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3:1 This second
epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which
I stir up your
pure minds by way of remembrance: 3:2 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: 3:3
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own
lusts, 3:4 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.
3:5 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: 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed
with water,
perished: 3:7 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.
3:8 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.
3:9 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.
3:10 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.
3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be
dissolved, what manner
of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 3:12
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? 3:13
Nevertheless we, according to his promise,
look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
3:14 Wherefore,
beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be
diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and
blameless.
3:15 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; 3:16 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.
3:17 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.
3:18 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.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
2 Peter
Book: 2 Peter
Chapter: 3
Overview:
The design here is to remind of
Christ's final coming to
judgement.
(1-4) He will appear unexpectedly, when the present
frame of nature will be dissolved
By Fire.
(5-10) From thence is
inferred the need for
Holiness, and stedfastness in the
Faith.
(11-18)
1-4 The purified minds of Christians are to be stirred up, that
they may be active and lively in the work of
Holiness. There
will be scoffers in the last days, under the
Gospel, men who
make
Light of
Sin, and mock at
Salvation By Jesus Christ. One
very principal article of our
Faith refers to what only has a
promise to
Rest upon, and scoffers will attack it till our
Lord
is come. They will not believe that he will come. Because they
see
No changes, therefore they fear not
God, Ps 55:19. What he
never has done, they fancy he never can do, or never will do.
5-10 Had these scoffers considered the dreadful vengeance with
which
God swept away a whole world of ungodly men at once,
surely they would not have scoffed at his threatening an equally
terrible
Judgment. The heavens and the
Earth which now are,
By
the same
Word, it is declared, will be destroyed
By Fire. This
is as sure to come, as the
Truth and the power of
God can make
it. Christians are here taught and established in the
Truth of
the coming of the
Lord. Though, in the account of men, there is
a vast difference between one
Day and a thousand years, yet, in
the account of
God, there is
No difference. All things past,
present, and future, are ever before him: the delay of a
thousand years cannot be
So much to him, as putting off any
thing for a
Day or for an
Hour is to us. If men have
No
knowledge or belief of the eternal
God, they will be very apt to
think him such as themselves. How hard is it to form any
thoughts of eternity! What men count slackness, is
long-suffering, and that to us-
Ward; it is giving more time to
his own people, to advance in knowledge and
Holiness, and in the
Exercise of
Faith and patience, to abound in good
Works, doing
and suffering what they are called to, that they may bring
Glory
to
God. Settle therefore in your hearts that you shall certainly
be called to give an account of all things done in the body,
whether good or evil. And let a humble and diligent walking
before
God, and a frequent judging of yourselves, show a firm
belief of the future
Judgment, though many live as if they were
never to give any account at all. This
Day will come, when men
are secure, and have
No expectation of the
Day of the
Lord. The
stately palaces, and all the desirable things wherein
worldly-minded men seek and place their happiness, shall be
burned up; all sorts of creatures
God has made, and all the
Works of men, must pass through the
Fire, which shall be a
consuming
Fire to all that
Sin has brought into the world,
though a refining
Fire to the
Works of
God's
Hand. What will
become of us, if we set our affections
On this
Earth, and make
it our portion, seeing all these things shall be burned up?
Therefore make sure of happiness
Beyond this visible world.
11-18 From the doctrine of
Christ's second coming, we are
exhorted to purity and
Godliness. This is the effect of real
knowledge. Very exact and universal
Holiness is enjoined, not
resting in any low
Measure or degree. True Christians look for
new heavens and a new
Earth; freed from the vanity to which
things present are subject, and the
Sin they are polluted with.
Those only who are clothed with the
Righteousness of
Christ, and
sanctified
By the
Holy Ghost, shall be admitted to
Dwell in this
Holy place. He is
Faithful, who has promised. Those, whose sins
are pardoned, and their peace made with
God, are the only safe
and happy people; therefore follow after peace, and that with
all men; follow after
Holiness as
Well as peace. Never expect to
be found at that
Day of
God in peace, if you are lazy and idle
in this your
Day, in which we must finish the work given us to
do. Only the diligent
Christian will be the happy
Christian in
the
Day of the
Lord. Our
Lord will suddenly come to us, or
shortly
Call us to him; and shall he find us idle? Learn to make
a right use of the patience of our
Lord, who as yet delays his
coming. Proud,
Carnal, and corrupt men, seek to wrest some
things into a seeming agreement with their wicked doctrines. But
this is
No reason why St.
Paul's
Epistles, or any other part of
the Scriptures, should be laid aside; for men, left to
themselves, pervert every
Gift of
God. Then let us seek to have
our minds prepared for receiving things hard to be understood,
By putting in practice things which are more easy to be
understood. But there must be self-denial and suspicion of
ourselves, and submission to the authority of
Christ Jesus,
before we can heartily receive all the truths of the
Gospel,
therefore we are in great danger of rejecting the
Truth. And
whatever opinions and thoughts of men are not according to the
Law of
God, and warranted
By it, the believer disclaims and
abhors. Those who are led away
By error, fall from their own
stedfastness. And that we may avoid being led away, we must seek
to grow in all
Grace, in
Faith, and virtue, and knowledge.
Labour to know
Christ more clearly, and more fully; to know him
So as to be more like him, and to
Love him better. This is the
knowledge of
Christ, which the
Apostle Paul reached after, and
desired to attain; and those who taste this effect of the
knowledge of the
Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ, will, upon
receiving such
Grace from him, give thanks and praise him, and
join in ascribing
Glory to him now, in the full
Assurance of
doing the same hereafter, for ever.