THE SECOND LETTER OF PETER. JERUSALEM BIBLE.

 THOUGH THE LETTER ASSERTS (1:1) AND SUGGESTS (1: 16-18) THAT THE APOSTLE WROTE IT, THAT CLAIM HS LONG BEEN DISPUTED. ORIGEN (185-225) A.D.  AND JEROME (342-420A.D.) QUESTIONED IT. THE WORK WAS ACCEPTED INTO THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON ONLY IN THE FIFTH CENTURY. THE MAIN REASON FOR QUESTIONING THE CLAIM OF PETRINE AUTHORSHIP WHAT THE LETTER HAS TO SAY ABOUT THE RETURN OF CHRIST. IN (3:1-13), IT DEALS WITH THE PROBLEMS MANY CHRISTIANS WERE HAVING ABOUT THE DELAY OF THE PAROUSIA (COMING).  DAY OF THE LORD. MY FRIENDS, THIS IS MY SECOND LETTER TO YOU, AND IN BOTH OF THEM, I HAVE TRIED TO AWAKEN A TRUE UNDERSTANDING IN YOU BY GIVING YOU A REMINDER: RECALLING TO YOU WHAT WAS SAID IN THE PAST BY THE HOLY PROPHETS AND THE COMMANDMENTS OF THE LORD AND SAVIOR WHICH YOU WERE GIVEN BY THE APOSTLES. WE MUST BE CAREFUL TO REMEMBER THAT DURING THE LAST DAYS THERE ARE BOUND TO BE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE SCORNFUL, THE KIND WHO ALWAYS PLEASE THEMSELVES WHAT THEY DO, AND THEY WILL MAKE FUN OF THE PROMISE AND ASK, "WELL, WHERE IS THIS COMING?  EVERYTHING GOES ON AS IT HAS SINCE IT BEGAN AT CREATION. THEY ARE CHOOSING TO FORGET, THAT THERE WERE HEAVENS AT THE BEGINNING, AND THAT HE EARTH WAS FORMED BY THE WORD OF GOD OUT OF WATER AND BETWEEN THE WATERS, SO THAT THE WORLD AT THAT TIME WAS BEING DESTROYED BY BEING FLOODED BY WATER. BUT BY THE SAME WORD, THE PRESENT SKY AND EARTH ARE DESTINED FOR FIRE, AND ARE ONLY BEING RESERVED UNTIL JUDGEMENT DAY SO THAT ALL SINNERS MAY BE DESTROYED. BUT THERE IS ONE THING, MY FRIENDS, THAT YOU MUST NEVER FORGET:  THAT WITH THE LORD " A DAY" CAN MEAN A THOUSAND YEARS, " AND A THOUSAND YEARS IS LIKE A DAY." THE LORD IS NOT BEING SLOW TO CARRY OUT HIS PRIMES, AS ANYBODY ELSE MIGHT BE CALLED SLOW; BUT HE IS BEING PATIENT WITH YOU ALL, WANTING NOBODY TO BE LOST AND EVERYBODY TO CHANGE HIS WAYS. ( GOD'S MERCY IS AN EXPLANATION FOR THE ALLEGED DELAY OF THE "PAROUSIA." THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME LIKE A THIEF , AND THEN WITH A ROAR THE SKY WILL VANISH, THE ELEMENTS WILL CATCH FIRE AND FALL APART, THE EARTH AND ALL THAT IT CONTAINS WILL BE BURNT UP. SINCE EVERYTHING IS COMING TO AN END LIKE THIS, YOU SHOULD BE LIVING HOLY AND SAINTLY LIVES, WHILE YOU WAIT FOR THE DAY OF GOD TO COME, WHEN THE SKY WILL DISSOLVE IN FLAMES AND THE ELEMENTS MELT IN THE HEAT. WHAT WE ARE WAITING FOR IS WHAT HE PROMISED: THE NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH, THE PLACE WHERE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE AT HOME. SO THEN, MY FRIENDS, WHILE YOU ARE WAITING, DO YOUR BEST TO LIVES WITHOUT SPOT OR STAIN SO THAT HE WILL FIND YOU AT PEACE. THINK OF OUR LORD'S PATIENCE AS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO BE SAVED.: OUR BROTHER PAUL WHO IS SO DEAR TO US, TOLD YOU WHEN HE WROTE TO YOU WITH THE WISDOM THAT IS HIS SPECIAL GIFT. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED MY FRIENDS;
BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET CARRIED AWAY BY THE ERRORS OF UNPRINCIPLED PEOPLE, FROM THE FIRM GROUND YOU ARE STANDING ON. INSTEAD, GO ON GROWING IN THE GRACE AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. TO HIM BE GLORY, IN TIME AND IN ETERNITY. AMEN!