![]() ![]() The literal translation would be "to those who have chanced upon the faith equally valued by us." The participle λαχοῦσιν comes from the verb λαγχάνω, which means to receive by lot or divine appointment.įor example, in the Book of Acts, Peter mentioned that Judas Iscariot had "received his lot," or appointment from the Lord ( λαγχάνω in Acts 1:17). Peter opens his epistle "to those who have received a faith of the same kind" as ours. Peter is therefore addressing those for whom in fact there is some uncertainty as to whether or not they know the Lord, since the historical pattern of "believers" going astray in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Balaam) was through false teaching, irreverence (mocking the Word of God), sexual immorality, and/or greed: thus Peter cites the Proverb, "The dog returns to his vomit and the washed sow returns to wallow in the mire." Irrespective, the Lord is patient with all, not wishing that any perish, which would include all those people who may know much about the Lord, but yet who STILL do not know Him (as is apparent by their life of debauchery and irreverence). That is, he states to them in the same first chapter: "Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you" ( 2 Pet 1:10). That is, he addresses them as "to those who received a faith the same as ours." However, Peter does not assume that they all therefore know the Lord. 10).Peter acknowledges in his introduction of the epistle that the recipients of his letter know about the Lord. Lest this make anyone complacent in their sin, Peter also reminds us that His return will come suddenly, and therefore we must repent today before the parousia makes it too late (v. God does not wish that any of His people should fail to repent thus, we know that Jesus will not return until all the elect are gathered in. Instead of being an evidence against Jesus’ return, what might seem to be a delay of the parousia actually demonstrates God’s mercy. Far from denying that God elects only some to eternal life, this verse tells us that God has seemed to delay the parousia (the return of Christ) in order that His people might repent before it is too late. He is addressing an audience of believers, telling them that the Lord is patient with “you” (the believing audience) and not willing that anyone in this audience should perish but instead find repentance. How can God predestine only some to eternal life, it is said, if He does not desire that any should perish? Let us note, however, that Peter is not speaking to all people in general in this verse. Many have used 3:9 as a proof text against the Reformed doctrine of predestination. Rather, the Lord had not yet come in Peter’s day because of His patience in waiting for Peter’s audience to come to repentance (v. In today’s passage, Peter continues to affirm the reality of the second coming in light of its seeming delay, encouraging believers that the Lord is indeed not slow in fulfilling His promises. Yesterday we saw that God’s relation to time is indeed very different than our own, and because of this, the return of Jesus is near in every generation even though it may seem slow in coming to us (v. Second Peter 3 devotes much space to addressing this important concern. ![]() These false teachers spread this heresy among the audience of Peter’s second epistle, causing even some true believers to begin to wonder if the false teachers might be right. In fact, some so-called teachers in the early church taught that the apparent delay of Christ’s return proved that He would not be coming back at all. ![]() That the return of Christ seemed to be slow in coming caused quite a stir among the earliest Christians. ![]()
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