The words spoken by the prophets are the contents of the Old Testament, the Scriptures (v. 16; 1:20), and the commandments preached by the apostles are the contents of the New Testament, the apostles' teaching (Acts 2:42). Peter used both to confirm and strengthen his writings as an inoculation against the heretical teachings in the apostasy. In his first Epistle, concerning the full salvation of God, he referred to both the prophets and the apostles (1 Pet. 1:9-12). Then in the second Epistle, concerning the shining of the divine truth, he again referred to both (2 Pet. 1:12-21). Here, for the third time, he did the same.

See note 2 Tim. 3:1².

They may be the false teachers mentioned in 2 Pet. 2:1. Their mocking was a part of the apostasy.

The promise of the Lord's coming was given to the fathers by the holy prophets (v. 2) in the Old Testament (Psa. 72:6-17; 110:1-3; 118:26; Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 14:3-9; Mal. 4:1-3).

The Greek word means presence.

Or, this is hidden from them by their own willfulness. I.e., they are willfully ignorant of this; hence, this escapes their notice. The heretical mockers ignore willfully and deny purposely the word of God spoken by the prophets in the Scriptures. So Peter reminded the believers to remember the holy words spoken by both the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles (vv. 1-2).

The promise concerning the Lord's coming (v. 4) is the word of God. The mockers should not ignore that it was by the word of God that the heavens and the earth came into existence (Heb. 11:3) and that it is by the same word that the heavens and the earth are being kept (Heb. 1:3) for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men (v. 7). So the mockers should be assured that by the word of God all the material universe, which includes them, will be judged by the coming of the Lord.

In the beginning, that is, of old, the heavens and the earth were created by God (Gen. 1:1). By the word of God (Psa. 33:6) first the heavens came into existence and then the earth (Job 38:4-7).

In the beginning, that is, of old, the heavens and the earth were created by God (Gen. 1:1). By the word of God (Psa. 33:6) first the heavens came into existence and then the earth (Job 38:4-7).

Lit., standing together, standing with (in juxtaposition, side by side). First, in Gen. 1:1 the earth came into existence, and then, in Gen. 1:9, also by the word (the speaking) of God (Psa. 33:9), the earth began to be compacted out of water and through water, that is, to stand together with water in juxtaposition, emerging partly from the water and remaining partly submerged under water.

Referring to water in v. 5. The earth was compacted out of water and through water in an orderly condition. But through the same water it was judged and destroyed by the flood at Noah's time (Gen. 7:17-24), indicating that all things did not continue in the same way from the beginning of creation.

The Greek word means order, a system, referring here to the world with its inhabitants. The earth in the preceding verse became the world in this verse — not merely the earth, but the earth with its inhabitants in a system. This refers to the world in Noah's age, which was judged by God with the flood because of the sinfulness and ungodliness of that age (Gen. 6:5-7, 11-13, 17). This book is concerned mainly with the divine government and all its judgments. The first judgment on the world was the one executed by the flood in Noah's day, which cleared up that ungodly world. This must have been Peter's thought while he was writing this verse, implying that this age of apostasy will also be judged on the day of the Lord's appearing, as in the day of Noah (Matt. 24:37-39).

Then refers to the age of Noah.

Referring to the flood of Noah's time (2 Pet. 2:5), which caused the earth to be destroyed (Gen. 6:13, 17; 9:11). The earth then did not remain the same but experienced a cataclysm by being flooded with water, and was destroyed. Here Peter argued strongly with the heretical mockers. They said that "all things continue in this way from the beginning of creation" (v. 4). But actually a cataclysm did come upon the earth because of the ungodliness of its inhabitants. This implies that the present world will not continue in the same way but will experience another cataclysm through the Lord's coming with His judgment upon the rebellious, including the false teachers and the heretical mockers in the apostasy.

I.e., was destroyed, demolished, laid waste (Gen. 6:13, 17). See note 2 Pet. 2:1⁵, point 1.

In contrast to then in v. 6 and referring to the present heavens and earth, which remain by the word of God (Gen. 8:22) and will not be destroyed again by water, according to the covenant God made with Noah (Gen. 9:11), but will be burned by fire on the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

The same word refers to the word of God mentioned in v. 5, which is included in the words of the prophets in the Old Testament. The false and heretical teachings in the apostasy are a deviation from the word of God spoken by the prophets in the Old Testament and the apostles in the New Testament. Hence, the antidote administered through Peter's inoculation against the poison of the apostate teachings was the holy word with the divine revelation, which Peter stressed repeatedly.

The fire that will burn up the heavens and the earth (v. 10) at the end of the millennium when the judgment of the great white throne comes (Rev. 20:11). God's initial judgment upon the universe was by water (v. 6), but His consummate judgment will be by fire. Water only washes away the filthiness from the surface, but fire changes the nature of the entire substance. This is another indication that the heavens and the earth will not remain the same as they are but will be cleared up by fire, and that the ungodly false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1) and mockers (v. 3) will be judged and destroyed under the divine government.

The judgment of the great white throne, which will take place after the millennium and will precede the new heaven and new earth (Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1). Through that judgment all the ungodly will be cast into the lake of fire for destruction (see note 2 Pet. 2:3^1e). Since it will be the final judgment upon men and the demons (Rev. 20:13 and note Rev. 20:13^1a), it is of the greatest relevance to the government of God in the universe. See note 1 Pet. 1:17^2c, par. 2.

Here Peter skipped over the millennium of one thousand years, going directly from the Lord's coming to the judgment of the great white throne. To him, as to the Lord, that one thousand years will be like one day (v. 8), a short time. He was dealing here with God's governmental judgment. In God's economy the millennium is not for that purpose.

See note 2 Pet. 2:1⁵, point 2.

Including the false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1) and the heretical mockers (v. 3).

Or, be hidden from you; i.e., escape your notice.

With the Lord God, who is eternal, the sense of time is compressed a thousandfold compared with man's sense of time. Hence, for the fulfillment of His word, especially the word of His promise, the crucial matter is not the time but the fact. Whatever He has promised will sooner or later become a fact. We should not be troubled by the sense of delay according to our reckoning of time.

Or, is not tardy.

These must be the mockers (v. 3).

Or, tardiness.

The Lord's heart is set not on the time of the fulfillment of His promise but on His people, whom He possesses peculiarly as a treasure (1 Pet. 2:9; Titus 2:14 and note Titus 2:14³). His desire is that none of us, His precious redeemed ones, would be punished by His governmental judgment but would have a prolonged season to repent that we may be spared from His punishment.

Or, be destroyed. See note 2 Pet. 2:1⁵, point 1. Since you in this verse refers to the believers in Christ, perish refers not to the eternal perdition of the unbelievers but to the punishment of God's governmental disciplining of the believers (1 Pet. 4:17-18 and note 1 Pet. 4:18²; 1 Thes. 5:3, 8 and note 1 Thes. 5:8³).

Referring to the believers.

Repentance unto salvation (v. 15), which is to repent for not being watchful for the day of the Lord's coming (v. 10) and not living a life in a holy manner and godliness (v. 11).

Mainly in the sense of judgment (1 Thes. 5:2 and note 1 Thes. 5:2^2c) for God's government.

The day of the Lord for His judgment (1 Thes. 5:3-4) will come before the millennium (Rev. 18:1; 19:11; 20:4-6).

Referring to the day of the Lord.

This will take place after the millennium (Rev. 20:7, 11). This indicates again that Peter skipped over the one thousand years of the millennium (see note 2 Pet. 3:7⁴).

I.e., a rushing sound or noise. It may be a proclamation of a great change in the universe from the old to the new.

The physical elements that compose the heavens.

Compare dissolved and burned up with roll them up and changed in Heb. 1:12, fled away and no place was found for them in Rev. 20:11, and passed away in Rev. 21:1. The burning with intense heat to dissolve the heavens and the earth is the procedure God will use to roll up the heavens and the earth and put them away that they may be changed from the old to the new (v. 13; Rev. 21:1). This will be God's final and consummate dealing with His creation in His government. In God's final dealing all the material things will pass away, but His eternal word will abide forever (Matt. 24:35; 1 Pet. 1:25). The word of His prophecy will remain and be fulfilled at His appointed time for the accomplishing of His eternal will, regardless of the change that will occur in the physical universe.

This may refer to both God's works of nature and man's works of art.

