JEAN'S BIBLE STUDY
| KJV WEB
| Endtime Prophecy
| Parallel Gospels
Page Numbers | Plywood Canoe
OT Commentary | Books
Contact | Gospel Tract

2PETER CHAPTER 3 KJV WEB See previous page 2Pet 3-1,2 (78j) Thy kingdom come >> Renewing your mind by the word of God >> Study the Bible – Peter is saying we should study both the Old and New Testaments that prophesy, “Mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?'” They made this accusation against the Old Testament prophets, to Peter and to all the apostles. What we should understand 2000 years later about them in our day is that they posit their venomous critiques against us too, only with greater fervency than ever, simply because more time has elapsed to hone their skill. However, the centuries that have elapsed make the return of Christ that much more likely, derailing their accusations. They asked these things of Isaiah who prophesied of a suffering servant, who fulfilled every jot and tittle of the Law and the prophets about Himself, but the Jews did not receive Him. The world asks again, “Where is the promise of His coming?” and we answer that He is under their nose just like He was under the nose of the Jews in His day. The second coming of Jesus Christ is more sure than His first visit, in that the world will have no choice but to recognize Him, for He will come in the power and glory of His Father as a great king and a conqueror. (80j) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to minister to people >> To edify one another (133l) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Holiness >> Having an awareness of God’s holiness >> The presence of God makes us aware of His holiness (152k) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> Witnesses of the father >> The Church holds the position of a prophet >> True prophets (238j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Teaching by rote – Peter was an advocate of teaching by rote, repeatedly telling people the same things so they understand and won't forget. One example of rote learning is the memorization of Scripture; we read it over and over until we remember every word and are able to recite it verbatim, and it remains with us for life. The passage becomes ours; we come into deep level ownership with it; we may not be able to recite it years later, but our intimacy with it gives us insight into its meaning that will stay with us forever. 2Pet 3-1 (78c) Thy kingdom come >> Sincerity of heart >> Being honest >> Free from inconsistency – Different from Paul who wrote to specific churches, Peter wrote his letters to entire regions if not to the Church at large. This eventually became true of Paul’s letters too, for they now are read in every church. The fact that he said he was stirring up their minds by way of reminder suggests that he has already told them these things. Peter was an advocate of rote teaching/learning. He wasn’t trying to teach them anything new but things the Church had already learned and needed reminding. After he said this, he began a dissertation on endtimes, how people will act in our day. There will be mockers who will deny the Lord Jesus Christ, claiming that He will never come for the Church, but Peter says He will return in His time. Peter was speaking to sincere people who had a genuine faith in Christ. We could preach the word of God to people of insincere heart, and we would discover they are a waste of time and breath, but if we can find a sincere people, we can preach the word of God to them, and they will benefit. The numbers of those with a sincere heart for God are dropping. Go on evangelism crusades house-to-house or hand out tracts at carnivals and fairs, public gatherings where we can talk to people about Jesus, and we will find painfully few who act seemingly interested. Of ten, three will come to church, and of those three one might stay long enough to be grounded in the faith. The word of God in today’s world spreads very slowly, yet this is just what the Bible says will happen prior to His return (2The 2,1-5). 2Pet 3-2 (14a) Servant >> Servants of God’s word KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3,3-14 (40l) Judgment >> God is glorified >> God defends His righteousness through judgment (49l) Judgment >> God judges the world >> Condition of the world in the last days 2Pet 3,3-9 (200i) Denying Christ >> Excuses for rejecting Christ >> Using irresponsibility as an excuse to reject God >> Trying to talk your way out of accountability (243c) Kingdom of God >> Opposition toward the Kingdom of God >> Persecuting the kingdom >> Mocking the Church – These mockers scoff at the children of God for following what unbelievers call fables, the tenets of Scripture that were written thousands of years ago. The world follows after its own lust, materialized in secular humanism. Lust itself is composed of hormones and other complex molecules coursing through their veins, which are just as invisible as the God they mock, yet they believe in their chemically generated emotions. It is an honor to serve God, but it is a disgrace to worship our feelings instead of God who created all things. Mockers are narcissistic in their assertions against the faithful, claiming all things are a matter of interpretation, many claiming not to believe anything at all, inadvertently admitting to having faith in their unbelief, which is an anathema (Heb 3,12-19). These mockers think they believe in nothing when in fact such unbelief is their religion. Many critics of Christianity are agnostic, unsure of the existence of a god, yet they are confident that if there is a god, He is unknowable, otherwise they would believe in Him, they say. Thus they admit that they don’t know God, though He has made himself available to His creation, yet they attribute their lack of experience with Him to the character of God instead of to their own character. They look into the night sky and see all the twinkling stars, knowing they are looking at infinity, which is an attribute of God. After committing fatal errors in their logic they still have the audacity to criticize us for believing in God, who promised every generation that He would return one day and still hasn't come. We Christians would rather believe in a God who cannot lie, than to believe in liars who cannot tell the truth. They have made their choice not to see, not to hear and not to believe, while having the arrogance to accuse us of daring to open our eyes and seeing the Son of God raised from the dead and hearing His voice echoing through the chambers of our heart. See also: Agnosticism; 2Pet 3,3-7; 212f / Atheism (Alternate explanation for life and the universe); 2Pet 1-3; 91j 2Pet 3,3-7 (75e) Thy kingdom come >> Motives >> Being manipulative >> Questioning God’s judgment (212f) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> He is the creator >> Evolution (Defaming God) >> God created atheists too – What is perplexing to Christians is the unbeliever’s definition of freedom. What kind of freedom do they seek when they are looking to be free from God? They actually want to live in a world without God, and they are completely convinced that nothing beyond their five senses exists. The irony of that is, their five senses are detecting God’s creation, proving He exists. See also: Agnosticism; 2Pet 3-3,4; 18f (223k) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the train >> Miss the return of Jesus Christ 2Pet 3-3,4 (18f) Sin >> False Judgment lacks evidence >> Accusing God – God wants us to believe in Him by faith. He gave us His word, and He gave us proof of Himself in the creation, yet the critics’ complain that everything continues as it was from the beginning. One of the most eye-opening observations about the critics of Christianity who lived in the first century is that though they spoke everything imaginable against the Lord, denying the validity of His miracles, denying His virgin birth, denying His resurrection and the believers’ interpretations of the facts that transpired, but not a single first century critic of Christianity ever denied that Jesus Christ walked the earth! They couldn’t have denied it from all the eyewitness that would have immediately converged on them to correct their lies. Therefore, the enemies of the gospel of Christ provide some of the greatest evidences of the gospel, according to their own writings, so now God’s critics are denying the second coming of Christ, making the same accusations against Him that they made against the prophets of old, who jeered Christian beliefs and considered all of their doctrines to be fables. The same accusation they posited against them, they posit against us, and our answer is the same: Jesus came in the flesh and presented Himself as the Lamb of God, and they crucified Him according to the predetermined plan of God; He rose from the dead, ascended to the Father and sent the Holy Spirit, who established the Church in the hearts of men, and He will return one day at the Father's command and set up His kingdom on the earth, and He will reign forever and ever. (the apostles’ creed). See also: Agnosticism; 2Pet 3,3-9; 243c (19g) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Man’s twisted understanding -- These verses go with verses 16&17 (20d) Sin >> Nature of sin >> Motives of unbelief (93m) Thy kingdom come >> Following Jesus >> Exception >> Following evil along the broad way (94d) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective on this life >> Perspective on time -- These verses go with verses 8&9 2Pet 3-3 (76a) Thy kingdom come >> Hidden motives >> Based on selfish ambition (248j) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Values >> The Highest Values >> Top Priority KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3,4-12 (170f) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Temporary >> Whatever is temporary will perish 2Pet 3-4,5 (175k) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Ignorance >> Ignorant of what God means >> Ignorant of the meaning of God’s works (221a) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Kingdom hidden behind the veil from the world >> God hides from man’s ignorance >> God hides from those who are not looking for Him 2Pet 3-4 (151c) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> New Testament bears witness of the Old >> The Patriarchs >> The sons of Abraham (171l) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Outward appearance of circumstances 2Pet 3,5-15 (40a) Judgment >> Jesus is the judge >> Jesus judges the world’s unbelief (66l) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> Jesus’ authority >> The authority of His second coming 2Pet 3,5-12 (191a) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Baptism >> Immersed in His Spirit – The Bible speaks about two forms of baptism, one by water and the other by fire, in discourse with John the Baptist (Mat 3,1-12). On the one hand, there is a type of John’s baptism, the kind that God used to baptize the earth in the days of Noah with the symbolism of repentance, dying to self and being raised from the water in newness of life. On the other hand, the baptism of fire is of a type of Jesus baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is a baptism of divine power and glory, bringing about change and alteration of character to the degree that we are no longer the same person. This is why Jesus renamed some of His closest disciples. There is no going through the fire and emerging the same person. The fire refines the individual, burning away the things that are combustible (sin), and leaving behind the treasures of silver and gold and precious stones. In the last days God will baptize the earth in fire and in this way refine the earth, burning away the dross and preserving those who hold God's treasure in their hearts. See also: Baptism; 2Pet 3,5-7; 244h 2Pet 3,5-7 (40i) Judgment >> Judgment of Christ >> God’s word executes judgment by the Spirit (104c) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by fire >> Purified through fiery judgment -- These verses go with verses 10-14 (111j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Word and the judgment of God -- These verses go with verse 10 (190c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Masochism (Self-made martyr) >> Passing through the fire -- These verses go with verses 10-12 (244h) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The word of God is eternal >> The word of God transcends the creation – While the world scoffs at the disciples of Jesus, it escapes their notice that the creation itself exists because of the word of God that Christians have placed in their hearts as the very center of their lives. It is through His word that God has created all things, including His people. Peter said, “The earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.” So, the earth experienced a baptism, both at the onset of creation and in Noah’s day. Before God made the first living thing He baptized the earth in water. Then He raised up the land and began His creation of living things, including man. When man became corrupt, He re-baptized the earth, and everything on it died, except Noah and his family. The next time God resets the earth because of sin He will baptize it in fire. The water of baptism kills and gives life, but fire has a refining effect. In the new heavens and new earth, unlike water, the baptism of fire will restructure His creation, giving the elements new properties, so that God can establish his eternal kingdom upon an eternal foundation, and both will be preserved (Mat 9-16,17). See also: Baptism; 2Pet 3,5-12; 191a 2Pet 3-5,6 (111d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Water and the word (140c) Temple >> Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >> House where you live with