2 Peter 3:1-9 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

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Longsuffering Delay

2 Peter 3:1-9

Peter does not hesitate to place the commandments of himself and the other Apostles of Jesus on a level with the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and he repeats his admonitions because of the urgency of the crisis then threatening the Church. Apparently there was a well-grounded fear that she would relax her attitude of expectancy and give credence to the materialistic philosophy of the age.

Men argued then from the appearances of things, and especially from the regular routine of cause and effect. They did not realize that, from time to time, there had been the intrusion of the divine personal will into the course of history, introducing a higher set of laws and arresting the ordinary succession of events; as for instance, the Flood and the miracles of Old Testament history. Why, then, should not the ordinary course of nature be broken in upon by the Second Advent, when the Lord shall gather His saints about Him and reign gloriously? What God has done He can do again! There is a person and a will behind the slight veil of the present life.

Related Commentaries of 2 Peter 3:1

2 Peter 3:1-9

1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.