Living In Light of the Day of the Lord (Final Version)

Jamil W. Ghanayem / General

2 Peter 3:11-14

2 Peter 3:11–14 (NKJV) — 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, 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 righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Introduction:

· Dave Ramsey’s motto is to live like no one else so you can live and give like no one else.

· In other words, don’t invest your money in fleeting, temporary assets. Invest your money for long-term success. This is wise advice… sort of.

Background:

· In 3:8-10, we see God’s perspective of the day of the Lord which is in contrast to the perspective of the false teachers is argued that Christ isn’t coming literally at all.

Proposition: In light of Christ’s coming, Christians should be a certain sort of people.

Interrogative: What sort of people should we be?

Pre-occupied with God, who have upward objectives, people with

I. We should be people who are pre-occupied with God (3:11)[1]

2 Peter 3:11 (NKJV) — 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

A. The Perspective: Since all of these things be destroyed in this way

1. Since all of these things be destroyed

a. Was just mentioned

2 Peter 3:10 (NKJV) — 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, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

2. In this way

a. As a matter of judgement

b. Complete destruction

Implication: Since it is all ultimately going to be destroyed, be careful what you are investing it. Material investments will all be gone. The only thing that is going onto eternity is your soul.

B. The Objective: what manner of persons you ought to be

1. In Holy Conduct

1 Peter 1:15 (NKJV) — 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct,

a. Based on a Holy Calling

2 Timothy 1:9 (NKJV) — 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

b. Associated with righteousness

Ephesians 4:22–24 (NKJV) — 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

2. And Godliness

a. OT Connection to the Fear of the Lord (LXX connection)

Genesis 20:11 (NKJV) — 11 And Abraham said, “Because I thought, surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will kill me on account of my wife.

Job 28:28 (NKJV) — 28 And to man He said, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, And

to depart from evil is understanding.’ ”

Hebrews 5:7–8 (NKJV) — 7 who, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, 8 though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV) — 28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

b. Peter’s frequent use of the term

2 Peter 1:3–7 (NKJV) — 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

2 Peter 3:11 (NKJV) — 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

c. Based on Christ’s redemption

1 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) — 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

d. It should be our pursuit

1 Timothy 4:7–8 (NKJV) — 7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise (train) yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come.

1 Timothy 6:3–6 (NKJV) — 3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions, 5 useless wranglings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. 6 Now godliness with contentment is great gain.

1 Timothy 6:11 (NKJV) — 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

Godliness is the opposite of preoccupation with the temporal. It is a preoccupation with the eternal.

Application:

· What do you want to be? Our first answer is more holy and more godly

· Our life’s pursuit is to pursue, grow, and train for holiness and godliness.

· These terms are used because ultimately this is what we are supposed to be—they are all encoupassing terms!

· Two greatest commandments are to love God and love others, and as we do that we will grow in holiness and godliness.

Transition: So what are our goals and objectives supposed to be in this life?

II. We should be people with an upward focus (3:12-13)[2]

2 Peter 3:12–13 (NKJV) — 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, 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 righteousness dwells.

A. Our focus – 12[3]

1. Looking for

a. Also in our passage

2 Peter 3:13 (NKJV) — 13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

c. Active looking

Jude 21 (NKJV) — 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Matthew 11:3 (NKJV) — 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?”

Luke 12:36 (NKJV) — 36 and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.

c. Expecting

Acts 3:5(NKJV) — 5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

2 Maccabees 7:14 (KJV Apoc) — 14 So when he was ready to die he said thus, It is good, being put to death by men, to look for hope from God to be raised up again by him: as for thee, thou shalt have no resurrection to life.

2 Maccabees 12:44 (KJV Apoc) — 44 For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should have risen again, it had been superfluous and vain to pray for the dead.

Illustration: Scruffy expecting mom to return home.

We are living in the “Already, not yet”

3. Hastening[4]

1. God can hasten the day

Isaiah 60:22 (NKJV) — 22 A little one shall become a thousand, And a small one a strong nation. I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time.”

2. Repentance hastens the day

Acts 3:19–21 (NKJV) — 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

Divine sovereignty is not threatened, for God himself foreknows what his people will do.89 Indeed, he even foreordains what we will do (e.g., Prov 16:33; Isa 46:9–11; Lam 3:37–38; Eph 1:11).

Proverbs 16:33 (NKJV) — 33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.

3. We pray for God’s kingdom to come (Matthew 6:10; Luke 11:2)

4. It is all under God’s sovereignty

Isaiah 46:9–11 (NKJV) — 9 Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,’ 11Calling a bird of prey from the east, The man who executes My counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.

Lamentations 3:37–38 (NKJV) — 37 Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed?

Ephesians 1:11 (NKJV) — 11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

B. The Two-pronged Objective of the Day of the Lord

1. Judgement through Destruction - 12 b

1. Because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire

An eschatological hope is signified by the term elsewhere (Matt 11:3; Luke 7:29–30; cf. 2 Mac 7:14; 12:44).

