Today, in the 21st century, we Christians have a tendency to be somewhat myopic. We are focused on our day, our time and our situations. The context of our lives is justifiably interpreted in the light of the world in which we live. This is normal and natural, but when we interpret the scripture we do a great disservice to the original authors and the original audience when we try to interpret the New Testament with a 21st century context. Sadly this happens far to often. It is no easy task to discipline our minds and our study habits to ensure that we interpret the scripture in the context in which it was written. That is understanding the first century audience, the first century Jewish way of thinking and taking into account the type of literature that we are reading; i.e. narrative-historical, prophetic-apocalyptic, didactic-teaching-theological, etc. We would also do well to note how each of the different apostles handled a particular topic. James never contradicted Paul or John or Peter and vice versa. Each apostle spoke with one voice and that was the voice of Christ himself.
“For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Galatians 1:12
One last principle of interpretation that we would do well to keep at the forefront of our study is the linguistic aspect, specifically the lexical and syntactical aspects of a passage. Don’t let these words confuse you, it is really quite simple. It is merely allowing scripture to interpret scripture. Peter said:
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” 2 Peter 1:20
Here Peter, speaking specifically about the prophetic scripture, and generally about all scripture tells us that it is not of “any private interpretation”. That meaning not that you cannot interpret it alone, by yourself in the privacy of your study. No, what Peter is saying is that no text is given in isolation (private), but has been written and given in a larger context. Therefore, we should look at words and see how they have been used in other places in the scripture by other authors and attempt to reconcile the usage, This is the linguisitcal approach to bible word study where the language is evaluated and analyzed. The Lexical approach is that we look at the actual meaining in the original language. The word “Lexical” comes from the same root in which we have in the word “Lexicon”. A lexicon is a word we use to describe a collection of words; a dictionary. So the lexical study is the study of the meaning of a particular word. Lastly the “syntacatical” approach is the study of the “syntax” of words used together, or the grammar that is used in a particular text. It is no more complicated than a grade school exercise of diagramming a sentence or identifying a noun as opposed to a verb or a direct object, and then understanding past tense, present tense, etc.
As we apply these basic interpretive principles we then fail in our task when we don’t place the text in its proper audience context and contemporary understanding. I have attempted to apply such principles in the following study of 2 Peter chapter 3.
2 Peter chapter 3 is a prophetic passage written in the first century by Peter. Peter was writing to a group of Jewish believers. (Author & Audience).
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” 1 Peter 1:1-2.
Here Peter identifies his audience as the Elect who have been scattered. These are first century Jewish believers in Jesus Christ who are undergoing persecution from their Jewish countrymen. I went to 1 Peter to establish this because in second Peter, the apostle tells his readers that his second letter is merely a contiuation and a reminding of what he had already written.
“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:” 2 Peter 1:1.
Here again Peter starts the epistle of 2 Peter with the identification of his audience, Those who have obtained faith through God, and Jesus Christ.
“Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.” 2 Peter 1:12-15
Here Peter is clear that his message in this epistle is all about reminding his audience about what they had already been told.
“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:” 2 Peter 3:1-2
Here again in 2 Peter 3 the author; the apostle Peter, states very clearly that this is his “Second epistle” and that he is introducing no new teaching, but is merely reminding them of what they have already been taught by the words of other prophets, apostles and yes even by Christ Jesus Himself. So as we study we need to keep this in mind that what we are about to read in the rest of chapter 3 is not the introduction of a new doctrine, but is a recap of a teaching that is already commonly understood by his audience.
So moving on in 2 Peter chapter 3:
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.” 2 Peter 3:3-7
Peter starts by warning them about “scoffers” if you read the entirety of chapter two you would see that Peter went to great pains to warn his readers that they would be exposed to false prophets. When Peter wrote this, again, keep in mind, was he writing primarily to us in the 21st century? No, he was writing to his primary audience; first century Jewish believers in Jesus Christ. Do we have false teachers and false prophets in our day? Absolutely we do, but we should not use a text written directly to a specific group and rip it from its context and try to apply it to us today. This will result in an improper interpretation and then any application made with an erroneous interpretation will result in erroneous application.
In this section he declares that the error of these “scoffers” is that they do not believe that God will keep his promise to return in judgment. So Peter is telling his first century audience to not be moved by these scoffers for they are wrong. Jesus would return in their day in judgment. The next couple of verses illustrate that God is not moved by, or bound to our time constraints. But God exists outside of time and will come at His own perfect timing.
“But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:8-9
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:10-13
Several things stand out in this passage. Since Peter is not writing any new thing, we must ask; from where did he get the idea that the “Day of the Lord will come as a Thief in the night…?” Paul writing to the church at Thessalonica says the following:
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” 1 Thessalonians 5:2
So here we can confirm that Peter is merely summarizing and quoting what has already been written and that this passage is not new doctrine.
In this passage we have the prophetic word that There is to be a New Heavens and a New Earth. Remember earlier that Peter stated that this is NOT a new prophecy but merely a reminding of what the prophets of old had already spoken. And we see in verse 13 that this New Heaven and New Earth is “ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE”. Whose promise? Where can we find this promise? So from where does this prophecy come? Because remember, Peter said, he is not introducing any new prophecy; only “reminding his readers of what was already written by the Prophets, Apostles and Jesus Christ.”
“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.” Revelation 21:1
I am convinced that the book of Revelation was written prior to Peter’s epistle. One reason I am convinced is that this is the ONLY location in the New Testament that Peter could be referring to when he says that the New Heaven and New Earth is “According to His Promise”, and that is the passage in Revelation 21:1. But it is not the only reference as we look at the prophets.
