2 Peter 1

Hendriksen

‹ Chapter 0 2 Peter — All Chapters Chapter 2 ›

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Introduction) (1:1 2)) Promises and Virtues) (1:3 11)) and Divine Revelation) (1:12 21)) ) Outline) 1:1 2 I. Introduction ) 1:1 A. Greetings ) 1:2 B. Salutation ) 1:3 11 II. Promises and Virtues ) 1:3 4 A.

Promises ) 1:5 7 B. Virtues ) 1:5 1. Faith, Goodness, and Knowledge ) 1:6 2. Self-control, Perseverance, and Godliness ) 1:7 3. Brotherly Kindness and Love ) 1:8 9 C. Growth ) 1:10 11 D.

Assurance ) 1:12 21 III. Divine Revelation ) 1:12 15 A. Memory ) 1:16 18 B. Eyewitnesses ) 1:16 1. Christ s Coming ) 1:17 2. Christ s Glory ) 1:18 3.

Christ s Companions ) 1:19 21 C. Prophecy ) 1:19 1. Certainty ) 1:20 2. Origin ) 1:21 3. Source ) ) ) ) I. Introduction) 1:1 2) 1 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,) To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:) 2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.) ) A.

Greetings) 1:1) In the first verse of this epistle the author tells us something about himself by revealing his name and status. And in his address, he describes the recipients of the epistle in terms of righteousness and faith, which are spiritual qualities that come to them from God and Jesus Christ.) 1. Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,) To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.) a. Name) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.1|AUTODETECT|” This self-identification of Peter is a point of debate among scholars who defend apostolic authorship of this epistle��1�� and those who question it.��2�� If Peter is the author, why does he not identify himself as Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.1|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.14|AUTODETECT|” )? Instead, he introduces himself as Simon Peter, which many early manuscripts have as Simeon Peter.��3�� The name Simeon is a variant of Simon and occurs in the address that James delivered at the Council of Jerusalem 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.15.14|AUTODETECT|” Acts 15:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.7.7|AUTODETECT|” ). Moreover, the name Simeon belongs to the head of one of Israel s tribes 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.7.7|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 7:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.2.25-42.2.28|AUTODETECT|” ). It is also the name of an elderly man who, filled with the Holy Spirit, uttered a hymn while holding the baby Jesus 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.2.25-42.2.28|AUTODETECT|” Luke 2:25 28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.2.34|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.2.34|AUTODETECT|” 34) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.3.30|AUTODETECT|” ). One of Jesus ancestors bore the name Simeon 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.3.30|AUTODETECT|” Luke 3:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.13.1|AUTODETECT|” ) and so did Simeon Niger 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.13.1|AUTODETECT|” Acts 13:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). In short, the name occurs rather frequently in Scripture and perhaps was a preferred pronunciation among some Jews.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 The name Simon in Hebrew is a diminutive form of Samuel, which means God has heard. Simon s parents gave him this name at birth. But when Jesus called Simon to be his follower, he gave him the name Peter (rock), which in the Aramaic language is Cephas. Simon Peter is not the only one with this name, for in the New Testament at least nine different persons bear the name Simon.��4��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.5|AUTODETECT|” The combination Simon Peter occurs numerous times in all four Gospels and in Acts. In the early church, among Gentile Christians who spoke Greek, Peter apparently was known by his double name. For example, when Luke describes Peter s visit to the house of Cornelius the Roman centurion, he uses the double form 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.5|AUTODETECT|” Acts 10:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.18|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.18|AUTODETECT|” 18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.32|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.10.32|AUTODETECT|” 32) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.11.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.11.13|AUTODETECT|” 11:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Likewise, John, who presumably wrote his Gospel in Asia Minor, almost exclusively uses the double name Simon Peter. Of the twenty-two times that John mentions the apostle, seventeen are the combination form the other five instances either introduce Simon (1:41, 42) or indicate the special circumstance of Simon s reinstatement as an apostle (21:15, 16, 17).��5�� When reinstating Simon after his denial, Jesus refrained from calling him Peter (rock) because the significance of that name was inappropriate at that moment.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 b. Function) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.16|AUTODETECT|” Peter calls himself a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. The word servant also occurs in the greetings of the epistles of James (1:1) and Jude (1). Both James and Jude refrain from using the double title servant and apostle. Peter uses this combination to indicate that as a servant he stands next to any other servant of Jesus Christ. He is ready to accept, obey, and fulfill the orders of his Lord. Peter applies the term servant to all believers 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.16|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 2:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Peter adds that he is an apostle of Jesus Christ. Although he served as leader of the twelve apostles and head of the Jerusalem church, he places himself not above but next to the other apostles. Peter writes that he is an apostle and not the apostle of Jesus Christ.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Note that Paul also introduces himself as a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ; also see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Titus 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.19-40.28.20|AUTODETECT|” ). With the other apostles, Peter is a servant and an apostle of his Sender, Jesus Christ. As an apostle, he seeks to make disciples of all nations by baptizing them and by teaching them the gospel 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.19-40.28.20|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 28:19 20) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ).��6�� The term apostle means not only that someone is sent out, but also that he has received full authority from Jesus Christ. In his preaching and in his writing, Peter delivers not his own message but that of the Lord 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.1|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.1|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.10.16|AUTODETECT|” ). Therefore, Peter writes his second epistle on behalf of Christ, who confers his authority upon this letter. Peter writes his epistle in the capacity of an apostle of Jesus Christ, and he expects its recipients to acknowledge it as an apostolic document 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.10.16|AUTODETECT|” Luke 10:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��7��) 1 2 2 8 0 0 c. Addressees) In his first epistle, Peter lists the places where the addressees reside. He does not list them in his second letter. Peter writes to those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours. Peter is not interested in locations but in spiritual possessions which the readers have in common with the apostle.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.1.9|AUTODETECT|” Peter addresses people who & have received a faith as precious as ours. First, let us consider the meaning of the Greek verb to receive. It suggests that someone obtains something by casting lots 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.1.9|AUTODETECT|” Luke 1:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.19.24|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.19.24|AUTODETECT|” John 19:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.1.17|AUTODETECT|” ) or by the will of God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.1.17|AUTODETECT|” Acts 1:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��8�� Peter uses this verb to indicate that man receives his faith from God in accordance with God s will. He reminds his readers that faith does not originate in themselves but is a gift from God.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Second, how do we understand the term faith? Faith, which both the readers and Peter have in common, can be either objective or subjective. Objective faith refers to a body of Christian truths formulated, for example, in a creed. Subjective faith is the trust a believer places in God. Scholars are unable to agree on the interpretation of the word faith. Some interpret it in the objective sense and others in the subjective sense.

