2 Peter 3

The Day of the Lord Is Coming

1This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 2I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

3Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 4They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

5They deliberately forget that God made the heavens long ago by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 6Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 7And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

8But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 9The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. 10But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.#3:10 Other manuscripts read will be burned up; one early manuscript reads will be found destroyed.

11Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, 12looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. 13But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.

14And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.

15And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him— 16speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.

Peter’s Final Words

17You already know these things, dear friends. So be on guard; then you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

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2 Peter 3

The Day of the Lord Will Come

1This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them #ch. 1:13I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2#Jude 17that you should remember the predictions of #Luke 1:70; Acts 3:21the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come #Jude 18in the last days with scoffing, #ch. 2:10following their own sinful desires. 4#Isa. 5:19; Jer. 17:15; Ezek. 11:3; 12:22, 27; Mal. 2:17They will say, “Where is the promise of #See 1 Thess. 2:19his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth #Ps. 24:2; 136:6was formed out of water and through water #Gen. 1:6, 9; Ps. 33:6; [Heb. 11:3]by the word of God, 6and that by means of these the world that then existed #ch. 2:5was deluged with water and #Gen. 7:11, 21perished. 7But by the same word #ver. 10, 12the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and #[2 Thess. 1:9]destruction of the ungodly.

8But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and #Ps. 90:4a thousand years as one day. 9#Hab. 2:3; Heb. 10:37The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise #[Eccles. 8:11; Rev. 2:21] as some count slowness, but #Isa. 30:18; Luke 18:7is patient toward you,#3:9 Some manuscripts on your account #Ezek. 18:23, 32; 33:11not wishing that any should perish, but #1 Tim. 2:4that all should reach repentance. 10But #See Matt. 24:43the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then #[Rev. 6:14; 20:11; 21:1]; See Matt. 24:35the heavens will pass away with a roar, and #Isa. 34:4; [Isa. 24:19; Mic. 1:4; Nah. 1:5]the heavenly bodies#3:10 Or elements; also verse 12 will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.#3:10 Greek found; some manuscripts will be burned up

11Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, #1 Pet. 1:15what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12#[Luke 12:36; 1 Cor. 1:7; 1 Thess. 1:10; Titus 2:13; Jude 21] waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and #See ver. 10the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13But according to his promise we are waiting for #Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21:1new heavens and a new earth #Isa. 60:21; Rev. 21:27in which righteousness dwells.

Final Words

14 # 1 Cor. 15:58 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him #James 1:27without spot or #Phil. 2:15; [Phil. 1:10; 1 Thess. 3:13] blemish, and #[1 Thess. 5:23]at peace. 15And count #See ver. 9the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as #[Acts 15:25] our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you #1 Cor. 3:10according to the wisdom given him, 16as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. #[Heb. 5:11] There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, #[Isa. 28:13]as they do the other Scriptures. 17You therefore, beloved, #ch. 1:12; [Mark 13:23] knowing this beforehand, #ch. 1:10; 1 Cor. 10:12take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18But #ch. 1:5; Eph. 4:15; Col. 1:10; 2:19; 1 Pet. 2:2grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. #See Rom. 11:36To him be the glory both now and to the day of #[ver. 8]eternity. Amen.

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