2 Peter

Scoffers one and all, 3:1-7

Against those who argue that the delay in the expected coming of "the day of the Lord" proves that Jesus is not going to return, Peter argues that the Sovereign Lord God will one day dismantle that which he created, holding to account all humanity for the day when he exercises his righteous judgment.

v1. Peter again addresses his readers with the affectionate term "beloved", or as the NIV has it, "dear friends." He notes that this is the second letter he has written, obviously alluding to the first general epistle of Peter. There is some debate as to whether this second epistle of Peter was actually written by the apostle Peter, particularly as the letter paraphrases large chunks of Jude. Even the early church was unsure of its authorship, and so weighted it accordingly. Anyway, in this verse the purpose of the letter is declared, namely "to stimulate you to do some straight thinking by reminding you of what you already know", Barclay.

v2. The purpose of the letter is further expanded. In countering the false teachings circulating in the Christian church at this time, our author wants his readers to refocus their attention, not on the new ideologies doing the rounds, but on the sound doctrine revealed in the Old Testament prophets and in the teachings of Christ, mediated to the church through his apostles.

v3. The reader is now reminded of a particular prophetic word from Christ. Jesus told his apostles that in the last days, disciples would be led astray by false prophets. As far as Peter is concerned, those days are now at hand; "there will come men who will pour cynical scorn on the faith, and who know no law but their own desires", Barclay. The term "the last days" refers to the period of time between Christ's ascension and his return, so we too are in the last days and find ourselves surrounded by many who scoff at the Christian faith.

v4. We now get to see one of the central arguments used by the scoffers. It seems that they believed in a non-interventionist God; they rejected the notion that the world faces a catastrophic end in the day when God exercises his righteous judgment upon the whole of creation. The scoffers were most likely well intrenched in a secular worldview which saw time as cyclical, ever repeating itself, rather than linear, with a beginning and end. One of their best arguments was to raise the long-held belief that Jesus would return in the lifetime of the apostles. "Well guess what! The first generation of believers ("our ancestors") have all died and nothing has happened - life goes on, and will do so infinitum."

v5-6. Peter now confronts his opponents who argue that "the stability of the created order precludes the notion of a catastrophic end", Malcolm Sidebottom. He presents a simple argument, nicely put by John Kelly in his commentary. "Far from allowing the natural order to continue unaltered from the beginning, He has already destroyed it once at the Flood, and will use his selfsame Word to do so again when the appropriate time comes." The scoffers have forgotten that the world, as we know it, had a beginning at the hand of God, and so it is not illogical to argue that God will have a hand in its end. He has already nearly destroyed it once. Other than Noah and his family, the world of human habitations was virtually destroyed by the deluge. If God has already destroy the world on such a scale, what is so illogical with him doing it again, this time by fire?

v7. Having presented his argument, Peter restates the apostolic teaching concerning the day of judgment. The world of human habitation is on borrowed time. There will be a day when God settles accounts, a day of judgment and destruction for the ungodly, a day of blessing for the children of faith.

I'm always impressed by the quality of TV that emerges from the BBC. They do the full range of programs well; from news to humor. On the humor side, there is one program that I enjoy greatly and that's QI. Stephen Fry is a brilliant host and Allan Davies plays the role of the comic-butt perfectly. We all identify with Allan because we have all been the butt of a joke. The quality of the guests, most standup comedians, is superb. Yet, I have one complaint. I do find those occasions when Stephen and Allan decide to put down Jesus a bit offensive. They are very effective scoffers. I do know that talking to the TV set is somewhat deluded, but when they ply their scoffing I often suggest that they may like to replace the name Jesus with Mohammed. I then provide the answer; "that would be culturally insensitive." "Don't you mean, 'that would be dangerous'?"

We live in the last days, and scoffers will be everywhere living lives dictated by their own desires. In Western societies the status of the Christian church has protected believers from the worst elements of atheism, yet that status is on the wane. One of the worst examples of atheistic bigotry in Australia's recent history was perpetrated against Michael and Lindy Chamberlain in 1980 when their daughter Azaria was taken by a dingo. They were devoted believers, Adventists, and so approached the tragedy with eyes of faith. For them, it was all part of God's sovereign will, and so they acted accordingly. The first inquest found the obvious, that the child was taken by a dingo, but the weight of law officers, media and a large segment of the public, who scoffed at their churchie thinking, presumed their guilt and proceeded to execute it. Lindy was soon found guilty of the murder of her child, jailed in 1982, but released three years later when new evidence was found. At the time, I wrote a weekly article in a Wollongong newspaper, and in one article I tried to explain that their way of seeing life was not a sign of guilt, but of faith. It was not until 2012 that the couple were exonerated. It was a shameful injustice, the seeds of which lay in the simple faith of a young mum and dad. Michael Chamberlain died in January 2017, a man of faith to the end.

Increasingly our faith is maligned, our beliefs scorned and ridiculed, whether it be our belief in a transcendent being, his incarnate presence with us, or his intended coming in glory. For the unbeliever it's all rubbish, or as Allan Davies calls it, "a myth." Yet, for those with the eyes of faith, it is reality, the only unalterable truth in a world devoid of truth. So, it is with sadness in our heart that we look upon those who so easily mock God's eternal verities, for we know that a day is coming when every one of us will have to face the consuming fire of divine judgment.

1. What is Peter's stated purpose for this letter?

2. Peter refers to the fulfillment in his age of a particular prophecy from Jesus. What is it?

3. On the basis of what Peter tells us of the "scoffers", discuss their views on the second coming of Christ.

4. Discuss how to best handle a person who ridicules the Christian faith.