2. and the elements will melt with fervent heat

Isaiah 63:18–64:1 (NKJV) — 18 Your holy people have possessed it but a little while; Our adversaries have trodden down Your sanctuary. 19We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, Those who were never called by Your name. 1 Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence—

Micah 1:4 (NKJV) — 4 The mountains will melt under Him, And the valleys will split Like wax before the fire, Like waters poured down a steep place.

Isaiah 34:4 (NKJV) — 4 All the host of heaven shall be dissolved, And the heavens shall be rolled up like a scroll; All their host shall fall down As the leaf falls from the vine, And as fruit falling from a fig

2. Salvation through Restoration of a New Heaven and Earth - 13[5]

1. Nevertheless we

2. According to His promise

3. Look for new heavens and a new earth

a. Original Promise

Isaiah 65:17 (NKJV) — 17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

Isaiah 66:22 (NKJV) — 22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth Which I will make shall remain before Me,” says the Lord, “So shall your descendants and your name remain.

b. The Redemptive Plan

Romans 8:19–25 (NKJV) — 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 24 For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

c. The Restoration of “Eden”

The promise of a new heavens and new earth reaches back to Isaiah (65:17; 66:22), and often in postbiblical literature writers reflect on the new creation that God will institute (Jub.1:29; 1 Enoch 45:4–5; 72:1; 91:16; Sib. Or. 5:211–213; 2 Apoc. Bar. 32:6; 44:12; 57:2; 4 Ezra 7:25).

Revelation 21:1–22:5 (NKJV) — 1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” 5Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

4. The Character of the New Heaven and Earth - In which righteousness dwells

a. Righteousness prophesied

Isaiah 32:16–20 (NKJV) — 16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness, And righteousness remain in the fruitful field. 17 The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever. 18 My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, In secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places, 19 Though hail comes down on the forest, And the city is brought low in humiliation. 20 Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, Who send out freely the feet of the ox and the donkey.

b. Righteousness is conformity to God’s Will

Matthew 5:17–20 (NKJV) — 17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Application: God has declared us righteous to make us righteous to prepare us to live in a righteous Kingdom.

Transition: Because the new heaven and earth is characterized by righteousness, our goal should be righteousness.

III. We should be people with a clear objective (3:14)[6]

2 Peter 3:14 (NKJV) — 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

A. The Focus: Looking forward to these things

B. Be diligent to be found by Him in peace

1. Be Diligent – make every effort

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV) — 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 4:9 (NKJV) — 9 Be diligent to come to me quickly;

Hebrews 4:11 (NKJV) — 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.

2 Peter 1:10 (NKJV) — 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;

2. To be found by Him – a judicial term

1 Peter 1:6–8 (NKJV) — 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

3. In Peace – At Peace/right with God

a. Without spot

Jude 24 (NKJV) — 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

Exodus 29:1 (NKJV) — 1 “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: Take one young bull and two rams without blemish,

1 Timothy 6:14 (NKJV) — 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

b. Blameless

Ephesians 1:4 (NKJV) — 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

Ephesians 5:27 (NKJV) — 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

Philippians 2:15 (NKJV) — 15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Colossians 1:22 (NKJV) — 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—

Jude 24(NKJV) — 24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,

Revelation 14:5 (NKJV) — 5 And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

Application:

When you’re really into something, you take every possible opportunity and make every possible effort to do it.

Concluding Applications:

1. What are you going to be? God wants you to be holy and godly.

2. Where are you looking for hope? God wants you to look not on things of this earth, but to the hope of a new heaven and earth.

