The big picture
2 Peter 3 opens in verse 1 with “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 9 with “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is…”, and closes in verse 18 with “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be…” Repeated or prominent terms include Lord, beloved, heavens, earth, promise. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
2 Peter · King James Version · 182 Peter 3:1-6
1–6: This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir…
2 Peter 3:1–6 opens with “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by…” and reaches “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Scoffers ignoring creation and flood while believers wait for judgment and new heavens and new earth; A community pursuing peace, carefully reading difficult apostolic letters, and growing in grace without being carried away, with particular weight carried by water, apostles, asleep.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
2 Peter 3:1-6
King James Version1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
2That 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:
3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4And 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.
5For 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:
6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2 Peter 3:7-12
7–12: The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in…
2 Peter 3:7–12 opens with “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto…” and reaches “Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Scoffers ignoring creation and flood while believers wait for judgment and new heavens and new earth; A community pursuing peace, carefully reading difficult apostolic letters, and growing in grace without being carried away, with particular weight carried by heavens, Lord, dissolved.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day…” The line’s distinctive content terms include earth, fire, heavens. Its relationship to verses 8 shows what work it does in this passage.
2 Peter 3:7-12
King James Version7But 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.
8But, 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.
9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
2 Peter 3:13-18
13–18: Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a…
2 Peter 3:13–18 opens with “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein…” and reaches “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Scoffers ignoring creation and flood while believers wait for judgment and new heavens and new earth; A community pursuing peace, carefully reading difficult apostolic letters, and growing in grace without being carried away, with particular weight carried by beloved, look, Lord.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
2 Peter 3:13-18
King James Version13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
2 Peter 3:1 begins with “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:”
Where the chapter turns
2 Peter 3:8 forms a natural hinge: “But, 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.”
The final note
2 Peter 3:18 leaves the reader with “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words Lord, beloved, heavens, earth, promise, seeing help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
How does blame move through the conversation?
The man points to the woman and indirectly to God; the woman points to the serpent. Neither response repairs trust.
Where does mercy appear?
Continued life, the promise involving offspring, and clothing accompany the expulsion.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- hath
- has
- wherefore
- for that reason
- lest
- so that something does not happen
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.