2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:1–2 Initial Greeting. Peter’s greeting is concise and to the point, identifying the author and the audience, and expressing a blessing.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:1 Simeon. A Hebrew spelling of Simon (cf. Acts 15:14). Peter, as an apostle of Jesus Christ, is writing to those who have a faith of equal standing, showing that all believers share equal privileges before God. This standing was accomplished by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. “Righteousness” refers here to God’s saving righteousness, showing that faith is a gift from Jesus. Jesus is called “God and Savior,” making this one of the clearest NT declarations of the divinity of Christ.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:2 In his initial blessing of those to whom he writes, Peter mentions a recurring idea in the letter: true knowledge of God and of Jesus. Verse 2, like v. 1, points to the deity of Christ (cf. note on v. 1), for both God and Christ are the object of this knowledge.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:3–11 God’s Grace in Christ Is the Source of Godly Living. In this first main section of his letter, Peter emphasizes that God’s grace results in godliness.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:3–4 God’s Power Exercised on Our Behalf. God has provided blessing for the Christian in all things pertaining to life.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:3 divine power. God himself has acted in his infinite power to accomplish salvation, something only he could accomplish and what human ability could not accomplish. He has called us to his own glory and excellence. Believers are called to live in harmony with God’s own moral character. On God’s “glory,” see notes on John 1:14; Acts 6:15; cf. Rev. 21:23. The word “excellence” (Gk. aretē, “virtue, excellence”) was used by Greek writers to describe the sum of all desirable character qualities.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:4 God has granted believers his precious and great promises. It is through these promises that they become partakers (Gk. koinōnos, “sharer, partaker”) of the divine nature. They never become part of God, but amazingly they share in his nature as they become increasingly like him. The “great promises” include the promises Peter identifies in his Pentecost sermon in Acts 2:14–41, especially the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in new power. But they also include other promises such as likeness to God (2 Pet. 1:4; cf. 1 John 3:2), Christ’s return (2 Pet. 3:4), eternal life in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4), and more broadly, all the promises of Scripture that relate to the gift of new life. “Divine nature” uses terms familiar to Peter’s Hellenistic readership to help them understand the idea of transformation into the image of Christ. Peter emphasizes the moral focus of the believer’s transformed life. At conversion, Christians are delivered from the corruption of this world, which is rooted in sinful desire.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:5–7 Making Every Effort to Live a Godly Life. Peter lists “qualities” (v. 8) that characterize a life partaking of the divine nature. These verses contain a straightforward catalog of biblical virtues (cf. Gal. 5:22–23; Heb. 12:10–11). This list does not reflect a legalistic code but rather the desires and features of a transformed heart (cf. “for this very reason,” 2 Pet. 1:5). The exhortations to live a new life are grounded in the divine power and promises that were granted to believers when they came to know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:5 supplement your faith. Peter exhorts Christians not merely to confess faith in Christ but actually to live as he taught. He is not saying that works are a prerequisite for salvation but rather is arguing that faith must take concrete form in life. All the virtues listed in vv. 5–7 are results of faith, so faith is listed first, while love (the ultimate result of faith) is listed last (v. 7; cf. 1 Tim. 1:5). Virtue translates Greek aretē; see note on 2 Pet. 1:3.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:6 Godliness translates Greek eusebeia, “devoutness, piety, devotion to God” (also in vv. 3, 7; 3:11; see 2 Tim. 3:5).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:8–11 Living an Effective Life for Christ. Peter explains the necessary relationship between regeneration and a life that reflects the virtues inherent in the knowledge of Christ.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:8 if these qualities are yours and are increasing. A lifelong pattern of growth in Christlike character is expected of Christians and is the key to fruitful ministry. By contrast, knowledge (Gk. epignōsis) of … Christ is ineffective and unfruitful unless accompanied by a life that increasingly exhibits the qualities of vv. 5–7.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:9 The one who lacks these qualities (cf. vv. 5–7) is spiritually blind and has forgotten that he was cleansed (cf. Titus 3:5–7) from his sins. This lack of fruit could exist because a person’s “cleansing” was merely an external reformation that did not come from a truly changed heart. But it could also describe a genuine Christian who has fallen into serious error regarding the Christian life. Only God knows the person’s true status (cf. 2 Tim. 2:19).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:10 Christians should be diligent to confirm their calling and election (Gk. eklogē). God calls believers to faith through the gospel (2 Thess. 2:14), but he has also chosen (elected) them “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4). But God’s grace in salvation should not be taken for granted. Growing in the Christlike virtues mentioned in 2 Pet. 1:5–7 will give believers increasing confidence that God really did call them and really did elect them to salvation before the foundation of the world. Thus their election becomes “sure,” as a sure foundation. Those who practice these qualities … will never fall, probably meaning apostasy (falling away from the faith). Good works are evidence of and give assurance of salvation, though they are never the basis for it. Peter’s wording does not imply that true followers of Christ can ever apostatize; those who do so were never really “called,” “elected,” or born again (cf. notes on John 6:39; 6:40; 10:26–29; 1 Thess. 1:4; Heb. 6:4–8).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:11 in this way. That is, by doing the things Peter mentions in vv. 5–10. This way of life is the path into the eternal kingdom of Christ. Those who practice these qualities will be richly provided with the reward of eternal life. Some interpreters think “richly” indicates degrees of blessing and reward both in this life and in heaven. Others think that eternal life is itself the reward in view, in contrast to the prospect facing the false teachers.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:12–21 Peter’s Reminder to the Churches. Peter contrasts the truth about Christ as revealed by God with the falsehood of man-made myths. In light of this certain truth, the church should be focused on living faithfully.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:12–15 Stirring Up Christians to Holiness. Thinking of his impending death, Peter urgently reminds the churches to continue living in a godly way.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:12 The readers of this letter already know these godly qualities (cf. vv. 5–10) and are already established in the truth concerning life in Christ. Peter’s intent is simply to keep biblical morality in the forefront of the Christian’s daily pursuits.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:14 Peter expects that his execution by Rome is imminent, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. The nearness of his death seems to have been recently revealed to Peter, but he may also be reflecting on his conversation with Jesus in John 21:18–19.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:16–18 Peter’s Preaching Results from His Own Eyewitness Experience. Peter recounts his personal experience with Jesus during the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36a). He contrasts this truth with man-made myths. The content of Peter’s preaching is not of human origin but is based on direct revelation from God.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:16 cleverly devised myths. “Myth” translates Greek mythos, “a story without basis in fact, a legend.” The gospel of Christ was no myth, because the apostles were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Peter had observed the “majesty” of Christ firsthand at the transfiguration. He knew that Christ had come in power; he was no mere literary character invented for a mythological narrative. But Jesus’ transfiguration also functions as a prelude and anticipation of his coming in glory. Readers learn from 3:3–4 that the false teachers believed that the second coming was also a myth, but Peter refutes this, underscoring the certainty of Christ’s return.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:17 Majestic Glory. A name for God the Father emphasizing the transcendence of his glorious presence (see Ex. 33:12–23; 34:29–35; 2 Cor. 3:12–18). At the transfiguration, God displayed the honor and glory of his beloved Son, a declaration by the Father of Jesus’ divine sonship (cf. Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1; Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:18 we ourselves heard. Peter emphasizes his own eyewitness status, and that of the other apostles, with regard to the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–8); he personally heard the voice of the Father declare Jesus to be his Son. If someone else had written this letter in Peter’s name (see Introduction: Author and Title), that person’s claim of eyewitness status would have been a lie.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:19–21 Truth about Jesus Christ Anchored in the Prophetic Word of Scripture. The truth about Christ is based on the prophecies of Scripture, something even more certain than (or just as sure as; see note on v. 19) eyewitness testimony.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:19 more fully confirmed. Some have understood that Peter’s experience of the Transfiguration provides confirmation of OT prophecy, making the already-sure prophecy of the OT even more sure as confirmed by the experience of the Transfiguration. Others have understood “more fully confirmed” as an affirmation that the prophetic writings of the OT are even more sure than Peter’s spectacular personal experience at the Transfiguration, thereby underscoring the complete reliability of written Scripture. In either case, believers are admonished to pay attention to the certainty of the prophetic word. In the contrast between “we have” and “you will do well,” Peter is apparently emphasizing that the interpretation of the apostles (“we”) is to be regarded as authoritative for the church (“you”). Day dawns and morning star both refer to the second coming. The day of the Lord is the day of final judgment and salvation, as the OT often teaches (Isa. 13:6, 9; Ezek. 13:5; Joel 1:15; Amos 5:18, 20). Jesus’ second coming will not only be an objective event in history, it will also rise in your hearts as the full light of Christ’s presence transforms the hearts of his church to perfect purity.