2 Peter 3:15

2 Peter 3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given him, wrote unto you;

Expanded Translation

And, instead of considering his delaying to come as a proof that he will never come, you must account (deem, consider) that the patience, forbearance, and longsuffering of our Lord provides a means and opportunity for the salvation of sinners (giving them time to repent); even as (just as) our beloved and cherished brother Paul, in accordance with the wisdom (skill and discretion in imparting Christian truth[83]) which was imparted to him by God, wrote unto you;

[83] Thayer, citing this verse under sophia.

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And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation

See 2 Peter 3:9, and notes there. We must look upon the longsuffering of God for what it isa staying of his wrath to give men more time to repent and turn to Himnot for what it may appear to the world to be. The ungodly make a mockery of God's promise because they have not seen its fulfillment (2 Peter 3:3-4), and because it seems to them he is slack (slow, behind) in bringing about the destruction of the world. The truth is that God is longsuffering, and this is why the earth continues as it has. Christians must consider the longsuffering of God in this light, knowing that every day God is only allowing the world to survive so that a few more souls may come to know Christ as their Saviour.

The word salvation (soteria) is sometimes used contextually to refer to the means or opportunity for salvation: Acts 13:26, Romans 11:11, Hebrews 2:3, It may be so considered here. Because of God's longsuffering, many will see heaven who would not otherwise. His longsuffering provides a means of attaining, an opportunity to accept, and results in, the SALVATION of sinners.

even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you

A remarkable example of Christian love is revealed here. Peter was sharply rebuked by this apostle in Antioch some years before (Galatians 2:11 ff.). But he is now our (not just your) beloved brother. True Christians grow to love those who, out of love for them, have rebuked them for their evil ways.

Wisdom (sophia) properly signifies broad and full intelligence, knowledge, ability, or skill. Its precise meaning is determined by the context. The wisdom given him here refers to God-given wisdom, that is, the Divine wisdom which he had as an inspired apostle. Paul not only had skill and discretion in imparting Christian truth, but the very source of his wisdom was Christ (Galatians 1:15-17), in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden (Colossians 2:3). Paul appealed to his own statements as the words of God. If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things that I write unto you, that they are the commandments of the Lord (1 Corinthians 14:37).

With such wisdom Paul wrote all his epistles, but he is here said to have written to these people concerning these things (2 Peter 3:16), that is, the events pertaining to the end of the world. In 2 Peter 3:1 it is seen that the same persons are addressed in this epistle as in the firsti.e., the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1 Peter 1:1. See notes there for the meaning of sojourners and Dispersion).

One immediately recognizes these countries as areas where Paul's letters circulated. He wrote to the churches of Galatia (Galatians 1:2), to the Ephesians in the province of Asia, to the Colossians (including the Laodiceans, Colossians 4:16) in the same country (and not far from Lycia and Pamphylia). His letters to Timothy were written while that young man was in Ephesus (1 Timothy 1:3). These epistles, circulating in the area (and also perverted, 2 Peter 3:16), spoke of these events, as did all his epistles.

But the particular similarity of Paul's writings cited in this verse is the longsuffering of God as it pertains to the salvation of man. This general theme is treated by Paul in various places in the epistles he sent to the Christians of Asia Minor.