3:3
Peter expresses a very important worldview here. “In the last days scoffers will come scoffing ...” There can be an attitude that everyone is nice really and as long as we are nice enough then the world will eventually see the truth of the gospel. This is a profoundly unrealistic and unbiblical view. Related to it is the belief in an end time revival. Now there may be an end time revival, but if there is it will be in the midst of the world’s rejection of the gospel and persecution of the church (the two things can be happening simultaneously). The New Testament consistently teaches that there will be mass rebellion against God in the last days.
3:4
The New Testament talks about the last days as a present reality, that was two thousand years ago. We have been in the last days and are still in the last days. The return of Christ may come within our lifetimes, it may not, but we are already in the last days. The objection that Peter talks about here is one that is around today. If Christ is coming back why hasn’t He done so? He hasn’t come yet, he must not be coming back at all. We should remember that in the gospels Jesus taught that He would come back when no one was expecting Him, and that it would seem to take longer than anyone expected.
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