Compare dissolved and burned up with roll them up and changed in Heb. 1:12, fled away and no place was found for them in Rev. 20:11, and passed away in Rev. 21:1. The burning with intense heat to dissolve the heavens and the earth is the procedure God will use to roll up the heavens and the earth and put them away that they may be changed from the old to the new (v. 13; Rev. 21:1). This will be God's final and consummate dealing with His creation in His government. In God's final dealing all the material things will pass away, but His eternal word will abide forever (Matt. 24:35; 1 Pet. 1:25). The word of His prophecy will remain and be fulfilled at His appointed time for the accomplishing of His eternal will, regardless of the change that will occur in the physical universe.

All things, both in the heavens and on the earth, have been defiled by the rebellion of Satan and the fall of man. Although all things, whether on the earth or in the heavens, have been reconciled to God through Christ by His blood (Col. 1:20 and note Col. 1:20^4c) — even the heavenly things having been purified by the blood of Christ (Heb. 9:23 and note Heb. 9:23¹) — they will still need to be cleared up by being burned up in God's governmental dealing, that they may become new in nature and appearance in God's new universe (v. 13). Thus, what kind of persons ought we, the children of the holy God, to be in holy manner of life and godliness; that is, what kind of transformation ought we to experience in order to live a life in the manner of God's holy nature and godliness to express Him, that we may be qualified to match His holy government?

Some MSS read, therefore are to be dissolved.

The divine power has provided us with all things that are needed to live a life in a holy manner and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

While we live a transformed life in a holy and godly manner, we are expecting, awaiting, and hastening the coming of the day of God.

The Greek word means presence.

The day of God is the day of the Lord (v. 10), and to the children of Israel in the Old Testament, the day of the Lord is the day of Jehovah (Isa. 2:12; Joel 1:15; 2:11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obad. 1:15; Zeph. 1:7, 14, 18; 2:2-3; Zech. 14:1; Mal. 4:1, 5). In such expressions, day is used mainly in the sense of judgment for governmental dealing. Before the Lord comes, it is "man's day," in which man judges until the Lord comes (1 Cor. 4:3-5). Then, it will be "the day of the Lord," which will begin with the Lord's parousia (presence — Matt. 24:3 and note Matt. 24:3^3d) with all its judgments and will end with the judgment upon men and the demons at the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15 and notes). The Lord's parousia (presence) will begin when the overcoming saints are raptured to the throne of God in the heavens before the great tribulation of three and a half years (Rev. 12:5-6; 14:1). Then, all the supernatural calamities of the sixth seal and the first four trumpets will be meted out to smite the earth with the things on it and the heavens with their heavenly bodies (Rev. 6:12-17; 8:7-12). This will be the beginning of the great tribulation. The great tribulation, which will consist mainly of the woes of the last three trumpets, including the plagues of the seven bowls, will last for three and a half years (Matt. 24:21-22, 29; Rev. 8:13; 9:1-21; 11:14; 15:5-8; 16:1-21). That will be a time of trial for the inhabitants of the whole earth (Rev. 3:10), including the Jews (Isa. 2:12; Zech. 14:1-2; Mal. 4:1, 5; Joel 1:15-20; 2:1, 11, 31) and the believers in Christ who are left in the tribulation (Rev. 12:17). At the end of the great tribulation, Christ's parousia (presence), with the overcomers, will come to the air (Rev. 10:1), and the dead saints will be resurrected and raptured together with the majority of the living believers, who will have passed through the great tribulation, to meet with the Lord in the air (1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Rev. 14:14-16). After this, all the believers will be judged by the Lord at His judgment seat in the air (2 Cor. 5:10). Then the Lord will have His wedding feast with the overcoming saints (Rev. 19:7-8). Immediately after this, the Lord with His bride, composed of the overcoming saints as His army, will come to the earth (Zech. 14:4-5; Jude 1:14; 1 Thes. 3:13) to fight and defeat Antichrist and his army; they will seize Antichrist and his false prophet and cast them alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:11-21). At approximately that time, Babylon the Great will be destroyed (Rev. 17:1-18; 18:1-24; 19:1-3). At the same time, the Lord will deliver, gather, and restore the children of Israel (Zech. 12:2-14; Rom. 11:26; Matt. 24:31; Acts 1:6). Following this, Satan will be bound and cast into the abyss, the bottomless pit (Rev. 20:1-3). Then the Lord will judge the nations (the living — Matt. 25:31-46; Joel 3:2). After this, the millennial kingdom will come (Rev. 20:4-6). After the thousand years, Satan will be loosed from the abyss and will instigate certain of the nations, Gog and Magog in the north of the eastern hemisphere, to carry out the last rebellion against God. They will be subdued and burned, and the deceiving devil will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:7-10). Following this, the heavens and the earth will be fully cleared up by being burned up (vv. 7, 10). Then will come the final judgment upon men (the dead) and the demons, and probably also upon the fallen angels (2 Pet. 2:4 and note 2 Pet. 2:4⁴), at the great white throne (Rev. 20:11-15). That will be God's consummate dealing with His old creation in His universal government and will be in addition to so many judgments and dealings executed within the day of the Lord to clear up the old universe. Then a new universe will begin with the new heaven and new earth for eternity (Rev. 21:1), in which there will be no more judgment related to God's governmental dealing, for no unrighteousness will dwell there. Therefore, not counting the one thousand years, the day of the Lord will be very short, probably not more than seven years. This will be the main part of the last week (seven years) of the seventy weeks in Dan. 9:24-27. It is unscriptural to consider the day of God and the day of the Lord two different days: the day of the Lord ends with the millennial kingdom, and the day of God begins with the burning of the heavens and the earth, followed by the judgment of the great white throne. Actually, since the judgment of the great white throne will be executed by the Lord Jesus (Acts 10:42; 17:31; 2 Tim. 4:1), it too will be in the day of the Lord. God does not judge anyone; He has given all judgment to the Lord (John 5:22).

