II Peter 3:3 · Bible study
2 Peter 3:3 Commentary: Knowing This First
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Peter warns believers to expect scoffers who mock Christ's return. Their lifestyle of self-indulgence fuels their ridicule. A study of 2 Peter 3:3.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Believers must prioritize the knowledge that scoffers will appear in the last days; their mockery springs from a life ordered by personal desires.
- Key words: γινώσκοντες (knowing, with a sense of ongoing perception), ἐμπαῖκται (mockers), πορευόμενοι (walking/living), ἐπιθυμία (desire, often with negative connotation of lust).
- Main debate: Whether “the last days” refers to the short final period before Christ’s return or to the entire church age since Pentecost.
- Theological theme: The suffering of the righteous under ridicule; God’s sovereignty in foretelling opposition; the moral root of unbelief.
- Best use: A foundational verse for teaching on endurance, apologetics, and the character of those who deny the Second Coming.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.
WEB World English Bible 2000
knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts
KJV King James Version 1769
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
ASV American Standard Version 1901
knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
this first knowing, that there shall come in the latter end of the days scoffers, according to their own desires going on,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
knowing this first, that there shall come at [the] close of the days mockers with mocking, walking according to their own lusts,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Knowing this first: That in the last days there shall come deceitful scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Sabiendo primero esto, que en los postrimeros días vendrán burladores, andando según sus propias concupiscencias,
Sabendo primeiro isto: que nos últimos dias virão escarnecedores, andando segundo seus próprios maus desejos,
sachant avant tout que, dans les derniers jours, il viendra des moqueurs avec leurs railleries, marchant selon leurs propres convoitises,
Und wisset aufs erste, daß in den letzten Tagen kommen werden Spötter, die nach ihren eigenen Lüsten wandeln
Dit eerst wetende, dat in het laatste der dagen spotters komen zullen, die naar hun eigen begeerlijkheden zullen wandelen,
sapendo questo, prima di tutto: che negli ultimi giorni verranno degli schernitori coi loro scherni i quali si condurranno secondo le loro concupiscenze
To najpierwej wiedząc, że przyjdą w ostateczne dni naśmiewcy, według własnych swoich pożądliwości chodzący,
Прежде всего знайте, что в последние дни явятся наглые ругатели, поступающие по собственным своим похотям
第一要緊的，該知道 在 末 世 必有 好譏誚的人 隨從 自己的 私慾 出來譏誚說：
Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · II Peter 3:3
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that Peter calls believers to a priority knowledge: “knowing this first” (πρῶτον γινώσκοντες). As Barnes notes, this is “among the first and most important things to be attended to.” Calvin says Peter wants them prepared so they “might be prepared to oppose such men,” not be shaken when mockery comes. Clarke calls it “considering this in an especial manner.” The better Greek manuscripts add the word “in mockery” (ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ), creating a Hebraic reduplication, scoffers shall come with scoffing (Cambridge Bible). The source of their ridicule is their own lusts (ἐπιθυμία). Wesley: “Here is the origin of the error.” Clarke expands: they cannot bear the gospel’s restraints, so they try to discredit it. The consensus is that this verse arms believers: expect mockery, recognize its moral root, and stand steady.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Dispensational / Premillennial: Reads 'last days' as a specific period before Christ’s millennial reign, emphasizing the increase of mockery just before the end.
- Amillennial / Reformed: Understands 'last days' as the entire interadvental age, with mockery a constant but varied feature (Calvin, Barnes).
- Scoffers as internal false teachers: Connects this verse to 2 Peter 2 and Jude, seeing the mockers as those within the church who deny future judgment (Clarke, Gill).
- Scoffers as external persecutors: Views them as secular or pagan critics outside the church, based on the language of mockery used of non-believers in Proverbs (Henry).
What is clear: Believers must expect scoffing against the promise of Christ’s return, and that mockery is rooted in a sinful desire for autonomy, not intellectual reasoning.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'the last days' | Christians agree this refers to the period of the Messiah, inaugurated at Christ's first coming. | Some traditions (especially dispensational) see it as the final years before a literal millennial kingdom; others (amillennial, postmillennial) understand it as the entire gospel age from Pentecost to the Parousia. |
| Identity of the scoffers | They are people who reject the promise of Christ's return and live by their own desires. | Some commentators (Barnes, Tillotson) identify them with a specific group like the Carpocratians or Gnostics; others (Clarke, Calvin) see them as a general class of ungodly people, both inside and outside the church. |
| Relationship to Jude 18 | Both passages speak of mockers in the last days, showing a shared apostolic tradition. | Scholars disagree on whether Peter used Jude or both drew on a common source; the church has accepted both as inspired without resolving the literary relationship. |
| The phrase 'walking after their own lusts' | It indicates that their moral choices drive their unbelief, not the reverse. | The degree of psychological causation varies: some argue it is a direct cause of their heresy (Clarke), others see it as a description of their character that happens to produce scoffing (Calvin). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Peter uses the phrase “in the last days” (ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν), which reaches back into Old Testament prophecy. Isaiah 2:2 and Hosea 3:5 use it to point to the era of the Messiah. In the New Testament, the apostles see this era as having begun with Christ’s first coming (Acts 2:17; Hebrews 1:2). Calvin explains that “by the last days is commonly meant the kingdom of Christ.” Some commentators, like Barnes, understand it as the entire gospel dispensation, not necessarily a short period before the end. Jewish thought divided history into “this age” and “the age to come”; the Messiah’s arrival inaugurated the latter.
Peter’s readers were already facing false teachers (chapter 2), and now the specific attack is on the promise of Christ’s return (v. 4). Scoffing (ἐμπαιγμός) was a known cultural weapon. In the Greco-Roman world, Epicureans and other skeptics mocked the idea of divine judgment. Clarke notes that mockers “endeavor to turn all religion into ridicule” because they have no solid arguments. Peter traces their mockery directly to their lifestyle: “walking after their own lusts” (πορευόμενοι κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας). The verb πορεύομαι means “to travel” or “to conduct one’s life”, it describes a whole direction of life. Clarke states bluntly: “their opposition to revealed truth began and ended in their own lusts.” Peter draws on earlier apostolic teaching (Jude 18) to help the church not be caught off guard. The historical situation is a community tempted to doubt because of delay and derision. Peter says: you were told this would happen, now remember, and keep your hope.
Textual Notes
The most significant textual variant is the addition of “in mockery” (ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ) after “will come.” This reading appears in early uncials (A, B, C), many minuscules, and most versions (Syriac, Coptic, Vulgate). Griesbach and Westcott-Hort adopt it, and modern translations like the WEB and ASV follow it. The addition creates a Hebraic reduplication: “scoffers will come with scoffing.” Vincent notes that the shorter reading (without the phrase) is also well supported, but the longer reading does not change the essential meaning, it merely emphasizes the manner. No other variants of theological significance are noted in the supplied sources.
Reception History
The early church saw this verse fulfilled in heretics such as the Carpocratians, who denied the resurrection and judgment (Barnes cites Tillotson on this). Augustine used 2 Peter 3 in City of God to answer pagan mockery of the Christian hope for a new heaven and earth. Through the Middle Ages, the verse was read as a warning about the end of the world, often applied to those who criticized the church’s teachings. Reformation commentators like Calvin and Luther emphasized that the “last days” cover the entire age of the gospel, and that scoffers are not just pagans but also nominal Christians who reject the biblical Christ. In modern history, the verse has been a touchstone for Christians facing secular ridicule of eschatology, especially in the context of evolutionary naturalism and skepticism about miracles. It has also been sung in hymns of steadfast hope, such as “The Lord Will Come and Not Be Slow.”
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- Priority Knowledge: Peter says “knowing this first.” Before anything else, believers must grasp that mockery is coming. This is defensive wisdom, not pessimism.
- The Character of the Mockers: They “walk after their own lusts.” Their rejection of the promise is not intellectual but moral. They cannot accept a God who judges, because they want no judge over their desires.
- The Certainty of Their Coming: The future tense “will come” (ἐλεύσονται) is a promise. The very fact that Scripture predicts scoffers confirms that God is in control and that their mockery does not threaten His plan.
Five-Point Outline
- God Warns in Advance: Prophets and apostles predicted this (v. 2). The warning is a mark of God’s care.
- Mockery as a Sign of the Times: “In the last days”, this type of opposition is normal for the church age, not an exception.
- The Moral Root of Unbelief: They follow their own lusts. The rejection of Christ’s return is never neutral; it is tied to a desire for unrestrained living.
- Their Specific Objection: “Where is the promise of his coming?” (v. 4), They use the delay as evidence that God is either powerless or indifferent.
- Our Call to Stand: Peter’s purpose is not to frighten but to strengthen. Knowing this first steadies us for the long wait.
Illustration Hooks
- A coworker who says, “You’ve been saying Jesus is coming back for 2,000 years. I’ll believe it when I see it.”
- When a natural disaster happens, someone posts online: “Where is your God now?” using suffering to mock the idea of a final judgment.
