2 Peter 3 #

A while back I briefly expounded 2 Peter 3 in context of signs of the end. It teaches that at the end men will point to the absence of signs as proof that Jesus is not returning. Peter didn’t contradict the claim of an absence of signs, but instead pointed out the fact that God can and will bring judgement, and that he does so suddenly, without signs. We know that judgement is coming not because of signs, but because the word of God says that it is coming.

2 Peter 3:1 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,
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.
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:
6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
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.
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.

More recently, when I was reading 2 Peter, I realized that the scoffers spoken of here are not secular, as the passage is commonly interpreted today. Rather, they are “christian.” In fact, they are religious men who in the end will reject Jesus in favor of another “christ.”

I have previously expounded 2 Thessalonians 2, where it describes a great falling away of the “church” after a false “christ” who is a man of wickedness. These people fell away because they “obeyed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:12) In other words, they were “christians” who rejected Jesus’s call to holiness, and sought for another, ungodly man, to fill the role of their “christ.”

This is precisely what is described here in 2 Peter 3, and indeed, in the whole of Peter’s second epistle. For example:

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

With that background in mind, now consider how he begins this third chapter:

2 Peter 3:1 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:

He is stirring up their minds, that they might remember what they have been taught. That is, so that they would not be deceived into leaving the truth of Christ for another gospel, and denying the Lord that bought them.

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
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.

This admonition is needed, because in the last days men will come who scoff at Jesus, and the sound doctrine of righteousness and holiness. Instead they will walk after their own lusts. They will scoff that Jesus was a liar, and not the true Christ, because although he promised to return soon, he has not even sent any sign of his coming—the natural order continues, as it has from creation.

Their argument will be that since Jesus shows no signs of coming back, he cannot be the Christ, and therefore the Old Testament prophecies have yet to be fulfilled by another man. And they will look for another man to fulfill them—but one who will not contradict their ungodly lusts.

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

These people are willingly ignorant of the history of God’s judgement on this earth—meaning that they know the Bible teaches it, but they refuse to acknowledge it. This again points to the fact that they are “christian.”

But they refuse to acknowledge God’s judgement, because, as Peter points out, it is the “judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” These men are ungodly, and so will not believe in such judgement.

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.

But Peter exhorts them, based on the fact that this judgement will indeed one day come, not to fall into ungodliness, but to live in all holy conversation. For this world and the wicked will be burnt up, and the new earth will be one “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Therefore let them continue in righteousness, that they might be found of him without spot and blameless, and may partake of the world to come.

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;

Therefore let them not look for another christ with a different gospel, but account that the longsuffering of Jesus is salvation, even as Paul expounded in his epistles.

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.

Again, Peter is speaking not of wicked secular men, but unstable people in the church. People who twist the scriptures to their own destruction—living ungodly until they are destroyed with the earth and all its evil works, not receiving righteousness through Jesus Christ.

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.

Indeed, Peter’s concern is that they might also, if they forget these things, be led away with the wicked “christians” (anti-christians). But he has written this epistle to put them in remembrance, that they might hold fast to the faith that they have been taught.

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.

And indeed, that they would even grow in the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, receiving the end of their faith, even the salvation of their souls.

Jude #

But we have yet another confirmation of the fact that these scoffers are “christians.” And that is what prompted me to write this article. I was reading through the book of Jude, and I realized that he in fact quotes 2 Peter 3:3:

Jude 17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

And in context, it is again unmistakable that these being spoken of are “christian:”

Jude 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

Note that each of these men mentioned was judged for their lust to obtain wealth through the ministry and priesthood. Cain, for his envy at his brother because God did not accept his sacrifice; Balaam, because he would prophesy for money; Korah, because he rebelled against the word of Moses, and would himself be a high priest to God.

In other words, these are religious figures, who were destroyed for iniquity. And that is exactly what Jude is warning them about here:

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

These are clearly participants in the congregation, attending the feasts of charity, but only to fulfill the lusts of their flesh. Appearing to be great men of God, but being false and ungodly men, clouds without water.

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

And just as Peter did, Jude points out that Christ’s return will be expressly to judge such wicked and ungodly men.

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

The reference to murmurers and complainers is clearly pointing to those who came out of Egypt with Moses, but could not enter into the promised land, because the LORD destroyed them in the wilderness for their wickedness and unbelief. These people rebelled against Moses, God’s chosen deliver, and sought to appoint them a new captain to take them back into bondage in Egypt. Even so now these men seem to be of the people of the Lord, but are appointed to destruction for their ungodly deeds and speeches, and will make for themselves another “christ” who will take them back to bondage to sin.

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

And so it is here that Jude quotes the apostle Peter, that he and indeed all the apostles foretold of these ungodly men who in the last days would be among them.

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

And as we have seen in 2 Thessalonians 2, these will separate themselves from the church, not being sanctified and appointed to salvation by the Spirit. And so they will not be raptured to glory with the church, but will remain on the earth to be destroyed with it.

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Amen.