III. (1, 2) Just as the two halves of the first main portion of the Epistle are linked together by some personal remarks respecting his reason for writing this Epistle (2 Peter 1:12), so the two predictions which form _the_ second main portion are connected by personal remarks respecting the purpos... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS SECOND EPISTLE, BELOVED, I NOW WRITE. — Rather, _This now second epistle I write, beloved;_ or, _This epistle, already a second one_ — implying that no very long time has elapsed since his first letter, and that this one is addressed to pretty much the same circle of readers. There is no indica... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE HOLY PROPHETS. — Appealed to before in 2 Peter 1:19. (Comp. Jude 1:17.) The coherence of the Epistle as a whole comes out strongly in this last chapter: 2 Peter 3:1 recalls 2 Peter 1:12; 2 Peter 3:17 recalls 2 Peter 1:10; 2 Peter 3:18 recalls 2 Peter 1:5. In this verse the Apostle commends th... [ Continue Reading ]
SECOND PREDICTION: Scoffers shall throw doubt on Christ’s return. (3) IN THE LAST DAYS. — Comp. 1 Peter 1:20; Hebrews 1:2; and the parallel passage to this, Jude 1:18. “Know this first, children, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts” is quoted in a homily at... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE IS THE PROMISE? — Not meaning, of course, “In what passages of Scripture is any such promise to be found?” — but, “What has come of it? where is there any accomplishment of it?” (Comp. Psalms 42:3; Psalms 79:10; Jeremiah 17:15; Malachi 2:17.) OF HIS COMING. — “His” instead of “the Lord’s” ind... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS THEY WILLINGLY ARE IGNORANT OF. — Literally, _For this escapes their notice of their own will._ They voluntarily blind their eyes to this fact — at once an explanation of their argument, and _first answer_ to it, drawn from the Mosaic account of the Creation. THE EARTH STANDING OUT OF THE W... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREBY. — The meaning of this is much disputed. The original literally signifies, _by means of which things._ But what things? The context allows various alternatives: (1) These facts about the Creation; (2) the heavens and the earth; (3) the water out of which, and the water by means of which, the... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE SAME WORD. — Or, as some first-rate authorities read, _by His word._ The sense in either case is that the universe is preserved for judgment by the same power that created it. “His word” here does not mean any single utterance of God or passage of Scripture, such as Isaiah 66:15; Daniel 7:9;... [ Continue Reading ]
_Second Answer_ to the sceptical argument: Time is the condition of man’s thought and action, but not of God’s. His thoughts are not as our thoughts, nor His ways as our ways; what seems delay to us is none to Him. BUT, BELOVED, BE NOT IGNORANT OF THIS ONE THING. — Although these scoffers are willi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Third Answer_ — a practical one: Make good use of what to you seems to be delay. THE LORD IS NOT SLACK. — We are in doubt whether “the Lord” means Christ or God the Father. In 2 Peter 3:8 “the Lord” certainly means God; and this is in favour of the same meaning here. On the other hand, “concerning... [ Continue Reading ]
The certainty and possible nearness of Christ’s coming is the basis of the preceding warning and of the exhortations which follow. AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT. — Suddenly and without warning. The words are an echo of Matthew 24:43, a saying which St. Peter certainly heard (Mark 13:3), or possibly of 1... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING THEN THAT ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE DISSOLVED. — For “then” we ought probably to read “thus,” _seeing that all these things are thus to be dissolved._ The original is present in form, but rightly translated by the future, being the prophetic present, _i.e.,_ the future prophetically regarded... [ Continue Reading ]
HASTING UNTO. — There is no “unto” in the Greek. The margin is probably right, _hasting the coming_ — _i.e.,_ hastening Christ’s coming by holy lives, by helping to make the Gospel known to all nations (Matthew 24:14), so as to “accomplish the number of the elect,” and by praying “Thy kingdom come.”... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE. — “Nevertheless” is too strong, and the emphasis is on “new,” not on “we.” _But new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness, we look for, according to His promise._ (Comp. Revelation 21:1.) On the repetition of “look for,” three times in thr... [ Continue Reading ]
BE FOUND OF HIM IN PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, AND BLAMELESS. — Rather, _Be found spotless and blameless in His sight. “_Be found of Him,” _i.e., “_by Him” (comp. 2 Peter 2:19), cannot stand; the construction is parallel to “be found unto you” (2 Corinthians 12:20), _i.e., “_in your judgment,” or “in your... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LONGSUFFERING OF OUR LORD. — Again, as in 2 Peter 3:9, we are in doubt as to whether God the Father or the Lord Jesus is meant. In neither case is absolute certainty obtainable; but here the balance seems decidedly in favour of the latter meaning. In 2 Peter 3:8 “the Lord” certainly means God, a... [ Continue Reading ]
AS ALSO IN ALL HIS EPISTLES. — All those known to the writer. The expression does not necessarily Imply that St. Paul was dead, and that his Epistles had been collected into one volume. That each church made a collection of them as they became known to it, and that in the great centres they became k... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOW THESE THINGS BEFORE. — Seeing that I have forewarned you of the certain appearance, conduct, and success of these false teachers and scoffers. “Forewarned, forearmed.” BEING LED AWAY WITH. — The Greek word occurs only thrice in the New Testament — here, Romans 12:16, and Galatians 2:13. In Rom... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GROW IN GRACE, AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD. — Or, _But grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord_ — _i.e.,_ it may mean “the grace of our Lord” as well as “the knowledge of our Lord.” But the Greek is not decisive on this point; and the rendering in our version avoids the awkwardne... [ Continue Reading ]