2 Peter 3:14-18 Bible Teaching

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SILENCE

Okay, scoffers in Peter’s day have been telling them that Jesus is not going to return and last week we read where Peter said:

2nd Peter 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.
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.

Now at verse 11 Peter adds:

2nd Peter 3.11-end
March 20th 2016
Meat
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 Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Alright, so ignoring the scoffers claims that there will be no second Coming Peter moves on and described that everything from the former “economia” was going to dissolve.

Then, getting to some real application for the saints he says (at verse 11)

11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,

“Seeing then,” in other words, in the face of the truths I have shared, “Seeing them that all these things shall be dissolved.”

Again, it is up to you to decide if all the things Peter has mentioned – heaven, and earth and all that in them is – speaks materially or if it relates to the former economy.

But “seeing that all these things shall be dissolved.”

The Greek translated to dissolved in almost every translation is luo, which can mean dissolved but also mean shall be broken up, separated, freed, loosed – since either this world and universe OR the former economy established under God for the Nation of Israel will be dissolved, Peter asks:

“what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”

It’s a question we all have to ask ourselves regardless of our eschatology.

In other words, if we believe Jesus is coming back and the world is gonna get wiped out

“what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”

OR, if we believe we are all individually going to die and have all that we have established in this live broken apart the same question applies . . .

“what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”

I have to admit that in my preaching and teaching of grace grace grace that lines like this always set me back.

Why?

Because they somehow always seem to predicate our standing with God on the lives we live – and there just doesn’t seem to be anyway around this fact.

Otherwise why would Peter say to his audience:

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 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?”

In other words if the manner in which we choose to live is irrelevant than why ask such a question?

Of course part of the answer lies in the fact that the lives all Christians are directed to live, both from the Word and from the Holy Spirit, are lives based on faith in God coupled with lives based on the selfless loving life of His Son.

This is the context and Peter is not hesitant to remind both his reader then and in my opinion us today, that in the face of our eminent demise we ought to
Be living lives of holiness.

The way Peter asks it here in the King James is:

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness”.

The Greek for this last line include the words,

Hagias anastra-fay – “holy behavior” and yoo-see-beah which is translated in most versions as “godliness, piety or godly conduct.”

All of it relating to the actions we take rather than the beliefs of the heart.

Of course they’re related, but Peter is never reticent in his appeals to proper actions.

I happen to believe that this is because Peter, a Jew, is speaking to an audience of converted Jews to Christ (primarily) who were surrounded by a culture that was seeking to bring them down into the gutter of behavior which Peter seems to believe would lead them to disbelief.

So he warns and warns and warns as a means to prepare his audience against such things in the face of the Lord’s eminent return.

So, “live holy lives!”

(he adds at verse 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?

The Greek word for “looking for” is “PROS-DOC-KAO” and it means to expect and anticipate and the Greek for hastening is “SPYOO-DO” which means to “urge on” or accelerate, translated, “hasten” here in the King James.

Put them together and peter is telling his reader to “urgently desire” His return or coming, to the point that we would take whatever actions necessary to move the event forward.

What event? “the coming of the day of God.”

In the Greek? The Parousia (the physical presence or coming or even a “being near”) of the “hemera” (day) of “theos” God.

The coming of the day of God.

This is a HUGE event – and one the apostles were certain was “at hand” in their day and age. Why do huge. Because by virtue of the very words Peter uses God was going to arrive – and this time it will be in power and glory!

Peter adds

wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

We covered the meaning of the heavens dissolving and the elements melting and the Greek here concurs with the Greek of verse 11 but the line

“wherein the heavens being on fire shall be loosed” is interesting because the Greek for, “being on fire” is derived from the word, “POO-ROO-OO” and while derived from Pur the word for fire, better means:

Passively to kindle and actively to glow. There is also an implication in the Word which means “to be refined” and then the term can figuratively mean to be inflamed with “anger, grief, or lust” which is why it is translated to seem like it will burn.

He best way I’ve seen it translated is, “the heavens (either) being ablaze” or “the heavens being on fire” but neither of these translations mean they will literally catch on fire and burn to the point of dissolving.

In verse 12 Peter has described the end of the former heavens and both the elements of the earth (which again is Ge not Kosmos) and the Ge or geography itself. But look what he now does in verse 13.

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Now, this passage is unquestionably taken by Peter from Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22 which says:

Isaiah 65:17-19 Where God says:

17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.
19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

Isaiah 66:22 says

“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord,”

Of course this is repeated in Revelation 21:1 where John has had a vision of the new heaven and the new earth which was promised and wrote:

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea.”

Of course many people take this extremely symbolic language literally and teach that there will come a time when there will no longer be any sea but I would suggest that the line, “no more sea” refers to the end of the temple and the sea of brass that was set at the front of it and was called (in 2nd Kings 25:13) the
“the brasen sea.”

In any case Peter says here that while the former heaven and earth will dissolved they (the believers) ought to look for “new heavens and a new earth,” which I am convinced means a new oikonimea (economy) that is spiritually run and discerned.

One scriptural support to substantiate this stance:

In order to understand the new heaven and new earth let’s just look at the description and origins of the New Jerusalem.

John says in Revelation 21:2:

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

Heaven is a spiritual economy – period. So the New Jerusalem, as compared to the Old, is spiritual and is from God on high.

Notice that in Peter’s description here that nothing is said about a personal reign of Christ on earth.

Nothing of the resurrection of the saints to dwell with him on the earth.

Nothing of the world’s being fitted up for their abode previous to the final judgment.

If Peter had any knowledge of such events and believed that they would occur he would have included them here.
Instead all we are told is:

The old is going away and the new is stepping in – and believers in that day ought to have been looking for it.

And again, again, again Peter gives advice relative to holiness and says (at verse 14):

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.

I’m gonna say it – and its not easy on the modern Evangelical ears to hear, but what Peter is saying is. . .

(beat)

“Ensure your salvation.”

I don’t know any other way to put it. Of course the means to ensure it is not what the legalists might suggest but the ensuring is the difficult part to hear.

Essentially Peter is saying, “In the face of all these promises make sure you stay on task.”

How do we stay on task – by looking to and remembering that He is the one who brings us through to the end.

1st Corinthians 1:8 says, speaking of Christ:

“Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul adds in Colossians

1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
22 In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

1st Thessalonians 3:13 adds

“To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.”

Philippians 2:12-13 says the all familiar:

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (THEN LISTEN)
13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

We recall that the writer of Hebrews said:

13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
21 Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

So where Peter does extol his reader to godly behavior and holiness we cannot forget that this is always a matter of allowing God to work in and through us by faith and love rather than a matter of our working to save ourselves through our righteousness.

Peter’s hope for his audience was that they

“may be found of him in peace,” and then adds, “without spot, and blameless.”

And yet again we are shown that believers can be found with spot and blame – something we might want to remember when we find ourselves tempted by what Bonhoffer labeled, Cheap Grace.

Verse 15

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 first line of this verse – “And account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation,” is an intriguing one and it hearkens back to our conversation last week where we intimated that whenever God delays something or practices longsuffering is because it is on our behalf and NOT because He is failing in His duties.

Here Peter seems to be saying that believers have taken into account that the long-suffering of the Lord IS salvation, meaning it leads to more salvations.

And to support this idea he adds:

“Even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you”

From this reference to Paul we can assume a few things:

(1.) that Peter was acquainted with Paul’s writings;

(2.) there is a presumption here that those to whom he wrote were also acquainted with his writings too;

(3.) that Peter regarded Paul as a “beloved brother,” notwithstanding the stern rebuke Paul had given him (as referenced in Galatians 2:2)

(4.) that he regarded Paul as authority in matters of doctrine, and

(5.) that he considered his epistles to have been inspired and part of Divine origin.

Again, we could, as we began, show comparisons between Pauls writings and Peters – which proved that they were familiar with each others epistles:

Ephesians 1:3 with 1st Peter 3:1
Colossians 3:8 with 1st Peter 2:1
Ephesians 5:22 with 1st Peter 3:1
Ephesians 5:21 with 1st Peter 5:5
1st Thess 5:6 with 1st Peter 5:8
1st Corinth 16:20 with 1st Peter 5:14
Romans 8:18, with 1st Peter 5:1
Romans 4:24 with 1st Peter 1:21
Romans 13:1,3,4 with 1st Peter 2:13,14;
1st Timothy 2:9 with 1st Peter 3:5.

And it is fascinating that once apostle, Peter, would take such interest in another, Paul.

Peter adds that Paul has touched on the subject of the “longsuffering of God,”

“According to the wisdom given unto him.”

I’m not really sure how to take this line so am left to conjecture which is always dangerous.

The best way to read it is probably that Peter was saying that Paul also addressed the subject of God’s longsuffering “according to the wisdom that God had given him to write,” and we’ll leave it at that. Then continuing on with the topic of Paul and his writing he says (verse 16)

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.

It appears that Peter is saying that the things which he had written here Paul had also addressed in “all of His epistles.”

I think this refers to the end time stuff Peter has covered because specifically we read that Paul –

Spoke of Christ’s coming to judgment; (in 1st Thessalonians 3:13; 4:14-18; 2nd Thessalonians 1:7-10; and Titus 2:13.

Wrote of the resurrection of the dead in 1st Corinthians 15:22 and Philippians 3:20,21.
Wrote of the burning of the earth in 2nd Thessalonians 1:8.

And of “a heavenly country” in 2nd Corinthians 5:1-10 plus a number of other topics.

And at this point Peter admits to something interesting relative to Paul’s writings and says:

“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.”

There has been some debate over what Peter means when he says “In which are some things hard to be understood,” whether he is speaking of the writing of Paul or the doctrinal concepts Paul presents.

I tend to think that Peter is not saying Paul’s writings are obscure but that his concepts are hard.

Peter isn’t suggesting that his dear brother Paul is wrong but simply that even he has trouble with some of the depth of his teachings.

I find this refreshing and revealing and honest. That a Jewish Galilean fisherman could immediately comprehend the depth of the writings of a trained Pharisee who was tutored by a post resurrected Christ is not surprising and truly shows that Peter was called to one task in the apostolic Church and Paul to another.

