"Knowing This First": An Analysis of the Petrine Prophecy of Last-Days Scoffers

Introduction: The Crisis of the Delayed Parousia in the Early Church

The Second Epistle of Peter is not a detached theological treatise but an urgent pastoral intervention, functioning as the apostle's final testament to the church.1 Written, according to its own testimony, in the shadow of the author's impending martyrdom, the letter confronts a burgeoning crisis of faith that threatened to unravel the very fabric of Christian communities in Asia Minor.3 The central challenge animating this powerful epistle is the perceived delay of the Parousia—the promised Second Coming of Jesus Christ.5 The initial, fervent expectation of an imminent return, which had characterized the earliest days of the church, had begun to wane as the first generation of believers, "the fathers," started to pass away without witnessing the event.7 This growing gap between promise and fulfillment created a profound spiritual and theological vacuum, a "crisis of patience" that jeopardized the foundations of Christian hope and the ethical framework built upon it.5

This eschatological disappointment was not a passive phenomenon; it was being actively and insidiously exploited by false teachers who had infiltrated the church from within.1 These individuals are depicted as promoting a dangerous form of antinomianism—a rejection of divine moral law—which they justified by denying the reality of a future judgment.4 Their teaching was not merely a matter of theological error but was inextricably linked to a corrupt moral agenda, encouraging a lifestyle of sexual permissiveness and self-indulgent pleasure under the guise of Christian freedom.4 The passing of time without divine intervention seemed to lend credence to their claims, making their arguments dangerously persuasive to believers struggling with doubt. The very foundation of Christian ethics, which often relied on the encouragement that Christ would soon return to enact justice and rescue the faithful, was being eroded by this delay.5

In this context, the prophecy of the scoffers in 2 Peter 3:3-4 stands as the rhetorical and theological climax of the entire epistle. It directly confronts the core challenge by identifying the mockers, deconstructing their philosophical arguments, and mounting a robust apologetic for the certainty of Christ's return and the final judgment. Peter's ultimate aim is to transform his readers' understanding of the delay. He seeks to reframe it, shifting their perspective from seeing it as a cause for doubt to recognizing it as a profound demonstration of God's patience and a divine catalyst for pursuing a life of holiness.1 The prophecy, therefore, is not simply a prediction but a pastoral tool designed to re-ground the church's hope, reaffirm its ethical commitments, and equip it to endure through a period of prolonged waiting.

The Historical and Literary Context of the Prophecy

Authorship, Dating, and Provenance

The epistle introduces itself as the work of "Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 1:1).1 The author further claims to have been an eyewitness to the transfiguration of Jesus (1:16–18) and refers to his impending death (1:14), details that align with the traditional understanding of the Apostle Peter's life.4 According to this internal evidence and early church tradition, the letter was likely composed in Rome between A.D. 64 and 67, shortly before Peter's martyrdom under the emperor Nero.2 While modern critical scholarship has engaged in extensive debate regarding the possibility of pseudepigraphy, often dating the letter to a later period, the text's canonical function and authority derive from its claim to be the apostle's final word of warning and encouragement to the church.3 This claim to apostolic authority is not incidental; it is central to the letter's argument, as Peter grounds his warnings in the reliability of the prophetic and apostolic witness that his readers had previously received.8

Audience and Occasion

The letter is addressed to a group of believers who have "received a faith of the same kind as ours" (1:1).1 The author's statement in 3:1, "this is now my second letter to you," strongly suggests that the recipients were the same communities addressed in 1 Peter—a collection of predominantly Gentile churches scattered throughout the provinces of Asia Minor.1 The immediate occasion for this second letter, written so soon after the first, was the report of a grave internal threat. Unlike the external persecution addressed in 1 Peter, the danger here was the infiltration of the church by false teachers who were sowing seeds of discord and heresy.1 These were not outside opponents but insidious figures operating from within the fellowship, which made their influence particularly pernicious.1 Their presence was creating strife and challenging the core tenets of the faith, necessitating a direct and forceful apostolic response.

