x

Biblia Todo Logo
idiomas
BibliaTodo Commentaries





«

2 Peter 3 - Fleming Don Bridgeway Bible - Commentary

×

2 Peter 3

1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

2 that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after 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 the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 but the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

12 looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;

16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

×

2 Peter 3

3:1-18 SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRIST’S RETURN

Assurance of his coming (3:1-7)

The activity of the false teachers is no reason for the Christians to panic or become confused. Peter’s teaching has followed that of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles, both in helping develop pure faith and in warning those who would try to corrupt that faith (3:1-2).

Christians should not be discouraged by those who scoff at the idea of Christ’s second coming. Such people argue that Christ will not return and that the natural course of events will continue uninterrupted as it has from the beginning (3-4). But these scoffers ignore some of the plain facts of history; for example, the flood in Noah’s day. In the creation story, God made the land appear out of water, but he then interrupted what appeared to be the normal course of events by using water to cover the land and destroy the sinners (5-6; cf. Gen 1:6-7; Gen 6:17). One day he will intervene in human affairs again, this time destroying the sinners by fire (7).



Reasons for the delay (3:8-18)

Some people may wonder why there is such a delay before Christ’s return. The answer is that from God’s point of view there is no delay, since he does not view time according to human standards. Eternity is not time carried on and on indefinitely, but is an entirely different order of things. If there seems to be a delay from the human point of view, it is because God is waiting as long as possible, so that people might realize the seriousness of their sins and turn from them (8-9).

When the day of God’s intervention arrives, it will be as unexpected as a thief. Christ’s return will bring all things to their destiny - destruction for all that is wicked, new life for all that is righteous. Christians should live in a state of constant readiness for that day by being holy in their conduct and dedicated to God in their manner of living (10-13).

This desire to be ready for the return of Jesus Christ is one reason why Christians should work energetically at developing their Christian lives. Only by determined effort will they be blameless in their behaviour (14).

Another reason why Christians should want to grow in holiness is their gratitude to God for his patience with them, for without such patience sinners could never be saved. Paul gave similar advice in his letters, but certain people twist the plain meaning of his words. Paul taught that sinners are saved by God’s grace, not by their good deeds, but ignorant and mischievous people distort his teaching to mean that good deeds are not important. They therefore do as they like and so ruin their lives (15-16).

The best way for Christians to protect themselves against the destructive influence of such false teaching is to learn more about Jesus Christ. They should concentrate on developing within themselves the qualities that are found in him (17-18).




»

Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
Cambridge Univ. Press & BFBS
Follow us:



Advertisements