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:20 Two main views of this verse have been proposed: (1) The first view, the one most in harmony with the esv rendering, understands the verse to explain the origin of the prophecies of OT Scripture, namely, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from (i.e., originates out of) someone’s own interpretation (i.e., from someone’s individual understanding of events, visions, or other things), but rather, that “all prophecy of Scripture” came about from the Holy Spirit’s leading (see v. 21). (This takes the Gk. word ginomai in its most common sense, as meaning “come into existence”.) According to this first view, then, Peter is assuring his readers that all the OT Scriptures that pointed to Christ were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that the readers should pay close attention to them (v. 19), perhaps in contrast to false teachers who were denigrating Scripture. (2) The second view understands the verse to be speaking of how OT prophecies are to be interpreted, therefore some translations render this verse, “no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of [or “for”] one’s own interpretation.” According to this second view, Peter is saying that one must interpret the OT Scriptures as they are interpreted by the apostles, and hence the interpretations of the OT by the false teachers should be rejected. Although this second view is possible, the first seems more likely, in light of the immediate context and Peter’s overall emphasis on the authority of Scripture.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 1:21 No biblical prophecy was ever produced merely because a man wanted to prophesy (by the will of man). The prophecy in Scripture was given only by God through men, who “spoke” as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was the active, revelatory agent working within the OT prophets and through their lives and circumstances as they prophesied. This is a key verse for the doctrine of Scripture, indicating that Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit, but at the same time men spoke God’s words, using their own personalities, knowledge, background, vocabulary, and style. “They were carried along” implies that the inspiration of Scripture was invisibly directed by the Holy Spirit, though without overriding the personalities of the human authors. Thus Scripture is fully the Word of God, even though it is recorded in the words of human beings. The exact way in which this was accomplished remains a divine mystery. What is true of OT prophecy is true of “all Scripture” (see 2 Tim. 3:16 and note).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:1–22 Evaluation of False Teachers. In this fourth main section of his letter, Peter engages in a polemic against the false teachers, using biblical analogies to do so.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:1–3 Influence of False Teachers. Just as there arose false prophets alongside the true prophets of God in OT times, so also there will arise false teachers who will try to mislead the church.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:1 Peter describes the false teachers. secretly. They will subvert the truth by surreptitiously bringing destructive heresies into the church. These heresies will be contrary to what Christ and the apostles laid down as foundational doctrines (cf. Eph. 2:20–22), resulting in spiritual ruin rather than life. The false teachers will even deny the truth about the Master (Jesus Christ) who bought them. Peter apparently uses the language of redemption (“bought them”) here in the same way that he describes the counterfeit “salvation” of the false teachers at the end of ch. 2: that is, they claimed to be “redeemed” and “saved” because they were part of the church, but their apostasy showed that they were not truly believers. Another interpretation is that Christ’s death paid the penalty for their sins (“bought them”) but God did not apply this payment to them because they rejected Christ.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:2 The heresy will be characterized in part by sensuality (Gk. aselgeia, “lack of self-constraint, abandonment to immoral behavior”), which most often refers to sexual sin.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:3 Greed drives the false teachers as well. They exploit believers with their false words for the sake of material gain. False teachers throughout history have been marked by sexual sin, a lust for money, and dishonesty. All such teachers face condemnation and destruction.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:4–10a Judgment of False Teachers. Peter turns to a detailed argument proving God’s certain judgment on the false teachers. He uses a rabbinic form of proof that moves from minor premise to major premise (if A is true, how much more is B also true), and his analogies in vv. 4–8 amount to minor premises leading to the major premise of vv. 9–10a.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:4 First minor premise: if God did not spare angels. If (A) God has eternally condemned the sinful angels, then (B) how much more certainly will he condemn the false teachers and their followers (major premise, vv. 9b–10a). (See note on Jude 6.)
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:5 Second minor premise: if (A) he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah … with seven others, then (B) will he not even more certainly judge the false teachers (major premise, vv. 9b–10a) while at the same time preserving the godly (major premise, v. 9a). Christians may be a small minority, but God will protect them.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:6 Third minor premise: Peter sees the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah as a “type” (a divine foreshadowing) of judgment by fire on the last day (3:10–12), an event that will be denied by false teachers (2:4). If (A) God condemned Sodom and Gomorrah, then (B) how much more certain it is that the same thing will happen to the ungodly who reject the gospel.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:7–8 Fourth minor premise: if (A) God rescued righteous Lot, who was greatly distressed and even tormented by the conduct of the wicked in Sodom (v. 6), then (B) how much more will he “rescue the godly” (major premise, v. 9a). Some have questioned whether Lot was truly righteous, given the serious sins he committed (Genesis 19). But the righteous are never considered to be perfect. Moreover, Scripture distinguishes Lot from the citizens of Sodom in that he received the angelic visitors and attempted to protect them from harm—a crucial and courageous action in his lawless and morally depraved environment.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:9–10a Having stated his minor premises, Peter moves now to his major premise (see note on vv. 4–10a): “If” vv. 4–8 are true, then how much more true are vv. 9–10a. God indeed knows how to rescue the godly from trials. In the case of Peter’s audience, this would have evoked hope of divine deliverance from the false teachers and their influence. God also will certainly keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment. He will punish them in a partial, preliminary way before the final day of judgment (cf. Luke 16:23–24; Heb. 9:27). This applies especially to those who engage in defiling passion and who despise authority—probably a reference to false teachers (cf. 2 Pet. 2:12, 18; 3:3; Jude 8, 16, 18).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:10b–16 Character of False Teachers. Peter gives a lengthy description of the debased character of the false teachers.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:10b–11 The false teachers are bold (in a reckless, foolhardy way) and willful (stubborn and arrogant), behaving in ways that even the angels avoid. They blaspheme the glorious ones, probably evil angels (cf. v. 11; Jude 8–9). In so doing, they recklessly dismiss any thought that these demonic forces have power or that their willful sins will open them to demonic attack. But good angels, like wise humans, do not take these evil powers lightly.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:12–13 The false teachers operate in irrational ways. They act like … animals, following neither reason nor truth but instinct, ignoring even the most basic of human values. Yet they behave like this while posturing as Christians, even to the point that they feast with you, probably a reference to the Lord’s Supper. They are guilty of profound blasphemy and live licentiously.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:14 Their eyes desire adultery with virtually every woman they meet. insatiable for sin. Their appetite for sin is never satisfied. Even worse, they entice (Gk. deleazō, “lure with bait”) unsteady people to join them in their debauchery. Sexual sin and greed characterize these false teachers (cf. v. 3 and note). Accursed children! Peter assures his readers that the heretics will face God’s curse.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:15–16 They have followed the way of Balaam (Numbers 22–24), which is a life spent gaining things at other people’s expense by means of wrongdoing. Balaam was particularly condemned for his greed. He was supposedly a man of spiritual insight, but God can use even a donkey to restrain someone who is following the way of madness rather than living as a rational, responsible human being.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:17–22 Influence of False Teachers Revisited. False teachers lead astray weaker people, enticing them back into lives of sin.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:17 The false teachers are waterless springs (they promise refreshment and bring none) and mists driven by the wind (they sow confusion wherever they go), devoid of any inherent value. The gloom of utter darkness has been reserved (Gk. tēreō, “keep, guard, hold, preserve”) for them, as for the evil angels (“kept,” v. 4) and the unrighteous (“keep,” v. 9).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:18 The false teachers entice by sensual passions … those who are barely escaping from the clutches of sin. They prey on newly professed Christians, teaching that they can do whatever they wish sexually and no harm will come of it.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:19 The false teachers operate under the guise of freedom, but in actuality they entice others to become as they are, slaves of corruption, once again overcome by evil.