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2 Peter Chapter 3

2 Peter Chapter 3

(Underlining marks a quotation/allusion. [Brackets] mark a textual variant.fnWhen two (or more) different copies of an original manuscript disagree on any given word or phrase — addition, omission, word order, etc. — the disagreement is called a "textual variant". ~99% of existing textual variants are either minor (like spelling), obviously not original (often appearing only in a few late manuscripts), or don't affect meaning (like "Jesus Christ" vs. "Christ Jesus"). The ~1% that remain do not affect any central doctrine of Christianity. The BOS Bible only marks significant textual variants that affect the meaning; smaller variants that do not affect meaning won't be marked for readability.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings — agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. An asterisk (*) indicates a verb in the Greek perfect tense.fnThe Greek perfect tense signifies a completed action in the past with a result and/or an ongoing state that extends into the present. For example, Hebrews 12:2 says in part: "He *sat down at the right hand of the throne of God"; the verb for "sat" is in the perfect tense, indicating that He sat down once (completed action in the past), and also that He remains seated until the present moment (ongoing state).)

Glossary

Note: this glossary is currently a work in progress; entries that do not expand will be added as time permits

Ages/of ages
“ages” and “of ages” are the Greek words “αἰών” (aión, noun form) and “αἰώνιος” (aiónios, adjective form) respectively.  The adjective form is typically translated “eternal”, as in “eternal life”. The noun form refers to a whole time period, (Keizer, “Life Time Entirety”) such as a person’s lifetime (an older Greek sense), an age/epoch (e.g., 2 Cor 4:4), or even time in its entirety, making its meaning similar to “forever” (e.g., John 14:16). The adjective form is similarly context-dependent, and the New Testament context often dictates a meaning similar to “forever” (but not always: e.g. 2 Tim 1:9).  Alternately or additionally, it can indicate the quality of a time period — indicating greatness/severity — like the English idiom “of ages” (e.g. “battle of the ages”). Thus, “of ages” was chosen for the adjective form so that both the time and quality senses remain visible.

Clean/unclean

Covenant

Faith

Flesh

Forgive/forgiveness

Grace
The Greek word is “χάρις” (charis), most often translated “grace”, “gift”, or “thanks”. It was a technical term in the 1st century, referring to the Patronage system in place. The Patron (from “pater” = “father”) would give gifts or do favors (both called a charis). A charis was always given/done freely to anyone who would be grateful for it, and this person then became a “client” of the patron. The clients were expected to reciprocate by telling everyone what the patron had done, and offering their services to the patron whenever the patron needed them. This reciprocal act was also called “charis”, and the ones who reciprocated were “being faithful” by giving thanks in this way. Both were done out of gratitude, not legal obligation. A client who wasn’t faithful and grateful probably wouldn’t receive any more charis from his patron, or any other patrons. The patron was responsible for taking care of all his clients, and making sure their needs were met. New Testament usage typically casts God the Father as a Heavenly Patron, to whom Christians should be grateful and faithful because of the gifts He has given us. (e.g. salvation, provision, protection, etc.)

Holy

Justification

Law (Torah)

Make purification

Pure/Impure

Purification offering
In the Old Testament, this is typically the Hebrew “חַטָּ֖את” (khat-tat); in the New Testament, it’s typically “περὶ ἁμαρτίας” (peri hamartias), which is what the Septuagint (an ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek) used to translate the Hebrew. It’s traditionally translated “sin offering”, but that translation has less support in high-level scholarship. The Hebrew word can mean “sin”, but it can also mean “purification” (e.g. Numbers 8:7). This offering was used to purify uncleanness, whether or not a sin was committed. Thus, it was required even when no sin was committed, such as after childbirth (Leviticus 12:1-8), for certain diseases (Leviticus 14), etc. High-level, peer-reviewed scholarship dedicated to the field (e.g. Milgrom, Levine, Gane, Sklar, Wright, Gorman, etc.) is largely united on the “purification offering” understanding. The BOS Bible has aligned itself with that high-level, peer-reviewed scholarship in its translation.

