Explaining II Peter 3:9

This is one of those verses that if the reader  isn’t careful and fails to read it in it’s context, you can come up with an incorrect meaning.

So, let’s read it.

It reads, “The Lord is not slack as concerning His promise, as some count slackness,  but  is longsuffering toward us not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

The apostle Peter is writing and talking specifically to believers. The reason we know this is two key texts; II Peter 2:1, “Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of God and Savior Jesus Christ.” Only believers have true faith so Peter is talking to believers.

II Peter 3:1 says, “this is the second epistle or letter (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior.” Once again, the audience of Peter’s first epistle is the same as his second epistle-to believers.

The questions we need to answer are who are the “us”, the  “any” and the “all” in (vs.9)? On the surface, it appears the verse is making reference to any and all people without exception; in other words, most believe that God desires all men, that is every man on the planet to come to repentance. Well, if this is true,  then why are countless souls dying in their sins and going to hell? Is it that God was hoping, crossing his fingers that dead men lost in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1) would somehow dig deep within themselves to find enough strength and virtue to come to life, accept the gospel and be saved?  Or could it be that God is talking about the “any” and the “all” in a limited sense?

           

      Let me explain.

The us, the any, and the all in (vs.9) is making reference to Christians only not to unbelievers. In the beginning of the chapter Peter discusses scoffers/false teachers in the last days mockingly will say, “where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (II Peter 3:3-4).

Peter declares things have not continued since creation. The old world was judged by water (i.e. The Flood), and the current world is being reserved for judgment by fire (II Peter 3:6-7). Peter was disputing the nonsense of these mockers who was saying the Lord wasn’t returning. Peter declared that Jesus is coming, but the delay of the Lord’s return is for the sake of his elect not for the unsaved. Once all of the regenerate elect that He decreed for salvation before the foundation of the world have come to repentance, then the earth will be judged, destroyed, and Jesus will return. Does it make sense for the Lord to desire that every person on the planet come to repentance when he knows that isn’t what he decreed? No.

So we see now why the Lord is delaying his return, all of his chosen from the foundation of the world have not been saved yet, hence the longsuffering of the Lord (vs.15). The Lord is patiently waiting for all of them to come to the point that they receive the repentance provided for them. This is point of the letter.

                                                                    

                                                                     

                                                                  Conclusion

Peter had to reassure the hearts and minds of the saints since there were liars saying the Lord was not returning at all. No doubt some of them believed this evil report and were distressed. The believers in that day believed that Jesus would return in their lifetime. For him not to have returned yet caused doubt and anxiety. Peter told them that God’s delay in returning wasn’t for nothing. The Lord was/is exercising patience toward all of us (the elect of all time), that we all come to repentance and be saved. That is the revealed will of God that Peter was conveying to his readers so that they would fully understand the delay in the Lord’s return; as aptly as Peter put it, it’s God desired-decreed will that none of his children perish. Those words were the comfort of those contemporary saints and for us. Each day we live and the Lord delays his return is because there are more saints that have to be added into the kingdom of God.