2 Peter 3:1-9, Ignorant Scoffers

Several years ago John Piper (I apologize, I don’t remember where I read it) spoke about people who scoffed at the idea of fulfillment of prophecy.  He mentioned Carl Sagan, the astronomer who put the second coming of Christ in the same category as the cow that jumped over the moon.  Then he mentioned several Biblical scholars.  One was William Neil who, in the Moffatt Commentary, indicated the future day of the Lord was symbolic but not areal event.  Another, Rudolf Bultmann, believed that if the world were to come to an end it would not be the mythical event of Scripture but would be a natural catastrophe of some sort.  A third, Ernest Best, denied that there would be a future, public end to earth even as there had not been a beginning.  Piper was not surprised to hear this from Sagan but wondered how the professors of divinity could in any way claim to represent the Bible.


One answer is that part of the prediction concerning the end times is that scoffers will come in the last days (2 Pt. 3:3).

·        Scoffers: who are they?  By definition a scoffer is one who shows contempt (Ps. 1:1) by mocking or sneering (Gen. 21:9; Ps. 73:8).  Peter says they walk according to their own lust.  They love to hear themselves talk (Pr. 1:22).  David was scorned by the giant (1 Sam. 17:43-44).  The Assyrian commander scorned Israel and Hezekiah for trusting God (2 Sam. 17:17-25).  The soldiers and chief priests scorned Christ in His suffering (Mt. 27:31,41).

·        Scoffers: how do they err?  According to Peter they …

o   Deny the return of Christ, v4.  This is akin to Satan’s question in Eden: “Has God indeed said…?”  They begin by raising doubt in people’s minds, doubt that is accentuated by what appears to be a delay in fulfilling the promise.  This is happening after only one generation of the Church.  As Paul seemed to indicate, many people had expected a much sooner return by Christ (1 Thess. 4:13; 2 Thess. 2:1-2).

o   Deny the record of the Bible, v4-5.  Note that they willfully forget.  They deny Christ’s return by their argument for “uniformitarianism.”  Everything is the same since the beginning of creation, they say.  They depict, at best, a “deist” god who created it all and then left it to run itself. 

o   Deny the reliability of God, v9.  This is critical.  Note the phrase in v9: as some count slackness.  These scoffers speak of God as if He is like men, sometimes finding it difficult or inconvenient to keep His promises.  Again, they forget what David knew: that the words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times and that You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever (Ps. 12:6-7).

Scoffers are dangerous.  Their words can shake the foundation of faith of those who do not stand firm in the truth.  We should thank God for Peter’s ministry of reminding.