Who are “you” & “all”

2 Peter 3:1- 9

Idea for subject - Tom teaching on 1Thess 1:4 “knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you;” quoted last phrase of 2 Pet 3:9 “The Lord is... not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

This part of the verse is often used to argue against the doctrine of Unconditional Election; that God elects only some to eternal life.

3 rules of proper interpretation

Context

Context

Context

Who is Peter writing to?

2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:”

The letter is to Christians. 3:1 beloved = believers

What is the purpose of this text in the Epistle?

Correct those who scoff at idea of Christ’s triumphant return. 2 Peter 3:3-4 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.””

Parousia Delay in 1st century. Early Christians expected Jesus to return in their lifetime.

18th & 19th century liberal critics (Albert Schweitzer 20th)

Today, modern scoffers put scientism on a pedestal as a god, claiming the laws of nature are fixed and God, who doesn’t exist in their thinking, will not or cannot intervene in human history to change them.

Peter emphasized words of sacred Scripture. What apostles taught about Day of the LORD was not their invention.

2 Peter 3:2 “that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.”

Peter points out scoffers willing ignorance & intentional forgetfulness, 2 Peter 3:5 “For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water,” . They, unbelievers, are willingly ignorant.

Peter argues from Scripture, book of Genesis, both for original creation with its initial judgment at time of Noah, and that a future judgment is coming. 2 Peter 3:6-7 “through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

Laws of science and nature tell us how God currently runs the universe, but nothing about how God might suddenly change them. God promised in Gen. 9:15 not to destroy the earth again by water, but Isaiah 66:15 says Adonai will come with fire.

Peter’s Correction

2 Peter 3:8-9 “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing / willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

Peter uses same Greek word in v.5 & v.8, translated ignorant in KJV; modern translations forget or escape your notice. It marks two stages in his argument; 1st that OT reveals many instances where God intervened in history in a dramatic way. 2nd, that we cannot interpret God’s timing by human timetables, & God has a positive reason for delaying Christ’s return.

Peter argues from the character of God; that God stands above time. He reminds believers God is patiently waiting, not impotent but merciful, enduring presence of sin for now. It is not impotence or indifference, but grace.

Rom 2:4 “ do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

All 4 gospels tell of Jesus’ promise to return & all NT epistles teach of His 2nd coming. This sure & certain judgment is coming and quickly according to v.10.

Questions - What wish or will of God? Who are the “any” and “all”?

In theology, God is described as having 3 types of will: sovereign, efficacious will; preceptive will; and effective will. Examine context to determine which is meant.

Sovereign will - that which must come to pass by the force of God exercising it. His irresistible will. By the force of His sovereign will, it must happen, i.e. creation or 2nd coming.

Preceptive will - commandments He wishes that we obey, but we often disobey.

Will of desire or effective will - God takes no delight in the death of the wicked and unbelieving, yet He still commands that these people be punished.

Which is meant in v.9?

If it is His sovereign will, then no one in the category of any and all in v.9 will perish.

We must ask, “any what?” Does he mean all orangutans, or any human beings?

any means anyone and all means all, but any is a pronoun and all is an adjective, so we go back to our 3 rules for interpretation and examine the context to determine the antecedents for the pronoun any, and the adjective all.

If it is all human beings, then it is a statement of universalism, that God which would contradict v.7 as well as other parts of Scripture. Peter made clear in v.7 that ungodly men will be judged & destroyed at 2nd coming. So, it doesn’t mean all men.

Antecedent of any and all is you / us. Main verb here is patient / long-suffering, pointing to plural you / us.

Following grammar backwards, you / us is the beloved of v.8 and v.1, which are those who have obtained faith, to whom the letter is addressed in 1:1. They are the people of God whom God is patiently waiting for, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

The any refers to those whom the Lord has chosen & will call to complete the redeemed, the you / us. Since the whole passage is about God’s destroying the wicked, His patience is not so He wills to save all of them, but so He can receive all of His own.

Therefore, 2 Peter 3:9 is referring to sovereign will of God that none of His beloved will perish when Christ returns. None in the audience of believers will perish, but will come to repentance and faith.

Parousia delay, used to argue that Jesus isn’t coming back, is actually evidence of God’s mercy. He does not wish that any of His elect will fail to repent, so Jesus will not return until all the elect are gathered in.

We don’t know who is to be saved, so our job is to warn people, speaking the truth of the wrath to come in love and the gospel of Christ’s loving sacrifice to atone for our sins, His resurrection from the dead and His sure and certain coming in judgment.

His return will be quick, like a thief in the night v.10, so we are to persist in using the time wisely to evangelize the lost; to proclaim the gospel to all nations & people.

God’s lovingkindness is everlasting. His saints will be gathered in, not because we are faithful but because He is eternally faithful.