![]() ![]() God provided other warnings as well – Methuselah’s name means, “He dieth, and the sending forth will come.” He was so named by his father Enoch to give it as a prophecy of the flood. The wicked that perished clearly deserved to be destroyed by their perdition, and have no excuse. Of course, these evil and wicked men did not repent, and would not by their wicked nature, but that does not make God unjust – indeed, God’s longsuffering and justice are demonstrated by His delaying of the flood during the 100 years of Noah’s labor. Noah preached this message of the upcoming certain destruction and judgment, both by his words and by his building of the ark. The Bible tells us that Christ through Noah preached warnings to the people prior to the flood. By this God afforded a space for the wicked men to repent prior to this destruction. ![]() ![]() God says in Gen 6:3, “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” This may be a reference to a shortening of the lifetime of men which occurred after the flood, although I believe a better construction is that God is announcing a coming judgment that will take place in 120 years from that time. Peter reminds the readers of the way that God dealt with the world in the time leading up to the flood – God was angry with the wickedness of the world, promised destruction would come, and yet delayed. Peter is telling the disciples not to be discouraged by this criticism, but indeed to expect it. These scoffers do not appear to be members of the church so much as critics of it, whether inside or out. Peter is writing prophetically by the Spirit to address both his time, and the time in the future (“last days”). Peter in this section of his letter (2 Peter 3:1-13) addresses scoffers who, motivated by their own lusts, mock the promise of the second coming. When examined in context, it can be seen that this verse instead teaches a special atonement, which means that Christ died for his particular people (the elect of God), and none of these shall perish or be lost. According to this view, Christ died as a general offering for the sins of the entire human race, and God is now delaying the final judgment, hoping that some of these lost sinners will repent and thereby escape the fires of eternal damnation. This verse is often used by many to teach a universal atonement by God. “ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |