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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
The Certain Coming of Christ and Its Lessons.
A warning against scoffers:
v. 1. This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance,
v. 2. that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior;
v. 3. knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts
v. 4. and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
The apostle here, in his usual manner, opens a new section of his letter, and the tone employed by him shows that he desires to impress the truths now following with special solemnity: This letter, beloved, I now write you as the second, in which I rouse your pure mind by way of remembrance. Both letters of Peter had had the same aim, in a way, his purpose being to teach his readers, to remind them of the fundamental truths of Christianity once more, to give them practical hints as to the performance of Christian obligations, to arouse and encourage them in their Christian duties. He says that he wants to stir up their pure, their sincere Christian mind, that mind which is always open to instruction and admonition from the Word of God.
Of this aim Peter writes: That you may be reminded of the words spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandment of your apostles, of the Lord and Savior. That is the chief function of the teacher in the Christian Church, to put the souls entrusted to him in remembrance of all the truths which were revealed to us by both the prophets and the apostles. There is no discrepancy between the Word of God in the Old and that in the New Testament, no contradiction. The chief content of both is Jesus Christ the Savior, the Hope of the believers in the time before His incarnation and the Trust of the believers ever since. The commandment of the apostles briefly characterizes the entire content of the Christian doctrine, for it is given to us for obedience in faith and in holiness, 1Jn_3:23-24; 1Ti_6:14. What the apostles taught was, at the same time, the commandment of our Lord and Savior; for it was He that called them as the teachers of mankind to the end of time; it was He whose Spirit inspired them to write the great truths that are to make us wise unto salvation.
The apostle now singles out one great truth with the purpose of warning his readers: Knowing this first of all, that there will come in the last days mockers with their scoffing, going on according to their own desires and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the time that the fathers fell asleep all things remain just as they have been from the beginning of creation. His readers, the Christians of all times, should know this, in order not to be surprised at its coming. There would be mockers, or scoffers, at the end of the days, just before the Day of Judgment. These men, many of them highly intelligent, learned men, are noted for their scoffing denial of the coming of Judgment. In books, articles, and lectures such men calmly and with a great show of wisdom, demonstrate that it is against science, against reason, to believe in the corning of the Judgment Day; they treat the very idea of a possible truth of the Bible-account with scorn and derision. The nearer the last day comes, the more rapidly the number of these scoffers increases, and the bolder they grow in their assertions. There is a real source of danger here, especially for inexperienced young people that are overawed by the show of learning displayed by the mockers. But the Christian should note the reason for this attitude, namely, the fact that such people go on, walk, conduct themselves, according to their own desires and lusts. Of God and of His holy will they want to know nothing; their one object in life is to enjoy to the full the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. And it is because of the fact that the thought of the Lord's return to Judgment disturbs them in their life of sin and shame that they attempt to ridicule the idea of the last day. Their conscience tells them that, no matter what form their selfishness assumes, they will have to render an account to the Lord. Hence their mockery, the outflow of a bad conscience: "Where is that promised coming of the Lord in whom you Christians profess to believe? The laws of nature are unchangeable; matter is eternal; and this world will remain forever. The believers of the Old Testament that hoped in the coming of the Lord died without having seen the fulfillment of their hopes, and thus it will be always."