2 Peter 3:14–16

Hold fast to the faith given to you by God…it is your only lifeline!

In Christ, and the unity of Holy Spirit, the Father gives us peace. Gods' peace, not the peace of the world which is unstable and changing but His peace, which never changes and has no beginning and no end.

God wants no one to perish…no, not one!!

2 Peter 3:14–16

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

knowledge (Gk. gnōsis) Strong’s #1108: This Greek word for knowledge usually connotes progressive, experiential, and personal knowledge; it is knowledge that can grow. We need to grow in our actual, personal knowledge of Jesus Christ; such knowledge is the greatest protection against false teachings. One of the prominent themes in this epistle is Peter’s exhortation to the believers to attain a fuller, more thorough knowledge of Jesus Christ.

We await the Day of the Lord and the new heavens and new earth. Since only the righteous will be at home in the new heavens and new earth, Peter’s audience should take an interest in righteousness in the present. Believers are to be morally pure (living ethically before God), in contrast with the false teachers.

The scoffers regarded the delay in the Jesus’ return as evidence that He would not come after all. Believers should take the delay in Jesus’ return as evidence of His patient desire to save. The recipients of this letter knew Paul, and had received at least one letter from him. Paul expressed a similar view as Peter on the delay of Christ’s return.

Even at this early stage of church history, Paul’s writings were being misrepresented. The comments about Paul’s writings suggest that their misuse was one of the problems underlying the heretical teachings. Like Peter, Paul regularly discusses Christ’s return and uses it to justify paying close attention to God’s work and living a life of integrity. Based on the context, the false teachers were likely either exploiting one of Paul’s teachings on the return of Jesus or using Paul’s theology of salvation to argue that people could now do whatever they wished. Peter expresses a high regard for Paul’s writings, classifying them as part of the sacred writings of the early church. Faithlife Bible.

Note that Peter equates the letters of Paul with the rest of the Scriptures, indicating that Peter considered the apostle Paul’s writings to be the Word of God. Peter considers Paul’s writings on the end times to be hard to understand. This should be a comfort to each of us who attempt to interpret the writings of Paul on the coming of Christ. Even Peter found them difficult. Because of this, however, Peter says some people who are untaught and unstable destroy themselves. Untaught refers to one whose mind is untrained and undisciplined in habits of thought. Unstable refers to one whose conduct is not properly established on the truths of God’s Word. NKJ Bible.

Psalm 86:15 But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.

 

Acts 9:17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.