3. How are you living?

[1] 3:12 The focus on the future continues. Godly lives are related to and grounded in eschatology. Those who disregard the future cosmos will not live well in the present one. Hence, believers live in a way that pleases God as they “look forward to” (prosdokōntos) and “speed” (speudontos) the coming of God’s day. The term “look forward to” (prosdokaō) occurs three times in the space of three verses (3:12–14), designating the eager expectation believers should have for the coming of Christ and the fulfillment of God’s future promises. An eschatological hope is signified by the term elsewhere (Matt 11:3; Luke 7:29–30; cf. 2 Mac 7:14; 12:44). We are surprised to see Peter speak of the coming of “the day of God,” since that expression is unusual in the New Testament (Rev 16:14; cf. Jer 46:10). The word “coming” (parousia) in 1:16 and 3:4 refers to the coming of Christ, but the day of God refers to the day of the Father, not the Son. Nonetheless, the coming of God’s day is inseparable from the future coming of Christ. When Christ comes, the day of God will commence, this world will be destroyed, and a new one will be instituted. Peter therefore continued to direct his readers to the coming of Christ. We may be surprised to see that Peter spoke of hastening the day of God.84 Some understand this to say that we should be diligent to prepare for the day,85 but this is not the most natural sense of the verb (cf. Luke 2:16; 19:5–6; Acts 20:16; 22:18). Peter clearly taught that believers can advance or hasten the arrival of God’s day by living godly lives.86 We think here of the prayer, “Your kingdom come” (Matt 6:10). Surely the idea is that our prayer has some impact on when the kingdom arrives. Such an idea was current in Judaism as well, for some rabbis taught that God would fulfill his promises if Israel would repent (cf. b. Sanh. 98a).87 Acts 3:19–21 appears to teach a similar idea.88 God would send his Christ and restore all things if Israel repented fully. But does not such an idea threaten divine sovereignty, his control over history? Was Peter suggesting that God himself does not know when the end will be, since he does not know if his people will live in a godly way? We can dismiss the idea that the future is obscured from God, for if that were true, how could we know that history would ever end? After two thousand years of history, how could we be sure that Christians would ever live righteously enough to bring about God’s day? Divine sovereignty is not threatened, for God himself foreknows what his people will do.89 Indeed, he even foreordains what we will do (e.g., Prov 16:33; Isa 46:9–11; Lam 3:37–38; Eph 1:11). Nevertheless, such teaching must never cancel out the call to live godly lives and the teaching that our prayers and godliness can speed his coming. We must not fall prey to rationalism that either squeezes out divine sovereignty or ignores human responsibility. Both of these must be held in tension, and here the accent falls on what human beings can do to hasten the day of God. Peter returned to what will occur when God’s day arrives. Literally he said that “the heavens will be destroyed by burning.”90 In v. 7 the heavens are said to be reserved for fire; and in v. 10, that they will pass away with a roar. We argued in the latter case that the roar designated a crackling fire, and so what v. 12 says coheres with v. 10. The heavens will be destroyed by a great conflagration. The elements of the world (earth, air, fire, and water—as we argued in v. 10) “will melt in the heat.” The description is quite similar to v. 10, where the elements are predicted to be destroyed by burning. The verb “melt” (tēketai) is in the present tense in Greek, but it surely describes a future event. Isaiah 63:19–64:1 (LXX) portrays the mountains melting when the Lord manifests himself (cf. Mic 1:4). An interesting parallel emerges in Isa 34:4, “All the powers of the heavens will melt” (takesontai pasai hai dynameis tōn ouranon).91 The command to live holy lives in the middle of v. 11 is framed on each side by the assertion that the present world will be destroyed by fire. The false teachers had badly miscalculated. Unfortunately, they had made the kind of mistake in which they would know they were wrong only when it was too late. [2] [3] tree. 12Since followers of Jesus are looking forward to that future age, they want the “day of God” to come soon. Despite the fact that our human experience of time is not God’s experience of time (3:8), our author does not imply that his addressees will not be alive at the Parousia. He is not talking about “Parousia delay” in the sense that he has given up the expectation of experiencing the Parousia but in the sense that the “scoffers” are charging that the waiting has been long enough that it indicates that the event will not happen, a charge that he felt he needed to answer. When it comes to this expectation, Jude talked about waiting for “the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 21), while our author talks about “waiting for” or “looking forward to”57 “the day of God” (or, more exactly, “waiting for the coming of the day of God”). (2 Pet 3:10 has called this “the day of the Lord,” and here it is called “the day of God,” so it looks as if “the Lord” in the previous part of the chapter is God rather than Jesus, although in practice it makes little difference. What is clear is that “the day of the