2 Peter 3:6
John Gill's sermon on 2 Peter 3:6 explores the historical and theological significance of the flood as a demonstration of God's judgment and the fallacy of assuming perpetual stability in creation.
John Gill expounds on 2 Peter 3:6, emphasizing the historical account of the flood as a demonstration of God's judgment on a corrupt world. He explains that the flood was a universal event that destroyed all life except for Noah and his family, illustrating the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine retribution. Gill argues against the scoffers who claim that all things remain unchanged since creation, highlighting that God's intervention in history proves otherwise. The sermon serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the eventual fulfillment of His promises, including future judgment.
Text
Ver. 6. Whereby the world that then was,.... The old world, as it is called in 2Pe 2:5; and as the Ethiopic version here renders it; the world before the flood, that had stood from the creation 1656 years:
being overflowed with water; by the windows of heaven being opened, and the waters over the earth poured down upon it; and by the fountains of the great deep being broken up in it; thus by these waters from above and below, a general inundation was brought upon it; for that the deluge was universal is clear from hence, and from the account by Moses; for as the earth was filled with violence, and all flesh had corrupted its way, God threatened a general destruction, and which was brought by a flood, which overflowed the whole earth; for all the hills that were under the whole heaven were covered with it, and everything that had life in the dry land died, and every living substance was destroyed that was upon the face of the ground; see Ge 6:11; and hence it follows, that hereby the then world
perished; not as to the substance of it, whatever alteration there might be in its form and position; but as to the inhabitants of it; for all creatures, men and cattle, and the creeping things, and fowls of the heaven, were destroyed, excepting Noah and his wife, and his three sons and their wives, and the creatures that were with him in the ark; see Ge 7:23; and by this instance the apostle shows the falsehood of the above assertion, that all things continued as they were from the beginning of the creation; for the earth was covered with water first, and which, by the command of God, was removed, and, after a long series of time, was brought on it again, and by it drowned; and from whence it also appears, that this sort of reasoning used by those scoffers is very fallacious; for though the heavens and the earth may continue for a long time, as they did before the flood, in the same form and situation, it does not follow from thence that they always will, for the contrary is evident from what follows.
Sermon Outline
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I
- {'A': 'Description of the old world', 'B': 'Significance of the flood event', 'C': 'Duration before the flood'}
- The Old World Before the Flood
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II
- {'A': 'Mechanisms of the flood', 'B': 'Universal impact of the flood', 'C': 'Biblical references to the flood'}
- The Nature of the Flood
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III
- {'A': 'Destruction of life', 'B': 'Survivors of the flood', 'C': 'Lessons from the flood'}
- Consequences of the Flood
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IV
- {'A': 'Critique of the scoffers' argument', 'B': 'Understanding God's sovereignty', 'C': 'The promise of change'}
- The Fallacy of Continuity
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V
- {'A': 'God's judgment and mercy', 'B': 'Hope for the future', 'C': 'Call to faithfulness'}
- Theological Implications
Key Quotes
“the world that then was... being overflowed with water” — John Gill
“the deluge was universal is clear from hence” — John Gill
“the then world perished; not as to the substance of it” — John Gill
Application Points
- Reflect on the nature of God's judgment and mercy in your life.
- Recognize the importance of faithfulness amidst skepticism.
- Understand that change is a part of God's plan, and be prepared for it.