King James Version
2 Peter 3
18 verses with commentary
The Day of the Lord
This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
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KJV Study Commentary
<strong>This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.</strong> Peter identifies this as his "second epistle" (<em>deuteran hymin graphō epistolēn</em>, δευτέραν ὑμῖν γράφω ἐπιστολήν), referencing 1 Peter written to the same general audience—believers in Asia Minor. The affectionate address "beloved" (<em>agapētoi</em>, ἀγαπητοί) ...
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III.
(1, 2) Just as the two halves of the first main portion of the Epistle are linked together by some personal remarks respecting his reason for writing this Epistle (2Peter 1:12-15), so the two predictions which form *the* second main portion are connected by personal remarks respecting the purpose of both his Epistles.
(1) **This second epistle, beloved, I now write.**—Rather, *This now second...
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**17. gift ... gift--**not the same words in Greek: the first, the act of giving, or the gift in its initiatory stage; the second, the thing given, the boon, when perfected. As the "good gift" stands in contrast to "sin" in its initiatory stage (Jas 1:15), so the "perfect boon" is in contrast to "sin when it is finished," bringing forth death (2Pe 1:3).
**from above--**(Compare Jas 3:15).
**Fa...
Read full commentary →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:
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 2 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine ...
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(2) **By the holy prophets.**—Appealed to before in 2Peter 1:19. (Comp. Jude 1:17.) The coherence of the Epistle as a whole comes out strongly in this last chapter: 2Peter 3:1 recalls 2Peter 1:12-13; 2Peter 3:17 recalls 2Peter 1:10-12; 2Peter 3:18 recalls 2Peter 1:5-8. In this verse the Apostle commends the warnings of the Old Testament and the New Testament, as to the coming of Christ, to Christi...
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18. (Joh 1:13). The believer's regeneration is the highest example of nothing but good proceeding from God.
**Of his own will--**Of his own good pleasure (which shows that it is God's essential nature to do good, not evil), not induced by any external cause.
**begat he us--**spiritually: a once-for-all accomplished act (1Pe 1:3, 23). In contrast to "lust when it hath conceived, bringeth forth ...
Read full commentary →Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 3 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine ...
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SECOND PREDICTION: Scoffers shall throw doubt on Christ’s return.
(3) **In the last days.**—Comp. 1Peter 1:20; Hebrews 1:2; and the parallel passage to this, Jude 1:18. “Know this first, children, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts” is quoted in a homily attributed on doubtful authority to Hippolytus. (See above on 2Peter 2:1.)
**Scoffers.**—The best aut...
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**19. Wherefore--**as your evil is of yourselves, but your good from God. However, the oldest manuscripts and versions read thus: "Ye know it (so Ep 5:5; He 12:17), my beloved brethren; BUT (consequently) let every man be swift to hear," that is, docile in receiving "the word of truth" (Jas 1:18, 21). The true method of hearing is treated in Jas 1:21-27, and Jas 2:1-26.
**slow to speak--**(Pr 10...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 4 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(4) **Where is the promise**?—Not meaning, of course, “In what passages of Scripture is any such promise to be found?”—but, “What has come of it? where is there any accomplishment of it?” (Comp. Psalm 42:3; Psalm 79:10; Jeremiah 17:15; Malachi 2:17.)
**Of his coming.**—“His” instead of “the Lord’s” indicates not merely that only one Person could be meant, but also the irreverent way in which these...
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20. Man's angry zeal in debating, as if jealous for the honor of God's righteousness, is far from working that which is really righteousness in God's sight. True "righteousness is sown in peace," not in wrath (Jas 3:18). The oldest and best reading means "worketh," that is, practiceth not: the received reading is "worketh," produceth not.
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: standing: Gr. consisting
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 5 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(5) **For this they willingly are ignorant of.**—Literally, *For this escapes their notice of their own will.* They voluntarily blind their eyes to this fact—at once an explanation of their argument, and *first answer* to it, drawn from the Mosaic account of the Creation.
**The earth standing out of the water and in the water.**—The margin is nearer the true meaning with “consisting” for “standing...
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**21. lay apart--**"once for all" (so the Greek): as a filthy garment. Compare Joshua's filthy garments, Zec 3:3, 5; Re 7:14. "Filthiness" is cleansed away by hearing the word (Joh 15:3).
**superfluity of naughtiness--**excess (for instance, the intemperate spirit implied in "wrath," Jas 1:19, 20), which arises from malice (our natural, evil disposition towards one another). 1Pe 2:1 has the very...
Read full commentary →Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 6 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(6) **Whereby.**—The meaning of this is much disputed. The original literally signifies, *by means of which things.* But what things? The context allows various alternatives: (1) These facts about the Creation; (2) the heavens and the earth; (3) the water out of which, and the water by means of which, the world was made; (4) any or all of these together with the word of God. There is good reason f...
