2 Peter 3:3 Meaning: Why Mockers Mock the Promise of Christ’s Return
knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,
this first knowing, that there shall come in the latter end of the days scoffers, according to their own desires going on,
knowing this first, that there shall come at [the] close of the days mockers with mocking, walking according to their own lusts,
Meaning in one sentence
Peter warns believers to expect scoffers who question Jesus’ return. Their mockery flows from a lifestyle of following their own desires.
Context
Peter is wrapping up his second letter to Christians scattered across Asia Minor. He has spent two chapters warning them about false teachers who twist grace into a license for sin. Now in chapter 3 he turns to a specific attack these believers face: mockery about Christ’s return. People were already asking, “Where is the promise of his coming?” (v. 4). Peter wants his readers to be ready for this. So he tells them, before anything else, they need to understand that mockers will show up. The point is not to frighten them, but to steady them. When ridicule comes, they won’t be caught off guard.
Key Words
The Greek word for “knowing” here is ginōskontes. It means more than head knowledge, it is a deep, settled awareness, the kind that shapes how you live. Peter is saying, “Make this the first thing you really get.” The word translated “mockers” or “scoffers” is empaiktai. It carries the feel of someone playing a game, treating serious things as a joke. In some early copies, Peter adds a second word, empaigmonē, “with mockery”, almost a doubling: scoffers will come with scoffing. And then he says they are “walking” (poreuomenoi) according to their own desires. Walking is a regular Bible picture for how you live your whole life. Their path, step by step, is ruled by what they want, not by God’s promises. That habit of self-pleasing is what breeds cynicism toward hope.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions read this verse as a straightforward warning. Many Reformed commentators, like Calvin, see “the last days” as the entire Gospel age, the time between Christ’s first and second coming. Scoffers will grow bolder as the end draws near. Wesleyan and Methodist writers (Clarke, Wesley) focus on the motive: “walking after their own lusts” is the root of all unbelief. Anglican scholars (Cambridge Bible) note the Hebrew-style repetition, “scoffers in their scoffing”, which drives home how thoroughly mockery saturates their speech. Catholic readings (Douay-Rheims) call them “deceitful scoffers,” linking their lies to their desires. All agree: the scoffing is not just intellectual doubt; it rises from a heart that does not want to answer to God.
A common misunderstanding
Living This Out
Maybe this week someone rolls their eyes when you talk about Jesus coming back. Or maybe you find yourself secretly bored with that hope, it sounds distant, irrelevant to your real problems. Peter says, don’t be surprised. Notice the connection in the verse: people scoff when they are walking after their own desires. That is worth sitting with. Could my own impatience with God’s timing be hiding a desire I do not want to surrender? You do not need to argue with the scoffers. But you can ask the Lord to show you where your own heart might be drifting. Let the warning keep you honest, not just defensive.
Main takeaway: God warns us in advance so that when mockery and doubt come, our faith will not be shaken by surprise.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some people will say mean things about Jesus coming back. They laugh because they want to do what they want, not what God wants. But God told us ahead of time so we would not be scared.
For ages 9, 12
Peter says that before anything else, you need to know this: in these last days, people will make fun of the promise that Jesus is coming again. Why? Because they are living for what they want, not for God. Their sneering comes from a heart that does not want to obey. When you hear that kind of talk, do not let it shake you. God already told you it would happen. Stay close to Him, and hold onto His promise.
Questions People Ask
What does "knowing this first" mean in 2 Peter 3:3?
Peter means this is the most important thing to understand and remember as you face opposition. Before any other consideration, get this down: mockers will come. It is a foundational truth to keep you from being shocked or shaken.
Who are the "scoffers" or "mockers" in 2 Peter 3:3?
They are people, possibly false teachers or simply unbelievers, who mock the idea that Jesus will return in judgment. The word carries a sense of contempt and ridicule. They treat the promise of Christ’s coming as a joke.
How does "walking after their own lusts" fuel their mockery?
Commentators like Adam Clarke explain that unbelief often starts with a desire to live without restraint. The Gospel requires a holy life, so they attack its truthfulness to free themselves from its demands. Their scoffing is not honest doubt; it is a way to justify their own desires.
Are "the last days" in 2 Peter 3:3 still in the future?
Many Christians understand "the last days" to refer to the entire age between Christ’s first coming and his return. Peter expected scoffers in his own time, and they have appeared in every generation. So this warning applies to us today.
Why is this warning placed first before talking about the day of the Lord?
Peter wants believers to be mentally and spiritually prepared. If you expect mockery, you will not be thrown off course when it comes. It also helps you examine your own heart: scoffing against God often masks a refusal to submit to Him.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study