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Author: Will

2 Peter 3:17 – Be On Guard

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Will

Then, beloved ones, knowing this beforehand, guard yourselves lest being led astray by the error of lawless men you fall from your own steadfastness.

Truth to Learn

Based on what Peter has just taught us, we must be wary of false teachers who would cause us to stumble.

Behind the Words

“Knowing … beforehand” is translated from proginōskō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or place” and ginōskō, which means “to know absolutely or completely.” The word is expressed here as a present participle.

The word translated “guard yourselves” is the Greek word phulassō, which means “protect yourself, be on guard, or be aware of.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating a command and it is expressed in the middle voice, indicating something that you do to yourself.

“Steadfastness” is from stērigmos, which is derived from stēridzō, meaning “to set firmly in place.” So we see, stērigmos refers to “a position of stability.”

Meaning Explained

Therefore, that is, because there will be scoffers and false prophets who deny the truth of the Word and who deny that Christ is returning again and who don’t believe that there was a flood or that there will be a fiery judgment… knowing beforehand that Christ will return and there will be a judgment of this world and its inhabitants, be on your guard!

Peter is commanding us to be on our guard and to protect ourselves from the teachings of the scoffers and false teachers. Otherwise, he says, we may be led astray by their erroneous teaching. Remember we learned earlier that they will use a symphony of words to entice us into their false teaching.

How can we protect ourselves from false teaching? I learned years ago that people who are trained to detect counterfeit money do not spend their time studying various forgeries and counterfeits. Instead, they study the real thing over and over again in excruciating detail so that they can spot a fake, being different from the real thing. In the same way, we need to constantly be studying the Word of God over and over so that we will be able to spot false teaching. It is not sufficient to simply hear a sermon once a week and spend a few minutes reading our Bibles. We need to be studying the Word constantly!

Peter then tells us that if we do get led astray, we may fall from our “secure position.” Peter is not saying that we will fall from salvation. As we’ve shown before, we cannot lose our salvation. What we can lose, however, is our firm footing, our position of spiritual stability, and we can stumble and fall into sin if we get led astray by false teaching.

Application

We now know that Christ is coming again (it could even be today). And, we know He is coming as the Judge who will perform a trial by fire. We also now know that there are many false teachers who would draw us away from our firm footing. Therefore, beware and lift your eyes, for your redemption draws near!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:16 – Only God’s Truth

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Will

as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these things, in which some things are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as also they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Truth to Learn

The hard truths of the Bible are often distorted and mistaught by those claiming to be teachers of truth.

Behind the Words

The word “ignorant” is translated from amathēs, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of manthanō, meaning “to learn.” Hence, it means “unlearned, uneducated, or ignorant.”

“Unstable” is from astēriktos, made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and a form of stēridzō, meaning “to confirm” or “to establish.” Hence, this word refers to those who are “unsettled, unsteady, or unstable.”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is another one that, on the surface, seems confusing and hard to understand, so let’s look at it one phrase at a time.

“as also in all his letters” As we saw in the previous verse, Peter is talking about the Apostle Paul. At the time of the writing of 2 Peter, many of Paul’s epistles had been written. Peter, no doubt, had read them and had been himself instructed by them.

“speaking in them concerning these things” In Paul’s letters the subjects of the return of Christ, the judgment of the wicked, and the coming of a new heaven and a new earth are all spoken of.

“in which some things are hard to understand” In Paul’s letters there are a number of topics that are not easily understood by these mortal minds of ours. Things such as

the timing of the coming of Christ, which Paul believed would be any day;
the manner of His coming in person with all His saints and His mighty angels;
the destruction of antichrist at His coming, which will be with the words of His mouth
the rapture both of living and sleeping saints together, with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and trump of God, to meet our Lord in the air;
the standing of all believers before the judgment seat of Christ, and the account we all must give of our deeds.

“which ignorant and unstable people distort, as also they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction” Those who have great human knowledge but who have not been taught by the Spirit of God, those scoffers who don’t really believe, those who have not the Spirit of Christ and are none of His, who are ignorant and unstable will pervert the teachings of Paul as they have done to the teachings of the rest of Holy Scripture.

Application

Let us treat with sacred care the contents of this Book, teaching as truth only those things that are taught in it and denying all teaching that is contrary to what is taught in it! All truth is God’s truth. But when it is mistaught by false teachers it becomes man’s lies. We must uphold the truth of the Bible!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:15 – Patiently Restraining

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Will

And consider our Lord's patience as salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you according to the wisdom given to him;

Truth to Learn

God is holding back His wrath so that salvation can come to as many as possible.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “consider” is hegeisthe, which technically means “lead the way.” Metaphorically, however, it means “lead out before the mind,” that is, “consider it” or “think of it as.” The word is expressed here in the imperative voice indicating a command.

Meaning Explained

Peter says, “Don’t think of the longsuffering of God as weakness or as His inability to fulfill his promises. Instead, think of His longsuffering as His way of making sure that salvation comes to everyone possible.” The Apostle Paul said a similar thing regarding God’s longsuffering in Romans 2:4:

Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, and the forbearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Both the Apostles, Peter and Paul, indicate that God’s longsuffering (his patience, according to Peter) is His way of holding back judgment until the last possible moment so that salvation can come to as many as possible.

Romans 2:4 may be the verse that Peter is referring to in the second half of this verse. The startling thing is not that Peter refers to the teaching of Paul, but that he refers to him as a dear brother. If you recall, Paul was not one of the original 12 disciples nor was he the one selected to replace Judas (see Acts 1:15-26.) Paul is the only apostle of Christ who was saved after the resurrection. The other apostles were primarily sent to witness to Jews, but Paul was commissioned by the Lord Himself to a ministry among the Gentiles.

Scripture also records the fact that Peter and Paul had several strong confrontations regarding how Christianity was differentiated from Judaism (see Galatians 2:11 and surrounding verses), so for Peter to now refer to Paul as a “beloved brother” shows a remarkable demonstration of humility and acceptance on Peter’s part.

This is as much the message of today’s verse as anything else. We need to accept the fact that none of us has all the answers. In spite of everything that we have been taught through years of sermons, Sunday school lessons, Bible studies, or even seminaries, we all have much to learn from each other. And, as long as the teaching is based on what the Bible actually says (as opposed to hearsay or private interpretation), we need to be willing to be taught by the Holy Spirit regarding these truths.

Let us guard ourselves against heresy and the corruption of false teachers. However, we need to be open to the teaching from the Spirit of God so that we can all be effective witnesses for Christ.

Application

While God is patiently waiting, holding back His judgment, we need to be witnessing to everyone we can. God’s wrath will not be restrained forever, and each soul saved is one fewer who will experience that wrath. Proclaim the gospel message and ignore what the scoffers say about you.

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:14 – Waiting Peacefully

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Will

So then, beloved ones, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found spotless, and blameless, at peace with him.

Truth to Learn

We are to be at peace awaiting and looking forward to the return of Christ.

Behind the Words

The expression “looking forward to these things” comes from the Greek, prosdokōntes tauta. Tauta means “these things,” and prosdokōntes means “looking toward or looking for, with expectation.” Hence, we could paraphrase this as “looking forward to and expecting these things.”

The word translated “spotless” is aspilos, which is made up of the privative a, meaning “not or without” and spilos, meaning “a stain or a blemish.”

“Blameless” is from amōmētos, made up of the privative a, meaning “not or without” and a form of mōmaomai, meaning “to censure or to blame.”

Both of these words are expressed in the nominative case, meaning that grammatically they are subjects, not objects. Hence the end of this verse is more appropriately translated as “be diligent, spotless and blameless ones, to be found by Him at peace.”

Meaning Explained

Peter is saying, “Because the world will be destroyed by fire and a new heaven and earth will be created (which will only be inhabited by the righteous), therefore (or so then), we are looking for these things to come to pass just as he said they would. We have no reason to be like the scoffers who don’t believe God anyway, we have every reason to believe the message about the future… and we should be preparing for it.

If we believe that this earth and all earthly deeds that we do will be burned up, we should focus not on the things of this world but on the things that pertain to godliness. In order to expectantly look forward to something you have to believe in it. If you don’t believe it will happen, then you won’t be expecting it.

And, if we believe these things will come to pass, then we are to be diligent to be at peace when He comes for us. Since we are in Christ Jesus, we are under no condemnation from God and should truly have peace. This is exactly how He should find us when He returns to judge the world.

Notice Peter calls us spotless and blameless ones. I think he does this intentionally to show the contrast between us and the false teachers he was talking about in the previous chapter where the words “blots and blemishes” are the same root words as “spotless and blameless” without the privative a in front:

Suffering wrong as the payback for their unrighteousness. They consider it pleasure to carouse in the daytime; they are stains and blemishes, self-indulgent in their delusions while they indulge in luxury with you. (2Peter 2:13)

Application

Are you expecting Him to return at any time? If so, do you have peace about it, and do you have confidence that He will return to take you home with Him?

If you’re truly saved then this peace should be yours because in God’s eyes you are spotless and blameless!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:13 – Righteous Heaven & Earth

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Will

But according to His promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness lives.

Truth to Learn

After God’s fiery judgment there will be a new heaven and a new earth where only the righteous will live.

Behind the Words

The word “promise” is translated from epangelma, a form of epangellō, which is made up of epi, an intensifier and angellō, meaning “to announce, proclaim, or declare.” The suffix –ma indicates it is the result of epangellō. Hence, this could be interpreted as “a sure announcement or proclamation.”

Meaning Explained

Peter has just told us about the next judgment of the earth and its inhabitants by fire. This judgment will completely destroy the entire universe as we know it. He now tells us not to become too upset over the loss of the heavens and the earth because God is going to fulfill his declaration of a new heaven and a new earth as proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah:

For, behold, I create new heavens and new earth. And the former things will not be remembered, nor come to mind. (Isaiah 65:17)

These new heavens and new earth will be different from the current heavens and earth in that, according to Peter, in them righteousness will dwell. In other words, only the righteous will occupy the new heavens and the new earth. All others will have been cast into the lake of fire for eternity.

Some esteemed Biblical scholars have speculated that the new heavens and the new earth will simply be “renovated” and somehow changed just as they were in the flood judgment. However, according to Revelation:

Then I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled; and no place was found for them. (Revelation 20:10)

If there was found “no place for them” then they could not exist, otherwise they would be some place. In effect, what the Apostle John is saying in this passage is that they were nowhere to be found; that is, they no longer existed. He goes on to say:

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth passed away (Revelation 21:1)

This new heaven and new earth are not simply a remake of the current heavens and earth because they will have passed away. The new heaven and new earth will be created out of nothing just as the current heavens and earth were created out of nothing.

Why is Peter telling us this right now? So that we can rest assured that God has completely thought out His plan and He will execute it in perfect harmony with all of His promises, whether the scoffers believe it or not.

Application

Therefore, first of all, we should be thankful for the salvation that we have (including a hope for a future), and secondly we should be obedient to this Almighty God who has made such great and precious promises to us.

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:12 – Anticipated Return

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Will

as you anticipate and eagerly await the coming of the Day of God through which the heavens having been set afire will be dissolved and the elements will melt in the heat.

Truth to Learn

We should be looking forward to the return of our Lord.

Behind the Words

“Anticipate” is translated from prosdokaō. This is a compound word made up of pros, meaning “unto or toward” and dokaō, which means “to expect or to wait for.”

The expression “eagerly await” is translated from the Greek word, speudō, which means, “to urge on or to hasten with respect to time.” It means that we anxiously desire that something should occur, and we would hasten it if we could.”

The word “coming” is from the Greek word parousia, which is derived from a form of pareimi, meaning “to be present.” Hence, parousia revers to a coming or the arrival of someone or something.

Meaning Explained

The scoffers mock us saying that the return of Christ and the Day of Judgment will never come. Actually, deep down inside, they know what they will get when He returns, and secretly they don’t want it to be true. We, on the other hand, should be eagerly looking forward to that day. Peter says that we should “look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.”

We should be like a child whose parents have told him that grandma and grandpa are coming, so the child looks out the window every five minutes and even goes out to the street and looks down the street both ways looking for the coming of his or her grandparents. That’s how we should be anticipating His return and we should be urging Him on, even as the Apostle John said in Revelation 22:20,

He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Yes, come, Lord Jesus!

Peter then reiterates what will occur as part of the Day of God, “That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt [be let loose] in the heat.” On this final day of God’s judgment the heavens (the entire universe) and the earth will be completely destroyed. This is also described by John in the book of Revelation when he describes the Great White Throne judgment:

Then I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled; and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, they were each judged according to what he had done. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15)

Application

Are you looking for and urging on the soon return of your Lord and Savior, or are you secretly in fear of the day?

Search your heart!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:11 – Earthly or Heavenly?

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Will

All these, then, being destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy behavior and godliness

Truth to Learn

We are either of the earthly family or the heavenly family. No one can be a member of both.

Behind the Words

The words “what kind of people” come from potapos, made up of the interrogative poios, meaning “what such” or “what sort” and a modified form of dapedon, meaning “a soil.” Actually, potapos is a corruption of the earlier podapos which meant, “From what country?” Hence, potapos is asking the question, “What kind of people?” but it is implying, “Are you earthly or are you heavenly?”

Meaning Explained

In light of the fact that the world will be judged by fire and all that remains of this earthly realm will go up in flames, we should focus our intentions on righteousness and holy living.

I can remember years ago being in a business management class in which we were all trying to figure out what our real goal in life was to be. We were told to imagine our own funeral, and we were to write our own eulogy, saying all those things for which we wanted to be remembered. Although a really good exercise in helping a person focus on what’s really the central driving ambition in life, it served primarily to help people focus on themselves and on what they wanted.

All the earthly ambitions of everyone in that room, everything written down in those eulogies, every accomplishment, every accolade, and every monument erected in honor of someone in that room will be “let loose” and will burn up completely until there is nothing left but the smell of smoke.

Jesus, in his sermon on the mount in Matthew 6:19-21, said this about earthly riches,

Do not treasure up for yourselves treasures on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break in and steal. But treasure up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not consume, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Peter is saying essentially the same thing in today’s verse. Each of us will stand before the judge of all mankind some day. Those who have rejected Him will stand condemned and will be cast into the lake of fire to be tormented eternally. We who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior will stand in Christ’s righteousness with our sins forgiven. However, we will still have our works judged, and those who have done God’s bidding in this life will receive crowns as rewards for their faithfulness and service. Any who have accepted the salvation that was offered them in this life but who have squandered their time here in self indulgence and self satisfaction, will enter into glory with nothing to offer the King of Kings.

Application

Will you be ushered into the glorious presence of the King or will you be cast into the lake of fire?

If you are ushered into the presence of the King, will you have anything to offer Him?

Or will you smell like smoke?

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:10 – Fission Judgment

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Will

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a great noise and having burned up, the elements will be destroyed, and the earth and the works in it will be burned up.

Truth to Learn

God’s judgment day will be catastrophic and final.

Behind the Words

The word translated “elements” is the word stoicheia, which means “fundamental or elemental things.” Hence, the term “elements” is an excellent translation of it, referring to the atomic elements of which the entire universe is made.

The word translated “will be destroyed” is a form of luō, meaning “to let loose” or “to release.”

“Burned up” is translated from katakaiō, a compound word made up of kata, meaning “down” and kaiō, meaning “to burn.” Hence, this word means “to completely consume by fire.”

Meaning Explained

Peter has just told us that the reason that God has delayed His judgment of the unrighteous. It is because He is holding His wrath in check waiting for any who will believe and accept His offer of eternal life. God is not desirous that any should perish, but he has determined that He will “drop the hammer” someday and then the unbelievers will receive the judgment which is due them.

That Day of Judgment is referred to as “the day of the Lord.” Actually, it is not a single 24 hour day; it is a period of time in which God executes His judgment against the wickedness of mankind. There are numerous references to the day of the Lord in the Bible. Here are a few of them: Jeremiah 46:10; Acts 2:20; 1Thessalonians 5:2.

So, is this a reference to the rapture of the church? No! The rapture comes with a trumpet blast and a loud shout. The day of the Lord comes like a thief, by surprise and stealth, when no one expects it. And nearly every reference to the day of the Lord in the Bible identifies it as a day of God’s wrath and vengeance. Even in today’s verse, Peter describes it as a day when cataclysmic things will occur.

One of the most fascinating statements in the entire Bible is found in today’s verse. It says that, “the elements will be let loose with fire.” One of the things that scientists have never figured out is how the positively charged protons at the center of all atoms remain together, since like charges repel each other. Yet, these like charges are actually so tightly bound together that when they are finally separated, it produces a tremendous release of energy in the form of intense heat (nuclear fission). The explanation that scientists give for this tremendous force holding the protons together is “cosmic glue” or “dark matter.”

Peter says that these elements will “be let loose.” Notice what this means. God is suddenly going to release every proton from its place, which will produce a roar and fire the likes of which has never been witnessed. “. . .and the earth and everything in it will be completely consumed by fire.”

Application

When all material things have been destroyed, only our works, which we have done either for ourselves or for God, will be left for God to judge. What kind of works are you doing? Are they for you or for God?

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:9 – Merciful Patience

Posted on May 25, 2017 by Will

The Lord of the promise is not slow as some consider slowness, but is long-suffering with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Truth to Learn

God is very patient with sinners, but His patience will end one day, and many will suffer His wrath on that day.

Behind the Words

The word in today’s verse translated “slow” (“slack” in some translations) is the Greek word bradunō, which means “to be slow or to be delayed.” I think a word in our modern vernacular which expresses it well is “tardy.”

“Long-suffering” is translated from the Greek word macrothumia, which is a compound word made up of macro, meaning “large or long” and thumos, meaning “strong feeling or passion, either good or bad (as if breathing hard).” Hence, “long-suffering” and “patient” are both good translations of this word.

The word translated “wanting” is boulomai, meaning “to be desirous” or “to be willing.” There is another word translated “wish” or “will” in the New Testament. It is the word thelō, but it includes the implication of intention and action. Thus we can say that boulomai refers to “desirous will,” whereas thelō refers to “determined will.” You see, God is not desirous that any should perish, but He has determined that many will.

Meaning Explained

Now, to answer your question, “Why is God taking so long, and what is He waiting for?” The answer is, “He loves all of mankind and is desirous that all should be saved.” Now, let’s see what this really means.

Peter tells us in this verse that God is not tardy in carrying out His promise. And what is the “promise” that Peter is referring to? It is the promise of the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, on the Day of Judgment.

Now, if He is not tardy, why hasn’t it happened yet? Peter says that it is because God is very patient. The implication is that God is holding his wrath in check, wrath that would destroy all of sinful mankind. And Peter tells us why God is holding back. He is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The word “wanting” is a key word in this verse. As was pointed out in Behind the Words, this refers to God’s desirous will. It is not God’s desire that any should perish, He wants all mankind to repent of their sins, and He is holding back His wrath to give everyone the greatest possible opportunity to repent and submit to Him. So, what is it that will prevent God’s wrath from destroying us? Faith. That is, belief in the sacrificial death of the Son of God as payment for our sins. The Apostle John says it in his gospel account, through the words of Jesus, Himself:

The one believing in him is not condemned, but the one not believing has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. (John 3:18)

Application

We should be proclaiming the gospel message to everyone. The good news that all men are sinful and guilty before God but that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross to pay for that sin. Let us not be ashamed of it! Let us proclaim it from the roof tops because His patience will not last forever!

In God's service, for His glory,

2 Peter 3:8 – He Always Is

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Will

But do not let this thing be hidden from you, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

Truth to Learn

God is always present … everywhere and at all times.

Behind the Words

The word “hidden” is translated from lanthanō, which we looked at back in verse five. It means “to lie hidden” or “to be unaware of.” So, a better translation of the beginning of this verse would be, “But do not ignore this one thing …”

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse is one of those which people seem to delight in pulling out of context and using as a proof text for bizarre doctrines (like the earth wasn’t really created in seven days but in seven eons). However, instead of talking about what this verse doesn’t mean, let’s talk about what it does mean.

First of all, Peter is refuting those who claim that the Messiah (the Christ) is not coming because the message of His coming has been proclaimed for thousands of years, and there is no more evidence of it today than there was when it was first proclaimed. These scoffers claim that everything is continuing on without change for all this time, and there is no chance for a change any time soon.

Peter first refuted this by saying that things have not continued in the same way always, and he cites the flood of Noah’s day as an example. He also warns that there will be another judgment of the earth and its inhabitants; this time by fire.

Now for Peter’s second rebuttal of the scoffers’ belief in uniformitarianism. First, though, he warns his readers, “Do not ignore this one thing.” It is his way of saying that the following is a very important thing to learn: “With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

So what does this phrase really mean? Just this: God is not bound by time. It’s as simple as that! He is right now in eternity past, He is also in eternity future, and He is everywhere in between. Christ, Himself, expressed it when He was arguing with the Jews:

Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am." (John 8:58)

The expression “I am” means that in every point of time, God is there in the present. It is not just a matter that God has always existed and will always exist but that He simultaneously exists in all points of time and eternity. Therefore, to Him, a moment in time is the same as a thousand years, is the same as a day. That’s what Peter is saying. And, since God is not bound by time, the argument (that it has been thousands of years since the message was first preached and He still hasn’t come) has no bearing in the matter at all.

Application

The next time you find yourself getting impatient with God, wondering why He hasn’t answered your prayers yet, keep in mind that God knows the end from the beginning. He is already there and He knows precisely the right time to help you in your “hour” of need.

In God's service, for His glory,