And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Parallel translations
- WEB and saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
- BSB “Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”
- NKJV and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
- NASB and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.”
- NLT They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The mockers ask where the promise of Christ's coming is, since everything continues unchanged since creation. It matters because it voices the skeptical denial of Christ's return that believers must answer.
Overview
The scoffers argue from apparent uniformity: nothing has changed since the fathers died, so why expect Christ's return? Their reasoning assumes the world simply carries on by natural processes without divine intervention. Peter will refute this by pointing to creation and the flood as evidence of God's decisive acts in history.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Jer 17:15Behold, they say unto me, Where is the word of the LORD? let it come now.
- Mal 2:17Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?
- Jer 5:12–13They have belied the LORD, and said, It is not he; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword nor famine:
- Luke 12:45But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;
- Isa 5:18–19Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:
- Eccl 8:11Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
- Matt 24:48But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
- Gen 19:14And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.
- Ezek 12:22–27Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?
- 1 Th 2:19For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?
- Mark 13:19For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.
- Eccl 1:9The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.
- Rev 3:14And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
- Ezek 11:3Which say, It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we be the flesh.
- Mark 10:6But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.
- Matt 24:28For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The sure word of the prophets and the promise of the coming day of the Lord anchor the believer in the knowledge of 'our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.'
How 2 Peter 3:4 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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