The Nature of the False Teaching

The heresy that Peter confronts in this epistle is a toxic synthesis of doctrinal error and moral corruption. At its heart, it represents a form of practical atheism cloaked in Christian language. By denying future consequences, specifically the final judgment, the false teachers sought to nullify present moral obligations.

Doctrinal Error: The foundational error of these teachers was a rejection of divine authority, which manifested most clearly in their denial of the Parousia and the final judgment.7 They dismissed the promise of Christ's return as a fiction, thereby removing the theological basis for divine accountability.16 This was not a minor point of eschatological debate but an assault on the character of God as a righteous Judge and the very concept of a moral universe governed by His will.

Moral Corruption: This doctrinal denial was not an abstract philosophical position; it was the intellectual justification for a licentious lifestyle. Peter characterizes these teachers by their greed, arrogance, and unrestrained sensuality.4 They are said to "exploit... with false words" and to follow "the corrupt desire of the sinful nature".1 They twisted the Christian concept of freedom, which Paul had defined as freedom from sin's bondage, into a license for immorality, actively encouraging believers to join them in their debauchery.1 Their theology was constructed to serve their hedonistic appetites.

Literary Structure and Purpose

The epistle is intentionally structured as a final reminder, a hypomnēsis, a term Peter uses to describe his purpose.8 His stated goal is to "stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance" (3:1).11 He is not introducing a new doctrine but calling his readers back to the foundational truths they had already received from two unimpeachable sources: "the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets" and "the commandment of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles".8 The letter unfolds logically from this premise. Chapter 1 establishes the certainty of the apostolic witness. Chapter 2 provides a detailed and scathing denunciation of the false teachers, their character, and their certain doom. Chapter 3, the culmination of his argument, directly addresses the intellectual pillar of their heresy—the denial of the Second Coming—by predicting the arrival of scoffers and systematically dismantling their claims. The prophecy of the scoffers is thus the logical and rhetorical apex of the letter, confronting the justification for the immorality described in the preceding chapter.

Exegetical Deep Dive: The Scoffers, Their Motives, and Their Mockery (2 Peter 3:1-7)

The Apostolic Warning (vv. 1-3a)

Peter prefaces his prophecy by anchoring it firmly within the stream of divine revelation. He urges his readers to recall "the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles".8 This appeal to both Old Testament prophecy and New Testament apostolic teaching establishes a unified front of divine authority against the novelties of the heretics.18 He then introduces the prophecy with a phrase signaling its supreme importance: "Knowing this first," or as other translations render it, "Above all, you must understand".8 This is not a minor detail but a primary truth that believers must grasp to navigate the challenges of their time. The very appearance of these scoffers, Peter implies, should not be a cause for their faith to be shaken. On the contrary, their arrival is a fulfillment of prophecy, an event foretold by the apostles that paradoxically confirms the truth of the very message the scoffers seek to undermine.16

The Identity of the Scoffers (v. 3b)

Peter provides a concise but incisive profile of these opponents. He labels them "scoffers," a translation of the Greek noun empaiktēs ($ἐμπαικτής$). This term denotes more than a simple doubter; it describes a mocker, a derider, someone who employs ridicule, sarcasm, and contemptuous humor to dismiss truths they find inconvenient.21 Their method is not sincere inquiry but hostile mockery, designed to make the Christian hope appear foolish and naive.10

Crucially, Peter immediately exposes the root motivation for their intellectual position: they are "walking after their own lusts" (kata tas idias autōn epithymias poreuomenoi).7 This phrase is the hermeneutical key to understanding their entire worldview. Their eschatology is not the product of objective reasoning but is a post-hoc rationalization constructed to justify their hedonistic and immoral lifestyle.10 They reject the doctrine of a returning Judge because they do not wish to be judged. Their desire for sensual and material gratification shapes their theology, not the other way around. This connection between moral corruption and doctrinal error is a consistent theme in the New Testament's warnings against false teachers.

