John Calvin Commentary 2 Peter 3

So that they would not be wearied with the Second Epistle as if the first was sufficient, he says that it was not written in vain, because they needed to be often stirred up. To make this more evident, he shows that they could not be beyond danger unless they were well fortified, because they would have to contend with desperate men, who would not only corrupt the purity of the faith by false opinions, but also do what they could to completely subvert the faith.

By saying, I stir up your pure mind, he means the same as if he had said, “I wish to awaken you to a sincerity of mind.” And the words ought to be explained this way: “I stir up your mind so that it may be pure and bright.” For the meaning is, that the minds of the godly become dim and, as it were, contract rust when admonitions cease. But from this we also learn that even learned men become, in a way, drowsy, unless they are stirred up by constant warnings.

It now appears what the use of admonitions is, and how necessary they are; for the sloth of the flesh smothers the truth once received and renders it inefficient, unless the goads of warnings come to its aid. It is not enough, then, for men to be taught what they ought to be, but godly teachers are needed to do this second part: to deeply impress the truth on the memory of their hearers. And since men are, by nature, for the most part, fond of novelty and therefore inclined to be fastidious, it is useful for us to bear in mind what Peter says, so that we may not only willingly allow ourselves to be admonished by others, but that everyone may also practice continually recalling the truth, so that our minds may become resplendent with its pure and clear knowledge.

That ye may be mindful. By these words, he indicates that we have enough in the writings of the prophets and in the gospel to stir us up, provided we are as diligent as we ought to be in meditating on them. Indeed, when our minds sometimes gather rust or become dimmed by darkness, this is due to our sloth.

So that God may then continually shine upon us, we must devote ourselves to that study. Let our faith, at the same time, rest in witnesses so certain and credible. For when we have the prophets and apostles agreeing with us—indeed, as the ministers of our faith—with God as the author and angels as approvers, there is no reason that the ungodly, all united, should move us from our position.

By the commandment of the apostles, he means the whole doctrine in which they had instructed the faithful.

Knowing this first. The participle knowing may be applied to the Apostle, and in this way, “I labor to stir you up for this reason, because I know what and how great is your impending danger from scoffers.” I however prefer this explanation, that the participle is used in place of a verb, as though he had said, “Know this especially.” For it was necessary that this should have been foretold, because they might have been shaken, had impious men attacked them suddenly with scoffs of this kind. He therefore wished them to know this, and to feel assured on the subject, that they might be prepared to oppose such men.

But he calls the attention of the faithful again to the doctrine which he touched upon in the second chapter. For by the last days is commonly meant the kingdom of Christ, or the days of his kingdom, according to what Paul says, Upon whom the ends of the world are come (1 Corinthians 10:11). The meaning is, that the more God offers himself by the gospel to the world, and the more he invites men to his kingdom, the more audacious on the other hand will ungodly men vomit forth the poison of their impiety.

He calls those scoffers, according to what is usual in Scripture, who seek to appear witty by showing contempt to God, and by a blasphemous presumption. It is, moreover, the very extremity of evil, when men allow themselves to treat the awful name of God with scoffs. Thus, the first Psalm speaks of the seat of scoffers. So David, in Psalm 119:51, complains that he was derided by the proud, because he attended to God’s law. So Isaiah, in Isaiah 28, having referred to them, describes their supine security and insensibility.

Let us therefore bear in mind, that there is nothing to be feared more than a contest with scoffers. On this subject we said something while explaining Galatians 3. As, however, the Holy Scripture has foretold that they would come, and has also given us a shield by which we may defend ourselves, there is no excuse why we should not boldly resist them whatever devices they may employ.

Where is the promise? It was a dangerous scoff when they insinuated a doubt regarding the last resurrection. For when that is taken away, there is no gospel any longer, the power of Christ is brought to nothing, and the whole of religion is gone. Then Satan aims directly at the throat of the Church when he destroys faith in the coming of Christ. For why did Christ die and rise again, except so that he might one day gather to himself the redeemed from death and give them eternal life? All religion is wholly subverted unless faith in the resurrection remains firm and immovable. Hence, on this point Satan assails us most fiercely.

But let us notice what the scoff was. They set the regular course of nature, such as it seems to have been from the beginning, in opposition to the promise of God, as though these things were contrary or did not harmonize together. Though the faith of the fathers, they said, was the same, yet no change has taken place since their death, and it is known that many ages have passed away. Hence they concluded that what was said about the destruction of the world was a fable, because they conjectured that since it had lasted so long, it would be perpetual.

For this they willingly are ignorant of. By one argument only he refutes the scoff of the ungodly: namely, that the world once perished by a deluge of waters, even though it consisted of waters (Genesis 1:2). And as the history of this was well known, he says that they willingly, or of their own accord, erred.

For those who infer the perpetuity of the world from its present state deliberately close their eyes, so as not to see such a clear judgment of God. The world undoubtedly had its origin from waters, for Moses calls the chaos from which the earth emerged 'waters'; and furthermore, it was sustained by waters. Yet it pleased the Lord to use waters for the purpose of destroying it.

Therefore, it appears that the power of nature is not sufficient to sustain and preserve the world, but that, on the contrary, it contains the very element of its own ruin, whenever it may please God to destroy it.

For it should always be remembered that the world stands by no other power than that of God’s word, and that therefore, inferior or secondary causes derive their power from Him and produce different effects as He directs them.

Thus, the world stood through water, but water could have done nothing by itself; on the contrary, it obeyed God’s word as an inferior agent or element. Then, as soon as it pleased God to destroy the earth, the same water obeyed, becoming a ruinous inundation.

We now see how egregiously those err who stop at the bare elements, as though there were perpetuity in them and their nature were not changeable according to God’s command.

By these few words, the petulance of those who arm themselves with physical reasons to fight against God is abundantly refuted. For the history of the deluge is an abundantly sufficient testimony that the entire order of nature is governed by the sole power of God (Genesis 7:17).

It seems strange, however, that he says the world perished through the deluge, when he had previously mentioned the heaven and the earth.

To this I answer that the heaven was then also submerged—that is, the region of the air, which lay open between the two waters. For the division or separation mentioned by Moses was then disrupted (Genesis 1:6); and the word heaven is often understood in this sense.

If anyone wishes for more on this subject, let them read Augustine on the City of God, Book 20.