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22. Qualification of the precept, "Be swift to hear": "Be ye doers ... not hearers only"; not merely "Do the word," but "Be doers" systematically and continually, as if this was your regular business. James here again refers to the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 7:21-29).
**deceiving your own selves--**by the logical fallacy (the Greek implies this) that the mere hearing is all that is needed.
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.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 7 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(7) **By the same word.**—Or, as some first-rate authorities read, *by His word.* The sense in either case is that the universe is preserved for judgment by the same power that created it. “His word” here does not mean any single utterance of God or passage of Scripture, such as Isaiah 66:15; Daniel 7:9-10; Malachi 4:1. Just as “the world that then was” was destroyed by water, so the present world...
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**23. For--**the logical self-deceit (Jas 1:22) illustrated.
**not a doer--**more literally, "a notdoer" [Alford]. The true disciple, say the rabbis, learns in order that he may do, not in order that he may merely know or teach.
**his natural face--**literally, "the countenance of his birth": the face he was born with. As a man may behold his natural face in a mirror, so the hearer may perceiv...
Read full commentary →God's Patience and the New Heavens
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.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 8 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine ...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(8) *Second Answer* to the sceptical argument: Time is the condition of man’s thought and action, but not of God’s. His thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor His ways as our ways; what seems delay to us is none to Him.
**But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing.**—Although these scoffers are willingly ignorant of what refutes their error, do not you be ignorant of what will lead you to the ...
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**24. beholdeth--**more literally, "he contemplated himself and hath gone his way," that is, no sooner has he contemplated his image than he is gone his way (Jas 1:11). "Contemplate" answers to hearing the word: **"goeth his way," to relaxing the attention after hearing--**letting the mind go elsewhere, and the interest of the thing heard pass away: then forgetfulness follows [Alford] (Compare Eze...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>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.</strong> This verse addresses the delay in Christ's return that scoffers mockingly noted (3:4). "The Lord is not slack" (<em>ou bradynei kyrios</em>, οὐ βραδύνει κύριος) means He doesn't delay or procrastinat...
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(9) *Third Answer*—a practical one: Make good use of what to you seems to be delay.
**The Lord is not slack.**—We are in doubt whether “the Lord” means Christ or God the Father. In 2Peter 3:8 “the Lord” certainly means God; and this is in favour of the same meaning here. On the other hand, “concerning His promise” naturally refers to Christ’s promise that He will return. The same doubt recurs with...
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**25. looketh into--**literally, "stoopeth down to take a close look into." Peers into: stronger than "beholdeth," or "contemplated," Jas 1:24. A blessed curiosity if it be efficacious in bearing fruit [Bengel].
**perfect law of liberty--**the Gospel rule of life, perfect and perfecting (as shown in the Sermon on the Mount, Mt 5:48), and making us truly walk at liberty (Psa 119:32, Church of Eng...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 10 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
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(10) The certainty and possible nearness of Christ’s coming is the basis of the preceding warning and of the exhortations which follow.
**As a thief in the night.**—Suddenly and without warning. The words are an echo of Matthew 24:43, a saying which St. Peter certainly heard (Mark 13:3), or possibly of 1Thessalonians 5:2, which may easily be included in the Epistles referred to below in 2Peter 3:1...
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26-27. An example of doing work.
**religious ... religion--**The Greek expresses the external service or exercise of religion, "godliness" being the internal soul of it. "If any man think himself to be (so the Greek) religious, that is, observant of the offices of religion, let him know these consist not so much in outward observances, as in such acts of mercy and humble piety (Mi 6:7, 8) as vis...
Read full commentary →Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 11 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
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(11) **Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved.**—For “then” we ought probably to read “thus,” *seeing that all these things are thus to be dissolved.* The original is present in form, but rightly translated by the future, being the prophetic present, *i.e., *the future prophetically regarded as present.
**What manner of persons.**—Not so much a question as an exclamation. In any case...
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26-27. An example of doing work.
**religious ... religion--**The Greek expresses the external service or exercise of religion, "godliness" being the internal soul of it. "If any man think himself to be (so the Greek) religious, that is, observant of the offices of religion, let him know these consist not so much in outward observances, as in such acts of mercy and humble piety (Mi 6:7, 8) as vis...
Read full commentary →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? hasting: or, hasting the coming
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 12 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
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(12) **Hasting unto.**—There is no “unto” in the Greek. The margin is probably right, *hasting the coming*—*i.e., *hastening Christ’s coming by holy lives, by helping to make the Gospel known to all nations (Matthew 24:14), so as to “accomplish the number of the elect,” and by praying “Thy kingdom come.” (Comp. 2Timothy 4:8; Revelation 22:20.) The thought is singularly parallel to St. Peter’s spee...
Read full commentary →Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 13 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
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(13) **Nevertheless we, according to his promise.**—“Nevertheless” is too strong, and the emphasis is on “new,” not on “we.” *But new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, we look for, according to His promise.* (Comp. Revelation 21:1.) On the repetition of “look for,” three times in three verses, see above on 2Peter 2:7. The promise of the new heavens and new earth is given in ...