The Scoffers' Argument: A Doctrine of Uniformity (v. 4)

The scoffers' central taunt is encapsulated in a rhetorical question: "Where is the promise of His coming?" (pou estin hē epangelia tēs parousias autou?).7 As commentators have noted, this form of questioning in a Hebraic context is not a genuine request for information but an assertion of non-existence.15 It is equivalent to saying, "This promised coming you speak of is a myth."

To support this claim, they present what appears to be an empirical, evidence-based argument rooted in a philosophy of radical uniformitarianism: "Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation".7 They appeal to the observed consistency and stability of natural processes as proof that the world is a closed system, unchanging and predictable. Their argument is that since history has shown an unbroken continuity of natural laws, the idea of a future, supernatural, cataclysmic intervention by a divine being is illogical and absurd.7 This line of reasoning is an ancient precursor to modern philosophical naturalism, which dismisses the possibility of the supernatural based on the regularity of the natural world.7 They argue from their limited observation of the present that the fundamental nature of the cosmos is static and that divine interruptions do not, and therefore will not, occur.

Peter's Rebuttal: The Precedent of Divine Intervention (vv. 5-7)

Peter's counter-argument is devastating. He does not engage the scoffers on their own philosophical terms. Instead, he refutes their naturalistic philosophy by appealing to revealed history. He begins by diagnosing the root of their error as a form of willful ignorance. He states that "they deliberately forget" (lanthanei gar autous touto thelontas) this crucial information.8 Their ignorance is not a passive lack of knowledge but an active, motivated refusal to acknowledge historical evidence that fundamentally contradicts their desired conclusion. They have chosen to ignore the foundational events of sacred history because those events prove the very thing they wish to deny: that God can and does intervene in the created order.

Peter presents two powerful counter-examples from the scriptural record to demolish their uniformitarian premise:

1. The Creation (v. 5): He first reminds them that the universe did not simply exist from eternity in its current state. Rather, "by God's word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water".8 Peter points back to the Genesis account, where the world's origin was a supernatural, creative act of God's powerful word. The very existence of the cosmos is a testament to a divine intervention that stands outside the "natural processes" the scoffers champion. The world they observe as stable was, in fact, brought into being by a cataclysmic, supernatural event.

2. The Flood (v. 6): Peter then delivers his most pointed historical refutation: "By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed".7 The global flood of Noah's day serves as the ultimate historical precedent for divine judgment on a cosmic scale. It is the definitive proof against their claim that "everything goes on as it has since the beginning." The same God who created the world by His word once judged and de-created that world by that same word, demonstrating His sovereignty over the natural order and His willingness to intervene catastrophically to execute judgment upon sin.22 This event proves that the stability of the natural world is not absolute but is contingent upon the will of its Creator.

Having established this historical pattern of divine intervention, Peter draws a direct and chilling parallel to the future. "By the same word," he argues, "the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly" (v. 7).11 The logic is inescapable. Just as the word of God brought about the judgment by water in the past, that same reliable word has decreed a future judgment by fire. The precedent of the Flood guarantees the certainty of the final conflagration. Peter's apologetic method is thus to ground faith in God's future promises in the historical reliability of His past actions as recorded in Scripture.

The Theological Framework of "The Last Days"

Defining the "Last Days" (eschatōn hēmerōn)

A precise understanding of Peter's prophecy requires a correct theological definition of the term "the last days" (en eschatōn tōn hēmerōn). Contrary to the popular conception of this phrase as referring to a brief, turbulent period immediately preceding the end of the world, New Testament theology employs it to designate the entire epoch initiated by the first advent of Jesus Christ.24 This eschatological era is the "age of fulfillment," a period in which the promises of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah and His kingdom have already begun to be realized, yet await their final and complete consummation at Christ's future return. Theologians often describe this dynamic as the "already and the not yet".26

This understanding is consistently supported throughout the New Testament. The author of Hebrews declares that God, who spoke through the prophets in the past, "in these last days has spoken to us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:2), explicitly placing the time of Christ's incarnation within this final era.25 At Pentecost, the Apostle Peter himself identifies the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy concerning what would happen "in the last days" (Acts 2:17), thereby inaugurating the church age as an eschatological period.24 Similarly, the Apostle John warns his readers that the presence of "many antichrists" is a sign that "it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18), indicating that the apostles viewed themselves and the early church as already living within this prophesied final age.26

Characteristics of the Last Days

This era of the "last days" is characterized by a unique and profound spiritual tension. On one hand, it is the age of the Holy Spirit's power, the global expansion of the gospel, and the growth of God's kingdom through the church.24 On the other hand, it is simultaneously a period of intense spiritual conflict, marked by the persistent rise of false teachers, the danger of apostasy, persecution, and widespread opposition to the truth.7 The scoffing that Peter predicts is therefore not merely a sign reserved for a distant future but is a defining and persistent feature of the entire church age.7 The presence of such mockery within and against the church is not a sign that the apostolic promises have failed; rather, it is a confirmation that the church is living in the very era the apostles described. This reframing transforms the prophecy from a simple chronological marker into a vital piece of pastoral theology, equipping believers in every generation to expect and withstand such opposition.

Relationship to the "Day of the Lord"

It is crucial to distinguish between the "last days" as a prolonged era and the "Day of the Lord" as a specific, future event.10 The "last days" refers to the present age of the church, stretching from Christ's first coming to His second. The "Day of the Lord," in contrast, refers to the future, climactic event of Christ's return in power and glory to execute judgment and bring salvation.11 This Day will bring the era of the "last days" to its dramatic conclusion, ushering in the final judgment and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth.25 Peter's prophecy, therefore, describes a characteristic of the current age ("the last days") that centers on the denial of a future event (the "Day of the Lord").

Peter's Apologetic for Divine Patience (2 Peter 3:8-13)

Having refuted the scoffers' philosophical argument from uniformitarianism, Peter turns to their implicit charge that the delay of the Parousia constitutes a failure of God's promise. He offers a profound two-part theological rebuttal that reframes the entire issue, moving it from the human-centric realm of impatience to the divine realm of eternal purpose and mercy.

God's Transcendent Perspective on Time (v. 8)

Peter's first point addresses the very nature of time itself. He writes, "But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day".11 This statement, which echoes Psalm 90:4, is not a mathematical formula for calculating the end times, a mistake often made in speculative eschatology. Rather, it is a profound theological declaration about God's eternal nature.9 God is transcendent over time; He is not bound by its linear progression or limited by its constraints in the way that finite, mortal creatures are.5 What seems to be an intolerably long delay from a human perspective, marked by generations living and dying, is not experienced as such by the eternal God who sees all of history at once.9 This concept is designed to lift the believer's perspective above their immediate circumstances and to foster trust in a God whose timetable is not dictated by human impatience.

The Reason for the Delay: Divine Longsuffering (v. 9)

This verse contains the theological heart of Peter's entire argument and provides the definitive answer to the scoffers' taunt. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient (makrothymei) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance".11

Here, Peter masterfully re-contextualizes the delay. It is not, as the scoffers claim, evidence of divine "slackness" or unfaithfulness to His promise.21 Instead, the delay is a positive expression of a core attribute of God's character: His "longsuffering" or patience (makrothymia).5 This directly confronts the implicit theodicy in the scoffers' position—the charge that a just and powerful God would have acted by now. Peter argues that God's justice is tempered by His mercy. The very continuation of a world filled with sin and suffering is permitted by God not out of weakness or indifference, but out of a profound, patient love that seeks to redeem.

The purpose of this divine patience is explicitly salvific. God is extending the present age to provide more time and opportunity for more people to hear the gospel and "come to repentance".6 The delay, therefore, is not a problem for the Christian faith; it is a central component of God's gracious and redemptive plan for humanity.9 It is an active demonstration of His mercy on the widest possible scale.

The Certainty and Nature of the Day of the Lord (vv. 10-13)

Lest this emphasis on patience be misinterpreted as an indefinite postponement, Peter immediately reaffirms the certainty and shocking nature of the Day of the Lord's arrival. Despite the delay, it will ultimately come with startling suddenness, "like a thief" in the night, when people are secure and least expect it.11

Peter employs vivid, apocalyptic imagery to describe the cosmic scale of this event. It will be a day of fiery de-creation and purification: "The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare".11 This powerful language serves to underscore the absolute seriousness of the final judgment and the transient, temporary nature of the current world order and all human achievements within it.

However, this destruction is not the final word. It is the necessary and violent prelude to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise: the creation of "a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells".4 This is the positive content of the Christian hope that motivates believers to endure through mockery and delay. The goal is not merely to escape judgment but to inherit a renewed and perfected creation.

The Ethical Application (vv. 11, 14)

As is typical in apostolic writing, Peter immediately pivots from eschatological doctrine to ethical application. The truth about the future is meant to transform behavior in the present. He asks the poignant question: "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be?" His answer is direct: "You ought to live holy and godly lives".7 The certainty of the coming judgment and the promise of a new, righteous world should serve as the primary motivation for believers to be found by Christ "spotless, blameless and at peace with him".1 Eschatological hope is not a passive waiting but an active pursuit of moral transformation.

An Apostolic Consensus on End-Times Opposition

Peter's warning about last-days scoffers is not an isolated prophecy. It is part of a consistent and unified pattern of teaching found throughout the apostolic writings, which collectively describe the moral and spiritual opposition the church should expect to face throughout its history. This apostolic consensus demonstrates that the challenge of mockery and apostasy was a primary concern for the leaders of the early church.

The Witness of Jude

The literary relationship between 2 Peter and the Epistle of Jude is one of the most striking in the New Testament. There is a significant overlap in content, language, and structure, particularly in their respective denunciations of false teachers. The majority of modern scholars argue for the literary priority of Jude, suggesting that Peter knew, adapted, and expanded upon Jude's earlier and more concise warning for his own pastoral purposes.32

This connection is most evident in Jude 17-18, which contains a prophecy that is nearly identical to Peter's: "But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, 'In the last times there will be scoffers (empaiktai) who will follow their own ungodly desires'".10 The use of the same specific Greek term, empaiktai, and the identical linking of their scoffing to their "ungodly desires" or "lusts" creates a powerful parallel witness. Both epistles describe the false teachers in remarkably similar terms: they deny the authority of Jesus Christ, are driven by sensual lusts, are grumblers and arrogant boasters, and are destined for a judgment prefigured by Old Testament examples like the fallen angels and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.18 This shared testimony reinforces the certainty of the prediction and highlights it as a common element of apostolic teaching.

The Witness of Paul

The Apostle Paul, writing to different churches facing different specific challenges, nevertheless contributes to this same overarching theme of end-times opposition and moral decay.

In 2 Timothy 3:1-5, Paul provides a detailed and chilling profile of the moral character that will define the "last days." He warns his protégé Timothy that "there will be terrible times," not because of external persecution, but because of an internal decay of human character. People will become "lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive... lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God".10 While Peter's prophecy focuses on the specific doctrinal error of denying the Parousia, Paul's description illuminates the underlying moral corruption that fuels such rebellion. The character traits Paul lists—pride, self-love, and the pursuit of pleasure—are the very motivations Peter attributes to his scoffers. Some translations of 2 Timothy 3:2 even include "scoffing at God" in the list of vices, drawing a direct verbal parallel.35

In 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4, Paul addresses an eschatological confusion similar to the one Peter confronts. The Thessalonian believers were afraid that the Day of the Lord had already come. Paul reassures them by stating that this day will not arrive "unless the falling away (apostasia) comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed".37 This prophesied apostasia refers to a great rebellion or a large-scale defection from the truth of the gospel.37 This provides a broader theological context for Peter's specific prediction. The scoffers who mock the promise of Christ's return are not isolated dissenters; they are active participants in this great, end-times apostasy, which is characterized by a rejection of divine truth and authority.41

The consistent pattern across these apostolic texts reveals that the warnings about the end times are less about providing a chronological roadmap and more about establishing a moral and spiritual typology of the opposition the church will face throughout its history. The scoffer, the apostate, and the lover of self are not just figures of a distant future but are recurring profiles of rebellion that will manifest in various forms in every generation.

A Comparative Analysis of Apostolic Warnings

To synthesize this apostolic consensus, the following table compares the key features of the warnings found in 2 Peter, Jude, and the Pauline epistles. This visual representation highlights the unified witness to the nature of end-times opposition, consistently linking doctrinal error with moral depravity.

Feature

2 Peter

Jude

2 Timothy

2 Thessalonians

Designation

Scoffers (empaiktai), False Teachers

Mockers (empaiktai), Ungodly Persons

Lovers of Self, Impostors

The Rebellion (apostasia)

Core Motivation

Following their own lusts (2 Pet 3:3)

Following ungodly passions (Jude 1:18)

Lovers of pleasure, money, self (2 Tim 3:2-4)

Deception, lawlessness (2 Thess 2:9-10)

Primary Error

Denial of the Second Coming (2 Pet 3:4)

Denying the Lord, creating division (Jude 1:4, 19)

Opposing the truth, counterfeit faith (2 Tim 3:8)

Rejection of the truth (2 Thess 2:10)

Behavioral Traits

Arrogance, blasphemy, sensuality (2 Pet 2)

Grumbling, boasting, sensuality (Jude 1:16)

Proud, abusive, unholy, treacherous (2 Tim 3:2-4)

Lawlessness, self-exaltation (2 Thess 2:4)

Temporal Context

"In the last days" (2 Pet 3:3)

"In the last time" (Jude 1:18)

"In the last days" (2 Tim 3:1)

Precedes the Day of the Lord (2 Thess 2:3)

Conclusion: The Enduring Call to Steadfastness and Holy Living

The Apostle Peter's prophecy concerning the arrival of scoffers in the last days is a cornerstone of New Testament eschatology and pastoral theology. A comprehensive analysis reveals that this prediction is far more than a simple chronological signpost for the end of the world. It is a sophisticated and multi-layered argument designed to equip the church for a long journey of faith in a skeptical world.

The central conclusion of this report is that the appearance of scoffers who mock the promise of the Parousia should not be a cause for alarm or doubt among believers. Instead, their very existence serves as a powerful confirmation of the apostolic prophecies. Peter's emphatic instruction to "know this first" was intended to arm the church against being surprised or shaken by this specific form of intellectual and moral opposition.13 The mockery of the world, therefore, becomes a paradoxical sign of the truthfulness of the Christian message.

Furthermore, Peter's explanation for the delay of Christ's return represents a profound theological contribution, transforming a potential apologetic liability into a testament to the character of God. The delay is not a sign of divine "slackness" or inability but is a direct manifestation of God's patient and salvific nature.11 This reframing provides a robust answer to one of the most persistent theological and existential questions faced by the church throughout its history: why does a good God permit the continuation of a fallen world? Peter's answer is that God's patience is His mercy in action, extending the opportunity for repentance to the greatest number possible.5

Ultimately, the entire discussion of scoffers, divine judgment, and the cosmic future is in service of an urgent pastoral exhortation. The proper response to both the mockery of the world and the certainty of God's promise is a life of diligent pursuit of holiness, godliness, and peace.1 Eschatological hope in the biblical sense is not meant to foster idle speculation or a retreat from the world. It is intended to be the engine of moral transformation and missional urgency. As believers await and even "hasten" the coming of the Day of God, their lives are to become a preview of the "new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells".9 Peter's prophecy of last-days scoffers is, in the end, a timeless and enduring call for the people of God to remain steadfast in hope and to be found ready.

Works cited

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