Jesus -- These verses go with verses 10-13 KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3,7-12 (49i) Judgment >> Judgment day >> He will come like a thief in the night 2Pet 3-7 (218d) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Reaping the harvest >> We choose our actions, not their consequences >> God controls the consequences of our actions (245g) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestation of God’s righteous judgment >> Manifestation of God’s justice -- This verse goes with verses 10-13 2Pet 3-8,9 (94d) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective on this life >> Perspective on time -- These verses go with verses 3&4 (215e) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God views time in eternity >> God sees eras as moments – God does not live in the confines of time as we do. He views our puny lifespan of 70 or 80 years like a breath. On the one side, this is the Lord's explanation for delaying: He would say, ‘It has only been two days,’ denoting a contraction of time from a multi-millennial era to just a couple days. God's critics say it is evil of Him to promise to return and not do it, but to Peter it signifies just the opposite, that we are to consider God’s patience to be salvation, because He doesn’t wish any to perish. On the flipside, one day is like a thousand years, so He can take His people to heaven and celebrate the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, which will take thousands of years, during the bowls of God's fierce wrath, denoting an expansion of time within a certain framework. If the Seals, Trumpets and Bowls all consist of 3 1/2 year periods respectively, that would give 1,277 days to the Bowls of God's wrath, and since He can expand a day into a thousand years, that gives us 1,277,000 years to celebrate the marriage between Christ and the Church. See also: Marriage Supper of the Lamb; Mat 28,18-20; 191b 2Pet 3,9-15 (88g) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God >> Fearing God's judgment is the beginning of wisdom >> Fear the consequences of your disobedience 2Pet 3-9 (31g) Gift of God >> Grace >> Salvation >> God’s mercy opposes man’s theology -- This verse goes with verse 15 (47d) Judgment >> God Judges the world >> Hell is a place of destruction -- This verse goes with verse 16. God does not want anyone to go to hell but wants all to come to repentance. He is more glorified by those who come to Him in faith, but that does not mean those in hell do not glorify Him. In fact, in the days of Moses, it says that God glorified Himself through pharaoh. God will use hell for all eternity to show the inhabitance of heaven by contrast that His grace is limited to faith in Jesus Christ, and also to show that there is another side of God; His hatred of sin is real. Hell proves His sovereign authority, and everybody who refuses to submit to Him must go there. (126i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Patience >> The patience of God >> God is patient -- This verse goes with verse 15 (193c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Repent >> Turn from your evil ways >> Turn to God (205d) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of His inheritance -- This verse goes with verse 13 (208c) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Salvation verses >> The expectations of God >> God expects us to repent and be saved (215b) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God has good timing >> God’s time is sufficient – God is not slow about His promise, though He is slow to anger and slow to judgment. He is waiting for circumstances to turn in His favor and for everyone whose name is in the book of Life to repent and believe in Him. God has been waiting 2000 years, and His patience is wearing thin, and when he closes the door, it will be like a mousetrap snapping on those who are caught in their rebellion. (247a) Priorities >> God’s priorities >> God’s interests >> God is interested in His people >> God is interested in the Church – This verse accounts for God’s postponement of return. Generations pass, centuries transpire, and still He doesn’t come, and we wonder what is keeping Him so long. If He only waited ten years before His return, that would indicate the size of heaven, but 2000 years has allowed many people to come to Christ and fill up His heaven with worshippers, hundreds of millions of people, billions over the millennia, including the believers of the Old Testament era. Heaven must be a big place. We could get theological and say that the word “all” means anyone who will be saved, but that would aggravate the fifth-degree Calvinists who say that it is impossible for someone who is not chosen to be saved. That's dead-end reasoning, though predestination is real, yet the human will is just as real and has equal importance. Without God no one could be saved, and without man seeking God, no one would be saved. The Bible teaches that most people will not be saved, for Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Mat 7-13,14). So man’s will makes salvation improbable, whereas God’s will makes salvation possible. God is patient and wishes that more would repent. The universe is God’s greatest witness of His existence, power and size. No other generation has ever known as much as we do about the creation, yet no other generation has been more defiant in their willful ignorance, but God has set aside a day when He will judge their contempt of the truth according to their knowledge, unless they repent of their unbelief. People for centuries have looked into the heavens and wondered about the stars, and now we know many of the answers to their questions, and we know answers to questions they never even thought of asking. Many have seen pictures from the Hubble Telescope and have attributed the cause of the heavenly images to some universal force other than God, but He will judge them for preferring a lie over the truth. See also: God operates through certain laws; Jn 14-6; 83h KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3,10-14 (104c) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by fire >> Purified through fiery judgment -- These verses go with verses 5-7 2Pet 3,10-13 (66b) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> He is Lord over all creation >> over the elements -- These verses go with verse 18. One of the laws of nature is that matter can neither be created nor destroyed, and the same goes for energy. Matter and energy are one and the same, according to Albert Einstein’s famous equation: E=MC2 (Energy equals mass times the speed of light squared). This equation denotes an enormous amount of energy in the universe. At the center of every atom there is ‘the strong (atomic) force’ that holds the nucleus together. This atomic force is incredibly powerful, the same force that is released in an atomic bomb. It is a force that is very