本日經文提要 (彼得後書 2:1~3:18)
彼後2:1從前在百姓中有假先知起來，將來在你們中間，也必有假師傅，私自引進陷害人的異端，連買他們的主他們也不承認，自取速速的滅亡。
彼後2:2將有許多人隨從他們邪淫的行為，便叫真道，因他們的緣故被毀謗。
彼後2:3他們因有貪心，要用捏造的言語，在你們身上取利，他們的刑罰，自古以來並不遲延，他們的滅亡也必速速來到。〔原文作也不打盹〕
彼後2:4就是天使犯了罪，神也沒有寬容，曾把他們丟在地獄，交在黑暗坑中，等候審判。
彼後2:5神也沒有寬容上古的世代，曾叫洪水臨到那不敬虔的世代，卻保護了傳義道的挪亞一家八口。
彼後2:6又判定所多瑪，蛾摩拉，將二城傾覆，焚燒成灰，作為後世不敬虔人的鑑戒。
彼後2:7只搭救了那常為惡人淫行憂傷的義人羅得。
彼後2:8因為那義人住在他們中間，看見聽見他們不法的事，他的義心就天天傷痛。
彼後2:9主知道搭救敬虔的人脫離試探，把不義的人留在刑罰之下，等候審判的日子。
彼後2:10那些隨肉身，縱污穢的情慾，輕慢主治之人的，更是如此，他們膽大任性，毀謗在尊位的也不知懼怕。
彼後2:11就是天使，雖然力量權能更大，還不用毀謗的話在主面前告他們。
彼後2:12但這些人好像沒有靈性，生來就是畜類，以備捉拿宰殺的，他們毀謗所不曉得的事，正在敗壞人的時候，自己必遭遇敗壞。
彼後2:13行的不義，就得了不義的工價，這些人喜愛白晝宴樂，他們已被玷污，又有瑕疵，正與你們一同坐席，就以自己的詭詐為快樂。
彼後2:14他們滿眼是淫色，〔淫色原文作淫婦〕止不住犯罪，引誘那心不堅固的人，心中習慣了貪婪，正是被咒詛的種類。
彼後2:15他們離棄正路，就走差了，隨從比珥之子巴蘭的路，巴蘭就是那貪愛不義之工價的先知。
彼後2:16他卻為自己的過犯受了責備，那不能說話的驢，以人言攔阻先知的狂妄。
彼後2:17這些人是無水的井，是狂風催逼的霧氣，有墨黑的幽暗為他們存留。
彼後2:18他們說虛妄矜誇的大話，用肉身的情慾，和邪淫的事，引誘那些剛才脫離妄行的人。
彼後2:19他們應許人得以自由，自己卻作敗壞的奴僕，因為人被誰制伏就是誰的奴僕。
彼後2:20倘若他們因認識主救主耶穌基督，得以脫離世上的污穢，後來又在其中被纏住制伏，他們末後的景況，就比先前更不好了。
彼後2:21他們曉得義路，竟背棄了傳給他們的聖命，倒不如不曉得為妙。
彼後2:22俗語說得真不錯，狗所吐的他轉過來又吃，豬洗淨了又回到泥裡去輥，這話在他們身上正合式。
彼後3:1親愛的弟兄阿，我現在寫給你們的是第二封信，這兩封都是提醒你們，激發你們誠實的心。
彼後3:2叫你們記念聖先知豫先所說的話，和主救主的命令，就是使徒所傳給你們的。
彼後3:3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：
彼後3:4主要降臨的應許在那裡呢，因為從列祖睡了以來，萬物與起初創造的時候仍是一樣。
彼後3:5他們故意忘記，從太古憑神的命有了天，並從水而出藉水而成的地。
彼後3:6故此，當時的世界被水淹沒就消滅了。
彼後3:7但現在的天地，還是憑著那命存留，直留到不敬虔之人受審判遭沉淪的日子，用火焚燒。
彼後3:8親愛的弟兄阿，有一件事你們不可忘記，就是主看一日如千年，千年如一日。
彼後3:9主所應許的尚未成就，有人以為他是耽延，其實不是耽延，乃是寬容你們，不願有一人沉淪，乃願人人都悔改。
彼後3:10但主的日子要像賊來到一樣，那日天必大有響聲廢去，有形質的都要被烈火銷化，地和其上的物都要燒盡了。
彼後3:11這一切既然都要如此銷化，你們為人該當怎樣聖潔，怎樣敬虔，
彼後3:12切切仰望神的日子來到，在那日天被火燒就銷化了，有形質的都要被烈火鎔化。
彼後3:13但我們照他的應許，盼望新天新地，有義居在其中。
彼後3:14親愛的弟兄阿，你們既盼望這些事，就當殷勤，使自己沒有玷污，無可指摘，安然見主。
彼後3:15並且要以我主長久忍耐為得救的因由，就如我們所親愛的兄弟保羅，照著所賜給他的智慧，寫了信給你們。
彼後3:16他一切的信上，也都是講論這些事，信中有些難明白的，那無學問不堅固的人強解，如強解別的經書一樣，就自取沉淪。
彼後3:17親愛的弟兄阿，你們既然豫先知道這事，就當防備，恐怕被惡人的錯謬誘惑，就從自己堅固的地步上墜落。
彼後3:18你們卻要在我們主救主耶穌基督的恩典和知識上有長進。願榮耀歸給他，從今直到永遠。阿們。
DEC 27 ,2019-The Journey of Grace (331/365) 2 Pe 2:1~3:18
2 Peter 2
False Teachers and Their Destruction
2 But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness[b] to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh[c] and despise authority.
Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from[d] the Lord. 12 But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.
13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.[e] 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Bezer,[f] who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.
17 These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.” 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”[g] and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”
2 Peter 3
The Day of the Lord
3 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. 7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.[a]
11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.[b] That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.
14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15 Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
