II Peter 3:9 – The Tragedy of Unrequited Love

[The] Lord is not being slow of promise as some are reckoning slowness, but [He] is being patient into you, not purposing that any perish but [purposing] all to have room into repentance.”

II Peter 3:9 is one of those verses I wait excitedly to study. Since I chose to study this book, I have been looking forward to the delicious hours studying the Greek words and grammar of this very verse, of considering the word meanings one by one, noticing their tenses and cases, even investigating textual variants. But I enjoy all of that because, having done it all, I then feel particularly free to ponder the meaning of the verse, to absorb its truth into my soul, possibly to have it expose some twist in my thinking and lead me to the real truth. All so tantalizingly delicious. And suddenly here I am, with my UBS open and savoring the moments. This is another one of those verses where I feel I need to take off my shoes just to ponder it.

I should probably note, obviously, this passage is another theological battle ground. The “Calvinists” and “Arminians” instantly throw on their helmets, dig their trenches, and start lobbing semantic hand grenades at each other. Just for the record, I really couldn’t care less what either of them think. The question is “What does the Bible say?” If on a particular verse, someone says, “Hey, you’re a Calvinist!,” or “You’re an Arminian!,” I really don’t care. The only question is whether my understanding of the verse is defensible or not. I just want to know God. Just for the record.

Here are some exegetical tidbits: Interesting that all of the verbs and participles in the verse are present tense while the infinitives are aorists. The aorist is of course the default tense of the Greek language (as the present is for our English). So, for myself, any time I see tenses other than aorist, I look more closely. A person writing or speaking in Greek is being deliberate when they choose any tense other than aorist. In the translation above, I tried to reflect the use of the present by translating the verbs “not being slow,” “are reckoning,” and “being patient.” The only thing I can think of is to say Peter is being very specific to the immediate argument. In other words, of course it is true that, in general, the Lord is “not slow,” that some “reckon,” and that He “is patient.” But here the question is, “Why is He taking so long?” The answer is not general. It is very specific. He is “not being slow,” even though some “are reckoning,” and in fact, the big answer is He is “being patient” right here, right now, even as we ponder our question. I think that is the point of the present tense verbs.

Thought: Is it not a mistake to ever read the Bible and think what it says is merely “generally” true? Is it not always true that what God does He “is doing.” Is that perhaps the difference between “knowing about Him” and “knowing Him?” Yes, He “works all things together for good,” but oh the glorious moment to look up and truly realize He is working all things together for good” … right here, right now(!). Aorists are nice things. It is very instructive and comforting to know what God characteristically does, what He is like, the kind of God He is. And that is important. May we all long to know more. But it is all so important that we bring that truth down to presents -- He is ___ing.

Next exegetical tidbit concerns the use of the Greek word “boulomai,” which gets translated “is not willing,” “does not desire,” “not wanting,” “not wishing.” Let me pause to say this is a delicate place because we are truly considering God’s heart. We’re actually considering His deepest motives. “Why is He taking so long?” “What moves Him to act this way?” I fear we lose an enormous opportunity to truly know Him because this very verse is a place where people’s theological obligations precede their exegesis. Indulge me one second to say that, at such an important verse, we all should leave presuppositions and obligations behind, let the words say what they say, let them tell us what they tell us about our God, truly and prayerfully seek to know Him, then reemerge with the truth and care nothing for what “camp” someone thinks we fall in. “For this is eternal life, that we might know Him …” (John17:3). Go back to the top and read the verse in this light, then please follow along and consider what I’d like to say:

There are two closely related Greek words that express the idea of “wishing,” “purposing,” desiring,” etc. – the word used here “boulomai” and its semantic bedfellow “thelo.” I have actually been watching these two words for twenty years. I have specifically noted their occurrence in verse after verse as I’ve studied. Each time, aware of their respective semantic ranges, I have thought deeply about each of those usages. I would like to offer my conclusion (while fully aware of Edie’s quote, “Interpretations are generally false in proportion to their ingenuity): The word “thelo” always expresses a wish as simply that, a wish. “Boulomai” also involves wishing/desiring but always goes on to express the idea of intention. “Boulomai” is a purposeful word. That is why in my translation above I used the word “purposing.” Here’s the semantic overlap – that there is in fact a fine line between wishing and purposing. I’ll never purpose something to happen until I first have desired that it happen. And it is perfectly right to say, “I wish (thelo) to go to town,” when in fact I have every intention of doing so. It is equally right to say, “I have determined (boulomai) to go back to school” intending to communicate to someone my desires. So we see what appears to be almost a synonymous interchange. But here again is my rub: to wish and only wish is in fact completely different than to wish and purpose it to be. Over these twenty years, in every context I have observed, thelo expresses wish/desire (which may or may not lead to intention); but every occurrence of boulomai expresses intention. Boulomai is a volitional word.

Lexicons may or may not pick up on this distinction. But Louw & Nida, for instance observes that boulomai means “to desire … with the implication of some reasoned planning or will to accomplish the goal … to purpose, to plan, to intend …” (25.1 and 30.58).

Based on all of this, wherever it occurs, I very deliberately translate thelo as “desire” or “wish.” And I very deliberately translate boulomai as “purpose,” as I have done in this passage.

Here again, it is time to put aside presuppositions and let this passage speak. What does it say? It says God is “…not purposing that any perish…”

Again? God is “…not purposing that any perish…”

We are not talking about wishing. We are talking about purpose. About volition. About resolved determination. God is “…not purposing that any perish…”

Call me what you will, but I cannot escape the belief the Scriptures clearly teach that God “has chosen us in Him before the creation of the world.” Although I believe salvation does somehow involve a volitional element on the part of the believer, yet the Scriptures abundantly teach that God predestines, that He chooses, that He calls … that I will enjoy Heaven forever because my wonderful gracious God unexplainably purposed to save me.

Some would say, “That logically implies that He has elected others to damnation, that if He predestines some to heaven, then He has predestined others to burn in hell.” Logically maybe, but human logic fails at infinity. And here in II Peter 3:9 we trespass into the heart of the infinite God and hear the very clear statement that He is “…not purposing that any perish…” I don’t know of any clearer statement anywhere in the Bible to unarguably assert that our God does not predestine anyone to burn in hell. “But, but, but!,” someone cries, “…that is the only logical …” I totally care not. God has spoken. Let Him speak for Himself. And, I’m very sorry if anyone doesn’t like it, but it is an established fact of human math that human logic fails at infinity. To divide by zero is meaningless. An asymptote goes on for all eternity yet never reaches the axis. Human logic fails at infinity. And again, we are talking about our infinite God’s heart. Is He logical? Usually. But what if He clearly says things that we find illogical? What do we do when His Word clearly says things we simply cannot reconcile in our minds? What are we to do? Fall on your knees and worship, my friend. Here it is: In His infinite, unfathomable, divine love He can deliberately plan for the salvation of some while at the same time not plan for the damnation of others! Worship!

“Love divine, all loves excelling,

                                             Joy of Heaven, to earth come down!”

This post is already way too long. But there is more:

The verse isn’t done. He hasn’t purposed any to perish, but what has He purposed? “That all should have room for repentance.” (!!!) Again, I think translations miss the boat here and maybe it’s because they’re afraid of the theology, but the Greek clearly declares that what God is purposing that all “xorasai” into repentance. The word “ xorao” means “to make room, to provide opportunity.” Read it again. Not only does it clearly say He is not purposing any to perish, but it is going on to say that what He is purposing is that “all should have room for repentance.” All. All. All. Once again, let’s let Him speak for Himself. Has He purposed some to be saved? Yes. Unquestionably. But does that mean He has purposed some to perish. No. No. No. A thousand times No. What has He purposed? That all should have room for repentance. (!)  Somehow, someway, it is inescapably true that not one single person will burn in hell because God predestined them to be there. There was room. There.was.room. For.all.

Which brings us back to the whole point of the whole verse. Why is He taking so long? What does it say? “He is being patient with you … not purposing that any should perish, but that all should have room for repentance.” He’s being patient!!! He not only hasn’t purposed that any should perish, He instead is wishing all could be saved! The door stands open. There is room. Truly, “there is room at the Cross for you!” Even as some scoff and mock at His promise, though they would deride Him His apparent delay, even as they scoff, His door stands open. Even they have room for repentance!

Love divine, all loves excelling.

And can it be?

Amazing the length and the breadth and the height and the depth of the love of Christ.

What an absolutely tragic loss for so many that they will never fall willingly into the embrace of such an infinite, unfathomable divine love.

May my own heart fill with such a love. May my words, my hands, my eyes offer such a love to the people I work with, the people I deal with day by day, the people this loving God places around my path.

“Love divine, all loves excelling,

                                             Joy of Heaven, to earth come down!”