CHAPTER 3
Beloved,
this is
now
my second
letter
to you.
Both
of them
are reminders
to stir
you
to wholesome
thinking
by recalling
what
was foretold
by
the
holy
prophets
and
commanded
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.
“Where
is
the
promise
of
His
coming?”
they will ask.
“Ever
since
our
fathers
fell asleep,
everything
continues
as it has
from
the beginning
of creation.”
But
they
deliberately
overlook
the fact that
long ago
by
God’s
word
the heavens
existed
and
the earth
was formed
out of
water
and
by
water,
And
by that
same
word,
the present
heavens
and
earth
are
reserved
for fire,
kept
for
the day
of judgment
and
destruction
of ungodly
men.
Beloved,
do not let
this one
thing
escape your notice:
With
the Lord
a
day
is like
a thousand
years,
and
a thousand
years
are like
a
day.
The Lord
is not slow to fulfill
His
promise
as
some
understand
slowness,
but
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 dissolved
in the fire,
and
the earth
and
its
works
will not be found.
Since everything
will be dissolved
in this way,
what kind of people
ought
you
to be?
You ought to conduct yourselves
in
holiness
and
godliness
as you anticipate
and
hasten
the
coming
of the
day
of God,
when
the heavens
will be dissolved
by fire
and
the elements
will melt
in the heat.
But
in keeping with
God’s
promise,
we are looking forward to
a new
heaven
and
a new
earth,
where
righteousness
dwells.
Therefore,
beloved,
as you anticipate
these things,
make every effort
to be found
at
peace
with Him,
without spot
or
blemish.
Consider also that
our
Lord’s
patience
brings salvation,
just as
our
beloved
brother
Paul
also
wrote
you
with
the
wisdom
God gave him.
He writes this way
in
all
his
letters,
speaking
in
them
about
such matters.
Some parts
of
his letters
are
hard to understand,
which
ignorant
and
unstable people
distort,
as
they do
the
rest of
the Scriptures,
to
their
own
destruction.
Therefore,
beloved,
since you
already know these things,
be on your guard
so that
you will not
be carried away
by the
error
of the
lawless
and fall from
your
secure standing.
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.