2 Peter 1:9

But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. BUT, [ Gar (G1063)] - 'For.' Confirming the need of these graces (2 Peter 1:5) by the fatal consequences of wanting them. HE THAT LACKETH - Greek, 'he to whom these are not present.' BLIND - as to unseen spiritual realities. AND CANNOT SEE AFAR OFF - explaining "blind." He closes his eyes [ muoopazoon (G3467)], unable to see distant objects-namely, heavenly things-and fixes his gaze on present earthly things, which alone he can see. Wilfulness in the blindness is implied in 'closing the eyes,' which constitutes its c...

9._But he that lacketh these things. _He now expresses more clearly that they who profess a naked faith are wholly without any true knowledge. He then says that they go astray like the blind in darkness, because they do not see the right way which is shewn to us by the light of the gospel. (151) This he also confirms by adding this reason, because such have forgotten that through the benefit of Christ they had been cleansed from sin, and yet this is the beginning of our Christianity. It then follows, that those who do not strive for a pure and holy life, do not understand even the first rudiments of faith. But Peter takes this for granted, that they who were still rolling in the filth of the flesh had forgotten their own purgation. For the blood of Christ has not become a washing bath to us, that it may be fouled by our filth. He, therefore, calls them old sins, by which he means, that o...

1-11 Faith unites the weak believer to Christ, as really as it does the strong one, and purifies the heart of one as truly as of another; and every sincere believer is by his faith justified in the sight of God. Faith worketh godliness, and produces effects which no other grace in the soul can do. In Christ all fulness dwells, and pardon, peace, grace, and knowledge, and new principles, are thus given through the Holy Spirit. The promises to those who are partakers of a Divine nature, will cause us to inquire whether we are really renewed in the spirit of our minds; let us turn all these promises into prayers for the transforming and purifying grace of the Holy Spirit. The believer must add knowledge to his virtue, increasing acquaintance with the whole truth and will of God. We must add temperance to knowledge; moderation about worldly things; and add to temperance, patience, or cheerf...

Verse 9. _BUT HE THAT LACKETH THESE THINGS_] He, whether Jew or Gentile, who professes to have FAITH in God, and has not added to that FAITH _fortitude, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness,_ _brotherly kindness_, and universal _love_; is _blind_-his understanding is darkened, _and cannot see afar off_, μυωπαζων, _shutting his eyes against the light, winking_, not able to look truth in the face, nor to behold that God whom he once knew was reconciled to him: and thus it appears he is _wilfully blind_, and _hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins_-has at last, through his nonimprovement of the grace which he received from God, his faith ceasing to work by love, lost the evidence of things not seen; for, having grieved the Holy Spirit by not showing forth the virtues of him who called him into his marvellous light, he has lost the testimony of his sonship; and then, dark...

BUT HE THAT LACKETH THESE THINGS IS BLIND - He has no clear views of the nature and the requirements of religion. AND CANNOT SEE AFAR OFF - The word used here, which does not occur elsewhere in the New Testament, (μυωπάζων muōpazōn,) means to shut the eyes; i. e., to contract the eyelids, to blink, to twinkle, as one who cannot see clearly, and hence to be “near-sighted.” The meaning here is, that he is like one who has an indistinct vision; one who can see only the objects that are near him, but who has no correct apprehension of objects that are more remote. He sees but a little way into the true nature and design of the gospel. He does not take those large and clear views which would enable him to comprehend the whole system at a glance. AND HATH FORGOTTEN THAT HE WAS PURGED FROM HIS OLD SINS - He do

EXPOSITION 2 PETER 1:1 SIMON PETER. "Symeon" seems to be the best-supported spelling in this place. The same form of the name is found in Luke 2:25 and Acts 13:1; it also occurs in Acts 15:14, where St. James refers to St. Peter's speech on the great question of the circumcision of Gentile Christians. It is the form always used in the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament. The old man's thoughts go back to his early years; he describes himself by the familiar name of his youth; he uses that Greek form of it which was most distinctively Jewish. But he joins with the old name, which spoke of Judaism, the

BUT HE THAT LACKETH THESE THINGS,.... Or in, and with whom, they are not; that is, these virtues, as the Arabic version reads, as faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity; where the principles of those things are not, and they are not exercised and performed, such an one IS BLIND: let him boast ever so much of his light and knowledge, and value himself upon it, and expect to be saved by it, let him live as he will; for he has no true knowledge of God, as in Christ, as the God of all grace, as his covenant God and Father; nor does he know what it is to have communion with him in Christ; he only professes to know him in words, while in works he denies him; nor has he any right knowledge of Christ, only notional and general, not spiritual, experimental, particular, and practical; he does not see the Son, so as truly to believe in him; he ha...

2 Peter 1:1. _Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:_ Peter here uses both his names,-Simon or Simeon, which was his first name, and signifies «hearing with acceptance,» and happy are they who have the hearing ear and the receptive heart; and then there is what I may call his Christian name, the name which Christ gave him, Petros, or Cephas, a rock or stone. Those who learn to hear well, since faith cometh by hearing, may hope to obtain even greater stability of character than Peter had. Observe that Peter calls himself «a servant of Christ.» There is no higher honour than to be a servant of God. «To serve God is to reign.» An ancient philosopher was the author of that maxim, and Christianity fully endorses it. He is a true king who is a servant of God.

SINS SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. THE GRACIOUS PROVISIONS OF GOD CHAPTER 1 _ 1. God's gracious provisions in Christ (2 Peter 1:1)_ 2. The development of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:5) 3. The promises of prophecy (2 Peter 1:12) 2 Peter 1:1 We are not left in doubt who the writer is, not a pseudo Peter, but Simon Peter, the fisherman of Galilee. With this second Epistle he finishes the task given him by the Lord “to strengthen his brethren.” The opening verse of the third chapter shows that the Epistle is addressed to the same persons to whom he wrote the first Epistle. He gives his old name, Simon (or