Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Peter 3:4

"and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." — 2 Peter 3:4 (ASV)

Part of the early church proclamation was the announcement of the return of Jesus to complete the work of salvation and to punish the wicked (e.g., Matthew 24:3ff.; Acts 1:11; Acts 17:31; Romans 13:11; 1 Corinthians 15:23; 1 Thessalonians 4:5–13:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 1:7). The false teachers ask, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?” Mocking the faith of Christians, they support their own position by claiming, “Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” “Our fathers” most likely means the OT fathers (Acts 3:13; Romans 9:5; Hebrews 1:1). “Died” (lit., “fell asleep”; GK 3121) is a lovely metaphor for the death of believers (cf. Acts 7:60; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14). The argument of the false teachers is essentially a naturalistic one—a kind of uniformitarianism that rules out any divine intervention in history.