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Peter closes his letter the same way he has written the whole thing: with loving urgency and clear reminders. This is his “second letter,” and his goal is to stir up their sincere minds so they will remember what God already said through the OT prophets and through Jesus’ command carried by the apostles (vv. 1–2). Why? Because “scoffers” will come—people who mock the promise of Jesus’ return, not because they’ve found better truth, but because they want to keep following their sinful desires without facing judgment (vv. 3–4). Their argument is basically, “Nothing ever changes—so why expect Jesus to come back?” (v. 4). Peter answers: they are deliberately overlooking that God has intervened before—He created the world by His word, and He judged the world with the flood by that same powerful word (vv. 5–6; cf. Genesis 1:1–10, chs. 6–8). And the same God who once judged by water will one day bring final judgment—this time with fire—because history is not endless and God is not absent (v. 7).
Then Peter tackles the question underneath the scoffing: “Is God slow?” He says no—God’s timetable is not ours, and what feels like delay is actually patience (vv. 8–9). The Lord is giving time for repentance; His patience is mercy, and it should be seen as salvation opportunity, not weakness (v. 9, 15; cf. Romans 2:4). But the Day of the Lord will still come—sudden and unexpected “like a thief”—and everything will be exposed before God (v. 10; cf. Matthew 24:43, 1 Thessalonians 5:2). Peter’s point isn’t to satisfy curiosity about end-times details; it’s to shape daily life. If this world is headed toward judgment and renewal, then God’s people should live with holiness and godliness, “waiting for and hastening” that day (vv. 11–12). And the Christian hope is not just the end of evil, but the promise of new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells (v. 13; cf. Isaiah 65:17, Revelation 21:1–5).
Finally, Peter turns the future into practical marching orders. Since we’re waiting for Jesus, we should be diligent to be found “without spot or blemish, and at peace”—unlike the false teachers who were “blots and blemishes” (v. 14; cf. 2:13). He even points to Paul as a trusted brother and says Paul’s writings are treated like “the other Scriptures,” even though some passages are hard and often twisted by the ignorant and unstable (vv. 15–16). So Peter ends with two steadying commands: don’t be carried away by lawless error, and grow—keep growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ until the day of eternity (vv. 17–18).
🌀 Reflection:
Where do you feel tempted to interpret God’s patience as God’s absence? Ask the Lord to help you see His “delay” as mercy—and let that mercy move you toward repentance, peace, and steady growth instead of spiritual drift (vv. 9, 14, 18).
💬 Mission Challenge:
Share the hope of God’s patience this week: tell one person (in a conversation, text, or post) that Jesus’ return is certain—and that today is a gift for turning to Him, not a reason to keep putting Him off (vv. 9–10, 15).
Continue reading in our NT260 plan in the rest of Phase 3 — Persevering in the Last Day.
Just Keith Harris 