Join us as we study through 2 Peter verse by verse. Our discussion questions, verse by verse commentary, and applications can help you or your small group get the most out of this book as you grow in understanding and obedience.
2 Peter 3:1-9 Inductive Bible Study With Discussion Questions – Small Group Teacher Resource
Outline
I. Remember the predictions of the prophets (1-2)
II. Scoffers forget the past and mock prophecies of the future (3-7)
III. God patiently waits for His own timeline (8-9)
I. Remember the predictions of the prophets (1-2).
Discussion Questions
• How did Peter feel about the believers he was writing to?
• How did he show this love in action?
• Is there someone you need to contact to encourage?
• How does Chapter 2 show the importance of paying attention to God’s commandments and warnings?
• How can you help others remember God’s commandments?
• Is there something practical you can do to make sure you don’t forget the “predictions of the prophets?”
Cross References
1 John 4:7 – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Psalm 77:11 – I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
Deuteronomy 6:12 – Then take care lest you forget the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. Beloved – By using this word, Peter shows clearly how he felt about his brothers and sisters. They were not statistics or numbers, but real people. And he loved them. He felt a close connection to them. It was this love that motivated him to invest so much of his time into their lives.
Application: This is an important reminder for all of us, and especially for those who are actively doing ministry, pastoring a church, leading a Bible study, or any other kind of Christian work. Ministers should never view people as numbers or quantify their success in numbers. In 2 Peter 2 we were reminded that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. The number of people who responded to his message were few, but his family believed and were saved, and the future of humanity was saved.
To be an effective minister, you must love those whom you serve. Love covers over a multitude of sins. It will motivate you to work hard and truly invest your life into theirs. Love will help you respond with patience instead of complaining and compassion instead judgment. Working for the Lord is not about fulfilling a job or a duty (although it is a duty), but is about showing love to God’s sheep. Do you have this love in your heart for others?
2. Peter showed this love in action – Peter called the brothers and sisters, “beloved.” But his love went beyond words. Because he loved them, he wrote two letters to them. He wrote these letters in order to remind them not to forget God’s commands. Real love is not empty words. It is not primarily shown through expressing sentiment. It is shown through service. Peter put in time to help his readers grow spiritually. He followed up with them. Writing and sending letters takes time even now, and much more so then.
Application: Is there someone you can encourage in Christ? Is there a person you can contact to show love in action to? Perhaps an old friend from your school days or a co-worker from a previous job? Maybe a family member? Write down the name of someone you could contact this week to show the love of Jesus to.
3. Remember the predictions of prophets and commands of the Lord – Chapter 2 was filled with examples of judgment that befell upon those who ignored God’s commands. Balaam, Sodom and Gomorrah, the fallen angels, and the world during the time of Noah are all examples of people or groups who faced punishment because they rejected God’s commands. False teachers will experience the same fate if they don’t pay attention to prophecies of their doom, like the ones given by Peter in this letter.
God often tells people ahead of time what He is going to do so that people can be prepared, and even change their ways if necessary. What are some Biblical examples of this?
• Prophecy of the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4)
• Prophecy of the fall of Babylon (Daniel 5)
• Prophecy of defeat if the people of Israel launched an attack (Deuteronomy 1)
• Prophecy that Israel would be defeated by Babylon (Jeremiah 20-22)
• Prophecies against Egypt and Pharaoh (Exodus 3-11)
• Prophecy against Nineveh if they don’t repent (Jonah 3-4)
• Prophecy against Ahab and his family tree (1 Kings 21:21-27)
Many of these people ignored prophecies of their coming judgment. They did not repent, nor did they heed God’s commands or change their wicked lifestyles. In each case, God’s judgement came as prophesied. But in a couple of cases (Nineveh and Ahab temporarily), the warnings were heeded. The people repented and thus they were not immediately punished for their sins. History shows us that God is just, and He is also merciful. First, He warns people. Second, He gives time to repent. Every person who is finally judged then is completely culpable for the consequences they face.
Application: We too have no excuse. The following verses will remind us of the prophecy of coming judgment, judgment on the entire world. Only those who trust in Jesus will be saved and avoid it. Jesus said that the wise person hears His words and acts on them, building his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24).
If you remember God’s commands and the prophesies of judgment, what will you do? How will this affect how you live each day?
II. Scoffers forget the past and mock prophecies of the future (3-7).
Discussion Questions
• What does “the last days” refer to? Are we in them?
• Give an example of something a scoffer might say.
• From verse 3, what can we learn about why scoffers scoff?
• What prophesy does Peter make in verse 4?
• Do we see this prophesy coming true?
• Who is the “they” in verse 5?
• What do verses 5-6 have to do with what is coming?
• What is the “word” referred to in verse 7?
• What do the “heavens” in verse 7 refer to?
• What is going to happen to the heavens and earth which God created?
• Why is knowing this important? What should you do in light of this?
Cross References
Proverbs 22:10 – Drive out a scoffer, and strife will go out, and quarreling and abuse will cease.
Jude 1:18 – They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”
Psalm 1:1 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers.
Genesis 9:13-15 – I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Isaiah 66:15-16 – For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.
Micah 1:4 – And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open,
like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.
Genesis 1:1 – In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Revelation 22:13 – I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.
Verse by Verse Commentary
1. The last days – We are in the last days now. John already said in 1 John 2:18 that even then was already the “last hour.”
The last days is a period of time encompassing the whole church age in between Jesus’ first and second coming. Another way to look at it is by examining the seventy weeks Daniel prophesied in Daniel 9. These are seventy periods of seven years each. Jesus was crucified at the end of the sixty-ninth period. Then it was as if God blew a heavenly whistle and “stopped the clock.” He stopped dealing primarily with the Jews and started dealing primarily with the Gentiles. At some point in the future, the whistle will blow and the final “week” of seven years will begin. We don’t know how long these “last days” will last, but they are typified by increasing evil and rebellion toward God. Because God didn’t set any specific time period for the last days, they could end at any time.
The rapture of the church is imminent, meaning it could happen at any time. Later in this passage, Peter describes Jesus’ second coming as a thief in the night. It will catch many people by surprise. You can imagine that the longer this time period lasts the more scoffers will emerge.
2. Following their own sinful desires