2 Peter 3:11-14

3:11 Since all these things are to melt away¹ in this manner,² what sort of people must we³ be, conducting our lives in holiness and godliness,⁴ 3:12 while waiting for and hastening⁵ the coming of the day of God?⁶ Because of this day,⁷ the heavens will be burned up and⁸ dissolve, and the celestial bodies⁹ will melt away in a blaze!¹⁰ 3:13 But, according to his promise, we are waiting for¹¹ new heavens and a new earth, in which¹² righteousness truly resides.¹³

Exhortation to the Faithful

3:14 Therefore, dear friends, since you are waiting for¹⁴ these things, strive to be found¹⁵ at peace, without spot or blemish, when you come into his presence.¹⁶

¹tn Grk “all these things thus being dissolved.”

²tn Or “thus.”

³tc ‡ Most mss have a pronoun with the infinitive – either ὑμᾶς (Jumas, “you”; found in A C^[*^] P Ψ 048^vid 33 1739 Ï, as well as the corrector of Ì⁷² and second corrector of א), ἡμᾶς (Jhmas, “we”; read by א* 630 2464 al), or ἑαυτούς (Jeautous, “[you your]selves/[we our]selves,” read by 1243). But the shorter reading (with no pronoun) has the support of Ì^72*,74vid B pc. Though slim, the evidence for the omission is nevertheless the earliest. Further, the addition of some pronoun, especially the second person pronoun, seems to be a clarifying variant. It would be difficult to explain the pronoun’s absence in some witnesses if the pronoun were original. That three different pronouns have shown up in the mss is testimony for the omission. Thus, on external and internal grounds, the omission is preferred. For English style requirements, however, some pronoun has to be added. NA ²⁷ has ὑμᾶς in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

tn Or “you.”

⁴tn Grk “in holy conduct and godliness.”

⁵tn Or possibly, “striving for,” but the meaning “hasten” for σπουδάζω (spoudazw) is normative in Jewish apocalyptic literature (in which the coming of the Messiah/the end is anticipated). Such a hastening is not an arm-twisting of the divine volition, but a response by believers that has been decreed by God.

⁶sn The coming of the day of God. Peter elsewhere describes the coming or parousia as the coming of Christ (cf. 2 Pet 1:16; 3:4). The almost casual exchange between “God” and “Christ” in this little book, and elsewhere in the NT, argues strongly for the deity of Christ (see esp. 1:1).

⁷tn Grk “on account of which” (a subordinate relative clause in Greek).

⁸tn Grk “being burned up, will dissolve.”

⁹tn See note in v. 10 on “celestial bodies.”

¹⁰tn Grk “being burned up” (see v. 10).

¹¹tn Or possibly, “let us wait for.” The form in Greek (προσδόκωμεν, prosdokwmen) could be either indicative or subjunctive. The present participle in v. 14, however, is best taken causally (“since you are waiting for”), suggesting that the indicative is to be read here.

¹²tn The relative pronoun is plural, indicating that the sphere in which righteousness dwells is both the new heavens and the new earth.

¹³tn Grk “dwells.” The verb κατοικέω (katoikew) is an intensive cognate of οἰκέω (oikew), often with the connotation of “taking up residence,” “settling down,” being at home,” etc. Cf., e.g., Matt 2:23; Acts 17:26; 22:12; Eph 3:17; Col 1:19; 2:9. Hence, the addition of the adverb “truly” is implicit in the connotation of the verb in a context such as this.

¹⁴tn Grk “dear friends, waiting for.” See note in v. 13 on “waiting for.”

¹⁵sn The Greek verb used in the phrase strive to be found is the same as is found in v. 10, translated “laid bare.” In typical Petrine fashion, a conceptual link is made by the same linkage of terms. The point of these two verses thus becomes clear: When the heavens disappear and the earth and its inhabitants are stripped bare before the throne of God, they should strive to make sure that their lives are pure and that they have nothing to hide.

¹⁶tn “When you come into” is not in Greek. However, the dative pronoun αὐτῷ (autw) does not indicate agency (“by him”), but presence or sphere. The idea is “strive to found {before him/in his presence}.”