mysterious to scientists; they don’t know where it originated, because they are unwilling to acknowledge God (Col 1-16,17). The amount of enriched uranium that is used in an atomic bomb is about the size of a volleyball, which is enough to destroy an entire city. This force is held inside the nucleus of every atom in the universe, and when God is ready to recreate the universe, He will release all the energy from every atom, and He will reinvest Himself in the new creation, causing the particles to recombine in atoms to reform the nucleus. He will add something that he subtracted from the universe after the fall (of Satan), His Spirit. God will fully invest Himself in the new creation to overcome the force of entropy that currently reigns over this creation that the Bible defines as the curse. If we followed the pattern of the resurrection we see that God will reduce the universe to its elementary components, and from there rebuild the universe from scratch. According to Peter’s word choice, the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and He will reconstruct the universe within a newly designed atom. See also: New creation; 140c / New heavens and a new earth (Construct of the new creation); 1Jn 2-12; 234b (140c) Temple >> Temple made without hands >> Hiding place >> House where you live with Jesus -- These verses go with verses 5&6. God will create the new heavens and the new earth from the vantage point of the New Jerusalem, a place that is separate from this creation. Heb 12-28,29 says, “we [will] receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken,” so when the universe explodes, heaven will not feel it, because it will be in a completely different dimension. After God creates the new heavens and new earth, He will escort the New Jerusalem to the new earth, so that the essence of heaven will dwell among men, the city of God where His people live. It will be the center of the world and of the universe. The New Jerusalem is above this present creation. God will make a physical world with His presence interwoven into it, and it will be from the same substance of our resurrected bodies and of the New Jerusalem, so the city of God will blend into the new creation, and the entire universe will take on the properties of heaven. In this life, people who die in the Lord are escorted to the New Jerusalem, and they feel at home there, disembodied spirits in a spiritual place, though it is just as physical, so when God gives us resurrected bodies we will feel all the more at home in His presence. See also: New creation; 2Pet 3,11-15; 232k (244g) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> The word of God is eternal >> The word of God will outlast the creation (245g) Kingdom of God >> Spirit realm imposed on the natural realm >> Literal manifestations >> Manifestation of God’s righteous judgment >> Manifestation of God’s justice -- These verses go with verse 7 2Pet 3,10-12 (190c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Masochism (Self-made martyr) >> Passing through the fire -- These verses go with verses 5-7 2Pet 3-10 (111j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Word and the judgment of God -- This verse goes with verses 5-7 (215g) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> Suddenly >> The judgments of God come suddenly >> Without warning KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3,11-15 (232k) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seek the essence of his kingdom >> Seeking the righteousness of His kingdom – God will create a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. When God creates the new universe, He will do it in such a way that righteousness dwells within the atoms and molecules themselves, so righteousness will dwell both in the conduct of His people and in the fabric of the creation. This righteousness to which Peter refers suggests that God will infuse His Spirit into the physical universe, and we will be the first fruits of that creation. That is, God will create the new heavens and the new earth after the virtues of the First Resurrection using the same kind of material that comprises our resurrected bodies (Rom 8,19-23). In this creation a strong force dwells in every atom that holds the nucleus together; it is energy from God, but His righteousness does not dwell in the present universe. His righteousness probably once dwelled in the creation before Lucifer fell into sin (He was given the entire universe, whereas Adam was only given the earth). When Lucifer fell into sin, God removed His righteousness (His Spirit) from the creation, but the strong force remained, holding the atoms together. When God destroys this present universe, He will simply remove Himself (the strong force) from it, and when He creates the new heavens and the new earth, He will re-infuse His power and presence back into the creation. His power is what held the nucleus together, and His Spirit repelled entropy, the force that causes all things to age, die and disintegrate. So long as God’s presence remained within the fabric of creation, nothing died, but after He removed His Spirit, everything began to perish. Entropy causes the universe to change from a complex order to a simpler state, so that life reduces to non-life, and organic molecules revert to inert matter and mixes with the dust of the ground. When God creates the new heavens and the new earth, He will reintroduce His presence into the creation to remove the curse. See also: New creation; 2Pet 3-13; 38i 2Pet 3,11-14 (42j) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Transformed >> Conform to the walk of Christ (84cb) Thy kingdom come >> Be on the alert >> Be faithful till Jesus comes >> Prepare others for His return – People mock us for believing in the second coming of Jesus Christ. It has been 2000 years with every generation holding out hope for His return, but the Bible does not teach that believing in a messiah who may never come in our lifetime is foolish or deceitful; rather, it keeps us on the alert and vigilant. God knew that if He didn’t give us reason to anticipate His second coming, we would forget about Him. That is, if the only thing Christianity offered in this life was spiritual fulfillment, we would willingly sacrifice it to please our flesh (1Cor 15-19). Jesus warned not to let His return catch us off guard. He doesn't want His return to resemble a thief in the night but to be watchful and prepared. As we keep our lamps trimmed, there are mockers on all sides scoffing in our light, hoping we are wrong about our faith in Jesus. Proverbs 10-29 says: "The way of the LORD is a stronghold to the upright, but ruin to the workers of iniquity." Those who sit silently observing our testimony hold out the possibility of trimming their own lamps one day in preparation for His return. (88d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith produces works >> The function of works in faith >> Faith doesn’t move God until it is manifested in the natural realm (118j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Giving God your attention >> Resolutely focus on the glory of God >> Focus on eternity – This passage says that the heavens and the earth will one day be destroyed, that the elements themselves will melt. Talk to any Christian, though, and he will say that God will reform the creation, not destroy it, that the present universe will in a sense die and be reborn in a manner similar to the resurrection (Rom 8,20-23), but that is not what the Bible says. In fact, even science confirms that the universe is already dead. Our bodies are made of the same stuff as the universe, inert atoms and molecules, inert meaning not alive, though the cells that are made from these dead atoms and molecules are alive, and all these cells combine to create an organism that moves and breathes. This points out the essential mystery of life. There won’t be a death process and a resurrection of the universe, because it simply doesn’t fit with Scripture. They mess with the word “destroy”, and say it doesn’t mean that. Instead, Peter said that God would destroy this present universe and create a new one in its place. To top it off, it says that the elements will melt with intense heat, elements meaning atoms, the basic building blocks of matter. Table salt can be reduced to sodium and chloride, but these cannot be further reduced to more basic elements. That is, the only way sodium will stop being a sodium atom is if nuclear fission of fusion takes place, stripping the atom or else adding to it protons and neutrons and electrons. In both cases it releases tremendous energy. Only then can the sodium atom become something else, a different atom with other properties and another name, but this doesn’t happen in nature. However, God says that He will melt the elements, meaning He will take away the mysterious force that keeps the protons and neutrons closely bound together within the nucleus, allowing all these subatomic particles to scatter, thus destroying the very basic building blocks of creation. Someone will say this is impossible, because one of the laws of physics is that matter can be neither created nor destroyed; however, God is above His creation and its laws. The doubter will then say, ‘This is incomprehensible; therefore, it can’t be right.’ That is like saying God is incomprehensible; therefore, He can't exist, but He does, and the Bible says we can know Him. (236g) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Invest in the kingdom >> Invest your treasures into the kingdom >> Invest your flesh 2Pet 3-11 (41i) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Be godly in all your behavior -- This verse goes with verse 14 (92l) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Our holy conduct along the narrow way 2Pet 3,12-14 (34d) Gift of God >> Believer owns everything >> New creation belongs to us (224c) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> Describing the kingdom after he makes all things new >> Description of the new creation (243m) Kingdom of God >> The eternal kingdom >> There shall be no end to His increase >> God's kingdom is Infinite >> God will create a new Adam and Eve KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3-13 (38i) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Resurrection of the righteous – Some people say that the present universe will not be destroyed, but God will rearrange the elements in some way. People want to hold to this present creation, believing that God will restore it, equating it to their understanding of the resurrection. They say that God will resurrect our current bodies using the same atoms and molecules it had before death, and they say that God will do the same with the new heavens and the new earth, using the same material, but that is not the language Peter used in these verses. They would be better to adopt Peter's version of events that after He destroys the present universe God will use what is left of it to recreate a new one. He will use what remains of our old bodies for the sake of those who would dig up our remains, some of us they martyred, and they will discover us missing. However, people who have been cremated or dead for thousands of years or died at sea and eaten by sharks, their bodies are gone, pulverized by the forces of nature, and other similar stories whose bodies simply no longer exist; at the resurrection God will create new bodies for them. Paul said in 1Cor 15-38, " He gives it a body," not the old one back, but a new one. God won't hunt down all the atoms and molecules that composed our bodies and put them back together just to transform them into a heavenly body. Rather, He will use what remains, and if there are no remains, He will create it from scratch, and the same goes for the new creation. People are trying to see the new creation in view of Jesus’ resurrected body. Three and a half days later the Father raised Him from the dead. He had the same body, because decomposition was at an early stage. See also: New creation; 61j (61j) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Righteous people will dwell in the new creation / Righteousness will dwell in the fabric of creation – This is a word-picture of God’s creation being completely enveloped in flames and destroyed, so that the creation itself will no longer exist in the same form, suggesting that the fire will change its composition to something eternal. Science has determined that matter can be neither created nor destroyed, yet God intends to add to the eternal quality of the creation, so that it will never wear out. This present creation cannot be destroyed according to the laws of nature, yet by new creation standards it is dead and in the slow process of decay, meaning all its intricacy and complexity is unraveling. However, God will create a new universe after the millennium that will have the capacity to remain forever. Once the thousand years have been completed, God will create a new heavens and a new earth, Peter says, “in which righteousness dwells.” Before God does that He must destroy the present one, which He will do by fire, referring to nuclear fire. All things will pass away only to be resurrected from the dead. This statement, “A new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells,” refers to two things: it means that those who live in the new creation will be righteous, and it also means that righteousness will be sown into the very fabric of creation. The atoms and molecules will no longer war against each other for protons and electrons that we observe in the fields of chemistry and nuclear physics. The new creation's substance will be different; we will enjoy a physical/spiritual universe. Life on earth in this life is clearly a miracle in a universe of inert material, but in the next creation life may seem like less of a miracle, since everything will be in a sense alive. In the new creation life and complexity will remain throughout all eternity, so that God will be able to establish His eternal throne on it without its foundations crumbling as it would if He tried to establish His throne on the present creation. See also: New creation; 2Pet 3,10-13; 66b (205d) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> According to promise >> Promise of His inheritance -- This verse goes with verse 9 2Pet 3-14 (41i) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Be godly in all your behavior -- This verse goes with verse 11 (42a) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Blameless before God >> Prepare for His return (100e) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in the sight of God – The fact that the Church was growing strong both spiritually and numerically was evidence that they didn’t have to worry about missing the return of Christ, because Jesus won’t return while the Church is doing well but when it no longer functions properly, when people are no longer being saved. Also, as a result of the apostasy of the Church the world itself will implode. This will happen at a time of rampant godlessness after the Church, that is the salt of the earth, has been neutralized. That day has sadly come upon us. (105b) Thy kingdom come >> Pure in heart >> A pure heart is an unleavened heart (126a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Peace >> God is at peace >> The peace from God – The fulfillment of endtime prophecy is a domino effect of cataclysmic events, leading to unveiling the antichrist. We in our time are living through the prophesied apostasy. Peter commanded the people of His watch 2000 years ago to be diligent and found in Him at peace, spotless and blameless, and if Peter spoke this to them, then he also meant it for us in the last days even in the midst of turmoil. This indicates that the intended readers of the Bible are those who are faithful in Christ, the remnant of the Church who hold to their faith against all odds. 2Pet 3-15,16 (89h) Thy kingdom come >> Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom >> Wisdom of the Spirit 2Pet 3-15 (31g) Gift of God >> Grace >> Salvation >> God’s mercy opposes man’s theology -- This verse goes with verse 9. There are two opposite interpretations occurring at the same time between the world and the Church regarding the second coming of Christ. The world denies that He will ever return, while the Church attributes His absence to salvation. Christ is giving time for more people to get saved before He returns. (126i) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Patience >> The patience of God >> God is patient -- This verse goes with verse 9. To the degree that the enemies of the gospel speak against the second coming of Christ is the degree that we should prepare for His second coming. Jesus spoke about a wedding feast and told us to stay on the alert, for He knew that in the last days prior to His return the Church would fall away from the faith (Mat 22,1-7). Also, in 1The 4,13-18 it says that Christ will come and receive His people to Himself at the advent of the First Resurrection, and we who are alive an remain will be caught-up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. 2The 2,1-10 says the saints in Thessalonica were concerned that they had missed this event, and Paul answered them not to worry, because it won’t happen until the apostasy comes first. In other words, to the degree that the Thessalonians were concerned about their salvation was evidence that the First Resurrection had not yet occurred. Look at the Church today; most refuse to even address the teaching of endtime prophecy. There are some Christians who have remained vigilant, but the Church as a whole is wayward, indicating that the second coming of Christ is imminent. 2Pet 3-16,17 (19g) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Man’s twisted understanding -- These verses go with verses 3&4 (179k) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Wolves lead people into a cult >> Leading people through ignorance KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3-16 (17j) Sin >> Unrighteous judgment >> Ignorance >> Distorting the facts – Peter was actually prophesying that people would misunderstand Paul and distort what he said to their own destruction, meaning that many of those who distort his writings on the mercy and grace of God will not be going to heaven. Look at the Church today, what they believe and what they have done to the doctrines of the Church, turning them into licentiousness (a license to sin). Many denominations use verses like Eph 2-8,9 to extract works from the equation of the gospel, saying that works are no longer necessary, when this was not at all Paul’s message. (19f) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Incorrect thinking – Peter was complaining that those who distort Paul's writings do it to revel in their flesh, which is tantamount to breaking the laws of God. Their flesh becomes an idol that they place before God, breaking the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Ninety-nine percent of the time that we revel in our flesh we are hurting other people, putting our selves first without loving our neighbor as ourselves. Who knows what kinds of fleshly addictions and spiritual bondages befall those who refuse to be saved in this life but desire freedom to fully express whatever is in their flesh to say and do, and to embody whatever hormones are raging in their carnal nature. God did not give us the freedom to act out whatever we feel; rather, He wants us free from abusing others emotionally, physically and sexually. (47d) Judgment >> God Judges the world >> Hell is a place of destruction -- This verse goes with verse 9 (48l) Judgment >> Jesus’ enemies are destroyed >> Enemies of the truth – Some people don’t just have differences with the Lord; they are enemies of God, because the spirit they follow is at enmity with Him, and for this reason they are at enmity with us. There is no point in listening to them; if they could move us from our faith, we would become a feather in their hat. They live to subvert the righteous, simply because they have no faith of their own, and they are jealous. They don’t want to believe, but they don’t want us to believe either, because our faith testifies against their unbelief. (79l) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word as a sword in spiritual warfare >> To defend yourself from religion (108c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith is the balance between truth and unbelief – Peter made a comment about the apostle Paul, making this an unusual verse indeed, and look what Peter said about him: some of the things Paul taught were hard to understand. Paul wrote largely about the grace of God, separating grace from works to show that it is actually our faith that saves us and not our works. He did this because though his ministry was toward the gentiles, he was a Jew and had a heart for his countrymen, who were in bondage to a works-based salvation, regarding such external things as circumcision and keeping the laws of Moses. The result of presenting the gospel in Paul's way made for a complicated theology, yet we don’t find the subject of grace particularly complicated. The fact that we don’t suggests what Peter was saying, that we have oversimplified Paul’s writings. (157j) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Unable to know the truth – If the writings of Paul are hard to understand by those with a remnant of the Spirit, how much less do they understand Paul who distort his words along with the rest of Scripture to their own destruction? Peter says that those who intentionally misquote, misunderstand and warp the teachings of Paul, who say that works are irrelevant, will never see the Kingdom of Heaven. Paul wrote most of the epistles, so naturally he wrote the most about virtually every subject, including about living a godly life. He did more than anyone to make sure that our works were in place, and if not we should take a closer look at our salvation (2Pet 1-10). (168i) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world has deaf ears to God >> Deaf to the word of God from a lack of understanding – Those who would mock us for our faith cannot properly interpret the Scriptures, so they don’t know what they are mocking since they don’t know what we believe. God gives us wisdom and insight into His word, but those who don’t believe cannot receive from the Holy Spirit. If they attempted to believe the gospel as we do, they would fail to acquire a simple faith as ours. They cannot believe the truth but are confined to their lies and self-deceptions and believe by a different faith that different spirits have given to them. Faith is not our weakness, any more than God is weak, and if God who is our strength has led us to believe in Him, then their unbelief is their weakness. (177a) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> False doctrine >> Distorting Scripture >> Distorting Scripture from a lack of understanding – Paul very diligently made the distinction between the two aspects of our salvation, faith and works, in the books of Romans and Galatians to show that we are saved by grace through faith. What many in the Church don’t seem to understand about Paul's teaching, though, is that after we recognize faith to be the active ingredient of our salvation, we are to put works back into the equation, so God can work in our lives. The fact that God is working in us to deliver us from our fleshly addictions and spiritual bondages to sin is not what gets us to heaven; rather, these things are an aspect of our salvation in this life. That is, God wants to save us both in this life and in the one to come, our faith saving us for eternity and our works saving us in this life. However, there are some Christians who don’t want to be saved in this life, but the Bible teaches that if we are not saved in this life, neither are we saved eternally, for our works prove our faith, and if have no proof, neither do we have faith. (177i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >> Misunderstanding the word of God (198b) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Man withers when he is in control >> Unteachable >> Too busy being a teacher to learn anything (198f) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained by man >> Men place themselves in positions of authority >> Men who are ill-equipped to fulfill the ministry (223f) Kingdom of God >> The elusive Kingdom of Heaven >> Miss God >> Missing the point >> Miss the meaning of the truth KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3-17,18 (8o) Responsibility >> Prevent backsliding from God – Growing is prevention against backsliding – We who are diligent in the faith make enemies through our relationship with Jesus, and unprincipled men are littered throughout the world and some are even in the Church. These unprincipled men are not criminals but are unprincipled in their lack of sincerity of faith in their pursuit of God’s holy truth. Those who are seeking a genuine relationship with God will find it very difficult to make friends in the Church these days because of the rampant spiritual laziness that it harbors. If we want to serve the Lord by striving in our relationship with Christ, we are forced to seek higher levels of faith alone. (98b) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> Rooted deeply >> Plant the word deeply in your heart – There are some sects of Christianity that despise the knowledge of God. They think the simple gospel is all we need to know, and we should not pursue knowledge any deeper, but this flies in the face of everything Paul taught. Peter also taught us to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." God works in us exclusively through His word that we believe, yet others say that knowledge can lead to arrogance, that the simple gospel is safer than becoming a student of the Bible. They warn us to beware of 'being so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good.' This is a common saying in Christendom that has no basis in the Scriptures. Our faith is squarely based on the word of God, so the more we know the more our faith can grow in Him. Faith in the truth is our weapon against the fallacies and deceptions of our enemies who rail against us with their deceptions. When we successfully ward off their attacks, we prove that their goal was to make us fumble our faith. 2Pet 3-17 (83m) Thy kingdom come >> Be on the alert >> Remain on duty >> Be on guard (162i) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> Being slaves of men >> Bad company >> Bad company will entangle you in their bondage – We are to avoid unprincipled men who will lead our steadfastness into complacency, so that we become a constituent of apostasy that has gripped the Church. When so many people are steeped in apostasy, we cannot avoid them all. At a time when we can hardly find one who is diligent in his faith, how can we be diligent in our own, since we need each other to achieve steadfastness? Being a Christian has never been easy in this world. There were times of terrible persecution when people were imprisoned, tortured and killed for their faith, but this drove the saints together, and they helped each other spiritually and materially, and there was unity between them, and the Church grew both spiritually and numerically. In times when persecution is rare, though, we go to church approved by the state and nobody stops us, and so it seems in these days persecution originates within the Church, and those steeped in apostasy persecute those