“For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” Isaiah 65:17
“For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain.” Isaiah 66:22
“How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? for the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth, A woman shall compass a man.” Jeremiah 31:22
In these passages as we read the surrounding context we see that this “New Thing” that the prophets were speaking of was occurring at the same time that the gentiles were coming into the fold (church) and in the context of the Jeremiah passage this “New Thing” was occurring in the same “Day” that God was establishing the New Covenant. These events all came to their fulfillment in the first century. None of these things were delayed until our day. So in writing prophetic apocalyptic language, Peter is quoting the old covenant prophets who placed these prophetic and apocalyptic events squarely in the first century. And as such, we have no warrant to remove them from that original context and move them forward into our modern day.
Twice in this section (verse 10-13) Peter uses the word “Elements”. Here it would be very profitable to study and understand the meaning and usage of this word, both here in Peter’s epistles and in its usage in other places by other apostles in the New Testament.
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10
“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?” 2 Peter 3:12
The Greek word translated “Elements” is the word stoicheia (Strongs # 4747). Strongs Greek Dictionary of the New Testament defines the word as follows: Something orderly in arrangement, serial (basal, fundamental, initial), an element, principle or rudiment.”
Dr. Kenneth Wuest a reknowned Greek scholar defines the word as follows: “Principles is from Stoicheion which refers to rudimentary ideas.” From Wuest’s Word Studies, Hebrews in the Greek New Testament for the English Reader, Wm B. Erdmans Publishing Company, 1947.
The word itself means the basic elements of a thing, the way the word is used by the New Testamend writers is that they were speaking of the basic elements or rudimentary elements of the Old Covenant Jewish law. Let’s look at its use in Galatians, Colossians and Hebrews.
“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world:” Galatians 4:3
Here the Apostle Paul is clearly speaking about those elements of the Jewish law that had held the nation in bondage in contrast to the New Covenant freedom he is declaring, (see Galatians 5:1). There is no mention of the physical chemical elements from the periodic chart of elements that was posted in our high school science classrooms.
“But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” Galatians 4:9
Here again in Galatians, Paul is elaborating further about those elements that they were weak and beggarly, and not something to return to. He is clearly speaking of the elements of the Old Covenant world that those in the first century were to be leaving behind, and not going back to. The only ones who may have been tempted to go “BACK” to those elements would have been first century Jewish beleivers in Jesus Christ who may have been doubting the promise of His return. And this is exactly what the Judiazers (scoffers) were telling them to do. Paul wrote the book of Galatians to counter the error of the Jewish scoffers and persecuters of his day who were insisting on law keeping for both Jew and gentile.
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments (Stoicheia) of the world, and not after Christ.” Colossians 2:8
“Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments (Stoicheion) of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,” Colossians 2:20
Here in Colossians Paul uses this word again (twice), and again he is warning about the spoiling of their faith that will come if they return to the Old Covenant philosphies, traditions and rules, (ordinances). Paul is saying “Don’t do it!” Don’t go back to the “Rudiments” (Gk Soicheia). So Pauls clear use of this word “Stoicheia” is only used to describe the “rudiments’-or-“elements” of the Old Covenant.
“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles (Stoicheia) of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” Hebrews 5:12
The last use in the New Testament is in the book of Hebrews (ostensibly also by Paul). The use of this Greek word here in Hebrews is to rebuke the Hebrew believers in Jesus Christ that they should have long ago left the elementary (first) “Principles” of the “Oracles of God”. The “Oracles of God” are clearly the writings of the Old Covenant. As the writer of Hebrews is goading his readers to come to maturity in the New Covenant, he is chiding them for not leaving behind the “Principles” of the Old Covenant. Nowhere in the context of this passage is there any hint of physical atomic particals from the periodic chart of “elements”.
Clearly the preponderance of use of this Greek word by the inspired writers of the New Testament is that it is a word used to describe the parts and pieces of the Old Covenant, and is not at all a reference to the material building blocks of the physical creation.
With this in mind when we read 2 Peter 3 and we see this word used, why would we revert to a brand new meaning. Remember Peter made it clear that his prophetic writing was in accordance with and just a restating of the words already spoken before by the: Prophets, Apostles, and the Saviour. So why do we in our 21st century want to insit that Peter is introducing something new. If Peter meant that the physical, material, chemical and atomic particles of the physical world were the “Elements” in question, then where do we find the Prophets, Apostles and the Savior speaking of this earlier. Fact is we cannot find such reference from such a cloud of witnesses.
“This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:” 2 Peter 3:1-2
As we continue through 2 Peter 3, Peter solidifies this way of thinking in the summary and closure of this chapter and of the epistle itself.
“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” 2 Peter 3:14-18
Here Peter gives a nod to Pauls teaching. He even frames his prophetic statements in the writings of Paul. “Even as our brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you…” Peter is saying that Pauls writings are in agreement with mine. So when we go to Pauls writings to see how he used the word Stoicheia-Elements-rudiments, etc, we do so with Peters blessing and the inspired direction of the Holy Spirit who ultimately gave these words to us through the apostle.
He even makes a direct reference to the “Epistles” of Paul and how difficult they were to understand. It was the “Scoffers” of Peter’s day that were the “Unlearned and unstable” ones who were attempting to distort and take the scripture out of context. Peter is saying, don’t do that, go confirm what I have said with Paul’s writings.
So as we read in our 21st century mind, we must be careful to give due respect and reverence to the first century authors and audiences in understanding these challenging passages. Please send me your thoughts about this very exciting passage. If I have done any disservice to the interpretive process, please, let’s talk about it, I would love to hear how others have come to their conclusions about this and other passages. Thanks.
For many folks, a conclusion is simply the place where they got tired of thinking.
