2 Peter 3:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

That is, without spot in the faith, like Him Who comes without spot. Undefiled means unharmed in bodily purity.

The goods in which we were created from the beginning, such as heaven, earth, sea, stars, and everything God gave us for the enjoyment of all mankind, were common to all. So too the Lord's gift, through which we were created anew, has become common to our whole nature and not only to Israel. It possesses and proclaims a new heaven, a new earth, and the whole new creation. For 'the Lord is high above all nations' (Ps 112:4), and He drew us up to Himself through the Cross.

“Therefore, beloved” (1 Pet. 1:11), “looking for these things”: that is, for what he has just written, for the events the apostle has described, namely the coming of the Lord, the destruction of the world, and the new heaven and new earth.

“Be diligent”: strive with care (2 Pet. 1:5 and the note) to be found before Him, before His face, according to His judgment and decree. This is not before the world, which often values things wrongly.

It is before Him who knows hearts and reins, before the Judge of the world, who will render to each according to his works.

“Spotless and blameless”: an intensified and repeated expression for purity and holiness of life. Sin is defilement, an impurity of the soul, heart, and conscience, which are stained by sin.

The moral conclusion and instruction (2 Pet. 3:14-18): “Therefore, beloved, looking for these things, be diligent to be found by Him spotless and blameless, in peace. And account the longsuffering of our Lord as salvation,” that is, His delay in coming to the dread judgment.

“As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,” for example in the epistles to the Ephesians, Galatians, and Colossians.

“As he speaks of this,” that is, of holy conduct during temporal life while awaiting the Last Judgment, “also in all his epistles,” especially in both epistles to the Thessalonians.

After many different arguments intended to persuade Christians of the necessity of holiness of life while awaiting the Lord’s appearing, the Apostle Peter finally refers to the Apostle Paul.

Paul also taught the Christians of Asia Minor in epistles written within their regions: to the Ephesians, Galatians (see Gal 1:8), Colossians, Timothy, and others (see 2 Tim 2:10; 3:1, 13).

He refers especially to the Second Epistle to the Thessalonians, chapter 2, where, among other things, the signs of Christ’s Second Coming, the antichrist, and the mystery of lawlessness are discussed.

Having referred to Paul’s testimony, the Apostle Peter uses the occasion to affirm the great ecclesial and canonical dignity of the epistles of the apostle to the nations.