[2 Peter 3]

 

             ^3:1 Beloved, I am already writing this second letter to you^°, in which I am awakening your^° sincere mind in a reminder, ^3:2 to be reminded of the declarations which have been spoken beforehand by the holy prophets, and the commandment of your^° apostles of the Lord and Savior.

             ^3:3 Knowing this first, that mockers will be coming in the last of the days, conducting-themselves according-to their own lusts, ^3:4 and saying, Where is the promise of his presence? (For^* from which time the fathers fell-asleep, all things remain thus as they were from the beginning of the creation.)

             ^3:5 For^* this is eluding them (willing it to be so): that the heavens were from long-ago, and an earth established {Or: standing together} out-of water and through water by the word of God; ^3:6 through which water, the world that was then was destroyed, having been flooded in water. {Gen 7:21} ^3:7 But the current heavens and the current earth are being stored up for fire by the same word, being kept to the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

 

             ^3:8 But beloved, let this one thing not elude you^°, that one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. ^3:9 The Lord is not slow concerning the promise he made, as some deem slowness, but has patience toward us, not planning for any to perish, but for all to make room^*for your^° repentance.

             ^3:10 But the day of the Lord will be coming like a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass-away with a crashing-sound, and the elements will be dissolved, being burnt with heat, and the earth and the works which are in it will be burned up. ^3:11 Therefore, with all these things being dissolved, see what sort of things it is essential for you^° to possess in all holy conducts and devotions, ^3:12 expecting and diligently wanting the presence of the day of God, through which the heavens will be dissolved, being inflamed, and the elements are melted, being burnt with heat. ^3:13 But according-to his promise, we are expecting new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.

 

             ^3:14 Hence, beloved, while expecting these things, be^° diligent to be found in peace, unstained and unblemished by him. ^3:15 And deem^° the patience of our Lord to be salvation, just-as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you^° according-to the wisdom which was given to him, ^3:16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them concerning these things, in which some things are hard to perceive, which the unlearned and unstable ones are twisting, as they also twist the rest of the Scriptures to their own destruction. ^3:17 Therefore, beloved, knowing beforehand these things, guard^° yourselves, in-order-that you^° might not fall, each one from his own firmness, having been led away together-with the error of the immoral. ^3:18 But grow^° in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory is to him, both now and toward the final day of the world. Amen.

                                      {NOTES: Please read the Preface and other non-bible sections. * is our universal footnoting for words contained in the ‘Definitions’ section. These words are NOT the same Greek word as the non-asterisk form; i.e., *FOR is different from FOR* is different from FOR. ^° (degree sign) denotes plural forms.}

 

{{ Introduction to 1 John 67-70 AD

 

            The writer does not name himself but speaks as an eyewitness and as if his information was first-hand. See ‘Introduction to John’ for more information.

            1-3 John should be taken as a whole, so you understand all three and were probably written very close together.

            He writes in categorical, almost dogmatic, terms. There is no disputing the truth of what he says. He condemns error in no uncertain terms! With the rising interest in a merging of Christianity with the higher forms of paganism, there was a pressing need for the presentation of adequate Christian knowledge to combat the danger. Nowhere else in the New Testament is the combination of faith, love, and obedience so clearly brought out. The letter was written to a group of people, with whom the author was personally acquainted and who were threatened with the same infiltration of false teachings. The writing is from Ephesus. Major themes in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John are the assurance of salvation. One of John’s main purposes in 1 John is to give believers assurance (1 John 5:13), and all Christians need this assurance, especially true for new converts. The Bible rejects the false teaching of ‘once saved always saved,’ but it does not reject the biblical doctrine of assurance.}}