However, the context points to the subjective meaning: first, because God grants subjective faith and, second, because in this context subjective faith is closely linked to the concept righteousness. God imparts righteousness to the believer.) Next, Peter notes that the recipients of his letter share the same faith with him. [You] have received a faith as precious as ours. He stresses equality and with this choice of words he seems to point to his unassuming self-identification, a servant. In the Christian community every believer receives the same precious gift of faith from God. Peter uses the plural pronoun our in this text to demonstrate that the faith of the apostles is the same as that of the readers. In other words, the apostles are on the same spiritual level as all the other Christians.

The word our should not be interpreted to refer to a distinction between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, because the epistle itself fails to support such a distinction.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.17|AUTODETECT|” Fourth, what is the meaning of the prepositional phrase through the righteousness of our God ? The expression righteousness refers to God s justice in respect to man.��9�� In fact, some translators have the reading the justifying power of our God (NAB; also see NEB). The concepts righteousness and faith are closely linked in Scripture, especially in the epistles of Paul. For the gospel reveals how God puts people right with himself: it is through faith from beginning to end 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.17|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 1:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , GNB). Here are two observations: In the relation of faith and righteousness, faith is a personal trust in God; righteousness originates with God and through Christ it flows down to us. ��10��) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Last, scholars differ in their interpretation of the words our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Is Peter writing about God and Jesus Christ or is he saying that Jesus Christ is God? With variations some translators present this reading: the righteousness of our God and of our Savior, Jesus Christ (SEB).��11�� However, numerous translators and commentators prefer the translation the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. They base their preference on the Greek in which one definite article links the two nouns God and Savior.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.20.28|AUTODETECT|” Notice, then, that at the beginning of his epistle Peter emphasizes the divinity of Jesus Christ. Calling Jesus our God is not at all unusual, for one week after Jesus resurrection Thomas said to Jesus, My Lord and my God! 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.20.28|AUTODETECT|” John 20:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.2.9|AUTODETECT|” ). New Testament writers stress the divinity of Christ. Paul writes, For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.2.9|AUTODETECT|” Col. 2:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.9.5|AUTODETECT|” ; also see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.9.5|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 9:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.2.13|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.2.13|AUTODETECT|” Titus 2:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.1.8|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 1:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.1.21|AUTODETECT|” Jesus Christ is both God and Savior. Of course, the name Jesus itself signifies salvation. The angel told Joseph to give Mary s Son the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.1.21|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 1:21) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The word Savior does not occur in Peter s first epistle, but in his second it appears five times (1:1, 11; 2:20; 3:2, 18). Except for the first instance (1:1), all these verses have the familiar expression Lord and Savior. Because Jesus is God and Lord, he is able to set us free from sin, to make us righteous, and to restore us completely. Therefore, in response we joyfully and thankfully sing,) 1 7 2 8 0 0 Hallelujah! what a Saviour!) Hallelujah! what a Friend!) Saving, helping, keeping, loving,) He is with me to the end.) J. Wilbur Chapman) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:1) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.1.17|AUTODETECT|” �� the second aorist active participle is derived from the verb �� (I receive by lot). See its use in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.1.17|AUTODETECT|” Acts 1:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 5 2 8 0 0 �� !�� v �� when one definite article connects two nouns of the same case, it relates to the same person.��12�� In at least four instances, Peter adheres to this rule when he writes the combination Lord and Savior (1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 18).) B. Salutation) 1:2) At the beginning of this epistle, Peter follows the conventional rules of letter-writing. He identifies himself, describes the addressees, and greets them with an apostolic salutation.) 2. Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.2|AUTODETECT|” The words grace and peace are part of a fixed formula that appears in many epistles.��13�� In the two letters of Peter, the formula has the verb be in abundance (NIV), which literally means be multiplied 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Jude 2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). How do we multiply grace and peace? We are unable to comprehend how abstract qualities can be increased in number. The source of grace is God, who also grants peace. Furthermore, the Greek verb is in the passive voice that appears in the form of a wish. Peter s prayer is that God will send us an increasing quantity of both grace and peace. Although the term grace is used as a greeting, the term itself implies the qualities of mercy, love, and pardon that God extends to man. Peace flows forth from grace and is man s internal happiness which he desires to share with his fellow man. The concepts grace and peace are like two sides of the same coin.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Peter adds the phrase through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. In a sense, this is the theme of Peter s letter, because the concept knowledge occurs repeatedly.��14�� Here Peter writes the noun in compound form to express acknowledgment. He conveys the thought that knowledge is not merely an ability to recite facts but an experience that promotes fellowship. The believer who is the recipient of God s grace and peace experiences these gifts through intimate fellowship with God (see vv. 3, 8; 2:20 21). By increasing his knowledge of God and Jesus Christ, he acknowledges that grace and peace are multiplied for him.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.11.27|AUTODETECT|” Peter expands the reference to the believer s knowledge of God by adding a comment about the knowledge of the Lord Jesus. He reaffirms the words of Jesus: No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.11.27|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 11:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 Throughout this epistle Peter urges the readers to increase their knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (refer to v. 8; 2:20; 3:18).��15�� This is Peter s main concern in writing his epistle. He urges his readers to increase their personal knowledge of Jesus Christ, their Lord and Savior. He begins his epistle with a prayerful wish for grace and peace through knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. He concludes his letter with an exhortation to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (3:18).) ) Practical Considerations in 1:2) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.39|AUTODETECT|” If I wish to know Jesus Christ as my Savior, I must have an intellectual and an experiential knowledge of him. By reading the Scriptures I learn about his birth, ministry, suffering, death, resurrection, ascension, and the promise of his return. From reading the Bible I come to know Jesus Christ, the Son of God, my Savior. Jesus wants me to study the Scriptures, for they testify about him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.39|AUTODETECT|” John 5:39) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.15.15|AUTODETECT|” However, I must also know Jesus Christ through the personal experiences of answered prayer, the strengthening of faith, the evident blessings of the Lord, and the assurance that I am doing the will of God. I walk and talk with Jesus, because he is my friend 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.15.15|AUTODETECT|” John 15:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.11|AUTODETECT|” ), my brother 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.11|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 2:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), and my adviser. Like Enoch, who daily walked with God, I confide in Jesus and thus know him more and more.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:2) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.2|AUTODETECT|” �� only here and in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.2|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.2|AUTODETECT|” and ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Jude 2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 this particular verb occurs in the aorist passive optative. The passive voice implies that God is the agent. The aorist is constative, because it encompasses the entire action without regard to time. And the optative expresses a wish.) 1 17 2 8 0 0 ) II. Promises and Virtues) 1:3 11) 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.) 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.) 10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.) ) A. Promises) 1:3 4) The transition from the preceding verse (v. 2) to these two verses is abrupt. The word knowledge gives the passage continuity, but the construction of verse 3 causes a break with the salutation. Perhaps the writer deleted a clause that would make the transition smooth between the two verses.

Deletion of a clause is not uncommon in Greek manuscripts. If we include such a clause, we can bridge the gap between verses 2 and 3. For example, We are receiving God s grace and peace, [because] his divine power has given us everything we need. ��16��) An alternative is to take verse 2 as the salutation and the next verse as the beginning of the letter proper, and indicate a definite break between them. Then we accept verses 3 and 4 as part of a lengthy thought with verses 5 7. But the words for this very reason (v. 5) do not lend themselves as a natural transition. Taking the simple rule of thumb, Take Greek as it comes, I prefer to see verse 3 as a continuation of the message that the salutation conveys and thus supply a short clause to introduce verse 3.) 3.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.) Some translations, including the New International Version, omit the first Greek word in this verse. The versions that translate this word have the reading according as (KJV), seeing that (NASB), as (NKJV), or for (MLB). These translators use it as a bridge between the salutation (v. 2) and this verse.) a. His divine power has given us everything we need. To whom is Peter referring when he writes, his divine power ? Commentators have different opinions.

Some say that this is a reference to God, but that the pronouns him and his relate to Christ.��17�� Others say that Peter is thinking of Christ; first, because Jesus is mentioned in the preceding text, and second, because the entire epistle is an exposition of Jesus deity (e.g., see v. 1).��18�� Perhaps we can say that in this verse Peter fails to present a clear distinction between God and Jesus and, therefore, that we ought to refrain from being dogmatic.) The words divine power describe the godhead and everything that belongs to it. ��19�� They are an example of the Hebrew fondness for using a circumlocution to avoid mentioning the name of God. Because of his divine power, God has given us everything we need. This is an amazing statement! In fact, in this introductory verse of the epistle we encounter a wonderful cheerfulness.��20�� Peter exclaims that he and the readers are the recipients of untold blessings; the word everything sums up this idea.) b. For life and godliness. Observe that God has granted and continues to grant us everything for life and godliness.

He wants us to live in harmony with his Word by honoring, loving, and serving him. Eternal life is not an ideal that becomes reality when we depart from this earthly scene. On the contrary, we possess eternal life through our daily exercise of living for God and our fellow man. By obeying God s will in our lives we practice godliness and experience the possession of eternal life.) c. Through our knowledge of him who called us. Peter tells the readers of his epistle that God grants them everything they need to enjoy life in his service.

