Peter assures them of the certainty of Christ's coming to judgment against those scorners who dispute against it, 1-7; warning the godly, for the long patience of God, to hasten their repentance, 8, 9. He describes also the manner how the world shall be destroyed, 10; exhorting them, from the expectation thereof, to all holiness of life, 11-15; and again to think the patience of God to tend to their salvation, as Paul wrote to them in his epistles, 16-18.
1 This, beloved, is the second epistle I now write to you, in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, 2 So that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior.
3 Know this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of: that by the word of God the heavens were of old and the earth formed out of the water and through the water, 6 By which the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. 7 But the present heavens and the earth are kept in store by the same word, reserved to fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not be ignorant of this one thing: one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness, but is patient toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein will be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy deportment and godliness, 12 Looking for and hastening to the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved and the elements will melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness.
14 Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found by him in peace, without spot, and blameless. 15 And account that the patience of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they also do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, beloved, seeing you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. 18 But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Peter, Chapter 3[➚]
[v.5] - Reference, Genesis 1:1-8.
[v.6] - Reference, Genesis 7:17-24.
[v.8] - Reference, Psalm 90:4.