My Daily Meditation
Today’s Reading
The Second Epistle of Peter
Chapter 3:1-18
1 This second Epistle I now write unto you, beloved, wherewith I stir up, and warn your pure minds,
2 To call to remembrance the words, which were told before of the holy Prophets, and also the commandment of us the Apostles of the Lord and Savior.
3 This first understand, that there shall come in the last days, mockers, which will walk after their lusts,
4 And say, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the Fathers died, all things continue alike from the beginning of the creation. (a)
5 For this they willingly know not, that the heavens were of old, and the earth that was of the water, and by the water, by the word of God.
6 Wherefore the world that then was, perished, overflowed with the water.
7 But the heavens and earth, which are now, are kept by the same word in store, and reserved unto fire against the day of condemnation, and of the destruction of ungodly men.
8 Dearly beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord, as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
9 The Lord of that promise is not slack (as some men count slackness) but is patient toward us, and would have no man to perish, but would all men to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a noise, and the elements shall melt with heat, and the earth with the works that are therein shall be burnt up.
11 Seeing therefore that all these things must be dissolved, what manner persons ought ye to be in holy conversation and godliness,
12 Looking for, and hasting unto the coming of that day of God, by the which the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with heat?
13 But we look for new heavens, and a new earth, according to his promise, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless.
15 And suppose that the long suffering of our Lord is salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul according to the wisdom given unto him wrote to you.
16 As one that in all his Epistles speaketh of these things: among the which, some things are hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable, wrest, as they do also other Scriptures unto their own destruction.
17 Ye therefore beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware, lest ye be also plucked away with the error of the wicked, and fall from your own steadfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: to him be glory both now and for evermore. Amen.
(a) Editor’s thoughts - Re: vss 3-4 - We are witness to this today, in the form of non-believers who openly deny the existence of God, and even question the authenticity of our Savior Christ Jesus. Much of their disbelief can be traced back to Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher who questioned the rationalization of God. I would venture to say that he more closely resembled today’s agnostic than atheist. It is my humble opinion that the former leads eventually to the latter. However, in his writings his core philosophy was summed up in the “Problem of Evil” wherein he wrote:
“God either wants to eliminate bad things and cannot, or can but does not want to, or neither wishes to nor can, or both wants to and can. If he wants to and cannot, then he is weak - and this does not apply to god. If he can but does not want to, then he is spiteful - which is equally foreign to god's nature. If he neither wants to nor can, he is both weak and spiteful, and so not a god. If he wants to and can, which is the only thing fitting for a god, where then do bad things come from? Or why does he not eliminate them?”
This view is often proclaimed by many a nay sayer by the modern question of “why do bad things happen to good people?” Likewise his philosophy has given rise to the idea that if one leads a good life, (that is of good works only), one will be saved. Basically, he is saying that God is a neutral entity, that has set things in motion, and lets them play out. I admit I do simplify it somewhat, however one must be brief here in one’s study.
Our study today, is not to answer this question, but to show, that the Apostle Peter had reiterated much of what our Savior spoke of on the latter times, the end days. That is to say that there would be those who deny God, who oppose Him through their disbelief, (although I suspect that it is a conscious denial for all people have a spirit within them and as such do in fact know that God exists), and would openly mock those who believe. Some even calling for extreme measures and persecution of believers. For such, I can only pray, that they someday come to the illuminating light of the Gospel, and God’s words.
Read also - 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 3:1; Jude 18
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