He indicates that God grants his gifts liberally through our knowledge of him. Once again Peter speaks of knowledge (see v. 2) and informs us that God makes his gifts available to us when we come to know him. Knowledge is a basic concept in Peter s epistle.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.28|AUTODETECT|” The question is whether the phrase knowledge of him applies to God or to Christ. If we understand the pronoun to refer to Christ, then we have to conclude that the word us refers to the apostles. But the pronoun us in the first part of verse 3 is all-inclusive, for Peter speaks of himself and the readers. Should we interpret the pronoun to apply only to the apostles and not to the readers, we would negate the statements on equality within the church, which Peter teaches by implication in the first two verses of this epistle. We expect, however, that Peter is consistent in the use of this pronoun. Accordingly, we understand the word him to point to God and not to Christ. John Calvin observes that Peter makes God the author of this knowledge, because we never go to him except when called. ��21�� God has called us, through Christ, to salvation 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.28|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 8:28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.30|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.30|AUTODETECT|” 30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.15|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.9|AUTODETECT|” 2:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.5.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.5.10|AUTODETECT|” 5:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). And last, in the broader context of this chapter, Peter once more mentions the calling of the readers; he writes, Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure (v. 10).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.14|AUTODETECT|” d. By his own glory and goodness. The act of calling us is a demonstration of God s own glory and goodness. These two characteristics are highly personal; the adjective own modifies both terms. Moreover, the two terms, although in a sense synonymous,��22�� differ. We are able to observe glory with our eyes 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.14|AUTODETECT|” John 1:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), and we become aware of goodness (praise) with our minds and hearts. Conclusively, God reveals his essential being through visible glory and he displays his goodness in his deeds.) 1 18 2 8 0 0 4. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.) We see a correlation between verses 3 and 4 whereby the author is clarifying his message. Here is the parallel:) Verse 3 Verse 4 ) His divine power Through these ) has given us he has given us ) everything we need his very great and precious ) for life and godliness promises, ) through our knowledge so that through them ) of him who called us by his you may participate ) own glory and goodness. in the divine nature ) and escape the corruption ) in the world caused by ) evil desires. ) ) ) Note also the cross-shaped configuration of some of the parts: his divine power (v. 3) corresponds with in the divine nature (v. 4), and glory and goodness (v. 3) is the antecedent of through these (v. 4). From another point of view, the conclusion of verse 4 contrasts with the last line of the preceding verse: the corruption in the world is the opposite of glory, and evil desires is antithetical to goodness. ) a. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises. To whom does the pronoun he refer to God or to Christ?

Scripture teaches that God has given his people numerous promises, but also Christ has promised his followers that he will return (1:16; 3:4, 9). Because Peter is not specific in distinguishing between God and Christ, we ought to refrain from restricting the meaning of the pronoun.) The promises themselves are an important part of this verse, for Peter describes them as very great and precious. Observe that he uses the superlative form to depict these promises. With the perfect tense he has given, he implies that God not only has given these promises to us but also has fulfilled them in the person and work of Christ.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.9|AUTODETECT|” b. So that through them you may participate in the divine nature. Peter needs an additional clause to tell us what God s purpose is in giving us these promises 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.9|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 2:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.19|AUTODETECT|” ). He informs us that through these promises we share God s nature. Although this statement lends itself to many interpretations, we ought to notice how precisely Peter has chosen his words. He says that we participate in God s nature, not in God s being. He has chosen the term nature because it indicates growth, development, and character. The expression being, by contrast, points to essence and substance. We can never participate in God s essence, for we are and remain human beings who have been created by God. What Peter discloses is that we share God s holiness, which we experience through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our hearts 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.6.19|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 6:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). What, then, is God s purpose in making us share in his nature? In the words of Calvin, Let us then mark, that the end of the gospel is, to render us eventually conformable to God, and, if we may so speak, to deify us. ��23��) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Peter borrows the term divine nature from the philosophical vocabulary of the Greeks. To refute his opponents (see 2:1) he employs their terminology but gives the words a Christian meaning. Greek philosophers taught that man who is living in a corrupt world of physical pleasure must become like the gods. They advised their followers to share the divine nature. Peter resorts to using the same expression, participate in the divine nature. But whereas the philosophers took their point of departure in man and claimed for him a share in the nature of the gods, Peter views our sharing of God s nature in the light of God s promises.

There is a world of difference between these two concepts. The first is humanistic and reflects the vaulted self-appraisal of natural man. The other is Christian and exalts the gracious provision of God. ��24��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.1.3|AUTODETECT|” Through the promises in Christ, we obtain God s holiness. God has called us into the sphere of holiness in which we have fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.1.3|AUTODETECT|” I John 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.1|AUTODETECT|” ). By fixing our thoughts on Jesus, we share in the heavenly calling and in Christ himself 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.1|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 3:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.14|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.14|AUTODETECT|” 14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.14-43.17.18|AUTODETECT|” c. And escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. Already in his life, the believer participates in God s divine nature by reflecting his virtues. He shuns sin and evil because he knows that he belongs not to the world but to God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.14-43.17.18|AUTODETECT|” John 17:14 18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.5.22|AUTODETECT|” ; also compare ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.5.22|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 5:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.1.27|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.1.27|AUTODETECT|” James 1:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.24|AUTODETECT|” ). Surely, when he leaves this earthly scene and participates in eternal glory, he fully displays God s nature. While on earth, he lives in the world even though he is not of the world. He has put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.24|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 4:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.3.10|AUTODETECT|” ; also see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.3.10|AUTODETECT|” Col. 3:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.12.10|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.12.10|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 12:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.3.2|AUTODETECT|” ; and ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.3.2|AUTODETECT|” I John 3:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 8 2 8 0 0 ) Doctrinal Considerations in 1:4) A skilled communicator expresses himself in the language of the people he addresses; he uses their vocabulary and idioms to identify with his audience. But as he employs their terminology, he is completely free to proclaim his own message.) Peter selects a phrase that was current in the Hellenistic world of his day: participate in the divine nature. Even though Peter avails himself of Hellenistic terminology, he does not teach a Hellenistic view of man, which advocated escape from this material world because of its corruption. Peter is careful to define the nature of the corruption he has in mind, i.e. corruption that is in (en) the world because of (en) passion. There is a deliberate avoidance of the concept that the material world is itself evil. ��25�� Peter, therefore, teaches not the doctrine of Hellenistic philosophers who reason from man s perspective. Instead, he presents God s revelation, in which God calls man to have fellowship with him.

In short, not man but God takes the initiative.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:3 4) Verse 3) a� omitted in some translations, this particle performs the functions of introducing a genitive absolute construction: �� (power) and �� (perfect middle participle from �� [I give, present, bestow]). Verse 3, however, lacks a main verb, which perhaps has been deleted in the transition from verse 2 to verse 3. Notice that the perfect tense of the participle indicates a past action that has lasting effect for the present.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.17.29|AUTODETECT|” �� this adjective, meaning divine, occurs also in verse 4 and in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.17.29|AUTODETECT|” Acts 17:29) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , where Paul uses it in his address to Athenian philosophers. It appears frequently in Hellenistic writings, probably because its very broad usage gave it a polytheistic or pantheistic flavor. ��26�� We assume that both Paul and Peter accommodated themselves to the vocabulary used by their audiences. Jewish Christians who lived in a Hellenistic environment were acquainted with this word.��27��) 1 11 2 8 0 0 0�� the Majority Text and Textus Receptus have the reading ��p �� (through glory), which has the support of some ancient manuscripts. Bruce M. Metzger comments that the majority of the Editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies edition preferred the reading 0�� because it is more likely that �� would have been written by mistake for 0�� than vice versa; and 4�� is a favorite word with the author of 2 Peter, occurring six other times in three chapters. ��28��) Verse 4) �� as an adjective in the superlative degree, it is emphatic in the sense of very or exceedingly. ��29��) �� the aorist subjunctive from the verb �� (I become, am) expresses the process that occurs in regard to a believer s sanctification. The aorist is constative.) �� from the verb �� (I escape), this active participle in the aorist tense denotes single occurrence. As a compound, the participle governs the genitive case without a preposition.) B. Virtues) 1:5 7) 1.

Faith, Goodness, and Knowledge) 1:5) The apostle specifies how a Christian ought to live virtuously by claiming God s promises and avoiding the corruption of the world. He lists the qualities the Christian must have to lead a spiritually productive and effective life. He exhorts the believer to possess a number of virtues; faith heads the list.) 5. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.2.12-50.2.13|AUTODETECT|” Peter reiterates the idea of the preceding verses in the words for this very reason. He has alluded to God s work in saving us; now he stresses our work in the process of salvation. In a sense, he says the same thing Paul wrote in one of his epistles: Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.2.12-50.2.13|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 2:12 13) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). God has given us his promises and, true to his word, fulfills them. Now God expects us to do our part. Therefore, Peter writes,) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Make every effort to add. The Greek for this particular phrase is interesting indeed. Peter uses the noun effort, then the verb to apply, and last the verb to add. Peter writes the noun first to give it emphasis. The noun itself means diligence and even conveys the idea of haste. That is, when God calls a person, he wants him to put forth every possible effort to obey this divine call and to do so without delay.

