Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. The mockers mocked that the Lord is not going to return because nothing supernatural has happened since the beginning of time. When they say, God is slow, they mean that God is indifferent, incompetent, or powerless, much like the pagan gods who fall asleep and do not come to the aid of their worshippers.

2. But in fact, the Lord (kurios - master, ruler of all) is not slow. The Greek word for “slow” is bradunō and defined as to hesitate or be delayed for one reason or another (cf. Gen 43:10; 1Ti 3:15).

3. The promise, like 2Pe 3:4, refers to the Second Coming and the Scriptures that have predicted it (Isa 13:6; Ezek 30:3; Joe 2:31; Oba 1:15; Zep 1:14; Mal 4:5 cf. 1Th 5:2; 2Pe 3:10; Jud 1:14-15)

4. Mockers will never be satisfied with the Lord’s timing and will come up with any excuse or twist (“as some count slowness”) any definition to bolster their case.

5. Whatever the reason for which the Lord has waited, it is not because He is lethargic, powerless, or thwarted by something or someone more powerful.

B. He is Patient

1. Instead, the Lord is being patient. “Patient” (makrothumeō) to have a long (makros) temper (thumos), or better still a long fuse rather than a short fuse in regard to restraint. But it can also mean patience or long-suffering. Here God is long-suffering for a purpose or plan.

2. God’s purpose and plan is for salvation. But the 64,000 dollar question is, for the salvation of whom?

3. Four Views

a. Universalism - God wills that no one will perish but all will be saved.

b. Desirous Will - God desires that none will perish and that all would be saved, but He does not interfere with man’s will.

c. Providence - God wills to give all men time to repent.

d. Elect - God wills that none of the elect will perish but all of the elect will be saved. This is the view I hold and will allow the text and context to argue its case (see MacArthur and S. Lewis Johnson)

4. He is Not Patient Toward False Teachers

a. It is at this time that many will quote the next portion of this verse, saying God is “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

b. However, we must not just take a phrase or a verse and make a conclusion. We must look at the whole verse and the whole context.

c. In chapter 2, Peter began his polemic against false teachers and their claims. He clearly described them (2Pe 2:2-3, 10-19) as well as told of their destiny (2Pe 2:17-22).

d. God is not waiting for these false teachers to repent, especially when their judgment was from long ago (2Pe 2:3), being kept under punishment for the day of judgment (2Pe 2:9b).

5. He is Patient Toward the Elect

a. Notice what is the often neglected word in this passage. It is the word, “you”, in the phrase, “patient toward you.” The “you” refers to his believing readers (2Pe 1:1, 4; 2:1, 2Pe 3:1-2, 8).

b. 2Pe 3:3-7 was written for the mockers and false teachers, but 2Pe 3:8-9 was written for believers and the elect.

c. “You” refers both to Peter’s immediate readers and any who will ever come to faith in Jesus Christ (cf. John 10:16). Some have argued that “you” implies the salvation of all people. But the immediate context and comments about the destruction of ungodly men (v. 7) clearly limits the “you” to believers. (Mac in loc.).

d. This thought may seem strange to the readers in our day, but it certainly wasn’t strange to the apostle Peter who had called them “chosen” (1Pe 1:1), “foreknown” (1Pe 1:2), a “chosen race” (1Pe 2:9), and those who “received their faith” (2Pe 1:1 cf. Eph 2:8-9).

C. He Does Not Wish Any to Perish

1. He is Not Willing

a. Looking at the translation of the word boulomai, most versions translate it “wishing” (NASB, NET, ESV, RSV). The KJV translates it “willing” which gives it a stronger meaning.

b. Boulomai can mean a mere wish or desire (Act 17:20), but it can also mean a desire based on reason, deliberate decision, or a desirous and active will.

c. However, when considering this word in connection with the members of the Godhead, it is characterized as a strong desirous and active will.

1) Father (Heb 6:17, 2Pe 3:9; Jam 1:18)

2) Son (Luk 22:42; Mat 11:27; Luk 10:22)

3) Spirit (1Co 12:11)

d. S. Lewis Johnson states concerning this word, the word for “willing” [boulomai] is the strongest word we have in the New Testament.

e. If the words “not willing” are taken in its strongest sense, especial with regard to God’s will, then it will fit better with the concept that God will not allow the elect to perish. The only other alternative is Universalism.

2. Any Should Perish

a. Who are the “any” that God is not willing should perish? The “any” would have to coincide with the context the “beloved” in 2Pe 3:8 and “you(r)” in 2Pe 3:8-9. Therefore, according to the context, the “any” would have to be the elect.

b. … not willing that any, any who? Any of the elect, any of the elect. Not willing that any of you, you see the context demands that the any be the beloved, the elect. Now then, is God not willing that any should perish? Is he willing that any should perish? No, he's not willing that any should perish, any of the elect. But if you're talking about a broad any of all people, he is willing that some perish. So you see this text makes beautiful sense. (SLJ in loc.)

c. The context indicates that any and all are limited to the elect-namely all those whom the Lord has chosen and will call to Himself. Put another way, Christ will not come back until every person whom God has chosen is saved. By using the term you (a reference to Peter's believing readers), the apostle limits any and all to the realm of elect human beings. (Mac in loc.)

d. Remember that Peter had made a similar distinction between God, the righteous, and the unrighteous. “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment” (2Pe 2:9). God knows how to keep the elect from perishing and to bring them to repentance.

3. All Come to Repentance

a. Will all (everybody in the world) come to repentance? No. We know many that have died while rejecting Christ. Their destiny is clear from Scripture.

b. It is at this point that the Universalists maintain that all (everybody in the world) will eventually be saved by the love of God. But this ignores the righteousness of God.

c. However, the only view that is sufficiently consistent with the context and grammar is that “all the elect” will be saved.

d. Note: it is not the concept that whoever repents becomes the elect and whoever does not repent becomes the non-elect. Rather it is the idea that the elect will repent and the non-elect will not repent.

e. All the elect will “come” (chōreō - to make room or to make time) to repentance because God will cause them to see, understand, repent, and believe the gospel.

II. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. The delay in the Second Coming was for you (believers and elect)

1. The context indicates that any and all are limited to the elect namely all those whom the Lord has chosen and will call to Himself. Put another way, Christ will not come back until every person whom God has chosen is saved. By using the term you (a reference to Peters believing readers), the apostle limits any and all to the realm of elect human beings. MacArthur

2. The reason that the Lord has delayed His Second Coming is that you were the elect and He was not willing that you should perish. He would wait for you to be born and then bring you to repentance in His perfect timing.

3. He is also delaying for the rest of the elect to be brought to Christ (Joh 10:16), after which He will return.

B. The offer to repentance is to all, but only the elect will respond.

1. God does give a general offer to all men to come to Him (Mat 22:14; Joh 3:16). The problem is that man is spiritually dead and has no ability in himself to answer God’s call (Eph 2:1-3).

2. Therefore God must intervene in order for anyone to be saved (Eph 2:4). God intervenes for those whom He chose before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4;

a. This thought may seem strange to the readers in our day, but it certainly wasn’t strange to the apostle Peter who had called them “chosen” (1Pe 1:1), “foreknown” (1Pe 1:2), a “chosen race” (1Pe 2:9), and those who “received their faith” (2Pe 1:1 cf. Eph 2:8-9).

C. The theme of Peter is repeated

a. Remember that Peter had made a similar distinction between God, the righteous, and the unrighteous. “the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment” (2Pe 2:9).

b. God knows how to keep the elect from perishing and to bring them to repentance.

c. God also knows how to punish the wicked, of whom we were rescued.

d. Fall down in humility to the grace of God.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516