Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (3:11–18)

One day—in the relatively near future—this universe will be utterly destroyed. Under the weight of God’s consuming wrath, in final retribution, it will melt away in a final holocaust of unimaginable intensity.

For God’s enemies, that future judgment will be an inescapable nightmare. But for God’s children, it will mean the fulfillment of the Christian’s hope, a dream come true, ushering in the dawn of Christ’s rule on earth, followed by the creation of a new heavens and a new earth. And for God Himself, it will mark His total triumph over all who oppose Him, including the final destruction of death and the complete eradication of sin (1 Cor. 15:24–28).

This final section is Peter’s exhortation to his readers to respond rightly to the Lord’s return and final judgment. After all, their daily conduct needed to be consistent with their hope (cf. Rom. 15:13; Col. 1:23; Heb. 6:11; 1 John 3:3) as they considered the reality of divine recompense and the promise of eternal glory.

The phrase since all these things are to be destroyed in this way refers back to the previous passage (3:7–10), in which this universe’s obliteration is predicted. Until everything is ultimately replaced by a glorious eternal state, Peter defines what sort of people ought his readers were to be. In English this assertion sounds like a question, but it is actually an exclamation of astonishment—a rhetorical device that does not expect a response. The phrase what sort of people translates the unique Greek term potapous, which could also be rendered “how astonishingly excellent you ought to be.” In light of God’s promised judgment, Peter challenged his readers to live in keeping with their Christian hope—allowing their anticipation of Christ’s return to impact their daily behavior.

As aliens and pilgrims, believers are not part of the world’s system (Phil. 3:20; Heb. 11:10–11, 16; 1 Peter 1:1; 1 John 2:15–17). Therefore they are to live in view of the eternal blessings they will receive when Jesus Christ is finally revealed in all His glory (cf. Matt. 5:48; Col. 3:2; 1 Peter 1:13–15). The apostle Paul, for example, exhibited that kind of attitude.

Clearly, the thought of future reward and divine accountability transformed Paul’s perspective on how he lived this life. Knowing that he would one day stand before Christ, his King, powerfully motivated him to “walk in a manner worthy” (Eph. 4:1).

As Peter drew the practical implications of eschatological truth, he exhorted his readers to also live worthy lives, characterized by both holy conduct (external actions and behavior) and godliness (internal heart attitudes and reverence). The tapestry of his mandate to them—to live in light of the second coming—is woven of seven distinct threads: eternal perspective, internal peace, practical purity, faithful proclamation, doctrinal perceptiveness, spiritual progress, and continual praise.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE

looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (3:12–13)

If believers are looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, such eager anticipation precludes being worried about it or afraid of it. Instead, as Paul wrote to Titus, they will be joyfully “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus” (Titus 2:13; cf. 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:20).

Looking for expresses an attitude of expectancy, an outlook on life that watchfully waits for the Lord’s arrival. Peter’s use of hastening only strengthens that concept. Rather than fearing the world’s impending demise, Christians long for it, knowing they have everything to hope for and nothing to fear from the Father who loves them (1 John 4:18). Thus, like Paul, they can readily say maranatha, “Lord, come!” (1 Cor. 16:22; cf. 1 John 2:28; Rev. 22:20).

The coming translates the familiar term parousia, which literally means “the presence.” In the New Testament it does not primarily describe a place or event. Instead, the term emphasizes the personal, bodily arrival of Jesus Christ.

Some commentators equate the day of God with the “day of the Lord,” but they are not synonymous expressions. The day of God refers to the eternal state when God will have permanently subdued all of His enemies (cf. Ps. 110:1; Acts 2:33–35; 1 Cor. 15:28; Phil. 2:10–11; 3:21; Heb. 10:13). However, the “day of the Lord,” as discussed in the previous chapter of this volume, refers to the final, tumultuous events accompanying the last judgment of unbelievers. While Christians are certainly eager for the day of God, their attitude toward the turmoil that precedes it is more sober. The apostle John’s vision experience, in which he ate the little book and found it sweet to taste but bitter to swallow (Rev. 10:9–10), dramatically illustrates those dual feelings. The little book represents the coming judgment—sweet to believers because of the day of God, but bitter because of the “day of the Lord.”

Because of which, referring to the day of God, indicates that certain other events must first take place in order for it to occur. In preparation for that day, Peter reiterated that God will destroy the present, sincursed universe: the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! (For a discussion of Peter’s similar comments in vv. 7, 10, see the commentary on those verses in the previous chapter of this volume.) There are several passages in the book of Revelation which, although describing tribulation events one thousand years earlier, offer vivid previews of the kind of power God will display at the final destruction:

Following the final destruction of the universe, the day of God will arrive, and this corrupted world system will be forever abolished (Rom. 8:18–23; 1 John 2:16). According to His promise, that new day will showcase a new heavens and a new earth, meaning that God will create an entirely new universe (cf. Ps. 102:25–26; Isa. 65:17; 66:22).

The word rendered new (kainos) means “new in quality,” “different,” or “unlike anything previously known.” Thus the new heavens and earth will be far more than merely new in time or chronology; they will also be new in character—a realm in which righteousness dwells. Dwells (katoikeō) means “to settle down and be at home,” or “to take up permanent, comfortable residence.” In God’s new order, righteousness will enjoy a permanent, perfect existence. The apostle John further described the wonder of that new universe:

On the basis of all that God has in store for them, believers ought to live in constant expectation—always looking for Christ’s return and continually viewing everything in this life in light of their eternal destiny.

INTERNAL PEACE

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, (3:14a)

As those who look for these things—the day of God, the new heavens and earth, the eternal state, and the glorious everlasting kingdom—faithful believers are motivated to live in a way that reflects their eternal perspective. This requires them to be diligent (Ps. 34:14; 2 Cor. 13:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; James 3:18) so that when Christ returns they will be found by Him in peace. The phrase to be found is a sobering reminder that no one will be able to hide from Christ when He returns. He will overlook nothing, but “will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts” (1 Cor. 4:5; cf. 2 Cor. 5:9–10).

Peace (eirēnē) could refer to a saving relationship with God and becoming at peace with Him (cf. Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14). But the apostle addressed his readers as beloved, indicating that they were already Christians (cf. Rom. 1:7; 12:19; 1 Cor. 4:14; 15:58; Eph. 5:1; Col. 3:12; 2 Thess. 2:13; James 2:5; 1 John 3:2; Jude 1). Peace could also apply to unsaved but professing people in the church. Perhaps Peter was exhorting them to be diligent to pursue true salvation’s peace, so that when Christ appears, He will find them genuinely saved. But that is probably just a secondary understanding of the expression, as is the idea of being at peace with other believers.

In this context, peace primarily refers to the true peace of mind that accompanies a confident faith in the Lord. It is an echo of Paul’s admonition to the Philippians: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6–7; cf. John 16:33; Rom. 14:17; 15:13; Col. 3:15; 1 Peter 5:14). Peter is speaking about the kind of peace that banishes both earthly worries and cosmic fears—a peace that comes from knowing for certain that one’s sins are forgiven. No matter how terrible things become as human history moves toward final destruction, believers who live in hope have the settled peace sustained by what the Lord has planned for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9).

PRACTICAL PURITY

spotless and blameless, (3:14b)

In sharp contrast to the false teachers, who were “stains and blemishes” (2:13), Peter exhorted his readers to be spotless and blameless. Spotless can denote Christian character, the kind of people believers really are; and blameless denotes Christian reputation, the kind of righteous and virtuous people others perceive them to be—because they are.

Obviously, within the church there are those whose lives are neither blameless nor spotless. Such people, characterized by sinful lifestyles, may or may not be Christians (Matt. 13:20–22; Gal. 5:19–21; Eph. 5:5; 1 John 1:6, 8, 10; 2:9–11; 3:10–12; cf. John 8:34; Rom. 6:16).

There are some who are neither, and others who publicly appear blameless, but whose private lives are actually far from spotless. Like modern-day Pharisees, they work hard on looking good, but fail to truly cultivate a heart of righteousness (cf. Matt. 15:7–8; 23:25, 27). Although outwardly they maintain an honorable reputation, they do so only by hypocritically hiding their unrepented sin.

In contrast, Peter exhorted his readers to be both spotless and blameless. As genuine believers, he commanded them to manifest the highest levels of integrity and personal holiness (Pss. 15:1–5; 24:3–4; 37:18; 119:1; Prov. 11:3, 5; Mic. 6:8; John 14:23; Acts 24:16; Eph. 1:4; Phil. 2:15; 4:8; 1 Tim. 3:9; 1 John 2:3–6; 3:1–3; Jude 24; cf. Gen. 6:9; Num. 14:24; Ezra 7:10; Job 1:1). When the watching world observes their godly behavior, the blameless reputation of such Christians serves as an essential testimony to the transforming hope in the gospel.