The verb to apply signifies that we must bring our diligence into God s presence and place it next to what God does for us. Even though the initiative in salvation comes from God, he works out our sanctification by putting us to work.) The verb to add is meaningful in the Greek. The word comes from the Greek world of stage and drama. The director of a play not only coached the cast. Together with the state, he also paid the expenses the members incurred for giving a performance on stage. In other words, the choirmaster added his financial contribution to the amount the state supplied.��30�� This verb to add, then, signifies that the believer contributes lavishly to the work of his salvation.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.6|AUTODETECT|” Peter presents a list of eight virtues, of which faith is the first and love the last 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.6|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 5:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.22|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.22|AUTODETECT|” 22) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). These are the first three virtues:) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Faith) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.24|AUTODETECT|” Faith is the personal reliance of the believer (see also v. 1). It is his subjective trust in his Lord and Savior and therefore is the basis of his spiritual life. Faith is the root of all the other virtues Peter mentions. Peter exhorts the readers of his letter to add the seven following virtues to faith. These other virtues are unattainable until the step of faith has been taken. ��31�� Moreover, because of our trust in Jesus, our faith has its source in him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.24|AUTODETECT|” Mark 9:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 9 2 8 0 0 Goodness) Of the seven virtues that are directly related to faith, Peter mentions goodness first. It relates to one of God s characteristics (see v. 3). Because it is a divine attribute, we ought to reflect this virtue in our lives. Our daily conduct should be a demonstration of moral excellence. Faith and excellence support one another.) Knowledge) The next virtue that flows from faith is knowledge. The Greek word implies that we use our minds, have correct insight in all circumstances, and know the moral quality of the people we meet.

We put our knowledge to work by using common sense in everything we say, do, and think. Furthermore, knowledge and faith go hand in hand, for faith is strengthened through knowledge and the increase of knowledge is rooted in trust.) 2. Self-control, Perseverance, and Godliness) 1:6) 6. And to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness.) The next three qualities that contribute to the believer s sanctification are:) Self-control) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.9.25|AUTODETECT|” In the Hellenistic world of Peter s day, this word pertained to sports. As Paul puts it, Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.9.25|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 9:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.7.9|AUTODETECT|” ; the italicized words convey the concept self-control). The athletes in preparation for the games abstained from unwholesome food, wine, and sexual indulgence. ��32�� A Christian must exercise self-discipline in all circumstances and should do so by placing his trust in God. The apostles, however, refrain from issuing a detailed command on self-control that covers every situation. They mention self-control as a virtue the believer must practice 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.7.9|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 7:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.23|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.5.23|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 5:23) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.8|AUTODETECT|” Titus 1:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Martin Luther aptly remarks, People are not alike. One is strong, another is weak by nature, and no one is always as fit in every respect as the other person is. ��33�� A Christian ought to maintain his self-control in complete reliance on God.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Perseverance) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.5.3-45.5.4|AUTODETECT|” A momentary lack of self-discipline leads to failure and a loss of self-respect. Therefore, Peter adds the New Testament concept perseverance. This word means to remain under a particular conflict. Perseverance is defined as the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings. ��34�� The word appears repeatedly in the New Testament 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.5.3-45.5.4|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 5:3 4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.6.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.6.11|AUTODETECT|” I Tim. 6:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.12.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.12.2|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 12:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.1.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=59.1.3|AUTODETECT|” James 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.20|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.20|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 2:20) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.19|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.2.19|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 2:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Perseverance is related to faith as daughter to mother. It originates in faith, for the believer knows that God is in complete control of every situation. Accordingly, Zacharius Ursinus explained the combination of perseverance and trust in these words:) 1 11 2 8 0 0 We can be patient when things go against us,) thankful when things go well,) and for the future we can have) good confidence in our faithful God and Father.��35��) Godliness) Peter tells us to add godliness to perseverance. This is the second time he introduces the expression godliness (see v. 3). He also mentions it in the context of Christ s return . As Noah and Lot, whom Peter calls righteous (2:5, 7), lived among ungodly people, so the Christian today pursues godliness in a sinful world. A Christian practices godliness when he is fully conscious of God s presence in every circumstance, so that his life is guided by the motto of the Genevan Reformer John Calvin: Coram Deo (in the presence of God).) 3. Brotherly Kindness and Love) 1:7) 7.

