2 Peter Chapter 3:1-18

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,

• A scoffer is someone who mocks. This verse talks about scoffers who are walking after their own lusts (plural). I see it all the time in various online discussions and videos. They all play by the same handbook and have a list of things they will throw at a person sharing the word or standing up to something amoral. Normally they’ll take a verse of the bible out of context, for example they will accuse you of not being a Christian because you condemn sinful behavior. They do this by twisting this part of scripture “Judge not that you be not judged.” they stop it right there. But Matthew 7 wasn’t written to stop judgment, it was written to instruct the body of believers on how to confront a brother who is caught up in sin. This has nothing to do with nonchristians being told that sex outside of marriage is sin, that homosexuality is sin, that aborting (killing) an unborn baby is sin etc. That verse and the ones that follow are about the process we as Christians must go through before we go to a brother or sister who is caught up in sin. The process starts with self-examination, ridding ourselves of sin and once we are humbled this way we will have the love and compassion needed to help someone else get past a stumbling block. Still this verse is a common scoffer verse used to mock a Christians and belittle their walk…and more to the point, silence them. It is common for the scoffer to throw out verse of the bible out of context. In fact, one of the books written to groom children in the homosexual lifestyle teaches children how to weaponize the scripture against anyone who would try to use the word to teach the child that homosexuality is ungodly. This book does this by mishandling verses from Law given to the Jews and trying to apply the law to Christians to show their hypocrisy. It fails because the author doesn’t understand the word of God and the fact that we are not under the law and as gentiles, never were… we are under grace. This is typical scoffer behavior to protect the lustful behaviors of the scoffer against having the light of the word shined on their actions. If they can discredit the word and delegitimize the Word of God as the moral authority, they can continue in their behavior without conviction.
• Some scoffers throw out the sex scandals in the churches or the perversions that are frequently exposed. These scoffers judge all Christians by the actions of the predators who use Christianity as a cover for their behaviors, again to stop the conversation.
• Others claim the Bible was written by man and contains contradictions. What is clear to anyone who has actually studied the word correctly is that you can’t approach the word as a scoffer and expect to understand… as we will see in other verses. “For they are willingly ignorant of the word,” verse. 5.
• No matter what manner of scoffing the scoffer uses, they all think they are clever and that they have somehow harmed us as Christians with their comments. It isn’t until you become a Christian that you see the scoffer in the true light. We see them as a lost person badly in need of salvation, just as we all once were.

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.

• The scoffer here is throwing out prophecy and mocking that it isn’t fulfilled. I see this a lot, not just from people who don’t know Jesus, but from many who do, especially those who refuse to look at prophetic verses regarding the end times. The unsaved people who say this try to paint Christians who do teach end time events as being off their rocker or a dooms day conspiracy weirdo. Pretty much the same attitude people were giving Noah while he was building the Ark on dry land in a place that had not seen rain at all.

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:

• Instead of facing the truth, these scoffers decide to discredit it and remain in their sin.

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

• Noah had patience. He worked on that ark for over 100 years as people mocked him. I’ll be honest, when I look at all the horrible stuff going on today, my patience gets a little stretched. I pray for God to teach me how to live a faithful life in these times, I need his grace and guidance. He is faithful though and always gives me just what I need to get by.

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.

• False teachers are being addressed here by Peter. These false teachers are saying that Jesus has been gone too long and isn’t going to be coming back. Their claim is that the world is just carrying on like it always has. Peter reminds everyone who God is.The same God whose word created the heavens and the earth also states that there is a coming judgment on sinful man. There is no greater assurance than this.

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.

• God is not constrained by our human timelines…he is eternal.

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.

• God is giving mankind as much time as he knows they need for everyone who is coming to repentance, to come.

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;

• The thief comes when he thinks no one in the home will notice his arrival and aren’t prepared. What not being prepared for a thief means is you’re living relaxed, and you’re being your true self. You aren’t expecting anyone, so your treasure are out in the open and unguarded. You’re living what you believe openly and without pretence. What this is like for Christians and sinners alike is Jesus is going to show up and catch you being who you really are…not the Sunday school version of you. If we get lax in our walk with Jesus and start compromising with sin, he’s going to arrive while we are in the middle of it. We need to live every single day like Jesus is about to arrive and never get weary of waiting and give up.

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.

• Peter was talking about some of Paul’s more difficult scriptures to understand and how some people take the scriptures of Paul and twist them to sow doubt about the authenticity of the word causing the person who do this to ruin their own self. First, Peter was stating here that Paul’s teachings were the word of God and part of scripture, even in this early stages of the church… second Peter was saying that people would pick apart Paul’s teachings to their own destruction… something we see happening A LOT these days with false teachers who disclaim the Pauline teachings in support of their beliefs… again to their own ruin.

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.

• Beware of mishandling the word of God for your own purposes.

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.