Hiebert reminds us that this book naturally divides into three parts clearly marked by the chapter divisions...

The first chapter portrays the nature of the Christian life with its challenge to continuing growth and maturity, built on the sure foundation of God’s revelation. The spiritual growth and maturity of the readers will be their best safeguard against the moral and doctrinal perversions which will confront them in the dangerous days ahead.

Chapter 2 is a ringing polemic against the depraved false teachers who will seek to mislead God’s people, while chapter 3 deals with the denial of the return of Christ by immoral mockers.

In the third chapter Peter refutes the mockers’ denial of Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:1-7), presents the correct view concerning Christ’s return (2 Peter 3:8-13), and concludes with timely exhortation to his readers in view of the dark and dangerous days facing them (2 Peter 3:14-18). These concluding exhortations readily fall into two parts. The two exhortations in 2 Peter 3:14-16 are linked to the thought of the eschatological future prominent in this chapter, while the two final exhortations in 2 Peter 3:17-18a gather up the themes of chapters 2 and 1, respectively.

As Mayor observes Peter Peter “turns away from the Libertines and their victims” in the second chapter to those who Wuest terms "divinely-loved ones."

Beloved (27) (agapetos) (Click related word agape) means dear, dear friend, dear to one's heart or very much loved and expresses strong love for and affection toward his readers (cf first use in Scripture describing Abraham's love for Isaac in the Septuagint - LXX, the Greek translation of the Hebrew OT Gen 22:2).

Agapetos was used by our Heavenly Father describing His Son (click) and so clearly conveys the thought of one who is in a very special relationship with another. And so Peter reminds his readers that he prized and valued them. He lets his heart go out to them and draws their hearts to him. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. Six of the 61 NT uses of agapetos (click 2Peter including 3:8, 3:14 and 3:17) are in this brief epistle.

Agapetos is used only to believers as united with God or with each other in the bonds of holy love and is never descriptive of non-believers.

Agapetos declares Peter's pastoral concern toward his "flock" which was manifest by a lofty, even sacrificial love, a love that desires and seeks their highest good. What a contrast is the tender and moving term "beloved" in the context of the resounding denunciation of false teachers in the preceding chapter. The NIV translation as “friends” is not strong enough.

M. Henry adds that Peter's opening statement in this chapter...

Expresses his special affection and tenderness for them, by calling them beloved, hereby evidencing that he added to godliness brotherly-kindness, as he had exhorted them to do. Ministers must be examples of love and affection, as well as life and conversation.

THE SECOND LETTER I AM WRITING TO YOU: deuteran humin grapho (1SPAI) epistolen:

The second letter - The most natural conclusion is that the first letter he wrote is a reference to First Peter. However Stedman points out that...

First Peter is not really a letter of reminder as he suggests here, and it is sent to a wide range of readers living in five different provinces of the Empire (see 1 Peter 1:1) while this letter seems addressed to a single church (or closely situated churches) whose people and circumstances Peter knows well. For these reasons many take the first letter to be a letter written to the same readers but which is now lost to us. It would be similar to the reference Paul makes in 1 Corinthians. 5:9 to a previous letter which is also lost.

Letter (1992)(epistole from epi = upon + stello = send) means a transmitted message, the Greek giving us the English word epistle and here signifying a letter with apostolic authority. If you read the commentaries, you may note that some interpreters feel that "second" suggests that there is lost "first" epistle. Although one cannot exclude that conjectural possibility, it certainly seems more natural and probable that the first epistle is Peter's first letter in the NT canon.

Calvin comments...

Lest they should be wearied with the Second Epistle as though the first was sufficient, he says that it was not written in vain, because they stood in need of being often stirred up. To make this more evident, he shews that they could not be beyond danger, except they were well fortified, because they would have to contend with desperate men, who would not only corrupt the purity of the faith, by false opinions, but do what they could to subvert entirely the whole faith.

IN WHICH I AM STIRRING UP: en hais diegeiro (1SPAI): (2Peter 1:13-15; 2 Ti 1:6)

Calvin comments on stirring up writing that...

the minds of the godly become dim, and as it were contract rust, when admonitions cease. But we also hence learn, that men even endued with learning, become, in a manner, drowsy, except they are stirred up by constant warnings.

It now appears what is the use of admonitions, and how necessary they are; for the sloth of the flesh smothers the truth once received, and renders it inefficient, except the goads of warnings come to its aid. It is not then enough, that men should be taught to know what they ought to be, but there is need of godly teachers, to do this second part, deeply to impress the truth on the memory of their hearers.