who are diligent in the faith, and few are getting saved. (181f) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Lawlessness >> Having no regard for the law >> Forsaking the law – Peter was writing about something he said in the previous verse, about the Apostle Paul’s letters being hard to understand. Peter was one of the men who gave Paul the right-hand of fellowship when he came to Jerusalem looking for acceptance from the Church (Gal 2-9), but first they had to investigate his background. It wasn’t just the testimony of his salvation that convinced the leaders; it was also the things that Paul said God revealed to him about his specific calling and purpose of preaching the gospel to the gentiles. That the gentiles were included in salvation was something that God had recently revealed to Peter in a dream (Acts chapter 10), showing there was a divine orchestration of events occurring that convinced the leaders to approve Paul. Although he once persecuted the Church of God, Paul related all these things to Peter, James and John, and they listened very carefully to every word, and only after they completely understood his message did they give him the right-hand of fellowship. Later Paul wrote letters that Peter confessed were hard to understand, that salvation is based on faith (Eph 2-8,9). Peter recaps Paul in this verse, warning us to be on guard and not entrust our hearts to unprincipled men. If Peter had a hard time understanding Paul’s letters, can we really say that the Church in the last days understands his letters? Maybe we should listen to Peter more intently and be on guard against misinterpretation. These unprincipled men might understand salvation based on faith well enough, but they don’t understand faith itself. Some try to get to heaven based on their own good works; we must guard ourselves against them too, because they are not trusting in Christ. However, what about those who adhere to the teachings of Paul and believe that salvation is based on faith apart from works but don’t understand the concept of faith itself? Are they not in the same boat with those who work for salvation? The only difference between them is that one believes they need to do good works and the other doesn't. The person who has the wrong concept of faith is actually a worse culprit than the one who works for salvation. Those who think faith is a matter of believing in a set of doctrines Paul would say is not from God but believes in Him with a human faith. We need to believe in Jesus by a faith that we received from God, but how do we receive this divine faith? We must believe in the doctrines of salvation through obedience, and God will impart His Spirit and empower us to believe in Him with His faith. See also: Don't walk beyond your faith; Rom 12,1-3; 43l (204b) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Practicing sin >> Going astray KJV WEB / Navigation Bar 2Pet 3-18 (4g) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> He who is faithful in little is also faithful in much – We start with very little knowledge of God, and grow from there in both knowledge and responsibility. The two are directly proportional to each other, for the more we know the more is required of us. (66b) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> He is Lord over all creation >> over the elements -- This verse goes with verses 10-13 (80e) Thy kingdom come >> Know the word to learn the ways of God >> Leading to Jesus – Peter admonished us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, but if we do, we may be persecuted by the Church. The world rarely encounters a person who is sincere in faith that is based on the truth, so when they find one, they are amazed, but those in the Church are less than impressed who take their faith seriously and actually pursue God through the knowledge afforded them in the Scriptures. Talk to some people and they will tell us that it is not necessary to know the Bible any better than the average person in the Church, that if we occasionally read the Bible, it is enough. This is the overall attitude that people have in their own personal studies, and in this complacent manner they wait for their flesh to feel the urge to open the Bible, yet days, weeks and months pass with the Bible never opened. We look at the tremendous knowledge of Paul, and Jesus admonished us to worship God by a knowledge-based faith (Jn 17,6-8), but probably Peter made the most succinct statements about knowing the word of God in his epistles, and this is one of those statements. Some raise accusation against others who are learned in the Scriptures that pursuing the knowledge of God is not necessary. They quote this verse, “Knowledge makes arrogant, but love edifies” (1Cor 8-1). Yes, knowledge can make a person arrogant, but love annuls pride. Faith is based on knowledge and love is a manifestation of faith, so love is indirectly based on knowledge. This suggests it is imprudent to perfect love without integrating knowledge into it. (108h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of Jesus Christ >> Spiritual revelation >> Revelation of His identity (116c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Through worship >> Through our relationship with Him (210f) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our savior >> We must believe in the savior to be saved (214j) Sovereignty >> God controls time >> God’s timing >> God’s time is soon >> God’s time is always now – The day of eternity refers to the day of the Lord, which is the day of the First Resurrection. Eternity past and eternity future are on opposite ends of the timeline, and we are currently in the present, which is a single point on that line. When we think of eternity past never having a beginning and eternity future never having an end, our present is at the center of the timeline as a fixed point. This point represents the day of every person’s birth since the beginning of time. If our “present” point could move along the timeline, it would be in relation to the end and the beginning of that line, but since this timeline doesn’t have a beginning or an end, the point remains fixed in the middle. Tomorrow will be our future present, and yesterday was our past present, so we can see our present moving along a line between our birth and our death. Our timeline is finite, whereas God’s timeline is eternal, yet He can move along the timeline of eternity in any direction He wants, because He exists at both both ends of eternity at the same time. He can go to the past, and He can visit the future, so for God the present is mobile. We will always and forever live in the present with God, the great I AM, and in that sense eternity doesn’t really exist; there is only now. (252b) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship Jesus (Because He is equal with God) >> Jesus is worthy of our worship >> Worship Jesus for who he is