2 Peter
3
- Dear friends, this is now my second letter
to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome
thinking.
- I want you to recall the words spoken in
the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior
through your apostles.
- First of all, you must understand that in
the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
- They will say, "Where is this 'coming'
he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since
the beginning of creation."
- But they deliberately forget that long ago
by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and
by water.
- By these waters also the world of that time
was deluged and destroyed.
- By the same word the present heavens and
earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction
of ungodly men.
- But do not forget this one thing, dear friends:
With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like
a day.
- The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,
as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
- But the day of the Lord will come like a
thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed
by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.
- Since everything will be destroyed in this
way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly
lives
- as you look forward to the day of God and
speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens
by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.
- But in keeping with his promise we are looking
forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
- So then, dear friends, since you are looking
forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at
peace with him.
- Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means
salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that
God gave him.
- He writes the same way in all his letters,
speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are
hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do
the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
- Therefore, dear friends, since you already
know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error
of lawless men and fall from your secure position.
- But grow in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Back |
Home