Referring to the coming of the day of God, which is for executing judgment upon every part of the old creation to clear it up. On account of the coming of such a day, the heavens will no longer be able to stand and remain as they have been, but will be dissolved, their elements melting away in the intense heat of the burning fire.

After all the material things are dissolved, God's promise as His everlasting word will still exist for His redeemed people to trust in and stand upon with the expectation of a new universe. We should set our hope not on the visible elements but on what the word of God promises for our destiny, that is, the new heavens and new earth, which have not yet come into our view.

The new heavens and new earth are the old heavens and old earth renewed and transformed through the burning of God's judging fire, just as the new man is our old man renewed and transformed (Col. 3:9-10; 2 Cor. 3:18).

Righteousness is the main factor based on which God's governmental judgment is meted out to all creatures in His old creation. Hence, in these two books concerning God's government, this matter is stressed repeatedly (1 Pet. 2:23-24; 3:12, 14; 4:18; 2 Pet. 1:1; 2:5, 7-8, 21; 3:13). The main matter seen in John's writings is the love of God expressed in His life; in Paul's writings, the grace of God distributed in His economy; and in Peter's writings, the righteousness of God maintained in His government. God's life, economy, and government are the basic structures of the ministry of the three apostles. Life is of love, economy is through grace, and government is based on righteousness. This righteousness will dwell in the new heavens and new earth, saturating God's new universe prevailingly and thus maintaining it absolutely under God's righteous order, so that no further judgment will ever be needed.

Or, makes its home.

To be found by the Lord in peace is to be found righteous, right, having no problem in His eyes with either God or man at His coming. Since this book stresses righteousness for God's governmental dealing (see note 2 Pet. 3:13³), it charges the believers, who are walking in the ways of righteousness (cf. 2 Pet. 2:21), to pursue a living that is in peace, that they may be prepared for the Lord's coming with judgment.

The heretics, who forsake the straight way and follow the way of unrighteousness (2 Pet. 2:15), are spots and blemishes among the believers (see note 2 Pet. 2:13^3c); but the believers, who are pursuing to live in peace in God's government, should be without spot and without blemish, like the Lord, who is the Lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Pet. 1:19).

The mockers count the Lord's long-suffering toward the believers as delay, tardiness, or slackness (v. 9). This is their twisting of the Lord's word spoken by the prophets in the Scriptures and by the apostles in their teachings (v. 16). Hence, Peter charged the believers to count the Lord's long-suffering as salvation instead of delay, and not to twist the prophets' prophecies or the apostles' teachings, including his own and also Paul's, that they might not be judged unto destruction as the heretics will be at the Lord's coming. It is by doing this and being diligent to be found by the Lord in peace, without spot and without blemish (v. 14), that the believers prepare themselves for the Lord's coming with judgment.

The Lord's long-suffering in the delay regarding His promise should be counted as a prolonged opportunity for the believers to repent unto salvation (v. 9 and note 2 Pet. 3:9^4d).

