2 Peter 3:4
“And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The scoffers mock the promise of Christ's coming, claiming everything continues unchanged since the world began.
What Does 2 Peter 3:4 Mean?
Peter quotes the scoffers' taunt: "Where is the promise of his coming?" Since "the fathers fell asleep" — the earlier generation has died — they claim "all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." Their argument is that nothing ever changes; the world simply rolls on, so the promised return of Christ must be empty.
The scoffers reason from apparent constancy: because they see no dramatic intervention, they conclude none is coming. It is the logic of those who measure God's promises by the clock and see only the unbroken surface of ordinary life. But Peter is about to dismantle this. The assumption that "all things continue" unchanged is itself false, as creation and the flood prove. The believer is reminded not to let the long, quiet passage of time erode confidence in Christ's promise. Delay is not denial. The taunt "Where is the promise?" has echoed in every age, yet the promise stands, awaiting its appointed day.