The passage
      v8-9. The early church expected the return of Christ within the lifetime of the apostles. cf. Jn.21:22-23. As the apostles began to die off, an unease developed over the seeming long delay. Peter makes two points: First, to talk about a delay in the day of judgment is to speak in human terms. God is not bound by created time; he is outside time. Second, to speak of delay, as though God is indifferent, is to fail to see the great benefit of such a delay. God's kindly patience gives additional opportunities for the salvation of the lost.
      v10. With regard the final great day of God's coming in judgment, Peter makes two points: First, the coming day is unexpected. All such comings are unexpected and this one will be no exception. It will come like a thief in the night - a picture used by Jesus. Math.24:43, Luke.12:39, 1Thes.5:2. Some manuscripts actually make it "during the night", but this is probably not original. The point is simple enough, the day will come upon us unexpectedly, so be prepared. Second, this day will be a day of cosmic dissolution. i] The heavens will disappear with the whizzing sound of a storm; ii] The cosmos will be burned up such that the elements will melt in the heat; iii] Everything will be laid bare, possibly meaning "burned up", but "laid bare" is better. Nothing evil in that day will remain hidden. The point is that this last day will be a day of cosmic battle which will end in a mighty victory over evil.
      v11-14. Since this great day of judgment is coming, what should we be like in our holy living and in our piety? That is, what should be the direction of our Christian lives, in our active lives (holy living) and in our reflective lives (godly fear)? Our reflective lives, says Peter in verse 12, should exhibit pious expectation; a constant looking forward to the one who comes. Our active lives should exhibit holy living, a constant striving toward the coming day. Given that the coming day is a day of judgment, a day when we don't want to be caught napping, a day of wonder and power, a day we don't want to miss out on, "so then ......" v14. The "so then" identifies two implications: First, personal righteousness, being "spotless, blameless" before the Lord - discipleship. Second, a personal relationship with the Lord, being "at peace with him." Peter is probably thinking of our personal standing before the Lord, by grace through faith.
      v15a. Peter repeats the point he has already made, namely, that the seeming delay illustrates the long-suffering of the Lord by providing the greatest opportunity for the salvation of the lost.

Strive toward the coming day
      Peter identifies holy living as a significant work that should be undertaken by believers as they strive toward the coming day. He seems to concentrate on our personal worthiness to stand before the Lord in that day - that we be without spot or wrinkle and at peace with the Lord, holy. He calls on us to stand as a righteous and faithful people worthy of our admittance into the kingdom.
      The best way to understand Peter's exhortation is to remind ourselves of the purpose of our Christian walk. The purpose of our discipleship is to prepare us for our reign with Christ in eternity. Through the work of the indwelling Spirit we begin to live "holy and Godly lives" and are therefore daily moulded into the image of Christ. We are made holy. So, we strive toward the day by living as disciples of Christ and in that striving we are prepared for the day.
      Discipleship expresses itself in three particular ways: We strive toward the day as we seek to walk uprightly in the presence of the Lord - to touch him in prayer, devotion and worship, to live by faith rather than sight. We strive toward the day as we seek to build up the Christian fellowship - equipping and encouraging. We strive toward the day as we reach out into the world, seeking the lost in the power of the gospel, both in word and sign.
      Of course, we need to remind ourselves that the worth of our work comes not in our own effort. If we get the idea that we can do anything worthy in the sight of God, anything in our own effort that secures our standing in the coming day, then we are fools. It is only as we trust in the indwelling Christ to work his sanctifying renewing-work within our beings that we are changed into the image of Christ. So, although we stride toward the coming day living "holy and godly lives", we know that in the end being "found spotless, blameless and at peace with" God is a gift of grace appropriated through faith.

Does evangelism hasten the coming day?
      Does the evangelism of all flesh "speed" the coming day of the Lord, v12? Many Christians believe that once the gospel has gone to the ends of the earth, Jesus will then return. That is, when we have evangelized the last language group then Jesus will return. This idea comes from Matthew.24:14. Jesus tells his disciples that there is a sign that will let them know that the coming day of judgment is close at hand. It is the sign of the powerful message of the kingdom made known to mankind. The point is, that the judgment spoken of here is the destruction of Jerusalem. Therefore this sign has already been fulfilled as far as the early disciples are concerned. Even Paul saw the coming of Jesus within his own lifetime and probably viewed his intended mission to Rome and thence to Spain, as completing this prophetic requirement. The proclamation of the gospel is the primary sign of the coming end, both to God's people then and now, and also to rebellious mankind, Math.12:38-42. As the preaching of the gospel throughout the world was a preparatory sign for coming judgment upon Jerusalem in 70AD, so it will also be a preparatory sign for the coming judgment in the day of Christ's return. Yet, we move into error when we hold that the sign involves the evangelization of literally every human, or representative human group. Clearly then, preaching the gospel to the lost is an important part of the work we must undertake in striving toward the coming day, but it does not impact upon the actual date of Christ's return. The day of judgment lies in the sovereign will of God and its timing is not dependent on our faithfulness or otherwise.
      For the phrase "speed its coming", v12, see below.

