How very unfortunate that 2 Peter 3 is so maligned!
1This is now the
second letter that I am writing to you, beloved.
In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of
reminder,
2that you should
remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
3knowing this
first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
4They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”
5For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,
6and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
7But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8But
do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9The
Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but
is patient toward you,
a not wishing that any should perish, but that all
should reach repentance.
10But the day of
the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Folks this whole passage is not about salvation but preservation!
God has selected and does preserve. Peter is reminding believers that time means nothing to God. He does nothing until the right time according to Him, not human recognition and conjuring.
With in that context, God has those who will come to repentance. Those specific individuals for which He has held back calamity. His time is that when the last He chose to be redeemed are redeemed, those He commands to repent, repent, that time line history is suspended.
Look at the context, see the “deliberate overlooking” done by some, and to those believers Peter is saying don’t “overlook the fact.”
In the context “all come to repentance” is not just anyone. It is those as Peter IN context shows that the YOU in verse 9 are believers, and the patience is extended to believers, that all believers repent.
How, if one escape understanding of these simple truths, do they expect to dip into the fathomless riches and find any truth?
Everyone please remember Paul wrote to Timothy:
...the
Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,
25correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant
them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
26and
they may come to
their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.
Some foolishly claim the “they” and “their” are the unsaved.
No. These are believers who have been deceived into error.
Look for yourself at the context of 2 Timothy 2.
It is the same as 2 Peter 3.
