2 Peter 3:17
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Since they already know these things, Peter warns his readers to beware of being led away by error and losing their stability.
What Does 2 Peter 3:17 Mean?
Peter draws toward his conclusion with a direct charge to the "beloved." Since they "know these things before" — forewarned by all he has written — they are to "beware lest" they too be "led away with the error of the wicked" and "fall from your own stedfastness." Forewarned is forearmed; the danger is real, and they must stay alert.
Knowing the danger ahead of time is meant to fortify, not to make complacent. Peter has named the false teachers, the scoffers, and the twisting of Scripture precisely so his readers will not be swept away. The peril is being "led away" from a firm footing into the error of the lawless. Steadfastness, that hard-won stability he has urged from the start, can be lost if one drops their guard. The believer is called to vigilance — to hold the ground already gained. This is not anxious fear but watchful faithfulness. The one who knows the warning and heeds it will not be carried off but will stand firm.
In the Original Language
sterigmos (στηριγμός), 'stedfastness' — firm footing, stability; the settled ground from which one could be dislodged.