This second epistle of Peter has some similarity to second Timothy inasmuch as Peter knew that his execution or death was imminent, as did Paul in second Timothy. This would make me believe that Peter would be stating things that he thought were most important to believers.

The first 11 verses give us a pattern of Christian growth brought about by the increasing knowledge of God's Word. You could take a little time here to go over these 11 verses very carefully. They need little explanation.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 001)  Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 002)  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 003)  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 004)  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 005)  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 006)  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 007)  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 008)  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 009)  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 010)  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 011)  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Starting with verse 12, Peter acknowledges his approaching death and his responsibility to remind his readers of Christian fundamentals . And he states that these are not fairy tales but truths that Peter has witnessed and experienced firsthand.

(chpt:  1 Vs: 012)  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 013)  Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 014)  Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 015)  Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 016)  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 017)  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 018)  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 019)  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 020)  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 

(chpt:  1 Vs: 021)  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. 

In this chapter he tells us that there will be false prophets and teachers among the people who will bring judgment upon themselves. He goes on to cite a number of examples in the history of Israel where false teachings and sin were judged by God.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 001)  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 002)  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 003)  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 004)  For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 005)  And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 006)  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 007)  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 008)  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 

Beginning with verse 9 he tells us that God is able to protect the Godly and to separate out the unjust for judgment. He continues enumerating the ways that mankind fails.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 009)  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 010)  But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 011)  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 012)  But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 013)  And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 014)  Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 015)  Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 016)  But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 017)  These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 018)  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 019)  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 

Starting in verse 20 he points out that these people did have a knowledge of Jesus and his Word, but chose to go the other way. He tells us that their judgment will be extreme. There are many today who claim to know Christ but are teaching another doctrine. Not only they but their students are in danger of serious judgment.

(chpt:  2 Vs: 020)  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 021)  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 

(chpt:  2 Vs: 022)  But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

In this chapter he changes direction slightly. He states that he must remind them of certain things in relation to the second coming of Jesus. He's telling them something that we know to be only too true in this day. And that is that there are many scoffers who ridicule the doctrine of the return of Jesus. Peter tells us in a sense that it is a waste of time to watch the calendar and make guesses as to dates.

(chpt:  3 Vs: 001)  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 002)  That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 003)  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 004)  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 005)  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 006)  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 

(chpt:  3 Vs: 007)  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 

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