- A friend who gave up faith in college because they wanted sexual freedom and saw Christianity as a restriction, the moral choice came before the intellectual doubt.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why does God allow people to make fun of Him and His promises?
- How do I answer someone who says “Jesus hasn’t returned, so He won’t”?
- Does this verse mean I should expect to be ridiculed for my faith, or is that just for evangelists?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at a turning point in 2 Peter. After confronting false teachers (chapter 2), Peter now warns about a subtler danger: the erosion of hope through mockery. He says this knowledge is “first”, it is foundational for holding on to faith when the world scoffs. Read 2 Peter 3:3, 4 together. Then work through these questions.
Discussion Questions
- Observation: What does Peter say believers must know? What two things does he describe about the scoffers (their identity and their behavior)?
- Observation: Look at the Greek word for “scoffers” (ἐμπαῖκται). It is related to “play”, mockery treats sacred things as a joke. How does that match the verse from Proverbs 3:34 about God mocking the mockers?
- Interpretation: Why does Peter say “first”? What makes this knowledge more important than other things they needed to understand?
- Interpretation: The scoffers “walk after their own lusts.” How does a person’s moral choices affect what they are willing to believe? Read John 3:19, 21 and discuss.
- Application: When have you encountered someone who ridicules the idea of Jesus returning or a final judgment? How did you respond? How would this verse shape a better response?
- Application: Peter expects believers to be steady because they were warned. How can we prepare our hearts now for future mockery, rather than waiting until it hits us?
- Connection: Peter connects mockery of the Second Coming to living for one’s own desires. How does cultivating a holy life actually strengthen our hope and our ability to answer scoffers?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Proverbs 1:22 | “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge? |
| Proverbs 3:34 | Surely he mocks the mockers, but he gives grace to the humble. |
| Proverbs 14:6 | A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person. |
| Isaiah 5:19 | who say, “Let him make haste, let him hasten his work, that we may see it; let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it!” |
| Isaiah 28:14 | Therefore hear Yahweh’s word, you scoffers, that rule this people in Jerusalem: |
| Isaiah 29:20 | For the ruthless is brought to nothing, and the scoffer ceases, and all those who are alert to do evil are cut off— |
| Hosea 7:5 | On the day of our king, the princes made themselves sick with the heat of wine. He joined his hand with mockers. |
| II Corinthians 4:2 | But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke identifies the root of all scoffing and unbelief as a moral problem, not an intellectual one. These mockers oppose the Gospel because its holy demands conflict with their own sinful desires, so they try to discredit it in order to escape its restraints. Clarke also notes that many ancient manuscripts add "in mockery," underscoring that their approach is pure ridicule, not honest inquiry.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the scoffers Peter predicts are not ordinary mockers but a specific class who deride the doctrines of Christ's return and the final judgment. He clarifies that "the last days" refer to the entire Christian dispensation, which may be very long, not a brief final period.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that believers must be forewarned and assured about coming scoffers, because the more God reveals Himself through the gospel, the more audaciously the ungodly will mock. He defines scoffers as those who show contempt for God with blasphemous wit, the worst form of evil.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that this is the first truth believers must grasp: scoffers will arise in the last days, and their driving motive is simply their own sinful desires. Their mockery flows from a heart set on gratifying itself.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the scoffers of the last days mock not only religion but the entire Trinity—God the Father, Son, and Spirit—along with Scripture, judgment, and the second coming. He ties this to Jewish teaching that the "last days" refer to the Messiah's era, and notes these scoffers follow their own lusts, whether carnal reason or sinful desires.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that the scoffers themselves fulfill the prophecy by their mocking, which confirms the truth of the prediction. Their unrestrained pursuit of pleasure is their only law, totally free from any reverence for God.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that Peter prophetically places himself in the future time of scoffers who deny Christ's return after the first believers died. These scoffers willfully ignore the flood as proof that God's word can judge the world. The apparent delay is not failure but God's patient desire for repentance.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that scoffers will grow more numerous and bold in the last days because the spiritual, simple worship of the New Testament directly opposes humanity's carnal nature. They willfully ignore that God's word created the world and once destroyed it by water, now reserving it for fire at judgment.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights a textual variant in the Greek manuscripts. The earlier reading simply says "scoffers walking," but later copies add a word meaning "with mockery," creating a deliberate play on sounds. The Revised Version follows this expanded reading.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley warns that before Christ's return, scoffers will come who follow their own evil desires. He identifies this as the origin of error and the root of libertinism, and asks whether we see this fulfilled in our own time.