2 Peter 3:8-18
Q.1. Will God delay His judgment on humanity forever? How will the present world end? What will our new existence be like? – (2 Pet.3:8-13)
People have an earthbound view of time. By contrast, God is the everlasting God. For Him – … one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day (2 Pet.3:8). God keeps His promises. His delay in dealing with the world’s arrogance and sin was explained by Peter this way – The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance (2 Pet.3:9). Nevertheless, this should not lead to complacency, because the world as we know it awaits a fiery end – the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up (2 Pet.3:10 c.f. 3:12). This world order will be completely changed – But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet.3:13). The Bible reveals that there will be a thousand-year reign of Christ on earth, in a re-landscaped earth, following the Great Tribulation (Rev.20:4-6). Then after the final conflict, when Satan is released, God will usher in a brand-new eternal existence with a new Heaven and Earth (Rev.20:7-10; 21:1).
Q.2. How should we anticipate the Lord’s return? Did the apostle Peter accept the writings of Paul as valid? How should we treat those who undermine our faith? – (2 Pet.3:11-18)
Peter challenged his readers to fulfill the divine plan of becoming more like Jesus – 11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God … therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless (2 Pet.3:11-12, 14 c.f. Rom.8:29). Peter clearly accepted the writings of Paul, along with – the rest of the Scriptures (2 Pet.3:16 c.f. 3:15). He suggested that some of Paul’s writings were hard to understand, but as we have seen, that is true of some of Peter’s concepts as well. All of scripture can be misconstrued by the untaught and unstable (2 Pet.3:16 c.f. 2 Tim.3:7-9). Peter warned that we should stay on guard against those who malign the Scriptures. He closed his book by charging us to – grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet.18). That is the safest way to go.