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although I personally don't find these to be difficult passages at all. Sadly, though, even many professing Christians do. But careful exegesis of scripture in its context almost always provides the accurate interpretation. Christians are workmen of God and are enjoined to "correctly handle the word of truth" (2Tim 2:15), which is why I'm here now to briefly exegete 2Pet 3:8-9 and 1Tim 4:10 in this order.

2 Peter 3:8-9
8 But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
NASB

This passage comes in the context of Peter warning the "beloved" that in the last days mockers will come telling the Church that Jesus isn't returning. These heretics will mock the Parousia (Second Coming). But Peter not only warns his readers about this but explains to them in the above passage why Jesus hasn't returned yet -- why the Day of the Lord (a/k/a Judgment Day) has not occurred yet. He tells his readers that Lord is patient toward YOU, not willing that ANY should perish but that ALL should come to repentance. Universalists interpret this as saying that God does not wish that anyone at all to perish. God wants everyone without exception to be saved. The only problem with this interpretation is that it ignores the context of the passage.

We should ask the question: Who is the "beloved", "you", "any" and "all in this short passage? Does Peter have in mind one group (class) of people or multiple classes? So, the first order of business is to determine who Peter is writing to! We can cut to the chase to answer this important question very quickly once we notice that he told the "beloved" a little earlier that this was his second letter to them (3:1). And in 1:1 he clearly wrote to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours. And if there's still any lingering doubt that he wasn't writing to believers (or to be even more precise to Jewish believers in the Messiah), we can go to his First Epistle to see how he addressed that one: To God's elect... (1Pet 1:1).

Now that we've irrefutably established who the recipients of the second letter were, i.e. "you", "beloved', all that is left to do to is establish who "any" and "all" are. Is this group different from the first, or are they one and the same? Many interpret this passage as saying there were two groups in Peter's mind. But the big problem with that interpretation is that it creates a logical disconnect. It should be asked why would God be patient toward the elect ("you") if he's not willing that any unsaved sinners perish? Wouldn't God exercise patience toward the unsaved rather than the elect who are already saved!? However, the passage is totally coherent if Peter has just one group in mind -- the elect! After all, at the time of that writing, all the predestined elect from eternity had not entered the kingdom of God yet, so it makes sense that the Second Coming would be "delayed". Therefore, God is patient toward all his elect -- not wanting any of them to perish, which is precisely why the Day of the Lord has not arrived yet. God is not willing that any of His chosen people perish...but that they all enter his kingdom as he has decreed in eternity.

More solid evidence that this is indeed the correct interpretation can be found in the life of Paul. Paul speaks of God's patience toward him, and toward ALL who would believe in Jesus, to Timothy. This is an incredible passage:

1 Tim 1:15-16
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
NIV

Clearly, then, Peter was not telling the saints, to whom he was writing, that God was not willing that any sinner in the world perish. Not at all! Rather, he was telling them that the Second Coming is delayed (humanly speaking), and God is patient toward the elect (all those who will come to believe) because He is not willing that any of his elect should perish. In fact, if Peter had said, "God is not willing that any [of you] should perish, it would not change the sense of the passage one iota.

In my next post, we'll take up 1Tim 4:10.