Lord” and the “day of God” refer to the same eschatological event, which is also spoken of as the “coming” or “Parousia” of Christ [2 Pet 1:16; 3:4].) This overlapping terminology should make us extremely cautious in trying to separate these terms or in applying them to separate events. For our author they apply to a single event that we are to await.) This “waiting for” or “looking forward to” is the stance of the whole end of the letter, for the verb is repeated in 3:13 and 3:14. The connection of this verb to eschatological hope is common in the NT, for the question of whom one is waiting for comes up in Matt 11:3 (par. Luke 7:19; cf. Luke 3:15) and future expectation (or the danger of a lack of it) in Matt 24:50 (par. Luke 12:46). As seen in the teaching of Jesus, this expectation also has the sense of being prepared for the Day. There is a moral side to waiting; it is not merely an intellectual stance. It is, in fact, very similar to the idea of “watching” (often in the teaching of Jesus, and of course also in the letters, and translated “be alert” in 1 Pet 5:8and a number of other places in the NT). This fits with the likely origin of this idea of waiting, that is, Hab 2:3, “Though [the revelation] linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”58 But one does not simply “look forward to” or “await” or “watch” passively. The structure of our passage parallels two stances: “looking forward to the coming of the day of God” and “speeding the coming of the day of God” (both verbs parallel participles in Greek). This later phrase indicates that the “day of God”59 is not a fixed date but something that believers can change by their “holy and godly lives.” This idea is based on God’s hasting a day in Isa 60:22(“in its time I will accomplish it quickly”). This was picked up by a number of Second Temple Jewish authors (Sir 36:10: “hasten the day and remember the appointed time”; NRSV [36:7, LXX]; 2 Apoc. Bar. 20:1–2; 54:1; 83:1; Pseudo-Philo, Bib. Ant. 19.13) as well as some early Christian writers (e.g., Barn. 4:3). Now these references, for the most part, refer to God’s hastening the day, not to human beings doing it, but, as we saw above when commenting on 2 Pet 3:9, there was a Jewish tradition (we cited b. Sanhedrin 97b–98a) in which God hastens or delays the day due to Israel’s repentance or lack thereof. Various other rabbis were said to express similar views in y. Taʿanit 1:1; b. Yoma 86b; or b. Baba Bathra 10a. In other words, in the first couple of centuries after Jesus such sentiments are attributed to more than one rabbi. That this idea was not a later development is shown in Acts 3:19–20, which ties repentance to the return of Christ (“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ”). It is also found in 2 Clem. 12:6 (“When you do these things [i.e. good deeds, forsaking hypocrisy, sexual purity],” he says, “the kingdom of my Father will come”). A related idea is found at the end of the first century in Hermas, Sim. 10:4:4 (or ch. 114:4 in Ehrman’s numbering). Thus we see that our author is following a solid Jewish tradition, including one found in the early Jesus movement, in declaring that the coming (Greek parousia) of the Day of God is not a fixed date, but that under the sovereignty of God and due to his mercy (mentioned earlier in our chapter) it can be sped up (or, conversely, slowed down) by the behavior of the followers of Jesus. Thus an exhortation to hasten that day was appropriate then (and continues to be appropriate now). Having exhorted his addressees to hasten that day, our author goes on to repeat what he said in 2 Pet 3:10, namely, that because of that Day60 there will be “the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements [i.e., the planets and other heavenly bodies, as argued in the exegesis of 3:10] will melt in the heat.” While this picture does not differ significantly from that found in 3:10 (which is, as we argued, dependent on Isa 34:4), the term for melting is new (and unique in the NT), but has been used previously in the Greek OT for God’s melting of the heavens in Isa 34:4(in some manuscripts) and the mountains in Isa 63:19–64:1. The picture is picked up in T. Levi 4:1 and later in 2 Clem. 16:3. The apocalyptic day will destroy business as usual on this earth. The heavenly powers (perhaps viewed as those determining the evil going on on the earth or perhaps viewed as covering the evil going on on earth) will be stripped away so that true justice and a new order can come. [4] ✪σπεύδω, Ep. inf. σπευδέμεν Od.24.324: fut. σπεύσω A.Ag.601, E.Med.153 (lyr.), Ar.Eq.926, etc.; Cret. σπευσίω SIG527.42 (iii b.c.): aor. ἕσπευσα E.Supp.161, Pl.Cri.45c, etc.; Ep. σπεῦσα Od.9.250; subj. σπεύσομεν, for -ωμεν, Il.17.121: pf. ἔσπευκα Annuario8/9.375 (Perga, ii b.c.), Paus.7.15.11:—Med., A.Ag.151 (lyr.): fut. σπεύσομαι Il.15.402:—Pass., pf. ἔσπευσμαι, Luc.Am.33, Gal.12.895.1. trans., set going, urge on, hasten, ταῦτα δʼ ἅμα χρὴ σπεύδειν Il.13.236; οἱ δὲ γάμον σπεύδουσιν Od.19.137, cf. Hdt.1.38; παῦσαι σπεύδων τὰ σπεύδεις ib. 206; σ. ἀθλίαν ὁδόν E.Ion1226; σ. οἱ μὲν ἴγδιν, οἱ δὲ σίλφιον, οἱ δʼ ὔξος procure quickly, get ready, Sol.39; κλίμακας E.IT1352; σπευσίω ὅτι κα δύναμαι κακὸν τᾷ πόλει SIG l.c. (in Hdt.8.46, Δημοκρίτου σπεύσαντος, an acc. must be supplied).b. seek eagerly, strive after, μηδὲν ἄγαν σ. Thgn.335, 401; σ. βίον ἀθάνατον, μακροτέραν ἀρετάν, Pi.P.3.62, I.4(3).13(31); εὐψυχίαν ἀντʼ εὐβουλίας E.Supp.161; τὴν ἡγεμονίαν Th.5.16; χάριν E.Hec.1175; πόλεμον τέκνοις Id.HF1133. c. promote or further zealously, press or urge on, τι τῶν φέρει φρήν A.Supp.599 (lyr.); τὸ σὸν σ. ἅμα καὶ τοὐμόν S.El.251; τὸ σὸν ἀγαθόν E.Hec.120 (lyr.); τὸ ἐφʼ ἑαυτὸν ἕκαστος σ. Th.1.141; σ. ἀσπούδαστʼ ἐπὶ σοὶ δαίμων E.IT201 (lyr.); τὰ ἐναντία τῇ ἑαυτῶν ὠφελείᾳ σ. And.2.2; in arguing, σεαυτῷ τὰ ἐναντία σ. Pl.Prt.361a; σ. τοῦτο, ὅπως .. Id.Lg.687e; μὴ σπεῦδʼ ἃ μὴ δεῖ, μηδʼ ἃ δεῖ σπεύδειν μένε Men.Mon.344: c. dat., οἱ Χαιρέᾳ σπεύδοντες the partisans of Chaereas, Charito6.1: ἐς τὰ Ἑλλήνων σ. Philostr.VA5.8: folld. by a conj., εἰς τοὺς πλουσίους σπεύσω σʼ ὅπως ἂν ἐγγραφῇς Ar.Eq.926:—Med., σπευδομένα θυσίαν A.Ag.151 (lyr.):—Pass., ξυνὸν πᾶσι ἀγαθὸν σπεύδεται Hdt.7.53; ἐσπευσμέναι χρεῖαι pressing needs, Luc.Am.33. 2.c. acc. et inf., σπεύσατε .. Τεῦκρον ἐν τάχει μολεῖν urge him to come quickly, S.Aj.804; σπεῦσον .. κάπετόν τινʼ ἰδεῖν hasten to look out for .., ib. 1165 (anap.).II. more freq. intr., press on, hasten. διὰ δρυμὰ πυκνὰ καὶ ὕλην σπεύδουσʼ Il.11.119, cf. 8.191, 23.414, Hes.Sc.228; σ. ἀπὸ ῥυτῆρος with loose rein, S.OC900; δρόμῳ E.Ion1556; πεζῇ X.An.3.4.49, etc.; exert oneself, strive eagerly or anxiously, of warriors fighting, Il.4.232, cf. 8.293, etc.; of a smith at work, 18.373; of beasts of draught, 17.745; of bees working, Hes.Th.597: prov., ὅταν σπεύδῃ τις αὐτὸς χὠ θεὸς συνάπτεται A.Pers.742 (troch.); σπεῦδε βραδέως festina lente, Gell.10.11.5; σ. τινί exert oneself for another, Alex.309:—Construct., 1.c. part., σπεῦσε πονησάμενος τὰ ἃ ἔργα (for σπουδαίως ἐπονήσατο) Od.9.250, cf. S.El.935, E.Med.761 (anap.), Ar.Ach.179: reversely, σπεύδων in haste, eagerly, τὼ δὲ σπεύδοντε πετέσθην Il.23.506; ἵκετο σπεύδων Pi.P.4.95; εἰς ἀρθμὸν ἐμοὶ .. σπεύδων σπεύδοντί ποθʼ ἥξει A.Pr.193 (anap.); σ. ἐβοήθει X.HG4.3.1. 2.c. inf. to be eager to .., Hes Op.22, 673, Pi.O.4.11(14), N.9.21, A.Ag.601, Hdt.8.41; σῴζειν θέλοντας ἄνδρα γʼ ὃς σπεύδῃ θανεῖν S.Aj.812:—Med., σπευδομένα ἀφελεῖν A.Eu.360 (lyr.). 3.c. acc. et inf., to be anxious that .., εἰρήνην ἑωυτοῖσι γενέ σθαι Hdt.1.74; ἔσπευδεν εἶναι μὴ μάχας Ar.Pax672, cf. Pl.Prt.361a; τὸ λεκτικοὺς γίγνεσθαι τοὺς συνόντας οὐκ ἔσπ. X.Mem.4.3.1: also ἔσπευσεν τοῦ διατηρηθῆναι τὴν εὐφημίαν αὐτοῖς IG22.1028.83. 4.folld. by ὡς, ὅπως, etc., σ. ὡς Ζεὺς μήποτʼ ἄρξειεν A.Pr.205; σ. ὅπως μὴ .. Pl.Grg.480b; ἵνα .., ἵνα μὴ .., Id.Plt.264a, Isoc.4.164; ὥστε μή, cf. inf., Thphr.Od.57. 5.folld. by a Prep., σ. μάχην ἐς show eagerness for .., Il.4.225 (Med., σπεύσομαι εἰς Ἀχιλῆα, ἵνα .. hasten, 15.402); εἰς ἄφενος σπεύδειν Hes.Op.24; εἰς ἀρετήν Thgn.403; ἐς θαλάμους E.Hipp.182 (anap.); ἐς τὰ πράγματα Id.Ion599, etc.; εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ ἡμῖν X.Cyr.1.3.4; δώματος εἴσω E.Med.100 (anap.); ἐπί τι Lycurg.57; περὶ Πατρόκλοιο θανόντος struggle for him, Il.17.121; ὑπέρ τινος IG12(9).903 (Chalcis, ii b.c.); πρός τινα Ar.V.1026, etc.; also σ. ὁδόν IG14.1729. 6.with Adv., σ. οἷ θέλεις S.Tr.334; δεῦρο Ar.Ach.179; ἔνθα X.An.4.8.14, etc. 7. to be troubled in mind, harassed, LxxEx.15.15, 1Ki.28.21, al. (Cf. σπουδή, σπούδαξ, Lith. spáudžiu ‘press’.) [5] 3:13 Believers, of course, are not merely waiting for the destruction of the present world. Such destruction, however, is crucial because it is bound up with the judgment of the ungodly (3:7). Nevertheless, if the future offered only destruction, believers would be miserable indeed. The day of God, the day of the Lord (i.e., the coming of Christ) involves both judgment and salvation. This salvation is not merely spiritual, an ethereal out-of-body experience with God. God promises a new world for believers, a transformed world, a new heavens and a new earth. Hence, the Petrine view should be distinguished from Stoicism that does not look forward to a new world.92 The word “promise” was important for Peter, focusing especially on the coming of Christ (3:4, 9; cf. also 1:4). The coming of Christ is inseparable from the arrival of the day of God and the new heavens and new earth. The promise of a new heavens and new earth reaches back to Isaiah (65:17; 66:22), and often in postbiblical literature writers reflect on the new creation that God will institute (Jub. 1:29; 1 Enoch 45:4–5; 72:1; 91:16; Sib. Or.5:211–213; 2 Apoc. Bar. 32:6; 44:12; 57:2; 4 Ezra 7:25). In Peter, therefore, we see two themes juxtaposed. On one hand, the old world will be destroyed, and on the other, there will be a new heavens and new earth—a new universe created by God. Revelation teaches us that the new heavens and new earth will become a reality with the coming of the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:1–22:5). At the same time we are told that “every island fled away and the mountains could not be found” (Rev 16:20). And, “Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them” (Rev 20:11). The first verse of Revelation 21 brings both themes together, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea” (Rev 21:1; cf. Matt 19:28).93 Did Peter teach that the old heavens and earth will be annihilated and that God will create something brand new?94 Or is the idea that God will purify the old world and create out of the same elements a new one?95 It is difficult to be sure, and we would do well to be cautious in postulating how God will fulfill his promises. Thiede points out that the debate is a very old one, with Justin Martyr and Minucius Felix endorsing annihilation, whereas Irenaeus and Origen argued for purification and renovation.96 In either case, it seems that we can fairly say that the future world is physical, that a new universe will be born. Believers “are looking forward” (prosdokōmen) to this world, to the day of God (3:12), to the fulfillment of God’s promises. In that future world righteousness will dwell (cf. Isa 32:16, LXX).97 The righteousness here is God’s righteousness (cf. 1:1), which fills the future world with his glory and beauty. And Peter had clarified throughout the letter that only the righteous will participate in that world. The antinomian teachers will be excluded, as will all their disciples. Only those who heeded Peter’s message will inherit the promises and enjoy the new world. We should remind ourselves that no notion of works righteousness is involved here, for as Peter had already taught (1:3–4), those who live righteously have been transformed by God himself. They do what is right as a consequence of God’s gracious work in their lives. 2 Peter 3:13 (2 Peter and Jude (PNTC)): Clearly, then, investing in this age is investing in something without a future. The future is the Day of God, and what stretches out beyond that Day. Thus the text puts into the emphatic position “new heavens and a new earth,” then adds that we are to expect them “according to his promise,” and finally, almost as an afterthought (after all, it could hardly be otherwise if God has fulfilled his promises), “the home of righteousness” (or “where righteousness dwells”). The point is that God’s goal and the topic of this text are not primarily the destruction of evil. The issue that the “scoffers” are raising in 3:4 and that our author returns to in 3:9 is God’s promises. His promise to the followers of Jesus is not simply that he will remove evil, but that he will reward and honor them (even make them partakers of the divine nature; 2 Pet 1:4). It is in essence a positive promise, for which the removal of evil is a necessary preliminary. The actual promise of the new heaven and earth comes from Isa 65:17 (“Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind”) and 66:22 (“As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure”). The need for a renewal of creation was often reflected on in Second Temple Jewish literature. This literature uses the language of “renewal” of creation rather than “new heavens and new earth,” although some of the descriptions indicate a renewal as extreme as that in the time of Noah. Such an expectation is not surprising, for while the Jews never saw creation itself as problematic—indeed, they could hardly conceive of life without some type of creation—they did realize that evil had so penetrated it that radical renewal was necessary, especially when it came to human beings. Romans picks up this need, stating in Rom 8:21that “the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Salvation is for all of creation, according to Paul. Many commentators think that this renewal is what Jesus is speaking about when he speaks of “the renewal of all things” (or “the rebirth”/“regeneration”) in Matt 19:28. But it is Revelation that uses the terminology found in Isaiah and 2 Peter, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea” (Rev 21:1). John’s symbolic presentation is stating that the forces of chaos (i.e., the sea in OT thought) have been decisively defeated and the heavens and earth have been decisively renewed (in Revelation there are powers of evil in the heavens as well as on earth, e.g., in Revelation 12). The picture is that of a new city (as opposed to the evil cities of Genesis and, for that matter, the rest of Revelation), which is symbolically presented as the holy of holies (i.e., cubical), a new Garden of Eden with a new river and the tree of life, which is now freely available. In other words, eschatology returns to protology, but this time there will be no fall. The plan of God in Genesis comes to fulfillment in Revelation: humanity rules the fruitful earth in full communion with God. Now we do not know how much of this picture of Revelation our author is aware of, but he is clearly aware of the essential elements. The earth will be renewed. The renewed heavens and earth will be “the home of righteousness” or “the place where righteousness is at home” or “the place where righteousness dwells.” The point is that this renewed creation is not a place where God’s will is occasionally done (as in the unrenewed creation) or a place where God’s will is done in subversive groups (as in the Jesus movement), but a place where God’s will rules, that is, is totally at home. Remember that the teachers 2 Peter opposes do not live righteously—they deny the Lord who bought them by disobeying his teaching. Such people will have no place in this new age of the universe. Instead, it will be the addressees of the letter, who are exhorted to live and assumed to be living “holy and godly lives” who will be at home there, as their present dysfunctional (in terms of the culture around them) lifestyle shows. Our author points out that it is this renewed creation to which followers of Jesus are looking forward. The problem contemporary followers of Jesus have is not that they are looking forward too much to the future world, but that they are not looking forward enough to it. We tend to conform our lifestyles to this present age, trying to live functionally with respect to it, which is short-sighted since this age is passing away. Instead, 