Ransom

Redemption

Repent/repentance

Righteous/righteousness

Salvation/save

Soul
“soul” is the Greek word “ψυχή/psuché” and Hebrew word “נֶפֶשׁ/nephesh”. The BOS Bible translates these words as “soul” for consistency, and so the full meaning of “soul” isn’t obscured by different translations in different places. They closely overlap in meaning and are typically translated “soul” or “life”. They refer to the animating force of a living thing, and thus can also refer to its life, or to the whole of any person or creature, including animals (e.g. fish in Revelation 8:9 and Genesis 1). They are frequently used as an emphatic reference to a person’s whole self, including longings, deep emotions, and inner life. (e.g. Ps 42:11) Note: while “soul” has significant overlap in meaning with “spirit”, the words have distinct meanings and usages throughout scripture. For example, lions tear apart a soul in Psalm 7:2, and a “dead soul” is mentioned in Leviticus 21:11; “spirit” has no analogous usages, and it returns to God at death (Ecc 12:7; Acts 7:59). The adjective forms of soul and spirit are contrasted in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; see also: Hebrews 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23.

Sin

Click to Collapse the Glossary
The Lord doesn’t delay
  1. Beloved, this is already the second letter I write to you, by which I stir up your sincerely purefn“sincerely pure” is one word in Greek. It comes from two other Greek words, the first meaning the shining of the sun, the second to judge.  Together, it means to be judged righteous or pure and sincere after being see in the full light, with the implication of being thoroughly examined and still found pure. mind in remembrance,
  2. to remember the words which have been spoken beforehand by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.
  3. Knowing this first, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, walking according to their own cravings
  4. and saying: “Where is the promise of His coming?  For from the time that the fathers fell asleep, all things remain as they were from the beginning of creation.”
  5. For this willingly escapes their notice: that the heavens were existing long ago and by the word of God, the earth has been established from water and through water,fnquotation/allusion to Genesis 1:1-2 and Psalm 33:6
  6. through which the world then perished, having been flooded with water.fnquotation/allusion to Genesis chapters 6–9, the flood narrative
  7. But the heavens and the earth exist now by the same word, *reserved for fire that’s being kept for the day of judgement and the ruin of ungodly men.
  8. But beloved, don’t let this one thing escape your notice: that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 90:4
  9. The Lord doesn’t delay the promised fulfillment, as some consider delay.  But He patiently endures for you, not intendingfn“intending” The Greek word βούλομαι (boulomai) is often translated “desiring” or “wishing” in this verse, but it contains much more force than a mere wish or desire.  It means a resolute or determined plan that is intended to be carried out.  Compare in Matthew 11:27 and 1 Corinthians 12:11, among other verses. for any to perish, but to make space for the repentance of all.fnquotation/allusion to Ezekiel 18:23 and Ezekiel 33:11
  10. But the Lord’s dayfnquotation/allusion to Joel 2:1,31; Amos 5:18; Zephaniah 1:7,14; Malachi 4:1,5 will arrive like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a great rushing sound, and the elements will be dissolved by burning with intense heat,fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 34:4; Malachi 4:1; Joel 2:10 and the earth and the works in it [won’t be found].fn“won’t be found”.  This passage contains one of the most difficult textual variants in the New Testament, centering on the final verb of the sentence. The Critical Text reads εὑρεθήσεται (heurethēsetai = “will be found/discovered”), while the more traditional textual reading in the Majority Text and Textus Receptus reads κατακαήσεται (katakaesetai = “will be burned up”).  Additionally, some ancient translations into other languages include a negation before the heurethēsetai reading, making it “will not be found”.  However, this reading has no support from Greek manuscripts.  That makes the options (1) “will be found out” in the sense of judicial discovery.  (2) “will be burned up” in the obvious sense. (This variant has strong support from the immediate context of the passage.)  (3) “won’t be found” in the sense of destruction.  The BOS Bible has stuck to its source text on this difficult variant, and thus its translation shouldn’t be considered an endorsement of this reading over the others.
  11. With all these being dissolved this way, what sort of men ought you to be?  Holy in conduct and godliness,
  12. looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved by being set on fire, and the elements melt by burning with intense heat.fnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 34:4; Malachi 4:1; Joel 2:10
  13. But we look for the new heavens and the new earthfnquotation/allusion to Isaiah 65:17 and Isaiah 66:22 according to His promise, in which righteousness dwells.
  14. Therefore beloved, while looking for these things, be zealously diligent to be found spotless and unblemished by Him, and at peace.
  15. And regard the forbearance of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom which was given to him.
  16. And as in all his letters, he’s speaking in them about these things, in which some things are difficult to understand, which the unlearned and unstable twist to their own ruin, as they also twist the rest of the scriptures.
  17. Therefore, you beloved – knowing this beforehand – watch out so you might not fall from your own steadfastness, having been led away by the deceitful error of lawless men.
  18. But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Anointed.  To Him be the glory both now and to the day of ages.  Amen.

 

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