For believers, then, the promise of Christ’s return serves as a powerful incentive for holy living. After all, future accountability and heavenly reward are compelling motivations, encouraging believers to continually forsake sin and diligently practice the means of grace (such as prayer and praise—Phil. 4:6, Scripture intake—James 1:21–23; 1 Peter 2:2, worship—John 4:23–24, the Lord’s Table—1 Cor. 11:23–28, and fellowship—Heb. 10:25).

FAITHFUL PROCLAMATION

and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; (3:15a)

Without question, Peter wanted his audience to wait eagerly for Christ’s return. At the same time, he did not want them to grow idle or detach themselves from society, being so consumed with thoughts of the future that they forgot about their compelling spiritual responsibilities in the present. God’s judgment had not yet come; His wrath had not yet been poured out. There was still time to proclaim the good news to the lost. Thus, Peter reminded his readers to continue in the ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18–20), seeking to reach others with the life-giving truth of the gospel.

As noted in 3:8–9 (see the discussion of those verses in the previous chapter of this volume), the Lord delays His return in order to save the remainder of His elect. Thus, Christians should regard God’s patience with joy knowing that He is daily adding to His family until it is complete.

In the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32), Jesus effectively illustrated the reality of God’s merciful patience toward sinners. The story tells of a rebellious son who abandoned his family for a life of immorality and dissipation. For a long time he wasted his opportunity, passing up the privilege to serve his father. But one day he came to his senses, repented of his sinful lifestyle, and returned home. Instead of being rejected or disowned by his father—or received reluctantly—the father embraced the son with love and compassion. That father pictures God who responds to penitent sinners with mercy and grace—lavishly, joyously and generously poured out on those who repent and come to Him in faith. And all heaven rejoices, as described by the feast the father had in honor of his son.

When Christians anticipate the day of God, which for them will mean eternal blessing, they should also remember the day of the Lord, which for the lost will mean eternal punishment. With that in mind, the opportunity of God’s current patience should only heighten the church’s evangelistic zeal (cf. Phil. 2:15; Col. 4:6; 2 Tim. 4:5).

DOCTRINAL PERCEPTIVENESS

just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, (3:15b–17)

With the phrase just as also, Peter referenced similar warnings that the apostle Paul had given about false teaching.

Peter graciously spoke of his fellow apostle as our beloved brother Paul, underscoring their common life and mission. As the two foremost leaders of the early church, Peter and Paul were certainly well-aware of each other’s ministry. In fact, both had been present at the pivotal Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:6–21), and both had ministered with Silas (cf. Acts 15:40 with 1 Peter 5:12). More than twenty years earlier, Peter had even been confronted by Paul when he wrongly refused to eat with Gentile Christians (Gal. 2:11–21; cf. vv. 8–9; 1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22). As a primary spokesman for the early church, Peter was undoubtedly embarrassed by Paul’s public admonition. Nevertheless, he graciously accepted the rebuke and responded with repentance. His respect for Paul was undiminished.

Here he appeals to Paul’s inspired letters for support—reminding his readers to reject the false teachers and remember what Paul wrote to them, according to the wisdom given him. Interestingly, Peter does not specify a particular Pauline letter or letters. Instead, he gives a general endorsement for Paul’s inspired writings, demonstrating the divine origin of the revelation given to Paul.

It is safe to assume that Peter sent this letter to the same regions of Asia Minor as his first epistle (cf. 1 Peter 1:1; 2 Peter 3:1). If so, his readers were most likely familiar with several of Paul’s letters—since Paul wrote many of his letters to that same area (e.g., Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians). So Peter’s reference to all of Paul’s letters suggests Peter’s audience was familiar with much of Paul’s correspondence. Because Paul was speaking in his letters of these same things (namely, eschatological events), it makes sense that Peter would cite Paul’s works here.

However, in Paul’s writings about the day of the Lord, the return of Christ, and the glories of eternity, Peter acknowledged there are some things hard to understand, such as the rapture of the church (1 Thess. 4:15–17), the coming man of sin (2 Thess. 2:1–4), the return of Christ in judgment (1 Thess. 5:1–11; 2 Thess. 1:3–10), and the glories of heaven (2 Cor. 5:1; 12:2–4). The word rendered hard to understand (dusnoētos) carries the additional connotation of “difficult to interpret.” In using this term, Peter was not implying that Paul’s teachings are impossible to understand. He is simply recognizing that some are more complex than others, especially prophetic revelation (cf. 1 Peter 1:1–12).

Those complexities opened the door for the untaught and unstable—namely, the false teachers—to distort what Paul taught about the future. Untaught denotes a lack of information, and unstable a vacillating spiritual character. Distort speaks of wrenching someone’s body on a torture rack. The term vividly pictures how the false teachers manipulated certain prophetic issues, twisting them to confuse and deceive the undiscerning. Such distortion often continues today regarding prophetic revelation.

