King James Version · Under Rome
2 Peter 3
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This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the , and of the of us of and : Knowing this first, that there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, : But and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto against the day of and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is to us-ward, not willing that any should , but that all should come to . But will come as a thief in the night; in the which shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of , wherein being on shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new and a new earth, wherein dwelleth . Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the of our is ; even as our beloved brother also according to the given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other , unto their own . Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of , fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in , and in the knowledge of our and . To him be both now and for ever. .
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.