And as men are, by nature, for the most part, fond of novelty and thus inclined to be fastidious, it is useful for us to bear in mind what Peter says, so that we may not only willingly suffer ourselves to be admonished by others, but that every one may also exercise himself in calling to mind continually the truth, so that our minds may become resplendent with the pure and clear knowledge of it.

Stirring up (1326) (diegeiro from diá = intensifies verb + egeíro = raise, rouse) means to wake up fully, arouse (lit. or fig.) as from sleep (literal or spiritual).

Present tense indicates Peter's desire was to continually awaken his readers and

to simulate (their) wholesome thinking. (NLT)

It makes one think that ringing through his mind must have been the words of Jesus to Peter

when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Lu 22:32)

So Peter seeks to fully arouse his brethren from their spiritual sluggishness. He is saying don't let the delay of our Lord's return cause you to "nod of" spiritually. He is saying that the Lord's return is ever nigh and that such a mindset affects one's conduct.

Martin Luther (1483-1546) was looking for His return and this stimulated him to write...

The darkness grows thicker around us, and godly servants of the Most High become rarer and more rare. Impiety and licentiousness are rampant throughout the world, and we live like pigs, like wild beasts, devoid of all reason. But a voice will soon be heard thundering forth: ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh!’ God will not be able to bear this wicked world much longer, but will come, with the dreadful day, and chastise the scorners of his Word.”

If Martin Luther felt that the Lord’s return was near almost 500 years ago, what should we think today who are that much closer to His second advent!

Later in this chapter Peter reminds the readers that...

according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless (see notes 2 Peter 3:13; 14)

Observe the verbs that are underlined in this passage - looking, look, be diligent. Do you see the relationship between how what you are looking for will (or should) influence how you then live (or what/who you are living for)?

Peter's point is that if we keep these precious promises at the forefront of our mind and truly believe them, the Spirit will sanctify us in the truth, God's Word (cf John 17:17) (here the precious promise of Christ's return and consummation of all events in Christ). What you truly believe will determine how you behave. Creed should always impact conduct. Belief and behavior go hand in hand. Peter is very practical in this section and says that if we are confident and expectant regarding the certainty the real "brave new world" of righteousness (that which God demands and which ultimately only He can provide, which is exactly what Peter says will happen one day when "righteousness dwells". What a glorious day that will be! Hallelujah!). As we contemplate the promise of this future righteousness, we should be strongly motivated and inspired to live in peace, spotless and blameless. No, we won't carry out these goals perfectly in this life, if our minds are stirred up by such truth, we will be far more likely to work our our salvation in fear and trembling (see note Philippians 2:12)

If you have been a believer for any length of time, you are all too painfully aware of how easy it is to become accustomed to God’s truth and to take it for granted to the point that we are lulled to sleep by it rather than stimulated to love and good deeds by it!

Do you remember Eutychus who fell sleep listening to surely one of the most erudite, anointed preachers who ever lived? Luke records the episode in Acts 20...

And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to depart the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. 8 And there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered together. 9 And there was a certain young man named Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor, and was picked up dead. 10 But Paul went down and fell upon him and after embracing him, he said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him." (Acts 20:7-10)

Peter does not want for his readers to suffer the fate of Eutychus! And so here we see his purpose for writing this epistle -- to arouse his readers (cf notes 2 Peter 1:12; 13; 14; 15). He arouses them that they might be protected from false teachers. One of the best defenses against false doctrine is a recall and appropriation of the truths we already know. In other words, we don't need "new" or "deeper" truths to stand against the lies of the darkness. There is a parallel thought in Jeremiah's admonishment of faithless Judah:

Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it. (Jer 6:16)

The modern evangelical church in the new millennium (2000 and counting), is in grave danger of stepping off of the ancient paths (see as just one of many examples, Bob DeWaay's critique on the slippery slope called Theophostic Ministry). The point is that the genuine church comprised of born again men and women needs to be aroused regularly lest the enemy find us asleep and take advantage of our spiritual lethargy (and laziness).

Wayne Barber explains what it means to stir up...

Note first that the same verb "stirring up" (diegeiro) used in 2 Peter 3:1 is used twice in the following verses and helps give us a picture Peter is conveying by using this verb

Mk 4:38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they WOKE (diegeiro) Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" 39 And He BEING AROUSED (STIRRED UP) (diegeiro) rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Hush, be still." And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm.

So what is the picture of that is being stirred up? First, you have to awaken and secondly you don't just wake up, but you also "put it in gear" so to speak so that the appropriate action follows. Peter is saying "I want to wake you up, get you off the world's "soft rock AM band" (this is a terminology Dr Wayne Barber frequently uses to depict "worldly, secular, humanistic, fleshly, self centered" thinking & thoughts) and onto God's classic FM band". With your mind now "renewed" by a true knowledge, you are able to get back on the "highway of holiness" walking in a manner worthy of your Lord, not being drawn away by false & deceptive ("AM") doctrine. But there are times when the circumstances in our life simply seem to sweep in & overwhelm us and we lose heart (Lu 18:1, 2Co 4:16, Gal 6:9, Heb 12:3) and we are tempted to "turn to the AM band" (the world's way of handling trying circumstances). What are we to do in those times when we are walking in darkness & seem to have no light? (Isa 50:10-11) God through the prophet Isaiah says if we get in darkness and have no light, don't go out and build your own fires ("AM band"). No, Isaiah says "Let him trust in the name of the Jehovah and rely on his God." (cf Pr 18:10) remaining on the "FM" band even though there may be some "static" from our circumstances.

How's Peter going to "STIR THEM UP"?  By reminding them. HOW MANY TIMES DO WE NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE THINGS GOD HAS ALREADY TAUGHT US!  The principle is that we don't ever really "possess" this knowledge. This knowledge "possesses" us! The moment we think we've got "IT", we have lost it and the truths we're having the hardest time with right now in our walk are the ones possibly we thought we already knew. Are you living on God's "FM" band? True spiritual knowledge (genuine gnosis) is going to effect and govern the way you live. It this gnosis does not affect your lifestyle you are playing church, pretending to do Bible study & in some ways more deceived then the individual who totally rejects the gospel. Genuine gnosis is going to keep your conscience pure. From a clean conscience will flow your convictions and out of your convictions will flow your lifestyle. Peter is reminding us that we already "know" something and that we need to get back on that FM band that we know and start living like we ought to live. True spiritual knowledge will give us the means of growth (2Pe 1:3-4,3:18), the means of discernment and an urgency that will constrain our behavior and cause us to discipline ourselves for godly living.

Remember how easy it is to "switch channels". You can be on the "spiritual FM band" in church or in Precept Bible study and you can switch over to the "AM fleshly band" the moment you arrive home. Knowledge has got to be something you are learning out of obedience and then that knowledge will stabilize you and stir you up when you remember what God has already taught you.

YOUR SINCERE MIND: humon en hupomnesei ten eilikrine dianoian: (Ps 24:4; 73:1; Mt 5:8; 1Ti 5:22; 1Pe 1:22)

minds uncontaminated by error (Phillips)

trying to awaken in you by my reminders an unclouded understanding (New Jerusalem Bible)

I seek to revive in your sincere minds certain memories (Weymouth0

reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking (NIV )

Your sincere mind - Peter credits his readers as possessing the quality of mind which signifies that he considers them to be genuine believers.

Your sincere mind is also a dramatic contrast to the deceived minds of the false teachers who as Barclay says

would refuse to be stirred up, would scorn any reminding that Peter could offer, and would only the more strenuously cling to its false ideas."

Sincere (1506) (eilikrines  from heíle = shining or splendor of the sun + kríno = judge, discern = but see possible alternative derivation below) literally means that which is judged by sunlight' (compare the "Son's light" as when we all ''appear before the bema of Christ'' in 2 Co 5:10) Being tested by sunlight something is shown to genuine, pure, sincere, uncontaminated, unmixed by seductive influences of the world, the flesh, and the devil. Eilikrines describes that which is free from spot or blemish such a degree as to bear examination in full splendor of sun.

Alternatively, some say that eilikrines may be derived from eilein which means to whirl round and round as in a sieve and so to sift until every impurity is extracted. On that basis the Christian character is cleansed of all evil until it is altogether pure. The picture is like a winnowing process that removes chaff which leaves that which is unalloyed or unmixed, figuratively here referring to moral and ethical purity.

Here Peter describes a mind that is unmixed and unadulterated. It conveys the thought of a mind characterized by moral and ethical purity, unsullied by vices and heresies. Peter tells his readers, that they have a pure mind, which is uncontaminated and unmixed by the seductive influences of the world, the flesh, and the devil. How different the true believers were from the corrupt and apostate false teachers in chapter 2.

Eilikrines is rarely used in secular Greek but one use describes fire, the purest thing of all and another use describes a 'total' eclipse of the sun.

As stated above although there is not complete agreement on the etymology of eilikrines, the word does appear to be derived from the combination of heile indicating the sun's rays plus krino meaning to judge. So literally eilikrines means "sun judged". What does this practice refer to? In ancient times the finest pottery was thin. It had a clear color and it brought a high price. Fine pottery was very fragile both before and after firing and would often crack in the oven. Cracked pottery should have been thrown away. Unless you were a dishonest salesman and then you might fill the defective crack with a hard pearly wax that would blend in with the color of the pottery. This made the cracks practically undetectable in the shops, especially when painted or glazed. However this "cover up" was immediately detectable if the pottery was held up to light of the sun which who demonstrate darker lines where the cracks had been repaired. Thus the artificial element was detected by "sun-testing." Honest dealers marked their finer product by the caption "Sine Cera" (our English word "sincere") meaning "without wax." Even as it was wise for customers in the ancient marketplaces to give all pieces of pottery the "sunlight test," so it is wise and necessary for all believers to test their lives for the wax of hypocrisy. When held up to the light of God's Word, the presence or absence of sinful cracks will be apparent. That's why it is so important for us to feed daily on Scripture (Ps 119:9-11) and to allow our lives to be shaped by its power (Heb 4:12).

Sincere mind was a phrase used by Plato referring to ethical purity or pure reason, uncontaminated by the seductive influence of the senses.

Mind (1271)(dianoia from dianoéomai = to agitate in mind in turn from dia = separation + noeo = to think over) means thinking through something, meditating, reflecting. It refers to the intellect, moral understanding or the way of thinking. It is the faculty of thinking, comprehending, and reasoning. Dianoia is the seat of perception and thinking, the faculty of understanding, feeling, desiring.

TDNT writes that dianoia is the...

Dianoia refers to the mind that takes time to think through a matter, meditatively and reflectively. As the Lutheran commentator Lenski says...

The thinking mind receives the reminding and does the remembering but the adjective (sincere) is important.

This is a mind that is disposed to received Peter's reminder and to ponder its significance. As a sincere mind it is free from wrong considerations and thus dramatically contrasts with the mind of the false teachers in Chapter 2 and the mockers in Chapter 3 who refuse to be stirred up instead scorning any reminder of coming judgment.

Believers of all people are to have "sun (Son) tested" minds that are morally and ethically pure and free of sensual thoughts and passions. To the saints at Philippi Paul wrote...

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell (present imperative = command to seek to make this your habitual practice) on these things. (see note Philippians 4:8).

Child of God, how is your mind? What thoughts, images, and other input have traversed your mind this past week? The information overload that so characterizes this present evil age, especially in the form of visual input from television, movies, and the internet is typically godless and degrading, and thus calls for all believers to be diligent to guard the "eye gate" of their minds.

As Lenski says Peter's

own pure mind contacts their (his reader's) pure mind, (and) his reminder thus produces their effective remembering. All of the apostles were somehow masterful psychologists!

Spurgeon comments that...

The purest minds need stirring up at times. It would be a great pity to stir up impure minds. That would only be to do mischief; but pure minds may be stirred as much as you please, and the more the better. There are hallowed memories in the minds of all Christians; but those memories are apt to lie asleep, and it is well to ring the alarm bell, and wake up all the memories within the believer’s heart, even as Peter did when he wrote, “I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance.”

BY WAY OF REMINDER: en hupomnesei: (Heb13:6)

The Net Bible says that Peter desired

to stimulate (their) wholesome thinking and refresh (their) memory.

By way of translates the Greek preposition "en" or in English "in" which more literally reads in reminder.

Reminder (hupomnesis from hupó = under + mimnesko = to remind) means a reminding or recollection, a remembrance.

Peter sought to impress on his readers the truth they already knew so that their sanctified reason and spiritual discernment would be able to detect and refute the purveyors of false doctrine. As someone has well said, men more frequently require to be reminded than informed! Note the prefix "hupo" which means "under". The idea then is that once they were awakened, everything that they had previously learned gets up under them, continues to keep them stirred and continues to keep them stable.

Application - It isn’t enough just to quote a verse of Scripture. It must be memorized, meditated on, or repeated, until it captivates our minds and grips our souls. We win the battle of joy in your mind by focusing on the Holy, wholesome Scriptures.

J. Vernon McGee comments on our tendency to forget:

THAT YOU SHOULD REMEMBER: mnesthenai (APN): (2Pe 1:19-21; Lu1:70; 24:27; 24:44 Acts 3:18;Acts 3:24-26 10:43; 28:23; 1 Pe 1:10-12; Rev 19:10)

Remember (mimnesko) means to bring to mind or think of again.

The aorist tense signifies effective action and the infinitive mood expresses purpose. What is the purpose? Peter desires his readers to hold fast to their first beliefs for he had just warned them that false teachers would bring in destructive doctrines that were sinister, sensual and seductive.

Lenski says that...

Reminding causes effective remembering in those who are reminded.

Christians must be reminded of the importance of sound doctrine and especially the truths that relate to the return of Christ. Prophetic teaching must not lull us to sleep but instead should awaken us to live godly lives and to seek to win the lost (