This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance;
that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles:
knowing this first, that {Greek: in the last of the days.}in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,
and saying, Where is the promise of his {Greek: presence.}coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
For this they wilfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and {Or, through}amidst water, by the word of God;
by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been {Or, stored with fire}stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the {Or, heavenly bodies}elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be {The most ancient manuscripts read discovered.}burned up.
Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness,
looking for and {Or, hastening}earnestly desiring the {Greek: presence.}coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the {Or, heavenly bodies}elements shall melt with fervent heat?
But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;
as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and {Greek: unto the day of eternity. Ecclus. 18:10}for ever. Amen.
Querverweise zu 2. Petrus 3,2 2Pet 3,2
And we have the word of prophecy made more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a {Greek: squalid.}dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:
knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of {Or, special}private interpretation.
For no prophecy ever {Greek: was brought.}came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you;
(As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets that have been from of old),
For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
And beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief corner stone;
And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me.
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
But the things which God foreshowed by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled.
But ye, beloved, remember ye the words which have been spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Yea and all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after, as many as have spoken, they also told of these days.
Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God {Greek: covenanted.}made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, {Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14.}And in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Unto you first God, having raised up his {Or, Child See Matthew 12:18; Isaiah 42:1; 52:13; 53:11.}Servant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.
To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins.
And when they had appointed him a day, they came to him into his lodging in great number; to whom he expounded the matter, testifying the kingdom of God, and persuading them concerning Jesus, both from the law of Moses and from the prophets, from morning till evening.
Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:
searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings {Greek: unto.}of Christ, and the glories that should follow them.
To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that {Greek: brought good tidings. Compare Matthew 11:5.} preached the gospel unto you {Greek: in.}by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.
And I fell down before his feet to {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship him. And he saith unto me, See thou do it not: I am a fellow-servant with thee and with thy brethren that hold the testimony of Jesus: {See marginal note on chapter 3:9}worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.