Not salvation in its initial stage but salvation in its completing stage (see note 1 Pet. 1:5⁵). The Lord's intention in delaying His coming is to prevent many of His elect from missing the topmost portion of His full salvation.

It was not only Peter, as one of the apostles (v. 2), who taught, with the confirmation of the prophets' prophecy (v. 2), that the Lord's long-suffering should be counted as salvation instead of delay. Paul, as another of the apostles, taught the same thing in his writings, based on the prophetic word of the Old Testament. Peter referred to this fact to strengthen his writing.

Since Peter's antidote to inoculate against the heretical teachings of the apostasy is the holy word spoken by the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles, he could not omit the writings of the apostle Paul, which are the greatest part of the apostles' teaching for the constituting of the New Testament. In both his Epistles, which also are a part of the apostles' teaching and are constituents of the New Testament, Peter referred repeatedly to the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament apostles (1 Pet. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 1:12-21; 3:2). Here he referred to the apostle Paul in the strongest way, saying that Paul in all his writings spoke some things that are hard to understand, concerning the things of which Peter spoke in his writing, and that to twist Paul's writings is equivalent to twisting the Scriptures as the heretics do, which results in destruction, that is, in being judged by the Lord at His coming back. This is a strong warning to both the believers and the heretics in the apostasy.

In his two Epistles, comprising only eight chapters, Peter covered the entire economy of God, from eternity past before the foundation of the world (1 Pet. 1:2, 20) to the new heavens and new earth in eternity future (2 Pet. 3:13). He unveiled the crucial things related to God's economy, concerning which things the prophets prophesied and the apostles preached (1 Pet. 1:10-12), from four sides:
1) From the side of the Triune God:
God the Father chose a people in eternity according to His foreknowledge (1 Pet. 1:1-2; 2:9) and called them into His glory (1 Pet. 5:10; 2 Pet. 1:3). Christ, foreknown by God before the foundation of the world but manifested in the last times (1 Pet. 1:20), has redeemed and saved God's chosen people (2, 1 Pet. 1:18-19) by His vicarious death (1 Pet. 2:24; 3:18) through His resurrection in life and ascension in power (1 Pet. 1:3; 3:21-22). The Spirit, sent from heaven, has sanctified and purified those whom Christ has redeemed (1 Pet. 1:2, 12, 22; 4:14). (The angels long to look into these things — 1 Pet. 1:12.) The Triune God's divine power has provided the redeemed ones with all things that relate to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4) to guard them unto full salvation (1 Pet. 1:5). God also disciplines them (1 Pet. 5:6) by some of His varied governmental judgments (1 Pet. 1:17; 2:23; 4:5-6, 17; 2 Pet. 2:3-4, 9; 3:7), and He will perfect, establish, strengthen, and ground them by His all grace (1 Pet. 5:10). The Lord is long-suffering toward them that they all may have opportunity to repent unto salvation (vv. 9, 15). Then, Christ will appear in glory with His full salvation for His lovers (1 Pet. 1:5, 7-9, 13; 4:13; 5:4).
2) From the side of the believers:
The believers, as God's possession, were chosen by God (1 Pet. 1:1-2; 2:9), called by His glory and virtue (1 Pet. 2:9; 3:9; 2 Pet. 1:3, 10), redeemed by Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19), regenerated by God through His living word (1 Pet. 1:3, 23), and saved through the resurrection of Christ (1 Pet. 3:21). They now are being guarded by the power of God (1 Pet. 1:5), are being purified to love one another (1 Pet. 1:22), are growing by feeding on the milk of the word (1 Pet. 2:2), are developing in life the spiritual virtues (2 Pet. 1:5-8), and are being transformed and built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to serve God (1 Pet. 2:4-5, 9). They are God's chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, and peculiar people for His private possession to express His virtues (1 Pet. 2:9). They are being disciplined by His governmental judgment (1 Pet. 1:17; 2:19-21; 3:9, 14, 17; 4:6, 12-19; 5:6, 9), are living a holy life in an excellent manner and in godliness to glorify Him (1 Pet. 1:15; 2:12; 3:1-2), are ministering as good stewards of His varied grace for His glorification through Christ (1 Pet. 4:10-11) (under the elders' exemplary shepherding — 1 Pet. 5:1-4), and are expecting and hastening the coming of the Lord (1 Pet. 1:13; 2 Pet. 3:12) in order to be richly supplied with an entrance into the eternal kingdom of the Lord ( 2 Pet. 1:11). Further, they are expecting the new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells, in eternity (v. 13), and they are growing continually in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (v. 18).
3) From the side of Satan:
Satan is the believers' adversary, the devil, who as a roaring lion is walking about, seeking someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8).
4) From the side of the universe:
The fallen angels were condemned and are awaiting eternal judgment (2 Pet. 2:4); the ancient ungodly world was destroyed by a flood (2 Pet. 2:5; 3:6); the ungodly cities were reduced to ashes (2 Pet. 2:6); the false teachers and heretical mockers in the apostasy and mankind in his evil living will all be judged unto destruction (2 Pet. 2:1, 3, 9-10, 12; 3:3-4, 7; 1 Pet. 4:5); the heavens and the earth will be burned up (vv. 7, 10-11); and all the dead men and the demons will be judged (1 Pet. 4:5). Then the new heavens and new earth will come as a new universe, in which God's righteousness will dwell for eternity (v. 13).

