God’s Promise Is Not Slack
1 Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in bothof which 2 Pet. 1:13I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words 2 Pet. 1:21which were spoken before by the holy prophets, Jude 17and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, 3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, 2 Pet. 2:10walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as theywere from the beginning of Gen. 6:1–7creation." 5 For this they willfully forget: that Gen. 1:6, 9; Heb. 11:3by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth Ps. 24:2; 136:6standing out of water and in the water, 6 Gen. 7:11, 12, 21–23; Matt. 24:37–39; Luke 17:26, 27; 2 Pet. 2:5by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But 2 Pet. 3:10, 12the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for Matt. 25:41; (2 Thess. 1:8)fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and Ps. 90:4a thousand years as one day. 9 Hab. 2:3; Rom. 13:11; Heb. 10:37The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but Ps. 86:15; Is. 30:18is longsuffering toward us, Ezek. 33:11not willing that any should perish but Matt. 20:28; (Rom. 2:4)that all should come to repentance.
The Day of the Lord
10 But Matt. 24:42, 43; Luke 12:39; 1 Thess. 5:2; Rev. 3:3; 16:15the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which Gen. 1:6–8; Ps. 102:25, 26; Is. 51:6; Rev. 20:11the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner ofpersons ought you to be 1 Pet. 1:15in holy conduct and godliness, 12 1 Cor. 1:7, 8; Titus 2:13–15looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will Ps. 50:3be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will Is. 24:19; 34:4; Mic. 1:4melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for Is. 65:17; 66:22new heavens and a (Rom. 8:21); Rev. 21:1new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Be Steadfast
14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent 1 Cor. 1:8; 15:58; (1 Thess. 3:12, 13; 5:23)to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider thatPs. 86:15; Rom. 2:4; 1 Pet. 3:20the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his Rom. 8:19; 1 Cor. 15:24; 1 Thess. 4:15; 2 Thess. 1:10epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as theydo also the 2 Tim. 3:16rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, Mark 13:23since you know this beforehand, Eph. 4:14beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 Eph. 4:15but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Rom. 11:36; 2 Tim. 4:18; Rev. 1:6To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.