Who are the “scoffers” Peter talks about in the last days?

The scoffers Peter talks about are people who mock and doubt God’s promise that Christ will return and that there will be a final judgment. They do not just have honest questions; they walk according to their own desires and use their lifestyle as a reason to reject what God has said. They point to the fact that life seems to go on as usual and claim this proves God will not step in. Their attitude shows a heart that does not want to submit to God’s authority.

What does “Where is the promise of his coming?” mean in this passage?

When the scoffers say, “Where is the promise of his coming?” they are mocking the teaching that Jesus will come again. They look at the world and say that nothing has really changed since the early generations died, so they treat God’s promise as empty. Peter explains that this way of talking ignores how God has already acted in history, especially in the flood, and forgets that God rules creation by his word and will act again in judgment.

Why does Peter mention the creation and the flood in this section?

Peter brings up creation and the flood to show that God has already changed the course of the world by his word. At creation, God formed the heavens and the earth, including the waters. Later, in the days of the flood, God used those same waters so that “the world that then was” perished. This history is meant to answer the scoffers. Things have not always continued the same way, and God has judged the world before, so his warning of another judgment should be taken seriously.

What does it mean that the heavens and earth are “reserved unto fire”?

When Peter says the present heavens and earth are “reserved unto fire,” he is saying that God is keeping the world for a future act of judgment. Just as the old world was once destroyed by water in the flood, the current creation is being held for a different kind of judgment, pictured as fire. This will happen on the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people. It shows that God’s patience now is not weakness, but that a set day of reckoning is still ahead.

Why does Peter want to stir up the believers’ “pure minds by way of remembrance”?

Peter wants to stir up their pure minds because he knows that believers can grow dull or forgetful when surrounded by doubt and mocking. By reminding them of what the holy prophets and the apostles have already said, he helps them keep a clear, sincere faith. Remembering God’s past works and promises protects them from being shaken by scoffers and keeps them steady as they wait for Christ’s return and the coming judgment.

What is the role of the prophets and apostles in this passage?

In this passage, the prophets and apostles are joined together as one united witness. The prophets spoke beforehand about God’s plans and coming judgment, and the apostles gave the command of the Lord and Saviour. Peter urges believers to remember both, showing that the message about Christ’s coming and judgment was not new or random. It has been part of God’s plan and teaching all along, and holding to their words strengthens faith when others doubt.

How does this teaching about scoffers and judgment apply to believers today?

This teaching applies today because there are still people who mock the idea of Christ’s return and final judgment. Believers are reminded not to build their hope on how things look right now but on what God has said. Remembering creation, the flood, and the promise of a coming day of judgment helps Christians stay steady. It encourages them to trust God’s word even when it seems delayed, to resist living by their own desires, and to keep their minds clear and focused on God’s promises.

What does this passage teach about God’s character and his word?

This passage shows that God rules the world by his word. By his word, the heavens and earth were formed. By that same word, the old world was destroyed by the flood. The present world is also kept and reserved by his word for a future day of judgment. This teaches that God is patient but not forgetful, faithful to both his promises and his warnings. His word is steady and powerful, even when people doubt or ignore it.

2Pet.3.1

2 Peter 3:1

KJV

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

The Coming Judgment

This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:

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 Saviour:

Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,

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.

For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

Cross References

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