Paul in his writings also spoke concerning "these things" (except for the new heavens and new earth). Hence, Peter referred to Paul's writings to strengthen his own writings, especially concerning God's governmental and disciplinary judgment upon the believers. Paul strongly and repeatedly emphasized this matter in his writings (1 Cor. 11:30-32; Heb. 12:5-11, 12:29; 2:3; 4:1; 6:8; 10:27-31, 39; 1 Cor. 3:13-15; 4:4-5; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10). This must be the reason Peter highly commended Paul's writings.

What beauty and excellency are in this commendation! Although the Corinthians attempted to divide Peter and Paul according to their divisive preferences (1 Cor. 1:11-12), Peter commended Paul, saying that Paul, like him, taught "these things" and that Paul's writings should not be twisted but should be regarded like "the rest of the Scriptures" and should receive the same respect as the Old Testament. For Peter to make such a commendation was not a small thing, for it was he who was rebuked to his face by Paul regarding the New Testament faith (Gal. 2:11-21). This indicates that Peter was bold in admitting that the early apostles, such as John, Paul, and himself, although their style, terminology, utterance, certain aspects of their views, and the way they presented their teachings differed, participated in the same, unique ministry, the ministry of the New Testament (2 Cor. 3:8-9; 4:1). Such a ministry ministers to people, as its focus, the all-inclusive Christ as the embodiment of the Triune God, who, after passing through the process of incarnation, human living, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension, dispenses Himself through the redemption of Christ and by the operation of the Holy Spirit into His redeemed people as their unique portion of life and as their life supply and everything, for the building up of the church as the Body of Christ, which will consummate in the full expression, the fullness, of the Triune God, according to the eternal purpose of the Father.

This indicates that the mockers (v. 3) and their followers must have twisted, not merely ignored (v. 5), the Scriptures and the apostles' teaching.

See note 2 Pet. 2:1⁵, point 2. According to the context, destruction here refers not to eternal perdition but to the punishment of the divine governmental discipline. See note 1 Pet. 4:18² and note 2 Pet. 3:9^5e.

Be on your guard because of the apostasy, the heretical teachings, which may carry you away to destruction by twisting the apostles' writings or the Scriptures (v. 16).

The same word as that used in Gal. 2:13 concerning Peter, Barnabas, and other Jewish believers.

See note 2 Pet. 2:7². The lawless must refer to the false teachers and mockers (2 Pet. 2:1; 3:3), who were the early heretics.

This is to become unstable (v. 16).

This indicates that what Peter wrote in his two Epistles is a matter of life. To grow in grace is to grow by the bountiful supply of eternal life provided by the divine power (2 Pet. 1:3-4), and to grow in the knowledge of the Lord is to grow by the realization of what Christ is. This is to grow by the enjoyment of grace and the realization of truth (John 1:14 and note John 1:14^6d, John 1:17 and note John 1:17^1a).

See note John 1:14^6d, note 1 Cor. 15:10^1a, and note 2 Cor. 13:14^1a.

The realization of the knowledge of our Lord equals truth, the reality of all that He is, as in John 1:14, 17 (see note John 1:17^1a). Peter charged the believers to grow not only in grace but also in this truth.

Referring to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Since such a praise is one that is rendered to our God (Rom. 11:36; 16:27), it indicates that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is God.