Contradiction between Paul and Peter Regarding God's Sovereignty

Dr. Couch, is there a contradiction between what Paul says in Acts 17:31 and what Peter says in 2 Peter 3:12, about God's sovereign plan in history, and our hastening the "coming day of God"? ANSWER:  Good question. And this is where only a student of the Greek text can give a definitive answer. The apostle Paul says God has a plan, "He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, ... raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:31). God is in charge of when the day of judgment will come. It is an exact moment in His eternal decree of all things! But then the English in 2 Peter 3:12 reads: "... looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God on account of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, ..." This sounds as if we can hasten the coming of the day of final judgment. Is this right?    No, it is not! Both "looking for" and "hastening" are Present Active Participles in the Greek text, but more, the word "hastening" is not a good translation in this context of the word speudo. The "looking for" is better translated "expecting" and the word "hastening" is better translated "earnestly desiring." As translated "hastening" it sounds as if we are causing the day of God to come quickly. Instead, the point is that we are "earnestly desiring" that it will arrive soon.    A problem like this is why I spent some 35 college and graduate hours in Greek, with some of the best Greek teachers in America, so that I could know exactly what the biblical text was saying! After I came to my conclusion I checked out the great old Greek scholar A. T. Robertson, and, he translates the verse the same way. We are not causing the coming of the day of God, we are anticipating its arrival!    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Oct., 09)

Will the New Earth and New Heaven be Blown Apart By Fire?

Dr. Couch, will the earth be restored to its sinless state, as it was before the fall? Will the new earth and new heaven also be blown apart by fire as mentioned by Peter? ANSWER:  We have a preview of the final stage of world history. The Bible tells us God will "create a new heavens and a new earth," for "the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind" (Isa. 65:17). When the new heavens and new earth come into being, the old life, and the dysfunctional sinful universe will be forgotten!    As for believers, we shall, as Peter says, "lay aside this earthly dwelling" (2 Pet. 1:13-14). This was explained to him by the Lord in regard to his new body, but of course, the same thing will happen to all those in Christ, not simply just to Peter!    Revelation 21 gives us a full panorama of information about the new heaven and the new earth. Sin will be eradicated as indicated in verse 4. "He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first [of these] things [will] have passed away." Christ will be "making all things new" (v. 5). The nations will walk in the light of the new Jerusalem (21:23-27). There will be nothing "unclean" (v. 27a) and there will be no "one who practices abominations and lying" (v. 27b). Evil, and those who practice evil, will be excluded from the new state of the "renovated" universe (22:6-17).    Before the new state is inaugurated "the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up" (2 Pet. 3:10, 12). Because this present system will be destroyed, we are not to cling to it as if it is to last forever. We should look carefully at ourselves, and examine our present attitudes, as to "what sort of people we ought to be in holy conduct and godliness" (v. 11).       I hope this helps. Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch