2 Peter Chapter 3

Reminders About the Future

¹ This is the second letter I’ve sent you. In both of them, I’m trying to keep your sincere minds alert ² by reminding you about the message from the holy prophets and about your apostles’ commandments from the Lord Savior. ³ Get this, first of all: later, mockers will follow their lusts and say, ⁴ “Where’s the promise about his coming? From the time our ancestors died, everything’s like it's been since creation.” ⁵ They choose to forget that by God’s word the skies came into existence long ago and the earth consisted of water and emerged from water. ⁶ By God’s word, the flood destroyed that world. ⁷ By that same word, the earth and sky that exist now are destined for fire; they’re being kept for the judgment day and the destruction of ungodly people.

2 Pet 3:1-7

Assurance About the Future

⁸ Friends, don’t miss this one point: to the Lord, a day is like 1,000 years, and 1,000 years is like a day. ⁹ He’s not slow about keeping his promise the way people might think. He’s not being slow; he’s being patient. He doesn’t want anybody to perish; he wants everyone to repent. ¹⁰ The day of the Lord will come—like a thief: the sky will pass away with a loud noise; the elements will burn up; earth and its works will disappear. ¹¹ Since they’re destined for destruction, how should you live ¹² as you anticipate the time when God destroys the sky with fire and melts the elements with heat? ¹³ According to his promise, we look forward to a new earth and sky where goodness prevails.             

2 Pet 3:8-13

Living Meantime

            ¹⁴ So, as you look forward to that, try hard to be at peace, spotless and blameless, when he finds you. ¹⁵ Consider our Lord’s patience a chance to be saved, as our dear brother Paul wrote to you with the wisdom he’s received. ¹⁶ In all his letters, he talks about those things. Some of them are hard to understand, and unlearned and unsteady people twist them—like they do the other scriptures—to their own destruction. ¹⁷ So, since you know all that ahead of time, make sure not to get deceived by unprincipled people and fall from your steadfastness. ¹⁸ Keep growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Glory to him now and forever.                                                                             

2 Pet 3:14-1

Translator: Virgil Warren,                                                                                                 christir.org