2 Peter exhorts us to have our eyes fixed on the coming age and to let that age determine our present lifestyle. It is to that topic that he turns in the final encouragement of his letter. [6] 3:14 The arrival of the new heavens and new earth is the hope of believers, awaited eagerly (prosdokaō) by all who truly know God. Then God’s righteousness will be all in all (cf. 1 Cor 15:28). Verse 14 is stitched to v. 13 by the repetition of the verb “looking forward” (prosdokaō). It is the new heavens and earth that believers long for, the realization of God’s righteousness. The false teachers, of course, repudiated the very idea of such a future world. Once again, as in vv. 11–13, the eschatological future becomes the basis for ethical exhortation. Indeed, the exhortation in v. 14 restates in different terms the summons to a godly life in v. 11, and in both instances the exhortation flows from God’s promise that the present world will be destroyed and a new world is coming. The teachers’ libertine lifestyle and ethic was inseparable from their eschatology. They rejected the future coming of Christ and therefore lived however they pleased. Peter realized that he must convince his readers of Christ’s coming if they were going to live in a way that pleases God. Peter’s argument is not pragmatic. That is, he did not invent the idea of a future judgment to foster ethical living now. On the contrary, the day of the Lord, consisting of both judgment and salvation, was bedrock reality for him. On the basis of this reality, believers are exhorted to godliness. As we come to the end of the letter, many themes from its beginning reappear. Here Peter summoned his readers to diligence—“make every effort” (spoudasate) in light of the destruction and renovation of the heavens and earth. We are reminded of 1:5, where believers are to apply “all diligence” (NASB, spoudēn pasan) in pursuing the virtues detailed in 1:5–7. And in 1:10 Peter said, “Be all the more diligent [spoudasate] to make certain about His calling and choosing you” (NASB). In this instance the verb is the exact form that we find in 1:10. Nor has the subject changed. Diligently pursuing godly virtues is necessary for the final reward, that is, eternal life in 1:5–11. Similarly, in 3:14 diligence in godliness is requisite for enjoying the new heavens and new earth. In this verse diligence is to be exercised to live a “spotless and blameless” life before God. The words “spotless” (aspiloi) and “blameless” (amōmētoi) contrast with the opponents, who were “blots” (spiloi) and “blemishes” (mōmoi) in the church (2:13).98 When we examine texts where a similar idea is found (Eph 1:4; 5:27; Phil 2:15; Col 1:22; Jude 24; Rev 14:5), it is apparent that being “spotless and blameless” is necessary for eternal life. We should not confuse this, then, with moral perfection, at least in this life. The New Testament does teach, however, that those who belong to God’s people will live godly lives and that they will be perfected on the last day. The false teachers, in other words, will not be saved on the last day since their blemished lives will condemn them. Indeed, the terminology “be found” (eurethēnai) is judicial, anticipating the judgment before God (see esp. 2 Pet 3:10; cf. 1 Cor 4:2; 15:15; Gal 2:17; Phil 3:9; 1 Pet 1:7; Rev 5:4). Hence, there is little doubt that believers need to be “spotless and blameless” to be saved. Evangelicals are disposed to emphasize at this point the imputed righteousness of Christ as the basis of our righteousness, and, of course, Christ’s righteousness is the basis for all our righteousness. We should simply observe, however, that this is not what Peter emphasized here. In this context spotless and blameless behavior of believers is required to inherit the eternal reward. Thereby we will “be found” to be “at peace with him.” Peace (eirēnē) designates being right with God, entering into his presence with joy rather than experiencing his wrath.99 14Our author signals the letter body closing with an inferential conjunction (“so then” or “wherefore”) and the repetition of the noun of address (“dear friends” or “beloved”). A similar pairing of conjunction and noun of address in 3:17 will indicate that the body closing is finished and the letter closing is beginning. The “so then” refers back to the situation described in the previous section, that is, the end of the second age of the world and the beginning of the third, the new heavens and new earth. This is made clear by the participial phrase “since you are looking forward to this.” They are expecting something, and this has consequences for their present behavior, just as brides and grooms approaching their wedding are already changing their financial, social, and other behavior in the light of what they are expecting. These addressees are exhorted to “make every effort” to be prepared for the new age. The idea of making every effort has already appeared twice in 2 Peter, first with respect to them in 1:10 (“be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure”) and then as a commitment of Peter in 1:15 (“I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things”). It is the former reference that is relevant here, for holiness is how they make their calling and election sure. Such effort is not foreign to the rest of the NT, for the verb occurs in ethical exhortation in Eph 4:3; 2 Tim 2:15; and Heb 4:11. The appropriate lifestyle of a follower of Jesus does not just happen; it requires effort, especially since the forces of the surrounding culture will attempt to make apprentices of Jesus adjust their behavior back to that of the majority culture. The effort is directed toward behavior that follows the directives of Jesus, here described in terms of purity: “spotless, blameless.” Both terms in this word pair come from sacrificial language and are thus metaphorical. In fact, the word pair is probably expressing a single idea, not two ideas (i.e., we have a metonymy). In the OT it is only pure animals, that is, “unblemished,” that are appropriate for sacrifice. For instance, in the Greek OT our second term, “blameless”/“unblemished,” is applied to a bull and two rams in Exod 29:1and two lambs in Exod 29:38 (see also Lev 1:3, 10; 3:1; and many similar passages in the OT). The animal is to be whole or perfect in every way. The best animals are to be offered to YHWH. Likewise, in 1 Macc 4:42 the priest who offers the animals is to be whole or entire, both in the sense that he is a faithful follower of the law (which is the probable idea in 1 Macc 4:42) and in the sense that he is physically whole (Lev 21:17–24).1 In the NT this metaphorical language is applied to Christ in 1 Pet 2:19, where he is viewed as “a lamb without blemish or defect.” (Heb 9:14 has a similar use of our second term alone.) Normally, however, the terms are used without explicit sacrificial imagery for moral uprightness,2 as in 1 Tim 6:14; Jas 1:27 (for our first term) and Eph 1:4; Phil 2:15; Col 1:22; Rev 14:5(for our second term). In most of these passages our terms appear paired with other synonyms or near synonyms, including the term “holy.” The particular use here in 2 Peter is likely influenced by Jude 24(“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy”), where a form of our second term appears. The point our author is making is that purity in the eyes of the Lord (which is not limited to sexual purity, as it often is in contemporary usage) is something to make every effort to gain. It alone has lasting value. It is the lack of this purity that marks the lives of the teachers our author opposes. And this lack of purity will condemn them to destruction since purity is the natural result of submission to Jesus as Lord. Thus, if we need to spend time in spiritual disciplines, perhaps under the direction of a spiritual director, join a recovery group to seek release from compulsive actions, spend time in counseling, or take some other appropriate action to gain this purity, it is well worth the effort. Indeed, the rest of our life may be vitiated without such effort. Moving on in our passage, we ask, “How does ‘at peace’ relate to this purity?” Two basic ways of translating this verse bring out the possible relationships. The one, followed by the NIV, relates “at peace” to “him” (i.e., “our Lord,” as the next verse makes clear), and the “spotless and blameless” are either parts of a three-adjective series (as in the NIV),3 or they expand on the idea of being “at peace with him.”4 The second, as seen in the ASV (“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight”) relates “spotless and blameless” to “him” and takes “at peace” as a further characteristic of the community.5 In our view it is this latter interpretation that fits best into the passage. In 2 Pet 3:10 the “fire” will strip off the heavens, and the stars and planets in them, so that “the earth and the works in her will be found/discovered” (to give our own rather wooden translation), presumably by God or the Lord. Here in our passage we have the other side of the coin, that true followers of Jesus (i.e., the addressees of the letter) are “to be found/discovered by him spotless and without (moral) blemish.” Those scoffers who ignore the Lord’s Parousia will have their character and works exposed with appropriate consequences, but so will those true followers of Jesus have theirs exposed, also with appropriate consequences. Here in 3:14 we have the flip side of 3:10. This fits with (1) the normal meaning of the verb for finding/discovering, (2) the contrast of the “scoffers” or false teachers with the addressees, and (3) the usual eschatological sense of the “spotless” and “without blemish” metaphors (i.e., in most of the passages this moral state is determined only at the coming of Christ). Finally, it seems the most natural way of reading the Greek word order.6 But what about the phrase at the end of the verse, “in peace”? Neyrey relates this to the Hebrew shalom in its Semitic root meaning of “complete” or “whole” and thus as a restatement of “spotless and unblemished” in their moral meaning.7 Bauckham suggests that this is “the state of reconciliation with God which is Christian salvation.”8 Both of these interpretations are possible since in 2 Pet 1:2it does occur in the stylized greeting that wishes grace and peace (shalom)upon the addresses from God (cf. 1 Pet 1:2). But given that the type of issues mentioned in this book could disturb the community and that the references to scoffers and false teachers could leave them hunting for such people and thus damaging the solidarity of the community, one suspects that this add-on phrase is a reference to being at peace in the community, which is a significant Christian virtue (e.g., 1 Pet 3:11; Jas 3:18). In that case peace is not to be taken with “in him” but as a separate thought added to the sentence.