12.03.10
J.A. Matteson
The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
οὐ βραδύνει κύριος τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ὥς τινες βραδύτητα ἡγοῦνται, ἀλλὰ μακροθυμεῖ εἰς ὑμᾶς, μὴ βουλόμενός τινας ἀπολέσθαι ἀλλὰ πάντας εἰς μετάνοιαν χωρῆσαι.
2 Peter 3:9
The love of God towards His children is extravagant and often expressed through His merciful patience when they stray into error. In his epistle the Apostle is addressing false teaching creeping into the church. Mercifully the Spirit of God within His child leads to repentance, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Rom. 2:4). At times the Lord’s correction comes through a fellow pilgrim, “My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins” (Jas. 5:19-20). It is the Lord’s design and providential work by which He brings many to glory, “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory ….” (Heb. 2:10).
Jesus Christ, our faithful High Priest, supplied once for all the final sacrifice for sin on behalf of those given to Him by His Father, and these identified by Him specifically, “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” and “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Jn. 10:10; Eph. 5:25). As a faithful and merciful High Priest the Lord Jesus Christ not only supplies sacrifice for sin but intercession on their behalf before God, “He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb. 7:25). It is a great comfort to the saints to know that when they error and stumble they are not cast out; rather, the Lord Jesus personally intercedes on their behalf that once restored they might strengthen others, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Lk. 22:31-32). Oh how great is the need of the pilgrim for continual intercession by the Lord. For daily the pilgrim falls short of the glory of God in word, thought and deed. In addition the weary soul grieved by sin fails to consistently perform in thought, word and deed that which is pleasing to the Lord. But praise be to God, for these ongoing sins of commission and omission by the child of God for they are covered by the blood and intercession of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now to whom are these wonderful promises made, to whom is the Apostle speaking? Notice his use of the phrase “toward you” (εἰς ὑμᾶς). Who is the Apostle addressing? Is the “you” the entire human race or is it more qualified?The answer is easy to find by examining the opening greeting of his epistle, “To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ…For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises” (2 Pet. 1:1, 4). Specifically the Apostle identifies his readers as “those who have received” something from God; viz., faith. The phrase “have received” literally means “through knowledge” (ἐν ἐπιγνώσει). We affirm that faith comes through hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (Rom. 10:17), and that the Gospel is the tool used of the Lord to bring sinners to faith and repentance (Acts 13:48, 16:14). And we further acknowledge that the Spirit brings life while the flesh profits nothing (Jn. 6:63; Jn. 1:13), and in context the Lord is speaking to the fallen human nature of man which is at enmity towards God. So it is apparent that the “you” in the passage under consideration are the elect previously regenerated to life and faith by the Holy Spirit; i.e., Christians.
Therefore, the Apostle’s subsequent use of “any” and “all” is a further reference to the “you” previously outlined. In verse 9 the Apostle reaffirms the merciful sanctifying goodness of God towards His elect by stating, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” Some caught up in false teaching were confused about the Lord’s return and the Apostle address their confusion. Again the “any” and “all” in context is a reference to the elect. Some erroneously attempt to isolate this verse by removing it form the context of the whole epistle, suggesting the intended audience is the entire human race. The word of God is consistent and so are His Apostles. In the Apostle’s first epistle he again makes it clear to whom he is speaking and to whom the promises he presents apply, “To those who…are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood…Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope….” (1 Pet. 1:1-3). And this passage was considered earlier in The Lord’s Prognosis.
The Apostle’s use of the word “wishing” (βραδύτητα) should not be understood to suggest the Lord is impotent in bringing many to glory. Rather with certainty the Lord will complete the sanctifying work He has started within His children, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6); and consider blessed Paul and his confidence regarding the assurance of the Lord’s sanctifying work “[The Lord]…who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ”, and “… that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (1 Cor. 1:8; Phil. 1:10). A hallmark of regeneration is perseverance in the sanctifying work of the Lord. Far from suggesting that the Lord is in weakness “wishing” or “hoping” that any of God’s elect should perish the literal rendering of βραδύτητα is understood as the Lord “deliberately” or “purposely” bringing his errant children to repentance. And this rendering should not be surprising as it is in harmony with the whole of God’s special revelation in Scripture. It is also true that the will of God towards His elect who have yet to be regenerated will also bring their salvation to pass, being confident of this the Apostle Paul spoke forcefully, “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified” (Rom. 8:29-30).
Glorification is the final state of the elect and it is no a sentimental “wish” or “hope” of the Lord, but a certainty. God is not in yonder heaven figuratively biting His finger nails hoping His children make the right choice concerning faith and repentance. Rather, infused with a new nature as a result of regeneration His seed abides within them and the same power that saved them will gently guide them to and over the Jordan where they will receive their inheritance to the fullest measure, to the praise of His glory.
Copyright (c) 2010 Immutable Word Ministries ("...the word of our God stands forever." Isa. 40:8).
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