Handling Scoffers | 2 Peter 3:1-9
Peter prepares followers of Christ to handle scoffers by teaching us three ways to respond: (1) discern their motive, (2) dissect their argument, and (3) desire their repentance. This sermon is part 6 in "A Fisherman's Truth," Bryan Craddock's series of verse-by-verse sermons on 2 Peter.
People say, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Some claim that this idea comes from Proverbs 17:22. But that verse says, “A joyful heart is good medicine.” The King James Version says, “A merry heart,” but that is not the same as laughter. In fact, the biblical references to laughter are not always positive.
It is first mentioned in Genesis 17:17. When the Lord tells Abraham that he and his wife, Sarah, will have a son in their old age, Abraham laughs. Then chapter 18 tells us that Sarah laughs when she hears. In time their laughter becomes joyful, but it initially expresses disbelief. They name their son, Isaac, which comes from the Hebrew word for laughter. But then Genesis 21:9 says that Abraham’s other son, Ishmael, laughs at Isaac in scorn.
Humor can be weaponized to mock and belittle. It might seem like an effective tool to use against powerful people. A lot of people today don’t seem to know any other way to communicate. But doing so is foolish. It will end up hurting you more than it hurts them.
The Book of Proverbs demonstrates the consequences, describing scoffers as arrogant, unteachable, and divisive. Psalm 1:1 puts it in perspective by saying, “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.” So, believers should not scoff at people and should avoid being under the influence of those who do.
The New Testament Gospels reinforce this point with their accounts of the mockery directed against Jesus. The term is used when the Jews arrest him. They blindfold him, beat him, and tell him to prophesy who struck him (Lu 22:63-64). It is used when the Roman soldiers dress him in a scarlet robe and put a crown of thorns on his head and a reed in his hand. They kneel and say, “Hail! King of the Jews!” Then they spit on him and beat him on the head with the reed (Mt 27:28-29). Verbal mockery from both groups continues as he suffers on the cross (Mt 27:39-44).
So, we should not be surprised if people mock those who follow Jesus. In 2 Peter 3:1-9, Peter prepares us to handle scoffers by teaching us three ways to respond. We saw in chapter 2 that he addressed the problem of false teachers within the church. So, it is not clear whether the scoffing in chapter 3 comes from the false teachers of chapter 2 or from different people outside the church. We will return to that question as we work through the passage.
I have titled our study of this letter, “A Fisherman’s Truth” to remind us of Peter’s background before he left his nets to follow Jesus. With his brash personality, you might expect him to spar with scoffers on their terms. Instead, his responses are shaped by the truth of the gospel, the humble example of Jesus, and the goal of leading people to salvation as a fisher of men.
Discern Their Motive
The town where I grew up in California was built along a mountain range. The northern edge was 1,000 feet higher than the southern edge. At the time, I did not realize how unusual that is. We lived with a unique awareness of the pull of gravity.
If I rode my bike to school, it really was uphill the whole way. It was just a mile, but I don’t think I was ever able to make it up without walking. On the other hand, I did not have to pedal at all coming home. I just needed to make sure my brakes worked.
Now in a spiritual sense, we all live on an even steeper incline. We may not recognize it, but in this fallen world sin constantly pulls at us like the force of gravity. People may take different paths down the hill or have better brakes than others, but no one overcomes the pull of sin to grow in holiness apart from the saving power of Jesus Christ.
So, when we interact with scoffers, we must discern their motive. Their attack on the Christian faith does not come from an intellectually neutral position on level ground. Such a place does not exist in our sin-skewed world. In 2 Peter 3:1-3, Peter says,
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.
Peter is not maligning them by pointing out their sinful desires. As I have said, we all feel the pull of the world’s spiritual slope. That is why Christians need reminders like Peter gives here. That constant downward force tends to warp our faith into hypocrisy. So, our sincere mind needs to keep being stirred up.
We need to remember the overarching message of Scripture. Peter reminds us first of the predictions of the holy prophets. As I explained back when he speaks of the prophets in chapter 1, I think that he is referring to the entire Old Testament. So, rather than singling out individual predictions, Peter probably has in mind the overall trajectory of God’s plan. The Law, the Writings, and the Prophets all anticipate the ultimate restoration of God’s kingdom on earth when sin is defeated, and suffering is no more. We must keep looking up to this future hope.
Peter then sums up the teaching that what we now have in the New Testament by calling it, “the commandment of the Lord and Savior.” The apostles argue that Jesus is the Lord, the Son of God who will judge the world and will rule as king. Because of our sinfulness, we stand condemned before him. Thankfully, Jesus is also the Savior who gave his life to atone for our sins and rose again to give us life.
So, what commandment is Peter referring to? Jesus gives several commands in his teaching, but I think that Peter has in mind the fundamental way that we relate to him. Because he is Lord, we should repent of our sins and change our direction to go against the downward pull of sin. Because he is Savior, we must trust him, believing in the power of his death and resurrection to grant us forgiveness, life, and the strength to overcome.
Now repentance and belief are two different actions, but they are as inseparable as two sides of the same coin. Some passages use one. Some use the other. Jesus joins them together. Mark 1:14-15 tells us,
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
We often speak of the gospel as an invitation and an opportunity, and it is. But as we see here, the good news comes with a commandment that all people are obligated to obey. Paul stressed this point as he preached in Athens. Acts 17:30-31 tells us that he said,
The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."
Jesus will hold people accountable for how they respond to the gospel’s commandment. So, even though the gospel offers forgiveness, freedom, and hope, it brings a sense of conviction for those who want to keep pursuing the fulfillment of their sinful desires. Some people try to escape that conviction by scoffing. They attempt to silence their conscience and feel better by laughing at the truth of the gospel.
We might feel offended by their mockery. We might be tempted to respond in anger. But Proverbs 14:12-14 tells us,
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. Even in laughter the heart may ache, and the end of joy may be grief. The backslider in heart will be filled with the fruit of his ways, and a good man will be filled with the fruit of his ways.
The scoffer may seem carefree, but their attacks flow from a hopeless heart that sees no alternative to the relentless bondage of sin. Discern their motive and look upon them with compassion.
Dissect Their Argument
There’s a difference between how you use a sword and how you use a scalpel. Peter had some experience with that. On the night that they came to arrest Jesus, he clumsily lashed out with a sword. He only succeeded in cutting off a guy’s ear. Jesus told him to put away his sword and then healed the man (Mt 26:51-53; Lu 22:49-51; Jn 18:10-11). Clearly, Jesus did not need to be defended.
Now when we hear someone scoff, we might be tempted to react like Peter did that night. We swing God’s Word around in a hostile and clumsy way. But Jesus does not need to be defended. In fact, such efforts are probably futile when dealing with a scoffer. Proverbs 9:7-8 says,
Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
Make no mistake! Jesus can heal the scoffer’s heart, but he does not need our arguments to do it. So, in 2 Peter 3, Peter does not call us to attack with the sword of truth in some kind of apologetic clash. Instead, he shows us how to use the word like a scalpel. He responds to the scoffers by dissecting their argument for the benefit of believers. He begins in verse 4, by telling us,
They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."
In other words, they mock the belief that Jesus will return, claiming that nothing ever really changes. Peter does not say where this argument leads them, but the point seems to be that if Jesus will not return, then there is no judgment and no hope of a better future. And if that is the case, then why bother trying to obey?
That leads us back to the question that I raised earlier. Does this scoffing come from the false teachers that Peter described back in chapter 2? They probably use mockery as a tactic to persuade people, and this argument would certainly support their disregard for morality. But it also casts doubt on the truthfulness of biblical prophecy and denies our need for a Savior. So, rather than coming from false teachers within the church, I think that the scoffing probably comes from outsiders.
We hear the same argument today. It is the foundation of a secular worldview. Everything continues uniformly without any supernatural intervention. Thus, human beings are not uniquely created by God. We are just a product of evolutionary chance, and religion and morality are just social constructs made by those in power to assert control over others. How could you be so naive as to believe?
You can try to reason with scoffers, but their opposition is not primarily intellectual. As we saw a moment ago, they are motivated by sinful desires. Though they will not admit it, they already know that God exists. In Romans 1:19-21, Paul says,
For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
So, Peter responds to the scoffers’ argument by dissecting it for believers. He gives a simple biblical answer that slices through their spiritually blind logic. In 2 Peter 3:5-6, he says,
For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished.
The assumption of uniformity is contradicted by the Genesis accounts of creation and the Flood. Genesis 1 tells us that God spoke the world into existence. He separated waters above and below the expanse to create a unique atmosphere. He gathered the waters below into seas and formed dry land. As the Creator, he holds absolute authority over everything that exists. So, when the people of the earth became corrupt and filled with violence, he had every right to bring judgment upon them. Genesis 7:11 says that the fountains of the great deep burst forth and the windows of heaven were opened, destroying all the people of the earth except Noah and his family.
The ESV says that scoffers deliberately overlook this. Some translations give a more passive reading of the phrase: it escapes their notice. Either way, Peter thinks that there is information that they are not considering. Perhaps he has in mind the physical evidence of the earth’s geology that points to a great cataclysm. But there is also the spiritual reality that the work of the law is written on our hearts. We all have a sense that we will ultimately be held accountable.
So, we face a fundamental question, the same one that the serpent posed to Eve in the Garden. Will we trust God’s revelation or rely upon our own human observations and interpretations? As we have seen, our reasoning is not neutral. On our own, we always seek some argument to quiet our conscience. Don’t succumb to the faulty logic of scoffers!
Desire Their Repentance
When we think of the cross, we might fixate on the physical pain that Jesus endured. But the Gospels do not elaborate on it other than saying that it happened. Jesus revealed something of the spiritual strain when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But the Gospels highlight the mockery that he experienced. How did he respond to it? Luke 23:34 tells us, “And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’”
He came to seek and save the lost, not just nice people. In his compassion and grace, he accepted their verbal and physical abuse as part of the cost to atone for sin. Peter does not refer to the cross in 2 Peter 3, but he captures the heart of it. He speaks of coming judgment and God’s desire for people to repent. So, if that is what God desires, shouldn’t we desire the same thing?
Scoffers will face judgment. In 2 Peter 3:7, Peter finishes his thought related to creation and the Flood by saying,
But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Peter sees a clear parallel between the past and the future. God used water to carry out judgment upon the world in the past. In the future, he will carry out another judgment using fire. He has more to say about that down in verses 10-14, but we will save that passage for next time.
At this point, Peter simply declares the result of this fiery judgment. Ungodly people will experience destruction, but this does not mean that they simply cease to exist. Paul describes destruction as an eternal condition. In 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9, he says that Jesus will be revealed from heaven,
in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.
Now when you are targeted by a scoffer, you might feel like celebrating this promise of Christ coming in judgment, and that is not entirely wrong. David responds that way to his enemies in several of his psalms. Furthermore, I think we all recognize that some people in history have inflicted so much pain on others that it would be unjust for them to simply cease existing. God’s judgment will be good and right! Come quickly Lord Jesus!
The problem we have is that we forget how much we deserve condemnation too. As Paul says in Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” The only difference between me, the scoffer, and the murderer is that God graciously interrupted my downhill slide.
So, when the scoffer mocks our anticipation of Christ’s return, the ultimate answer is the good news that God is not done saving people yet. In 2 Peter 3:8-9, Peter says,
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
People do goofy things with verse 8. It has been used to develop schemes to predict when Jesus will return. Jesus said that no one but the Father knows that day (Mt 24:36), yet some people foolishly ignore that. Peter’s point is that we cannot grasp God’s timing. He will fulfill his promise when he is ready to do so. The fact that it has not happened yet simply demonstrates his patience.
People also struggle with verse 9. If God does not wish for any to perish, then why isn’t everyone saved? Some say that since God wants everyone to repent, salvation is entirely determined by the individual’s choice. But Ephesians 1:4-5 teaches that God chose certain people before the foundation of the world and predestined them to salvation.
Others note that 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is patient toward “you” --the church, the elect. So, they claim that the words “any” and “all” do not refer to everyone in the world, just to those who are chosen. But as we saw in Acts 17:30, God commands all everywhere to repent. That command expresses his desire. So, we cannot limit 2 Peter 3:9 to the elect. God genuinely wants everyone to repent.
The intersection of divine sovereignty and human responsibility is mysterious, and I think that Peter wants us to maintain that sense of mystery. Though God chose people before the foundation of the world, he desires for all to repent and charges us to proclaim his command. As we do, we have no idea who will respond, but we can be confident in the sovereign power of God to save anyone, even the most offensive scoffer.
So, don’t write them off, even though it may be tempting to do so. Desire their repentance as God does. Pray for them! In time, he may soften their hearts so that they are ready to listen. Watch, wait, and trust him to create that opportunity to speak the truth in love.
__________
Scoffers will come, but followers of Christ should respond by discerning their motive, dissecting their argument, and desiring their repentance.
Perhaps you mocked the faith at some point in your life. If you have never done so, are you ready to repent and believe in Christ? I urge you to obey the gospel today. If you would like to learn more about it, I encourage you to read Acts 17 where Paul preaches to the people of Athens.
If you are a believer, have you come under the influence of scoffers? There are lots of them out there. Are you listening to them? If so, are they shaping how you interact with people and handle disagreements? Recognize the foolishness of scoffing and leave it behind! Commit yourself to speaking the truth of Christ in love, even when someone scoffs at you.
May we follow the example of Christ!
Reflect
How have you responded to scoffers in the past?
How does this passage change your thinking about handling scoffers?
How should God’s desire for people to repent (v. 9) shape our lives?