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 2:20–22 It would have been better for these false teachers never to have escaped the world in the first place, than to follow in the path of the knowledge of … Christ only to abandon that path and return to a life of sin and darkness. One reason it is better not to have known about the holy commandment is that those who turn away after falsely confessing the Christian faith will not be inclined to consider Christ again. Another reason is that their knowledge and experience of the Christian life makes them more accountable before God (cf. Luke 12:47–48). Some understand these verses to teach that true believers can lose their salvation. It is more likely that Peter refers to those who appeared to be Christians but then showed by their apostasy and their behavior that they never truly belonged to Christ (see notes on John 6:66; 15:2; Gal. 2:3–4; 1 John 2:19). God promises that those who truly know him will never fall away because he will keep them by his grace (cf. John 10:27–29; Rom. 8:28–39; Phil. 1:6). Those who do turn back show that their true character is like that of a dog (cf. Prov. 26:11) or a sow. They appeared to have been saved, but by returning to the vomit and mire of the world, they demonstrated that they were never truly regenerated.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:1–13 The Day of the Lord Will Surely Come. Peter turns his attention to explaining the Lord’s promised return, and specifically to an apparent debate concerning the timing of the return.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:1–7 Scoffers Challenge the Truth of Scripture Concerning the Coming of the Lord. Peter offers a biblical perspective on the skeptics who attempt to create doubt concerning the Lord’s return.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:1 Peter mentions that this is the second letter he has written to this particular audience. It is all but certain that 1 Peter was the earlier letter in view here. Peter calls his readers beloved (Gk. agapētos), demonstrating his deep concern for them as he reminds them of the Lord’s return. On the importance of reminders, see 1:12–15.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:2 remember. Peter wants the church to remember what the holy prophets predicted, and what the apostles handed down as the commandment of the Lord. The prediction Peter especially has in mind is the second coming.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:3 The last days will feature scoffers who mock according to their own sinful desires. Their desire to live in sin with impunity drives them to deride biblical truth and those who believe it. Peter understands, as do the rest of the NT authors, that the “last days” have already arrived (see note on Acts 2:17).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:4–6 Scoffers (v. 3) will call into question the biblical promise of the Lord’s coming (Gk. parousia). They scoff at the promise of the Lord’s return, arguing that because everything has remained the same since creation, God will not intervene in the world (cf. 2:10b–11). Fathers (plural of Gk. patēr) is a reference to the OT patriarchs, since this term is never used in the NT to refer to first-generation Christians. But these scoffers deliberately overlook (consciously, willfully ignore) the fact that God did intervene when he created the heavens and the earth with the word of his mouth (Gen. 1:3–31; Ps. 33:6; Heb. 11:3), and also when he judged the earth with water and it perished (Genesis 6–9). God in fact intervenes in his creation whenever he desires, as is evidenced numerous times in both the OT and NT. Peter cites two obvious occasions of God’s intervention, namely, when God acted at creation to form the earth (out of water and through water, see Gen. 1:6–10), and also when he acted decisively in history, destroying the earth by means of the flood in the days of Noah (see Gen. 7:17–24).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:7 By the same word, the powerful word of God that creates and sends judgment, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, when the ungodly will also be judged. The day of reckoning is coming for scoffers, and their place is reserved for them. History will not go on forever; the end is coming.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:8–10 The Lord’s Patience Determines the Timing of His Return. The Lord’s perspective on time is different from that of humans. It is not that God is slow in fulfilling his promise, but rather that he is patient.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:8–9 Beloved (cf. note on v. 1) introduces a new paragraph. Peter explains that the delay of the second coming is not a long time from God’s perspective. He then explains further that the delay is also because God is patient, and he has not quickly brought the present period of history to an end because he does not wish that any should perish (see note on 1 Tim. 2:4; cf. also Rom. 2:4). Though Christians long for Christ’s return and the defeat of all evil, as long as the present period of history lasts, an opportunity remains for people to turn to God in faith.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:10 the day of the Lord. God’s judgment will not be delayed forever (see note on vv. 8–9). When Christ returns it will be sudden, without warning, like the strike of a thief. The heavens (the sky) will pass away (cf. Ps. 102:25–26; Heb. 1:10–12; Rev. 6:14) and the heavenly bodies (stars, etc.) will be burned up and dissolved. There will be no place to hide (cf. Rev. 6:15–16), for the earth and every person’s works on the earth will be exposed (Gk. heurethēsetai, lit., “will be found,” a divine passive meaning “found by God”) to God’s judgment. Some translations read “will be burned up” (Gk. katakaēsetai) because some Greek manuscripts have this wording (instead of Gk. heurethēsetai). But the earliest and most reliable manuscripts have “will be found” (Gk. heurethēsetai), indicating with this reading that the annihilation of the earth is not taught in this passage. Scholars have debated whether the NT speaks of an annihilation of the present cosmos and the creation of a new universe, or whether it indicates the transformation of the present cosmos, including the earth. The latter seems more likely in light of: (1) the preferred reading of this passage (see above); (2) Rom. 8:18–25; (3) many OT prophecies about the renewal of the earth; (4) Christ’s resurrection body being in continuity with his earthly body; and (5) the fact that Christ’s resurrection body is a pattern for the resurrection bodies of Christians (1 Cor. 15:12–58). God seems always to renew, not destroy and recreate, parts of his creation that are marred by sin. See note on Rev. 21:1–8.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:11–13 Living Effectively in View of the Lord’s Return. Peter concludes his treatment of the Lord’s return by turning the discussion once again to Christian lifestyle. The second coming should be a motivation to live a holy life.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:11 The people of God ought to live in holiness and godliness, to avoid the punishment coming to the ungodly and to devote themselves to things that will last beyond the judgment.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:12 Hastening (Gk. speudō, “hurry [by extra effort]”) the coming of the day of God suggests that, by living holy lives, Christians can actually affect the time of the Lord’s return. That does not mean, of course, that the Lord has not foreknown and foreordained when Jesus will return (cf. Matt. 24:36; Acts 17:31). But when God set that day, he also ordained that it would happen after all of his purposes for saving believers and building his kingdom in this present age had been accomplished, and those purposes are accomplished when he works through his human agents to bring them about. Therefore, from a human perspective, when Christians share the gospel with others, and pray (cf. Matt. 6:10), and advance the kingdom of God in other ways, they do “hasten” the fulfillment of God’s purposes, including Christ’s return.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:13 The hope of Christians ultimately depends, though, not on their works (cf. note on v. 12) but on God’s promise. Their hope is not in the destruction of the wicked and their works, even though that is a necessary part of God’s final judgment. Their hope is in the promise that God will bring about a new heavens and a new earth (see Isa. 65:17; 66:22; Rev. 21:1–22:5), which will be the eternal abode of the righteous. “New” could mean “newly created” but probably means “renewed, made new” (see notes on Rom. 8:20–21; 2 Pet. 3:10).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:14–18 Concluding Exhortations. To obtain the final reward, believers must live a godly life and resist the sexual permissiveness of false teachers (cf. 1:5–11).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:14 Concerning Diligence. Peter calls his readers beloved for the third of four times in this chapter (cf. vv. 1, 8, 17). In light of the Lord’s return, Christians are to be diligent to be found without spot or blemish (doctrinally and morally pure), thereby receiving the full reward of eternal life. This is in stark contrast to the spiritual condition of the wicked (2:10b–22, esp. v. 22).
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:15–16 Concerning the Distortion of Paul’s Teaching. The delay of Christ’s return should be reckoned as his patience leading people to salvation (cf. v. 9; Rom. 2:4). The apostle Paul also wrote to these same readers at some point prior to the composition of 2 Peter, and apparently the false teachers of ch. 2 used a twisted version of Paul’s gospel of freedom (see 2:19; also Rom. 8:1–5; 2 Cor. 3:1–18; Gal. 5:1–6) to entice some of them into sin.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:16 In all his letters shows awareness of some kind of collection of Paul’s letters, with the number unspecified here. Some things … hard to understand does not say that everything in Paul’s letters is hard to understand, nor does it say that anything is “impossible to understand,” but it does imply that correctly interpreting some hard passages of Scripture requires much effort and God-given wisdom. The ignorant and unstable twist Paul’s teachings as they do the other Scriptures, implying that Paul’s writings were also considered Scripture in NT times, on the same level of divine authority as the OT Scripture. Greek graphē, here translated “Scriptures,” occurs 51 times in the NT, and every time it refers to the canonical OT Scripture, and not to any other writings, except that twice (here and 1 Tim. 5:18) some NT writings are also included. This indicates that NT books written or authorized by Christ’s apostles were recognized, at a very early date, to be God’s Word.
2 PETER—NOTE ON 3:17–18 Concerning the Proper Response to Paul’s Teaching. The fourth use of beloved in ch. 3 (cf. vv. 1, 8, 14). knowing this beforehand. The readers now know, if they did not know previously, that the false teachers are distorting Paul’s teaching. Paul advocates neither sin nor lawlessness, so they should take care not to be carried away by the false teaching, even if it appeals to Paul as the authority. They should not lose their own stability by following after a false interpretation of Paul; rather, they should cultivate stability through Christian growth, especially growing in Christ’s grace (Gk. charis, “favor, esp. unmerited favor”) and knowledge (Gk. gnōsis).