World English Bible · Under Rome
2 Peter 3
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This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere by reminding you that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the and the of us, of and , knowing this first, that mockers will come, walking after their own lusts and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were of the creation." For they willfully forget that there were from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water by the word of , by which means the world that existed then, being overflowed with water, . But that exist now and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for , being reserved against the day of and of ungodly men. But don't forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but he is with us, not wishing that anyone should , but that all should come to . But will come as a thief in the night, in which will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat; and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of , which will cause the burning to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new and a new earth, in which dwells. Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, and blameless in his sight. Regard the of our as ; even as our beloved brother also, according to the given to him, wrote to you, as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other , to their own . You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being with the error of , you fall from your own . But grow in the and knowledge of our and . To him be the both now and . .
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. 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.