpretation of eschatology.

2 Peter 3:11 ESV

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,

All things will be dissolved…

Because the world and its ways as we know it will cease to be, i.e., dissolved, melted, destroyed… we ought not to put our hope in what is temporary. We are people of hope! We are to be people promoting the afterlife of holiness and godliness, not people promoting the things that will soon dissolve and the attitudes that come with these things.

There is a mindset of the world, a mindset that is idolatrous, trusting and fomenting the very things that bring upon destruction because of sin. Whether it is greed, sexual immorality or sinful gain, some of these patterns are set in our minds since birth: patterns of spending, borrowing, enabling sin and encouraging addiction.

The book of Revelation alludes to this worldly pattern in the following verses:

Revelation 13:14-18 NIV 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 This calls for wisdom. If anyone has insight, let him calculate the number of the beast, for it is man's number. His number is 666.

What does this speak of, but of worldly patterns (human number) of government, financial schemes and oppression designed by the beast and those under his command to keep the Gospel veiled and the truth from spreading out? People who want “in” the ways of the world have to eventually sell their souls to do so. Trying to “save” their lives for the world they really lose their lives to eternity (Mat 10:39).

1 Timothy 6:9-10 NIV People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Lives of holiness and godliness…

Since we know the schemes of the devil and the temporary nature of all things pertaining to sin and the world we ought to live differently. We do not complain and we are content with what we have:

1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8 But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

1- Holiness – different, sanctified, dedicated to the Lord

2- Godliness – to be like God, reverent, respectful, pious

In every regard our lives should show we are of God and not of the world: how we talk, how our marriages are, how we discipline and love our children, how we use our money, what we buy, how we live and eat and what we do and with who we do it.

In the days of Noah people lived carelessly and sinfully, not knowing what their lives were about and the flood surprised them. This is the pattern we see again in these last days. People who do not believe Jesus is coming again are throwing their lives away and even hurting other lives in the process.

We who believe in the coming of Jesus will show our faith by how we live: holy and godly lives! This is part of our testimony! Our show of faith!

2 Peter 3:12 ESV

waiting 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!

The third aspect of the testimony of our faith is how we wait for the Lord to come.

So many psalms have the phrase “wait on the Lord” in them, indicating how David and other writers relied on the Lord during very hard times. When they were tempted to take things into their own hands they turned to the Lord in prayer and song and waited on Him to deliver them.

Waiting is an integral aspect of the disciple’s life. Lack of patience shows how little love we have. Longsuffering shows maturity in love. Disciples ought to wait for the Lord and wait on the Lord. The Lord directs our steps, often through other disciples, events and circumstances. Lack of patience and waiting on the Lord causes you to rely on your gut instinct, intellect and heart.

Taking matters into your own hands can lead to deception, false hope and traps. You can end up painted into a corner for lack of perception and foresight only the Lord can see. If you react out of desperation, frustration or foresight you will inevitably take yourself out of the protective hands of God since you are seeking your won will rather than God's. Don’t be rash. Wait…

It is interesting to note that Peter speaks of us hastening the coming of the Lord by how holy and godly we live our lives. This is not the only time he mentions this, but in Acts he preached the same concept:

Acts 3:19-21 ESV Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.

It is possible that we may be speeding the coming of Jesus by how obedient we are being. The more we rely on the Lord and wait on Him, the faster He will make His approach! Wow! I know of some in the church who have tried to take matters into their own hands with the intent of trying to “speed the coming of Jesus”, when it is waiting on the Lord on our part that will precipitate this hastening on God’s behalf.

When we try too hard we are relying on our own strength and end up making matters worse as opposed to praying, living holy lives and by wisdom being able to discern where and how the Spirit of God is leading us.

Peter again makes mention of the fact that the heavens and all that we see in them will burn and be destroyed! What a sight that will be! What fear and horror will strike the men who put their faith in what is seen! What joy and amazement will fill the hearts of those of us who wait for the coming of our beloved! Don’t we want to hasten this day?

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 ESV … when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

2 Peter 3:13 ESV

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

Where is your hope? What do you dream about? Are your thoughts and heart resting on anything you can see or hear? Peter shows where his longing was: the new heavens and the new earth, the restoration of all things as God desires for them to be. The home and place of righteousness: where all is right according to God.

Isaiah 65:17 ESV "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.

Revelation 21:1-8 ESV Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

“We have no means whatever of conceiving what a resurrection body or a restored universe will be like. Those who think they can map out a detailed program of what will happen at the second coming should remember that despite the prophecies of Scripture, nobody got the details of the first coming right!” – Green

2 Peter 3:14-15 ESV

Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,

BE FIRM IN YOUR SALVATION

1- Waiting on the Lord

a. Shows our trust in Him

b. Shows our dependence on Him

c. Shows we die to self

2- Diligent in the Lord

a. Being without spot – Phil 2:15

b. Being without blemish

c. Being like Jesus, the precious and pure lamb!

d. Loving the truth and hating evil

3- At peace in the Lord

a. Being content and satisfied while waiting

i. Expressing our gratitude to the Lord

ii. Sharing with those in need

b. Carefully observing all commandments in scripture

i. Not twisting them to suit our needs

ii. Just following them eagerly to be obedient!

Salvation is displayed in the holiness of a person’s life. Patience and waiting, diligence and peace are attributes surrounding the holy life. Holiness and righteousness will be what survives into the new heavens and earth. All else is destined for destruction in the burning lake of fire!

Revelation 21:22-27 ESV And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, 25 and its gates will never be shut by day--and there will be no night there. 26 They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. 27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Revelation 20:12-15 ESV And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

By this verse, Peter made it absolutely clear that only holiness and righteousness shall survive in the eternal world; and his admonition has the effect of warning the Christians to strive toward the eternal values. All else will eventually fail anyway. – Coffman

God's patience is understood by us as opportunity to persuade our loved ones to join the church before it is too late. A holy life, marked by the attributes of patience, diligence and peace is the most convincing argument along with the freeing truth of God’s word. Love them with your life and doctrine! God is waiting for them to come in and join us!

All that Paul wrote is in agreement with these attributes of the “saved life”. We need to regard his letters as God’s wisdom for eternal life as we ought to regard all scripture. Just as Peter confirmed at the beginning of this letter that what he writes is no myth, but inspiration of the Spirit (2 Pe 1:20-21), he also extends that reminder to Paul’s letters.

1 Corinthians 2:13 ESV And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

1 Corinthians 14:37 ESV 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.

Galatians 1:11-12 ESV For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul himself confirms these things as well. Some may think this is a circular argument to prove the authenticity of scripture, but as Jesus said:

John 14:10-12 ESV Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

John 7:16-18 ESV So Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.

God has proven He speaks through Jesus and the apostles by:

1- The works He did in them

2- The glory Jesus sought in the Father and the glory the apostles sought in Jesus Christ

2 Peter 3:16 ESV

as 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.

Peter acknowledges that Paul’s letters contained hard things to understand. If Peter thought that, how much harder will they be for us to understand? Should we strive to force into our brains an immature understanding of these things? What is the point?

The ignorant and unstable twist them to their own destruction…

This is definitely what we don’t want to fall into: trying to make the scriptures say what we understand they say. It is one thing to let the scriptures speak, but if you are trying to squeeze them into your own container of understanding you will have to do some twisting. Twisting scripture is something false teachers are known to do. Twisting scripture is something the unrighteous do.

1- Ignorant – those who want to remain ignorant are those who close themselves to God’s revelation in the word. They prefer to hold onto traditions, false teachings and their own opinion. Because of this, they don’t have competent knowledge, experience or maturity to treat the difficulties presented in some passages.

2- Unstable – these prefer to rely on their emotions and every whim they can savor. They have no settled principles, morality or convictions. Without these anchors one cannot develop any reasonable view or philosophy of life, yet alone rightly divide the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15)!

As they do other scripture…

Peter saw the writings of the apostles, collectively called “the New Testament”, as Scripture. They were to be treated the same as the “Old Testament”: they are God breathed! (2 Tim 3:16-17)

God wants us to do four things with the Bible:

1) Read it,

2) Interpret it accurately,

3) Use it in our lives and

4) Defend it.

2 Peter 3:17 ESV

You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

Peter's exhortation is clear: even though there are scriptures hard to understand, we must not avoid them but carefully study them so that we are not carried away by the error of the lawless. Although Peter said the scriptures were hard to understand, that doesn’t mean they are impossible to understand. They just require careful study by those who wait patiently on the Lord; those who are diligent and are at peace because of the promises of God. In other words, we have nothing to prove to men but every reason to defend ourselves from doctrinal error.

The Spirit warns us through Peter to take care we are not carried away by the error of the lawless; by the error of those who forget these promises and make it more about themselves and their ideas than about salvation, righteousness and newness in Jesus.

I’ve heard countless of silly thoughts and egregious doctrinal errors from people who are more interested in proving their own opinion than they are in receiving grace and mercy from the Lord. Their identifying mark is the foolish presumptive nature of their baseless assertions. Anyone who sanely looks into the word to receive freely from the Lord and who also looks into the word to obey it, not to try to prove themselves, will see the truth clearly.

To be more interested in your own thoughts about the word than in the promises the word gives is to be unstable! Don’t lose your stability because you don’t understand something in the Bible. Pray and ask for wisdom and study out the matter carefully, never seeking to side with anyone until you see clearly what the scriptures teach. It has taken me years, sometimes decades, to finally see something clearly in the scriptures. You will know it is the truth because it is simple and easy to see. If you have to read someone’s book about the topic then you are not receiving understanding from the scriptures. The bigger the book, the more erroneous ideas there will be in it, guaranteed:

Proverbs 10:19 ESV When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

2 Peter 3:18 ESV

But 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.

The directive Peter leaves us is simple:

Grow in:

1. Grace – still your souls and mind in the promises of God and not in your own understanding. Don t trust what you understand, trust what God says. This will make you stable in your faith.

2. Knowledge – feed your soul the words of God. Don’t grow in human knowledge, but in the knowledge God has given through revelation and the one he gives you by the measure of faith you have in Jesus. Don’t lean on knowledge only, for you also need grace to help you be stable. Don’t lean on people’s convictions – lean on the Lord's wisdom that you obtain by being diligent in your bible study.

3. Give God the glory – it is always about God and not about you or someone else. All the trials we go through and the things that happen is about giving God the glory now and forever. When you find yourself doubting, lacking peace and joy and in a “funky” attitude, most likely you’ve traded grace and knowledge for something else: your own pursuits and worry. You’ve traded your peace in Christ with restlessness. Just repent and give God the glory. Sin won't make you feel you “fit in”. The only person you need to make sure you “fit in” is into Jesus Christ. He will cut away your sin so that you fit into His Kingdom!

· The Christian is one who is forewarned. He knows both the "right way" and the "wrong way" and cannot plead ignorance.

· The Christian is to have a developing life. He is to grow in grace and experience God's overall care.

· The Christian is a man with a basis for life. He is to be rooted and founded in the faith. He has been given "all things that pertain to life and godliness."

· World Video Bible School Commentary

Amen!