Not surprisingly, the false teachers did not stop with prophecy, but also distorted the rest of the Scriptures, including the biblical teaching on God’s law, repentance, justification by faith, and sanctification. The fact that Peter placed Paul’s writings on a par with the rest of the Scriptures clearly affirms that Paul wrote divinely inspired truth (cf. 1:20–21; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16–17). The New Testament writers were aware that they were writing the Word of God, as surely as the Old Testament prophets were. The word translated Scriptures is graphas, from the verb graphō (“to write”) that occurs about one hundred eighty times in the New Testament, of which half refer to the Bible, “the written word.” The noun graphē is used about fifty times, exclusively of Scripture and inclusive of the Old Testament (e.g., Mark 12:10) and the New Testament, as this reference makes clear (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3).

By distorting the Scriptures, the false teachers were simultaneously securing their own destruction (cf. 2:1, 3–12; 3:7; Jude 10, 13; Rev. 22:18–19), as well as the spiritual demise of their followers. That’s why Peter warns his beloved readers beforehand, so that they might be on their guard against the error of such unprincipled men (Phil. 3:2; 1 Tim. 4:1–7; 6:20–21; 2 Tim. 2:15–19; Titus 1:10–16; 3:10). Unprincipled (athesmōn) is literally “without law or custom,” and came to mean “morally corrupt”—the essential character trait of spiritual deceivers.

In keeping with Peter’s warning, believers must not allow themselves to be carried away by the unscriptural lies of false teachers (cf. 1 Tim. 1:18–19). Rather, they must be alert and discerning lest they fall from their own steadfastness. Steadfastness (stērigmos) indicates firmness, or firm footing; it is the very opposite of being unstable. Peter’s concern was not that his readers would fall from salvation, but that they might slip from doctrinal stability and lose their confidence in the truth (cf. 1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 4:14; 1 Thess. 5:21). For this reason, the apostle urged them to be spiritually perceptive, or discerning, so that their eternal reward would not be diminished (2 John 8).

SPIRITUAL PROGRESS

but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (3:18a)

Instead of falling prey to the schemes of false teachers, Peter encouraged his readers to pursue Christlikeness and spiritual growth—a goal that every believer should have. The apostle Paul gave similar instruction to the Ephesians.

Grow (auxanō) means “to advance, or increase in the sphere of.” We are to grow in grace through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Because of His grace, God forgives the sins of His children (Rom. 3:25; Eph. 1:7; 2:5, 8; cf. Acts 15:11). They in turn feed on Scripture (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim. 2:15) and commune with Christ (John 15:1–11), thereby increasing in their knowledge of Him (Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:9–10; 3:10). In his earlier letter, Peter had commented on this very process, exhorting his readers: “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). As their knowledge and maturity increase, Christians are better prepared to fend off destructive doctrines and spiritual deceptions.

It is crucial to note that Peter designated Jesus as both Lord and Savior. Pursuing a deeper understanding of the fullness of Christ’s person, both in His saving work and His lordship (Rom. 5:1–5; Eph. 4:15–16; Phil. 2:12–14; 3:10, 12–14), will provide believers with the doctrinal stability they need to avoid being misled.

CONTINUAL PRAISE

To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (3:18b)

Peter closed the letter with a doxology calling believers to worship and adore God (cf. Pss. 95:1–6; 105:1–5; 113:1–6; 148; 150; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 10:31; 2 Cor. 1:20; Eph. 1:12; 3:20–21; 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 25). They are to give Him all the glory, both now, in the present, and in eternity.

Clearly the pronoun Him refers back to Christ and is a sure affirmation of His deity and equality with God. After all, the Old Testament declares that divine glory belongs to God alone: “I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images” (Isa. 42:8; cf. 48:11; Deut. 5:24; 28:58; Neh. 9:5; Pss. 93:1–2; 104:31; 138:5; Ezek. 11:23). Yet various places in the Gospels attribute that same glory to Jesus Christ: “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14; cf. Matt. 16:27; 25:31; John 17:24). The only possible conclusion, then, is that Christ is worthy of the Father’s glory because He Himself is God (cf. John 5:23; Rev. 1:5–6). Peter began this epistle with an affirmation of Christ’s deity in 1:1, and he now ends with the same.

Having reassured his readers of the certainty of Christ’s return (in 3:1–10), Peter concluded with an exhortation to live this life in light of that reality (in vv. 11–18). Accordingly, he echoed one of the New Testament’s foremost themes. In the words of the apostle Paul: