“What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness”
The full verse · 2 Peter 3:11 · KJV
Seeing that these shall be , what of persons to all ,
Asked by
Peter: the apostle, writing his "second epistle" to stir up his readers' "pure minds by way of remembrance" (2 Peter 3:1)
Asked to
Reader: Peter's "beloved" first readers, who "look for" the day of God (2 Peter 3:12, 14), and every believer since who waits for the Lord's coming
The Scene
Peter has just answered the scoffers and declared that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night," when the heavens "shall pass away" and "the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (2 Peter 3:10).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionPeter turns from teaching about the end to its meaning for daily life. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved," what kind of people should believers be? Barnes says this fact "ought to be allowed to exert a deep and abiding influence on us, to induce us to lead holy lives." Gill draws the contrast with the scoffers: believers should not be like those "who put away this evil day far from them." The question presses each reader to measure life by what will last.
The Response
What Scripture recordsPeter answers within the same sentence: "in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God" (2 Peter 3:11-12). He sets this hope before them: "we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13). Then he states the practical result: "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsIn 1611 English, "conversation" meant conduct or way of life, not just talk. The Greek word is anastrophe, behavior or manner of life. In the Greek, both "holy conversation" and "godliness" (eusebeia, reverent devotion to God) are plural. "Dissolved" is from luo, to loosen or undo. "What manner of" is potapos, asking what kind or what sort.
In the KJV, this question runs on into the next verse and does not close until 2 Peter 3:12 ends with a question mark: "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?"
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyThis question shows that God's promises about the future are meant to shape the present. Because this world will not last, and because God has promised "new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13), His people are called to live now in a way that fits that coming world. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary says that "from the doctrine of Christ's second coming, we are exhorted to purity and godliness," and that "very exact and universal holiness is enjoined."
The motive Peter gives is hope, not fear. Believers "look for" the day of God (2 Peter 3:12-14). Gill describes this kind of life as "living soberly, righteously, and godly," words that echo Paul's teaching in Titus 2:12-13, where godly living goes together with "looking for that blessed hope."
Look Closer
What fact leads Peter to ask what manner of persons they ought to be?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord, since this world will pass away and You have promised a new one where righteousness dwells, what in my life needs to change to fit that hope?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- If you truly believed that everything around you is temporary, what would you hold more loosely, and what would you take more seriously?
- Who have you known who lived with eternity in view? How did it show in their everyday life?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
What you believe about the future shapes how you live today. Your possessions, plans, and achievements belong to a world that "shall be dissolved" (2 Peter 3:11). God's promise of a new creation "wherein dwelleth righteousness" (2 Peter 3:13) is what lasts. So let that hope shape your choices, your words, and your worship.
This doesn't mean living in fear or neglecting everyday responsibilities. Peter's goal is that you may be found "in peace, without spot, and blameless" (2 Peter 3:14). Holiness here grows out of hope: you are looking forward to a day you long for. Scripture's own application: 1 John 3:2-3; Titus 2:12-13
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources