1 This, a second letter, beloved, I already write to you, in both which I stir up, in the way of putting you in remembrance, your pure mind, 2 to be mindful of the words spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of the Lord and Saviour by your apostles; vv.1-2 Consistency with the Divine Revelation. Peter was consistent with two things: the writings of the prophets (Old Testament), and the apostles who conveyed the teachings of Christ (New Testament, especially the gospels). This is a good example of when prophets are mentioned before apostles, as a contrast to when we have “apostles and prophets”, where the New Testament prophets are in view. Read more…

3 knowing this first, that there shall come at the close of the days mockers with mocking, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for from the time the fathers fell asleep all things remain thus from the beginning of the creation. vv.3-4 Scoffing at the Promise of Coming Judgment. 

 

 

8 But let not this one thing be hidden from you, beloved, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord does not delay his promise, as some account of delay, but is longsuffering towards you, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. vv.8-9 What we need to understand about the Lord’s timing. There is “one thing” that we need to understand as believers. The difficulty with us is not that we doubt it will all come to pass. The difficulty is that the Lord has waited so long. The one thing we should remember is that the Lord’s perspective of time is not like ours; “one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” This is the “one thing” that will quiet our minds. But there is another thing, and it is calculated to comfort our hearts. The perceived “delay” is because God loves us. He doesn’t want any to perish, and he knows we love many in this world (family, etc.) that are lost. The “delay” is not a delay of His promise, “as some account of delay”. In other words, the Lord is not late. His timing is perfect. It is our understanding of His ways that is imperfect. 

14 Wherefore, beloved, as ye wait for these things, be diligent to be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and account the longsuffering of our Lord to be salvation; according as our beloved brother Paul also has written to you according to the wisdom given to him, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; among which some things are hard to be understood, which the untaught and ill-established wrest, as also the other scriptures, to their own destruction. v.16 It is important to notice that Peter considered Paul’s writings scripture.