Greek notes

v8
      mh lanqanetw (lanqanw) imp. "do not forget" - let it not escape, hide from conceal. Timing is not something God is bound by since time is part of the created order. Peter uses this notion of the relativity of time to address those who were impatient for Christ's return.

v9
      ou bradunei (bradunw) "is not slow" - does not neglect, go slow, delay. Peter gives a second reason for Christ's seeming delay, which is no delay. God is patient with his rebellious children.
      makroqumei (makroqumew) "he is patient" - is long-suffering.
      apolesqai (apollumi) aor. mid. inf. "to perish" - "Destroy", but "perish" in the middle voice; "no one to be lost", CEV.
      cwrhsai (cwrew) aor. inf. "to come" - to have room for, receive, hold. God is long-suffering so there is room for everyone to repent. "He wants them to find their way to repentance", Barclay. eiV metanoian (a) "to repentance" - to/into repentance. "Change his ways", JB, misses the point. Repentance involves turning to God for mercy and is not a new-years resolution for improved behavior.

v10
      klepthV (hV ou) "thief" - cf. Matt.24:43, Lk.12:39, 1Thess.1:2 on this image from Jesus.
      rJoizhdon adv. "roar" - rushing sound, crackling, hissing, whizzing, roar....... Usually a wind related sound.
      pareleusontai (parercomai) fut. mid. "disappear" - go past, pass by, pass away. "Vanish", Barclay.
      stoiceia (on) "elements" - In pl. "heavenly bodies", otherwise "rudimentary principle", "an element." Probably here all the elements that make up the physical cosmos.
      kausoumena (kausow) pas. part. "[destroyed by] fire" - burning up, melting in massive heat.
      luqhsetai (luw) fut. pas. "destroyed [by fire]" - loose. Here in the sense of dissolve, destroy. "dissolved by heat and utterly melt away."
      euJreqhsetai (euJriskw) fut. pas. "will be laid bare" - will be found out, discovered. Here, "exposed to the judgment of God" - nothing will remain hidden. "Then the earth, and everything on it, will be seen for what they are", CEV.

v11
      potapouV interrogative pro. "what kind of people" - of what sort, how fashioned. "Given the terrible day, how should we respond?"
      anastrofaiV (h) "live [holy]" - way of living, behavior, conduct, life-style. Holy living.
      eusebeiaiV (a) "godly lives" - piety, godliness, reverence. "Godly fear."

v12
      prosdokwntaV (prosdokaw) part. "as you look forward to" - expecting, waiting for. Possibly here "long for"
      speudontaV (speudw) part. "speed [its coming]" - hastening, hurrying. "Do your best to make it come soon", TEV. The idea that our actions may hasten the coming day of judgment is an interesting one. Some argue that effective evangelism achieves this end. Yet, it is more likely that the meaning of the word here is "eager", "desire" and therefore, possibly "strive for", or "hasten toward." So, v12a could be something like "eagerly longing and striving toward the coming day...."; "expecting and earnestly longing for the coming of the day of God", Phillips.
      puroumenoi (purow) pas. part. "[destruction.....] by fire" - being burned with fire, refined by fire, set on fire.
      thketai (thkw) "melt" - are turned to liquid. "The heavens will be dissolved in fire, and the heavenly bodies will melt in flames", Barclay.

v13
      katoikei (katoikew) "home" - dwell in. "New heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells."

v14
      tauta prosdokwnteV (prosdokaw) part. "looking forward to this" - these things awaiting. Waiting expectantly for these things, namely, the new heavens and the new earth.
      spoudasate (spoudazw) aor. imp. "make every effort" - hasten, be eager, make an effort. "Do your best", JB.
      aspiloi adj. "spotless" - unstained, undefiled, without spot.
      amwmhtoi adj. "blameless" - without blame. In New Testament Greek it is more likely to mean "unblemished".