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CHAPTER 2 Jas 2:1-26. The Sin of Respect of Persons: Dead, Unworking Faith Saves No Man.
James illustrates "the perfect law of liberty" (Jas 1:25) in one particular instance of a sin against it, concluding with a reference again to that law (Jas 2:12, 13).
**1. brethren--**The equality of all Christians as "brethren," forms the groundwork of the admonition.
**the faith of ... Christ--**that ...
Read full commentary →Final Exhortation
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 14 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
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(14) **Be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.**—Rather, *Be found spotless and blameless in His sight. “*Be found of Him,” *i.e., “*by Him” (comp. 2Peter 2:19), cannot stand; the construction is parallel to “be found unto you” (2Corinthians 12:20), *i.e., “*in your judgment,” or “in your sight.” The pair of epithets, “spotless and blameless,” should be noticed as coinciding with 1P...
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2-3. "If there chance to have come" [Alford].
**assembly--**literally, "synagogue"; this, the latest honorable use, and the only Christian use of the term in the New Testament, occurs in James's Epistle, the apostle who maintained to the latest possible moment the bonds between the Jewish synagogue and the Christian Church. Soon the continued resistance of the truth by the Jews led Christians to...
Read full commentary →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;
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 15 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
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(15) **The longsuffering of our Lord.**—Again, as in 2Peter 3:9, we are in doubt as to whether God the Father or the Lord Jesus is meant. In neither case is absolute certainty obtainable; but here the balance seems decidedly in favour of the latter meaning. In 2Peter 3:8 “the Lord” certainly means God, and not the Lord Jesus (comp. 2Peter 2:9; 2Peter 2:11). In 2Peter 3:18 “our Lord” is expressly s...
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2-3. "If there chance to have come" [Alford].
**assembly--**literally, "synagogue"; this, the latest honorable use, and the only Christian use of the term in the New Testament, occurs in James's Epistle, the apostle who maintained to the latest possible moment the bonds between the Jewish synagogue and the Christian Church. Soon the continued resistance of the truth by the Jews led Christians to...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 16 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
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(16) **As also in all his epistles.**—All those known to the writer. The expression does not necessarily Imply that St. Paul was dead, and that his Epistles had been collected into one volume. That each church made a collection of them as they became known to it, and that in the great centres they became known soon after they were written, are conjectures of great probability.
**Speaking in them o...
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**4. Are ye not ... partial--**literally, "Have ye not made distinctions" or "differences" (so as to prefer one to another)? So in Jude 22.
**in yourselves--**in your minds, that is, according to your carnal inclination [Grotius].
**are become judges of evil thoughts--**The Greek words for "judges" and for "partial," are akin in sound and meaning. A similar translation ought therefore to be gi...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>Chapter 3, verse 17 - Comprehensive theological analysis.</strong> Peter continues his urgent apostolic warning about the dangers facing the church. This verse contributes crucial insights to understanding false teachers' characteristics, God's judgment patterns, and believers' proper response. The Greek terminology reveals theological precision in Peter's argument, emphasizing both divine...
Read full commentary →Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
(17) **Know these things before.**—Seeing that I have forewarned you of the certain appearance, conduct, and success of these false teachers and scoffers. “Forewarned, forearmed.”
**Being led away with.**—The Greek word occurs only thrice in the New Testament—here, Romans 12:16, and Galatians 2:13. In Romans 12:16 its meaning is a good deal different (see Note there). In Galatians 2:13 it has the ...
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**5. Hearken--**James brings to trial the self-constituted "judges" (Jas 2:4).
**poor of this world--**The best manuscripts read, "those poor in respect to the world." In contrast to "the rich in this world" (1Ti 6:17). Not of course all the poor; but the poor, as a class, furnish more believers than the rich as a class. The rich, if a believer, renounces riches as his portion; the poor, if an u...
Read full commentary →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.
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<strong>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.</strong> Peter concludes with a call to "grow in grace" (<em>auxanete de en chariti</em>, αὐξάνετε δὲ ἐν χάριτι)—progressive increase in experiencing and expressing God's unmerited favor. This isn't static possession but dynamic development. "And in the knowledge" (<em...
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(18) **But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord.**—Or, *But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord*—*i.e., *it may mean “the grace of our Lord” as well as “the knowledge of our Lord.” But the Greek is not decisive on this point; and the rendering in our version avoids the awkwardness of coupling a subjective and objective genitive together by “and.” For “the grace of our Lor...
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6. The world's judgment of the poor contrasted with God's.
**ye--**Christians, from whom better things might have been expected; there is no marvel that men of the world do so.
**despised--**literally, "dishonored." To dishonor the poor is to dishonor those whom God honors, and so to invert the order of God [Calvin].
**rich--**as a class.
**oppress--**literally, "abuse their power against"...
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