2 Peter 3:17
in 2 Peter 3Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things, be on your guard so that you will not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure standing.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
KJV
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
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This verse in 2 Peter 3
Commentary
12 notes on this versePeter has to warn his people so that they will not be deceived. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself warned us for our safety, that we should "beware of those who come to us in sheep's clothing, but inside they are ravenous wolves." And again: "Take care that you are not deceived. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will deceive many." And Paul cries: "Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers claiming to believe in the Lord Jesus."
This site's exposition
Therefore, beloved, since you already know these things
on 2 Peter 3:17-18
The last charge is to be on your guard against the error, plane, of the lawless and not fall from your secure standing, sterigmou. The letter closes with grow in the grace and knowledge, gnosei, its opening word, and gives Christ the glory.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, take care that you are not led astray by the error of the wicked and fall from your own commitment, but grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both …
The Medieval Church2 voices
You therefore, brothers, being forewarned, be on guard, etc. Being forewarned, because foolish ones will introduce various errors, some denying the future judgment, some falsifying divine words, some interpreting wrongly, some loosening the restraints of luxury, others deceiving the hearts of the wretched with other …
By "your own steadfastness" he means faith in the Lord.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before,....
To quicken and excite us to a serious minding and firm adhering to what God has revealed to us by the prophets and apostles, we are told that there will be scoffers, men who will make a mock of sin, and of salvation from it. God's way of saving sinners by Jesus Christ is what men will scoff at, and that in the last days, under the gospel.
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
There must be a great deal of self-denial and suspicion of ourselves, and submitting to the authority of Christ Jesus our great prophet, before we can heartily receive all the truths of the gospel, and therefore we are in great danger of rejecting the truth.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Seeing that ye know these things before - Being aware of this danger, and knowing that such results may follow. People should read the Bible with the feeling that it is possible that they may fall into error, and be deceived at last. This apprehension will do much to make them diligent, and candid, and prayerful, in studying the Word of God. With the error of the wicked - Wicked men. Such as he had referred to in 2 Pet. 2, who became public teachers of religion. Fall from your own steadfastness - Your firm adherence to the truth.
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2533: “The Ever-present Crisis” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
The Apostle has told us that there will come, in the last days, scoffers. We, therefore, know this is to be the case, for we have been informed concerning it. Forewarned is forearmed and now that we see the scoffers and cannot help seeing them, we perceive another proof of the truth of Scripture. Every time a blasphemer opens his mouth to deny the truth of Revelation, he will help to confirm us in our conviction of the very Truth of God which he denies!
A commentator
Charles Spurgeon1834–1892
The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2533: “The Ever-present Crisis” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition) · Written before 1892.
proposed
The Apostle has told us that there will come, in the last days, scoffers. We, therefore, know this is to be the case, for we have been informed concerning it. Forewarned is forearmed and now that we see the scoffers and cannot help seeing them, we perceive another proof of the truth of Scripture. Every time a blasphemer opens his mouth to deny the truth of Revelation, he will help to confirm us in our conviction of the very Truth of God which he denies! The Holy Spirit told us, by the pen of Peter, that it would be so, and now we see how truly he wrote. I do not think it is of any use to sit down and fret about the badness of the times. Ever since I first understood anything, I have always heard that there has been "a crisis." Somebody or other has continually assured me that we were just on the brink of something perfectly horrible. I have never been quite able to see that the times at any particular period have been very much worse than they used to be. Thirty years ago they seemed to me to be about as bad as they could be—and I could not see any room for their getting much worse! I used to, then, constantly hear laments about "the good old times," and I remember saying that the times, then, were the good old times, for time was never so old before. And, taking all things into account, I thought that, perhaps, the evils of that time were not so very much greater than the evils of the ages that had gone before. Still, I do incline a little to the belief that the times have become worse of late. At any rate, in this matter of scoffers! The scoffers who used to be in holes and corners have now come out into the open and, worse still, they have climbed into the pulpits! And if not there, actually to scoff, they insinuate doubts and undermine the faith of many who formerly believed.
Seeing ye know - before - Seeing that by prophets and apostles you have been thus forewarned, beware, φυλασσεσθε, keep watch, be on your guard; cleave to God and the word of his grace, lest ye be led away from the truth delivered by the prophets and apostles, by the error of the wicked, αθεσμων, of the lawless - those who wrest the Scriptures to make them countenance their lusts, exorbitant exactions, and lawless practices. Fall from your own steadfastness - From that faith in Christ which has put you in possession of that grace which establishes the heart.
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὑμεῖς | humeis | you yourselves | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| οὖν, | oun | therefore, | G3767 → | |
| ἀγαπητοί, | agapetoi | beloved, | G27 → | 61 times |
| προγινώσκοντες | proginoskontes | knowing [this] beforehand | G4267 → | |
| φυλάσσεσθε | phulassesthe | do beware | G5442 → | |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | |
| μὴ | me | not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| τῇ | tea | by the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| τῶν | ton | of the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἀθέσμων | athesmon | lawless | G113 → | |
| πλάνῃ | plane | error | G4106 → | |
| συναπαχθέντες | sunapachthentes | having been led away | G4879 → | |
| ἐκπέσητε | ekpesete | you may fall from | G1601 → | |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἰδίου | idiou | [your] own | G2398 → | 114 times |
| στηριγμοῦ, | sterigmou | steadfastness, | G4740 → |
ὑμεῖςyou yourselves
humeisG4771 →2973 times
οὖν,therefore,
ounG3767 →
ἀγαπητοί,beloved,
agapetoiG27 →61 times
προγινώσκοντεςknowing [this] beforehand
proginoskontesG4267 →
φυλάσσεσθεdo beware
phulassestheG5442 →
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →
μὴnot
meG3361 →1066 times
τῇby the
teaG3588 →19766 times
τῶνof the
tonG3588 →19766 times
ἀθέσμωνlawless
athesmonG113 →
πλάνῃerror
planeG4106 →
συναπαχθέντεςhaving been led away
sunapachthentesG4879 →
ἐκπέσητεyou may fall from
ekpeseteG1601 →
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ἰδίου[your] own
idiouG2398 →114 times
στηριγμοῦ,steadfastness,
sterigmouG4740 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Corinthians 15:58Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
it leads to
- Galatians 6:9
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
- 2 Chronicles 15:7
But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.”
- Hebrews 6:10
For God is not unjust. He will not forget your work and the love you have shown for His name as you have ministered to the saints and continue to do so.
- Philippians 2:16
as you hold forth the word of life, in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
- 1 Corinthians 3:8
He who plants and he who waters are one in purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.
- Galatians 6:9
Through
Colossians 2:8See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:20
O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid irreverent, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of so-called “knowledge,”
- Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
- 1 Timothy 6:20
Through
1 Corinthians 10:12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall.
it leads to
- Romans 11:20
That is correct: They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
- Romans 11:20
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Peter

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 2533: “The Ever-present Crisis” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Cyril of Alexandria, CATENA; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 2 Peter and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 2 Peter.
