THEOS prōtos

This is a go-to verse for molinism and arminists. They teach that this verse supports and even proves key elements in their theological arguments regarding God’s knowledge and sovereignty.

But, the use of simple contextual reading, the answer is not what they think.

2 Peter 3:9

⁹ The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

Now, on it’s face value someone may read and think God doesn’t want people to go to hell, he may even wish they won’t; as if, he doesn’t really know who will or who won’t. This, they claim, shows a limiting to the omniscience of Almighty God.

AND

On it’s face value someone may read and think that God’s will is limited by the free will of man. He wants and is willing to save everyone, but he doesn’t because he can’t violate their free will if they don’t want to repent and to willfully perish. This, they claim, shows a limitation to his sovereignty.

BUT

We need to PROPERLY understand what is being said here. And, it’s actually quite simple if really you try.

The first question we should as is, who is this “any.” Is Peter talking about any bears, any tigers, any lions, any dogs, any who? Any of what? Welp, good thing we have trusty LOGIC and CONTEXT to objectively give us the answer.

The ANY in it’s context can be found just in a few words prior.

Who is the Lord patient toward? “you“

So now, we can know that this “any” is actually any of you. BUT, then our next question is, who is this “you”? To find that answer let’s go to WHO the letter is written for who Peter is talking to. Look no further than chapter 1, verse 1:

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

The YOU are “those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours” So, now we KNOW the Peter is only talking about BELIEVERS.

Now that we have those subjects in their proper light, let’s rephrase 2 Peter 3:9 in it’s proper context:

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward BELIEVERS, and not willing for ANY BELIEVER to perish, but for ALL BELIEVERS to come to repentance.

This is the assurance of God’s divine promise for believers. Wouldn’t be much of a promise if he couldn’t follow through with it. Though, it may seem that some came to repentance a lot faster than others, the speed at which a believer comes to repent doesn’t change the fact that it is God’s will for believers to never perish and for all of them to eventually come to repentance, just as promised, but IN HIS TIME, and not in the time that “some count slowness” as stated.

In it’s exact and proper context, allowing the AUTHOR, Peter, to explain his own writing (divinely influenced by the Holy Spirit), we see that this verse went from a molinist and arminian slant to a full blown God is sovereign and the promise of eternal life will be a promised kept verse.

THIS is a prime example of why sound doctrine is achieved by proper context and allowing scripture to interpret scripture.