independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The reminder and the scoffers 3:1–7
vv. 1–2 — the second letter: memory stirred
1
This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you,independent — the epistolary frame — the second letter (1 Peter, or a lost first)
in both of which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,relative — on ἐπιστολήν — the plural αἷς reaches back over both letters (constructio ad sensum)
2
to remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophetspurpose — the stirring's goal — the prophets' words first
and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles;phrase modifier — the second object of remembering — the Lord's own command, carried by your apostles
vv. 3–4 — the scoffers and their taunt
3
knowing this first,participial — nominative γινώσκοντες — the concord slips to 'you who remember' (cf. 1:20)
that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing,content — the first thing to know — ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ ἐμπαῖκται, mockers mocking (cognate emphasis)
walking according to their own lustsparticipial — their manner — desire, not argument, sets their course (cf. 2:10)
4
and saying:participial — their speech — the taunt quoted verbatim
'Where is the promise of his coming?'content — the quoted sneer — the Ποῦ ἐστιν taunt formula (cf. Mal 2:17; Jer 17:15)
'For ever since the fathers fell asleep,relative — temporal relative inside the quotation (ἀφ᾽ ἧς sc. ἡμέρας) — leans forward on the assertion below
all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.'cause — γάρ — the taunt's own ground, nested inside the quotation: sheer uniformity since creation
vv. 5–7 — what they willfully forget: by water then, for fire now
5
For this escapes them, by their own wish,independent — the rejoinder — τοῦτο θέλοντας: the forgetting is willed, not innocent
that the heavens existed long agocontent — what they forget — creation: heavens of old
and an earth, out of water and through water compacted by the word of God,content — ἦσαν carried over — the earth stood together out of and through water, by the word (Gen 1)
6
through which the world of that time, deluged with water, perished;relative — plural δι᾽ ὧν — the waters (or water and word together) as the flood's agents
7
But the present heavens and the earth, by the same word, have been stored up for fire,independent — the counterpart — the same word now banks fire: τεθησαυρισμένοι, treasured up (πυρί with the storing)
being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.participial — kept — the day already has its docket: the ἀσεβεῖς
The Lord's timing and patience 3:8–10
vv. 8–9 — a thousand years as a day: the delay is patience
8
But let this one thing not escape you, beloved:independent — μὴ λανθανέτω — the scoffers' verb (v. 5) turned toward the faithful
that one day with the Lord is as a thousand yearscontent — Ps 90:4 — the Lord's clock is not ours
and a thousand years as one day.content — the converse — neither length nor brevity of delay measures him
9
The Lord is not slow concerning the promise,independent — the thesis against the taunt — οὐ βραδύνει, the promise (v. 4) not defaulted
as some count slowness,comparative — the rival reckoning — τινες, the scoffers' arithmetic
but is patient toward you,independent — the counter — the delay is μακροθυμία, aimed at you
not willing that any should perishparticipial — the motive — no one's ruin is his wish
but that all should come to repentance.content — the positive will — χωρῆσαι, room made for all into repentance
v. 10 — the day comes as a thief
10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,independent — the declaration — Ἥξει fronted: come it will (the thief: Mt 24:43; 1 Thess 5:2)
in which the heavens will pass away with a roar,relative — the dissolution begins — ῥοιζηδόν, the onomatopoeic rush
and the elements, burning, will be dissolved,relative — still inside ἐν ᾗ — the στοιχεῖα undone by fire
and the earth and the works in it will be found out.relative — the crux — εὑρεθήσεται 'will be found' (laid bare before God), the best-attested and hardest reading (v.l. κατακαήσεται 'burned up')
Holy conduct while waiting 3:11–13
11
Since all these things are thus being dissolved,participial — genitive absolute — leans forward on the question below
what sort of people must you be in holy conduct and godliness,independent — the ethical inference — ποταπούς: cosmology becomes conduct (the plurals: habits of holiness)
12
