2Pe 3:1-7

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2Pe 3:1-18 SIGNIFICANCE OF CHRIST’S RETURN

Assurance of his coming (2Pe 3:1-7)

The activity of the false teachers is no reason for the Christians to panic or become confused. Peter’s teaching has followed that of the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles, both in helping develop pure faith and in warning those who would try to corrupt that faith (2Pe 3:3:1-2).

Christians should not be discouraged by those who scoff at the idea of Christ’s second coming. Such people argue that Christ will not return and that the natural course of events will continue uninterrupted as it has from the beginning (2Pe 3:3-4).

But these scoffers ignore some of the plain facts of history; for example, the flood in Noah’s day. In the creation story, God made the land appear out of water, but he then interrupted what appeared to be the normal course of events by using water to cover the land and destroy the sinners (2Pe 3:5-6; cf. Gen 1:6-7; 6:17).

One day he will intervene in human affairs again, this time destroying the sinners by fire (2Pe 3:7).