THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF
PETER
2 Peter 3 ©
1 The apostle declares that he wrote this second epistle thereby to stir them up to meditation of the prophetical and apostolic doctrine. 3 And warns them against mockers, who in the last time shall deny the coming of Christ to judgment, and the end of the world. 5 And confutes them with reasons taken from the creation and preservation of the world. 6 And from the flood. 7 And teaches that like as the first world perished by water, so this shall perish by fire. 8 That the coming of Christ to judgment is indeed deferred for the elect’s sake. 10 But that it shall come unawares. 11 From which he draws an exhortation to the practice of true godliness. 13 And teaches that there shall be a new heaven and a new earth. 15 All which he confirms by the testimony of the apostle Paul, whose epistles some wrest. 17 Finally he concludes with a repetition of the exhortation to take heed of false teachers and mockers, and with a thanksgiving unto Christ.
THIS second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in 1both which I stir up your 2pure 3minds 4bya way of remembrance:
That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken 5before by the holy prophets, and of the 6commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Knowingb this 7first, that there shall come 8in the last days 9scoffers, walking 10after their own lusts,
And 11saying, Wherec12is the promise 13of his coming? for since 14the fathers 15fell asleep, all things continue 16as they were from the beginning of the creation.
For this they 17willingly are ignorant of, that 18by the word of God the heavens were of old, andd the earth standing 19out of the water and 20in the water:
21Wherebye22the world that then was, being 23overflowed with water, perished:
Butf the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are 24kept in store, reservedg25unto fire against the day 26of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, 27thath one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Thei Lord 28is not slack concerning his promise, asj some men count 29slackness; butk is 30longsuffering to us-ward,l notm willing that 31any should perish, but that 32all should come 33to repentance.
But 34the day of the Lord will come 35asn a thief in the night; 36in the which the heavens 37shall pass away 38with a great noise, and 39the elements 40shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and 41the works that are therein shall be 42burned up.
Seeing then that all these things 43shall be dissolved, 44what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
45Looking for and 46hasting unto the coming of the day 47of God, 48whereino the heavens being on 49fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, accordingp to his promise, look for 50new heavens and a new earth, 51wherein 52dwelleth 53righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be 54found 55of him 56in peace, 57without spot, and blameless.
Andq account that 58the longsuffering of our Lord is 59salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written 60unto you;
As also inr all his epistles, speaking in them 61of these things; 62in which are 63some things hard to be understood, which they 64that are unlearned and 65unstable 66wrest,s as they do also the other scriptures, 67unto their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know 68these things before, 69beware lest ye also, 70being led away with the error of the 71wicked, 72fall 73from your own stedfastness.
But 74grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 75To him be glory both 76now and 77for ever. Amen.