“That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:”
My Notes
What Does 2 Peter 3:2 Mean?
Peter's second letter exists to activate memory: be mindful of the prophets' words and the apostles' commandments. The two sources — prophets (Old Testament) and apostles (New Testament) — represent the complete witness. Both point in the same direction. Both carry the authority of the Lord and Saviour.
The phrase "words which were spoken before by the holy prophets" means the Old Testament isn't outdated. It's the foundation. The prophets spoke first. The apostles built on what the prophets said. The old and the new aren't in tension. They're in sequence.
"The commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour" — Peter puts apostolic authority alongside prophetic authority. What the apostles teach carries the same weight as what the prophets taught. Both are the Lord's word. Both deserve the same mindfulness.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Do you give equal attention to the prophets (Old Testament) and the apostles (New Testament) — or do you favor one over the other?
- 2.How do you actively 'be mindful' of Scripture rather than letting familiarity breed inattention?
- 3.Does Peter's warning about forgetting (not new heresy, but old amnesia) describe your current danger?
- 4.What truth do you already know that you're in danger of forgetting?
Devotional
Remember the prophets. Remember the apostles. Both spoke. Both carry the Lord's authority. Both deserve your attention.
Peter's entire second letter is about memory — preventing the church from forgetting what it was told. And the sources he points to are two: the prophets (Old Testament) and the apostles (New Testament). Both. Not one replacing the other. Both standing together as the complete witness to truth.
The prophets spoke before. They laid the groundwork. They predicted, warned, promised, and shaped the expectation that Christ would fulfill. The apostles speak now. They interpret, apply, command, and build on what the prophets established.
Peter puts apostolic teaching on the same level as prophetic Scripture. That's a massive claim — but it's a claim the church accepted. The apostles' words carry the Lord's authority because the apostles were commissioned by the Lord. What they command, He commands.
"Be mindful" — the verb is active. Don't let these words drift. Don't let familiarity breed inattention. Be deliberate about remembering. The prophets' words and the apostles' commandments aren't background noise. They're the foundation of everything you believe.
The danger Peter sees isn't new heresy. It's old amnesia. You already know the truth. You've heard the prophets and the apostles. The danger isn't that someone will teach you something false. It's that you'll forget what's true.
Remember. That's Peter's final, dying instruction. Remember.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
That ye may be mindful,.... This is an explanation of the above mentioned end of his writing this and the other epistle;…
That ye may be mindful of the words - Of the doctrines, the truths; the prophetic statements. Jude Jud 1:18 says that it…
That the apostle might the better reach his end in writing this epistle, which is to make them steady and constant in a…
the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets The conjunction of "prophets" and "apostles" here is so entirely…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture