Discovery Box2 Peter 3:10-17
Context3:10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; when it comes, 1 the heavens will disappear 2 with a horrific noise, 3 and the celestial bodies 4 will melt away 5 in a blaze, 6 and the earth and every deed done on it 7 will be laid bare. 8 3:11 Since all these things are to melt away 9 in this manner, 10 what sort of people must we 11 be, conducting our lives in holiness and godliness, 12 3:12 while waiting for and hastening 13 the coming of the day of God? 14 Because of this day, 15 the heavens will be burned up and 16 dissolve, and the celestial bodies 17 will melt away in a blaze! 18 3:13 But, according to his promise, we are waiting for 19 new heavens and a new earth, in which 20 righteousness truly resides. 21
3:14 Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for 22 these things, strive to be found 23 at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come into his presence. 24 3:15 And regard the patience of our Lord as salvation, 25 just as also our dear brother Paul 26 wrote to you, 27 according to the wisdom given to him, 3:16 speaking of these things in all his letters. 28 Some things in these letters 29 are hard to understand, things 30 the ignorant and unstable twist 31 to their own destruction, as they also do to the rest of the scriptures. 32 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, 33 be on your guard that you do not get led astray by the error of these unprincipled men 34 and fall from your firm grasp on the truth. 35
[3:10] 3 tn Or “hissing sound,” “whirring sound,” “rushing sound,” or “loud noise.” The word occurs only here in the NT. It was often used of the crackle of a fire, as would appear appropriate in this context.
[3:10] 4 tn Grk “elements.” Most commentators are agreed that “celestial bodies” is meant, in light of this well-worn usage of στοιχεῖα (stoiceia) in the 2nd century and the probable allusion to Isa 34:4 (text of Vaticanus). See R. Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter [WBC], 315-16 for discussion.
[3:10] 5 tn Grk “be dissolved.”
[3:10] 6 tn Grk “being burned up.”
[3:10] 7 tn Grk “the works in it.”
[3:10] 8 tc One of the most difficult textual problems in the NT is found in v. 10. The reading εὑρεθήσεται (Jeureqhsetai), which enjoys by far the best support (א B K P 0156vid 323 1241 1739txt pc) is nevertheless so difficult a reading that many scholars regard it as nonsensical. (NA27 lists five conjectures by scholars, from Hort to Mayor, in this text.) As R. Bauckham has pointed out, solutions to the problem are of three sorts: (1) conjectural emendation (which normally speaks more of the ingenuity of the scholar who makes the proposal than of the truth of the conjecture, e.g., changing one letter in the previous word, ἔργα [erga] becomes ἄργα [arga] with the meaning, “the earth and the things in it will be found useless”); (2) adoption of one of several variant readings (all of which, however, are easier than this one and simply cannot explain how this reading arose, e.g., the reading of Ì72 which adds λυόμενα [luomena] to the verb – a reading suggested no doubt by the threefold occurrence of this verb in the surrounding verses: “the earth and its works will be found dissolved”; or the simplest variant, the reading of the Sahidic
[3:11] 9 tn Grk “all these things thus being dissolved.”
[3:11] 11 tc ‡ Most
[3:11] 12 tn Grk “in holy conduct and godliness.”
[3:12] 17 tn Or possibly, “striving for,” but the meaning “hasten” for σπουδάζω (spoudazw) is normative in Jewish apocalyptic literature (in which the coming of the Messiah/the end is anticipated). Such a hastening is not an arm-twisting of the divine volition, but a response by believers that has been decreed by God.
[3:12] 18 sn The coming of the day of God. Peter elsewhere describes the coming or parousia as the coming of Christ (cf. 2 Pet 1:16; 3:4). The almost casual exchange between “God” and “Christ” in this little book, and elsewhere in the NT, argues strongly for the deity of Christ (see esp. 1:1).
[3:12] 19 tn Grk “on account of which” (a subordinate relative clause in Greek).
[3:12] 20 tn Grk “being burned up, will dissolve.”
[3:12] 21 tn See note in v. 10 on “celestial bodies.”
[3:12] 22 tn Grk “being burned up” (see v. 10).
[3:13] 25 tn Or possibly, “let us wait for.” The form in Greek (προσδόκωμεν, prosdokwmen) could be either indicative or subjunctive. The present participle in v. 14, however, is best taken causally (“since you are waiting for”), suggesting that the indicative is to be read here.
[3:13] 26 tn The relative pronoun is plural, indicating that the sphere in which righteousness dwells is both the new heavens and the new earth.
[3:13] 27 tn Grk “dwells.” The verb κατοικέω (katoikew) is an intensive cognate of οἰκέω (oikew), often with the connotation of “taking up residence,” “settling down,” being at home,” etc. Cf., e.g., Matt 2:23; Acts 17:26; 22:12; Eph 3:17; Col 1:19; 2:9. Hence, the addition of the adverb “truly” is implicit in the connotation of the verb in a context such as this.
[3:14] 33 tn Grk “dear friends, waiting for.” See note in v. 13 on “waiting for.”
[3:14] 34 sn The Greek verb used in the phrase strive to be found is the same as is found in v. 10, translated “laid bare.” In typical Petrine fashion, a conceptual link is made by the same linkage of terms. The point of these two verses thus becomes clear: When the heavens disappear and the earth and its inhabitants are stripped bare before the throne of God, they should strive to make sure that their lives are pure and that they have nothing to hide.
[3:14] 35 tn “When you come into” is not in Greek. However, the dative pronoun αὐτῷ (autw) does not indicate agency (“by him”), but presence or sphere. The idea is “strive to found {before him/in his presence}.”
[3:15] 41 tn The language here is cryptic. It probably means “regard the patience of our Lord as an opportunity for salvation.” In the least, Peter is urging his audience to take a different view of the delay of the parousia than that of the false teachers.
[3:15] 42 sn Critics generally assume that 2 Peter is not authentic, partially because in vv. 15-16 Paul is said to have written scripture. It is assumed that a recognition of Paul’s writings as scripture could not have happened until early in the 2nd century. However, in the same breath that Paul is canonized, Peter also calls him “brother.” This is unparalleled in the 2nd century apocryphal works, as well as early patristic writings, in which the apostles are universally elevated above the author and readers; here, Peter simply says “he’s one of us.”
[3:15] 43 sn Paul wrote to you. That Paul had written to these people indicates that they are most likely Gentiles. Further, that Peter is now writing to them suggests that Paul had already died, for Peter was the apostle to the circumcised. Peter apparently decided to write his two letters to Paul’s churches shortly after Paul’s death, both to connect with them personally and theologically (Paul’s gospel is Peter’s gospel) and to warn them of the wolves in sheep’s clothing that would come in to destroy the flock. Thus, part of Peter’s purpose seems to be to anchor his readership on the written documents of the Christian community (both the Old Testament and Paul’s letters) as a safeguard against heretics.
[3:16] 49 tn Grk “as also in all his letters speaking in them of these things.”
[3:16] 50 tn Grk “in which are some things hard to understand.”
[3:16] 51 tn Grk “which.” The antecedent is the “things hard to understand,” not the entirety of Paul’s letters. A significant principle is seen here: The primary proof texts used for faith and practice ought to be the clear passages that are undisputed in their meaning. Heresy today is still largely built on obscure texts.
[3:16] 52 tn Or “distort,” “wrench,” “torture” (all are apt descriptions of what heretics do to scripture).
[3:16] 53 sn This one incidental line, the rest of the scriptures, links Paul’s writings with scripture. This is thus one of the earliest affirmations of any part of the NT as scripture. Peter’s words were prophetic and were intended as a preemptive strike against the heretics to come.
[3:17] 57 tn Grk “knowing beforehand.”
