CHAPTER 3

(A.D. 66)

REMEMBER

¹This second Epistle, beloved, I now write unto you (he had addressed his First Epistle to the same group of people); in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance (by reminding them of what is going to happen in the last of the last days):

²That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the Holy Prophets (we are plainly told here that, as Believers, we must know and understand the Old Testament along with the New), and of the Commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Saviour (refers to the New Testament, but at the same time the Verse says we cannot understand the New unless we first understand the Old):

SCOFFERS

³Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers (speaks of the times in which we now live; they scoff at the Cross), walking after their own lusts (which will happen when the Cross is rejected),

⁴And saying, Where is the Promise of his coming? (This refers to the Second Coming, not the Rapture. Endtime events as predicted in the Bible are met with scoffing.) for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the Creation. (The two major themes of the Word of God are the Atonement and Endtime events. If we have a proper understanding of the Atonement, we will have, I think, a proper understanding of the latter.)

⁵For this they willingly are ignorant of (their ignorance was a willful ignorance; in other words, the evidence was presented and then rejected), that by the Word of God the Heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water (everything was created by the Word of God; this Verse points to Gen. 1:2; it speaks of the original Creation and the rebellion by Lucifer, which left the world in a convoluted state):

⁶Whereby the world that then was (speaks of the pre-Adamite Creation), being overflowed with water, perished (doesnt refer to Noahs Flood, but rather the Flood of Gen. 1:2; this is when Lucifer led his revolution against God):

⁷But the Heavens and the Earth, which are now (refers to the present Heavens and Earth as restored to a second perfect state in the days of Adam [Gen. 1:3; 2:25; Ex. 20:11]), by the same Word are kept in store (refers to the fact that all Creation is dependent solely on the Will of God), reserved unto fire against the Day of Judgment and Perdition of ungodly men. (This refers to the coming Great White Throne Judgment [Rev. 20:11-15]. At this time, the Heavens and Earth will be renovated by fire.)

⁸But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing (considering that we have the Word of God, there is no reason for the Believer to be ignorant concerning spiritual things), that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (A human promise may be weakened or destroyed by time. However, a Divine Promise is as certain of fulfillment in a thousand years as in one day.)

⁹The Lord is not slack concerning His Promise, as some men count slackness (if it seems as though God delays the fulfillment of His Promises, it is for the purpose of getting more people into the Kingdom of God); but is longsuffering to us-ward (God suffers long with man, attempting to bring him to a place of Repentance), not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Repentance. (The dispensation of the Cross has been the longest of all, and it is that because God keeps calling after sinners to be saved. He has made a way through the Cross for all to be saved. Most, however, refuse His Way.)

FIRE

¹⁰But the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night (the conclusion of the Millennium; what will happen at that time will be unexpected, and for a variety of reasons); 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. (This does not speak of Annihilation, but rather passing from one condition to another.)

¹¹Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved (the present is temporal), what manner of persons ought ye to be in all Holy conversation (lifestyle) and Godliness (pertains to the correct view of things),

¹²Looking for and hasting unto the Coming of the Day of God (concerns the Coming Eternal, Perfect Earth, which will last in that condition forever and forever), wherein the Heav ens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? (The Day of God will be ushered in by the cataclysmic events of this Verse. There must be no sin left in the Universe.)

¹³Nevertheless we (Believers), according to His Promise (the Lord has promised that a new day is coming [Isa. 65:17]), look for new Heavens (this is the Promise!) and a new earth, wherein dwells Righteousness. (This proclaims the condition of the Coming New Heavens and New Earth [Rev., Chpts. 21-22].)

ADMONITIONS

¹⁴Wherefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things (if one believes the Bible, one will believe its account of Endtime events), be diligent that you may be found of Him in Peace, without spot, and blameless (which can be done only by the Believer ever making the Cross the Object of his Faith).

¹⁵And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is Salvation (His longsuffering, which refers to this Day of Grace that has now lasted longer than any other Dispensation, is in order to bring the unredeemed to Himself); even as our beloved Brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him has written unto you (doesnt say which Epistle, but probably refers to Hebrews);

¹⁶As also in all his Epistles, speaking in them of these things (proclaims the fact that Pauls Epistles are inspired); in which are some things hard to be understood (could refer to Prophecy, or to the great teaching Paul gave on the Cross), which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. (This presents the fact that some Christians purposely twist the Scriptures, attempting to make them mean something the Holy Spirit never intended.)

¹⁷You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things before (the Holy Spirit, through Peter, tells those to whom the Apostle was writing that they were not without understanding regarding what was being taught), beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked (refers to being led away from the Cross), fall from your own stedfastness (refers here to the proper application of ones Faith; the Cross of Christ must always be the Object of the Saints Faith; if we shift our Faith to anything else, we fall [Gal. 5:4]).

¹⁸But grow in Grace (presents the only way the Saint can grow), and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (This knowledge refers not only to Who Christ is [the Lord of Glory], but as well what He did in order that we might be Redeemed, which points to the Cross.) To Him be Glory both now and forever. Amen. (This refers to such belonging to Him, because He is the One Who paid the price for mans Redemption.)