2 Peter 3:3-7 says,...
Today's verses are 2 Peter 3:3-7 which read,
v.3 - Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,...
Remember that these are some of Peter's last words and he is speaking to people who he has come to dearly love. It would not be love to not share what he is going to share from the Scriptures that they have "fallen asleep" over.
"Know this first of all,..." - the greek word used here is where we get our word
"pronto." Put this on the top of the "to do" list and do it "asap."
"...mockers..." - scoffers, people who play with
"...lusts,..." - desire for what is forbidden, cravings
Put on the top of the list that there will come people who will play with the Scriptures and they will twist it to satisfy their desires. "They are coming" is Peter's warning and they are coming doing what they are, mockers mocking.
v.4 - ...and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
This is a common argument today. "Hey, it has been 2000 years and Christ has not come back yet so it must not be." There are many years that have past and life goes on as usual. "You guys have been saying this for centuries."
v.5 - For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,...
All it took was the "...word of God..." for everything to change. It was not the actions of man that dictated this, it was the actions of God. Heaven and earth were created by just His word spoken, it was so, and it was good.
v.6 - ...through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
Peter brings up the creation of the world by the word of God and then brings up the destruction of the world by the flood by the word of God. Things can change but they are on God's timetable and not ours.
Before the flood, their were mockers mocking God's warning about the coming flood and they continued on their ways with fulfilling their sinful desires except for Noah and his family. Peter wants us to make this tie to the argument that they are making. Just like creation and the flood (which Peter attributes both actions to God), our world will change at the word of our God, including the second coming of Christ.
v.7 - But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Peter is holding to what the word of God says no matter how much time has past because he has seen over history the word of God being fulfilled. He takes the Bible as a fact to be fulfilled as it has been fulfilled over the centuries. I imagine his greatest influence would be to see Jesus as the Messiah (fulfillment) and the completion of all that He said (death and resurrection) and looking for the return because Jesus said it.
Peter sees the Bible as fact because God is before it, behind it, the Creator of it, and the Fulfiller of it. "Warning! People who I trully love, watch out for people (mockers) who make the Bible (God's word) out for less than it is!" Have you seen this? I have and even in our churches across America and the world.
"Lord, help me to continue to see Your word as the lamp unto my feet and the light unto my path. Help me to elevate the prominence of it in my life so that I will not be detoured by the mocking of the mockers. They are just another sign given by You that what You said will happen, will happen. Lord, You are God and God alone. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.3 - Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,...
Remember that these are some of Peter's last words and he is speaking to people who he has come to dearly love. It would not be love to not share what he is going to share from the Scriptures that they have "fallen asleep" over.
"Know this first of all,..." - the greek word used here is where we get our word
"pronto." Put this on the top of the "to do" list and do it "asap."
"...mockers..." - scoffers, people who play with
"...lusts,..." - desire for what is forbidden, cravings
Put on the top of the list that there will come people who will play with the Scriptures and they will twist it to satisfy their desires. "They are coming" is Peter's warning and they are coming doing what they are, mockers mocking.
v.4 - ...and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
This is a common argument today. "Hey, it has been 2000 years and Christ has not come back yet so it must not be." There are many years that have past and life goes on as usual. "You guys have been saying this for centuries."
v.5 - For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,...
All it took was the "...word of God..." for everything to change. It was not the actions of man that dictated this, it was the actions of God. Heaven and earth were created by just His word spoken, it was so, and it was good.
v.6 - ...through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.
Peter brings up the creation of the world by the word of God and then brings up the destruction of the world by the flood by the word of God. Things can change but they are on God's timetable and not ours.
Before the flood, their were mockers mocking God's warning about the coming flood and they continued on their ways with fulfilling their sinful desires except for Noah and his family. Peter wants us to make this tie to the argument that they are making. Just like creation and the flood (which Peter attributes both actions to God), our world will change at the word of our God, including the second coming of Christ.
v.7 - But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Peter is holding to what the word of God says no matter how much time has past because he has seen over history the word of God being fulfilled. He takes the Bible as a fact to be fulfilled as it has been fulfilled over the centuries. I imagine his greatest influence would be to see Jesus as the Messiah (fulfillment) and the completion of all that He said (death and resurrection) and looking for the return because Jesus said it.
Peter sees the Bible as fact because God is before it, behind it, the Creator of it, and the Fulfiller of it. "Warning! People who I trully love, watch out for people (mockers) who make the Bible (God's word) out for less than it is!" Have you seen this? I have and even in our churches across America and the world.
"Lord, help me to continue to see Your word as the lamp unto my feet and the light unto my path. Help me to elevate the prominence of it in my life so that I will not be detoured by the mocking of the mockers. They are just another sign given by You that what You said will happen, will happen. Lord, You are God and God alone. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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