In this chapter the apostle deals with four specific things. (1) He mentions the reason for writing this epistle, (2) he foretells that there will be scoffers in the last days who doubt the coming of Christ, (3) he describes the coming of the Lord and the destruction of the earth, and (4) he closes with the use that we should make of these things.
(Vs. 1-2) "I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance." Perhaps a better word than pure is SINCERE. We are sincere in the worship of God, in the faith of Christ, and in love to one another. Yet, we need to be constantly stirred up to remembrance of the doctrines of Christ, the duties of believers, and the promises of our Lord, not only because we are still human and prone to forget, but because we need the constant preaching of the Word to grow to spiritual maturity (I Peter 2:2).
"That you may be mindful of" two things especially.1. "The words spoken before by the holy prophets;" that is, the prophets of the Old Testament. They were men of God; and they spoke of Christ in promise, prophecy, and type (Acts 10:43; Luke 24:44; Rom. 1:2).
2. "And the commandment of the Lord Jesus given through us, His apostles."Perhaps one of two things (or both) are referred to here--His commandment to preach the gospel (Mark 16:15-16: Luke 24:46-47) or His commandment to love one another (John 13:34; I John 3:23).
(Vs. 3-4) We know from the writing of the apostles that in the last days men will make a mock of sin, they will jeer and mock at all religion, they will mock ministers of the true gospel, and they will reject the gospel of grace. Especially will they mock the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the torments of hell, and the joys of heaven (I Tim. 4:1-2; II Tim. 3: 1-5). They will be a people who walk after their own desires and do their own thing.
The object of their scorn is Christ and the promise of His return (John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16-18). They reason that many years have come and gone, everything is the same, and nothing has changed FROM THE BEGINNING OF CREATION.
(Vs. 5-7) They are willingly ignorant of three things.1. They overlook the fact that it was by the Word of God that all things were created. The heavens came into existence by the Word of God, and the earth was formed out of the waters by the Word of God. God created it all, and by Him it remains to this day (Col. 1:16-17).
2. They overlook the fact that God once did destroy by water the world that then existed. The earth was covered by water by the command of God, and by His command it was removed. All things have NOT continued as they were.
3. They forget that by the same Word which created the world, it is sustained and kept intact, reserved for destruction by fire (II Thess. 1:7-10). He will not again destroy the world by water, but by fire (Gen. 9:11-15).