awaiting and hastening the coming of the day of God,participial — the waiting is active — σπεύδοντας: hastening the day (cf. Isa 60:22; repentance shortens the patience's need)
on account of which the heavens, set ablaze, will be dissolvedrelative — δι᾽ ἣν — because of that day the heavens burn
and the elements melt as they burn?relative — coordinate in the relative — τήκεται present: the melting made vivid (Isa 34:4 LXX)
13
But new heavens and a new earth, according to his promise, we await,independent — the counter-expectation — κατὰ τὸ ἐπάγγελμα: Isa 65:17; 66:22
in which righteousness dwells.relative — on the new heavens and earth — δικαιοσύνη at home at last
The closing exhortation — spotless, steadfast, growing 3:14–18
vv. 14–16 — be found spotless; Paul writes the same
14
Therefore, beloved, as you await these things, be diligentindependent — the charge — σπουδάσατε, with the awaiting folded in (ταῦτα προσδοκῶντες)
to be found by him spotless and blameless, in peace,content — complement infinitive — εὑρεθῆναι echoes v. 10: when all is found out, be found ἄσπιλοι (the false teachers are σπίλοι, 2:13)
15
and count the patience of our Lord as salvation,independent — the second charge — read the delay as v. 9 reads it: σωτηρία
just as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom given him,comparative — the ally — ὁ ἀγαπητὸς ἀδελφὸς Παῦλος; his wisdom δοθεῖσαν, given not achieved
16
as also in all his letters,comparative — the extension — from the letter to you to the whole corpus
speaking in them of these things —participial — λαλῶν — Paul on the same themes: the patience, the day, the holiness
in which there are some things hard to understand,relative — the concession — δυσνόητά τινα: hard, not wrong
which the ignorant and unstable twistrelative — στρεβλοῦσιν — torture on the rack; ἀστήρικτοι, the unfixed (cf. 2:14)
as they do also the rest of the Scriptures,comparative — the aside that ranks Paul's letters with the γραφαί
to their own destruction.phrase modifier — the price of twisting — ἀπώλεια, the scoffers' own end (v. 7)
vv. 17–18 — guard, grow, glorify
17
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard,independent — the warning — προγινώσκοντες: forewarned is the letter's whole aim (cf. v. 3)
lest, carried away by the error of the lawless, you fall from your own steadfastness;purpose — ἵνα μή — συναπαχθέντες, swept along with (Gal 2:13) the ἄθεσμοι (2:7); στηριγμός answers the ἀστήρικτοι of v. 16
18
but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.independent — the counter-command — growth is the guard: the fixed keep growing
To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity.independent — the doxology — to Christ; εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος, the very day the letter waits for
Amen.independent — the seal
Analysis. 2 Peter 3 argues by contradiction, and the shape shows the two voices. The scoffers' speech is the deepest hole in the chapter: from γράφω (v. 1) the sentence steps down through the reminder and the μνησθῆναι purpose to γινώσκοντες, to the ὅτι of the coming mockers, to their two participles, until the quoted taunt itself sits six and seven levels deep — and the quotation carries its own γάρ ground inside it, the ἀφ᾽ ἧς temporal leaning forward (like a protasis, anchorless) on the uniformitarian assertion below. Against that hole stand the flush-left rebuttals: λανθάνει γὰρ αὐτούς (v. 5), μὴ λανθανέτω ὑμᾶς (v. 8) — the same verb turned from the willful forgetters to the faithful — οὐ βραδύνει / ἀλλὰ μακροθυμεῖ (v. 9), and Ἥξει (v. 10), with the day's dissolution hanging as three coral relatives from the one word ἡμέρα. Verse 11's genitive absolute is the chapter's second forward-leaning line, tipping the cosmology over into the ποταπούς question, and vv. 15–16 form the longest single chain: from ἡγεῖσθε down through Paul, to all his letters, to the hard things in them, to the twisters, to the aside that quietly ranks Paul's letters with the rest of the γραφαί. Interpretive choices the layout takes a side on: ἐν αἷς (v. 1) is plural because it reaches over both letters; τοῦτο θέλοντας (v. 5) is read adverbially — the ignorance is willed; δι᾽ ὧν (v. 6) takes the double-named waters (possibly water and word together) as the flood's agents; πυρί (v. 7) is construed with τεθησαυρισμένοι (stored up for fire); εὑρεθήσεται (v. 10) is kept as the hard reading — the earth and its works 'will be found', laid bare for judgment, not burned up; and σπεύδοντας (v. 12) is causative — the church hastens the day it awaits.