Additionally, the fact that Peter says that some of Paul’s writings have been “wrested by the unlearned” shows that they were available to some extent to believers in the early church.

It’s also interesting that Peter, who is supposed to be the first Pope, according to some, would admit having difficulty with some of Paul’s concepts – not a very flattering picture for someone who is supposed to be infallible regarding divine matters and doctrine.

Anyway, Peter says that not only are Paul’s words hard to understand but “they that are unlearned and unstable wrest” the message and meaning, “as,” he adds, they do “to other scriptures” and so do “to their own destruction.”

The words “unlearned and unstable” in the Greek are:

Amathos and Asterikos and they mean ignorant and vacillating.

They are not settled in their principles or views. And because of this they are unable to interpret scripture properly.

Peter says that due to this state they wrest the scriptures – torture, wrench, pervert – streb-loo-oo.

Like many words Peter appeals to this is the only place this one is used in the entire New Testament.

The meaning here is that they apply those portions of the Bible to a purpose for which they were never intended.

And the way fallen man will take anything good and twist it away from its natural purpose and meaning these take the word of God and torture or pervert it to mean something that it does not.

Now, we all have the ability to do this innocently. This is not the meaning here. We are talking about some serious twisting like what cult leaders will do with passages as a means to support their perverted teachings.

What is interesting is that Peter has said that they do this with Paul’s writings AS THEY DO WITH OTHER SCRIPTURES and this is perhaps the best biblical proof around that shows Peter viewed Paul as a representative of the Lord and his writings scripture.

Now, in Greek the word for scripture and plain old writing is graphe and or grapho or gramma.

But it’s the context here that we know Peter is equating Paul’s writings to hagias gramma or Holy Writ.

The word “Scriptures,” (as used by a Jew) had a technical signification–meaning the inspired writings, and was the common word which was applied to the sacred writings of the Old Testament.

As Peter uses this language, it implies that he regarded the writings of Paul as on a level with the Old Testament; and as far as the testimony of one apostle can go to confirm the claim of another to inspiration, it proves that the writings of Paul are entitled to a place in the sacred canon.

Finally Peter adds that they do this wresting or perverting, “to their own destruction.”

Admittedly, there are a number of ways to see this line – let’s begin with the obvious.

Errant views leads to errant lives which leads to destruction.

Many people have perverted the scripture over the ages to their own destruction and this must have application to loss as the word for destruction is “apolia” and it means ruin or loss.”

Embrace a perverted view of scripture and the end result would be a perverted salvation.

Secondly, Peter could be referring to the fact that in wresting the scripture (both Old and Paul’s and others) that these scoffers were setting themselves up to suffer loss at the end of that age when the Romans would come in and wipe them out – so there is another application.

So Peter adds, as he is want to do, gives an applicable warning to his reader and says:

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.

Seeing that you have known this is what these types do with scripture, be aware of this danger.

Listen – we all ought to read the Bible fully aware that we are quite capable of being mislead.

In this vein we are told to test all things. And to hold fast to that which is good.

I frighten a lot of people because I test all concepts publicly and make no bones about it. But on the other hand, people frighten me who, not having tested all things, regurgitate positions as if they were gospel truth when in fact they are only tradition.

Peter says, “be aware of this danger that is out there, lest you, “fall from your own stedfastness.”

It does not seem that Peter here is suggesting that the fall is a fall from grace or salvation but from a firm adherence to the truth and into the abyss of error – which holds the potential – as we’ve seen before, to cause some to even fall from grace.

Be aware of these dangers, test all things, and then he adds a counter measure for steadfastness and security in truth, saying:

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.

Here in his conclusion or benediction Peter advices believers “to grow in grace
AND in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” who he adds “the glory should go now and forever. Amen.”

Without question Peter has made it clear that there are potentialities for falling or losing steadfastness in those who have come to faith.

He has addressed the wiles of false teachers and scoffers and has warned of their ability to take their twisted views and affect others.

He has also strongly suggested (over and over) that to offset these offenses and to inoculate ourselves against apostasy or falling in our steadfastness that there are some things we can do.

He summarizes these things in this final verse saying,

“but grow in grace AND in the knowledge of OUR LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.”

From agriculture to business to interpersonal relationships to body building to education “growth and growing” is done through cultivation.

It is a labor (in these areas of life) that requires attention, discipline, devotion, maintenance, and fortifications.

Growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ requires all these same elements but they come through less of the flesh and more of the Spirit – simple as that.

Peter has warned and warned that garbage in results in garbage out. That we do not become knowledgeable of the Lord by attending to things which He didn’t attend to; that we grow in soil of the Spirit, by the Word unto a greater and greater understanding of the graces of God and “the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Too know Him – meaning to possess right views of his person, character, and work—is the sum and essence of Christianity.

Retain a saving knowledge of Christ and cultivate it and be safe from the destructive elements of loss that come to those who refuse to cultivate the faith given them.

And this ends our study of II Peter!

Q and A
SORROW

Next week, the First Epistle of John!