And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.) The last two virtues are significant, because both of them express love. Notice that when we show brotherly affection and love, we fulfill the summary of the Ten Commandments:) ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.22.37-40.22.39|AUTODETECT|” Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.22.37-40.22.39|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 22:37 39) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ]) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.12.10|AUTODETECT|” Transliterated from the Greek, the term brotherly kindness is philadelphia 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.12.10|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 12:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.22|AUTODETECT|” ). The term implies that we express our love to the brothers and sisters in the church and that we love one another deeply, from the heart 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.22|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.5.44|AUTODETECT|” Peter writes, [Add] to brotherly kindness, love. He seems redundant in his emphasis on love. But Peter does not want us to restrict our love to the members of the church. He knows the teaching of Jesus, Love your enemies 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.5.44|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 5:44) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.13.8|AUTODETECT|” ). Love is a debt we owe our fellow man 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.13.8|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 13:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.4.16|AUTODETECT|” ) without exception. In other words, whereas we can limit the application of brotherly kindness to the Christian community, we are unable to restrict the practice of love. God is love, writes John. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.4.16|AUTODETECT|” I John 4:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Love, which Peter mentions as the last characteristic in the series of eight virtues, is the fruit of faith in God.) 1 7 2 8 0 0 C. Growth) 1:8 9) What are we doing with the virtues Peter enumerates in the preceding verses? He exhorts us to apply them so that we may reap an abundant harvest in knowing Jesus Christ. A neglect of these virtues results in spiritual loss and deprivation. Peter states the matter first positively (v. 8) and then negatively (v. 9) to show the purpose of these virtues and the consequence of lacking them.) 8. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.) a.

Translations) This verse lends itself to two possible translations because of the word order in the Greek. The lengthy prepositional phrase in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ can be taken either with the adjectives ineffective and unproductive (NIV and other versions) or with the Greek verb to bring. This is the first translation: If you have a generous supply of these [virtues], & they will bring you to a real knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (JB). However, the other translation is preferred, because the verb to bring also has the meaning to make, which with the adjective ineffective appears to be an idiom. Most translators favor this combination and present the reading, and make you not useless and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ) b. Meaning) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.3.12|AUTODETECT|” If we possess these eight virtues, says Peter, and if they continue to increase, we are reaping an abundant harvest. Peter is not indicating that we must take the virtues successively, as if the one depends on the other. Rather, he means that we must cultivate all of them at the same time and see them grow and develop 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.3.12|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 3:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.6.10|AUTODETECT|” ). The consequence of this development is that we are not ineffective and unproductive in our spiritual lives 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.6.10|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 6:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.4.19|AUTODETECT|” ). We are busy applying these virtues and thus witness their visible results. When we are ineffective, we are idle; and when we fail to be productive, we are useless in society 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.4.19|AUTODETECT|” Mark 4:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Such is not the case when all our virtues increase and bear fruit, especially with reference to our knowledge of Christ. Peter unfolds a favorite theme in this epistle: Grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord (1:2, 3, 8; 3:18). As parents want to see their infants gain weight, so Peter desires our spiritual growth in knowing Jesus more and more.) 1 13 2 8 0 0 More about Jesus would I know,) More of his grace to others show;) More of his saving fullness see,) More of his love who died for me.) Eliza E. Hewitt) 9. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.) Here is the reverse, namely, the negative side of the previous statement (v. 8). We consider the following points: deficient, blind, forgetful.) a. Deficient) The first word in this verse presents a contrast: but. That is, if there is a person in the Christian community who lacks the eight virtues that range from faith to love, he is ineffective and unproductive.

In this verse, Peter uses the word anyone and no longer the pronoun you. He is not accusing the readers. He only states a fact. To illustrate his point, Peter uses the metaphor of a person who is nearsighted and blind.) b. Blind) The New International Version has the reading nearsighted and blind, but the Greek text has the inverse order. A blind person cannot be nearsighted, but a nearsighted person can eventually become blind.

However, the two adjectives are in effect synonymous.��36�� The term nearsighted, which in transliterated form from the Greek is myMpazMn (myopic), means to close the eyes, that is, to squint. The intent, therefore, is to say that a person without spiritual virtues is as blind as someone who contracts his eyelids. With this illustration, Peter wishes to say that a person who neglects the cultivation of spiritual values is blind to the truth of God s Word. Such a man is able to see earthly things that are nearby but unable to see heavenly things that are far away. He is spiritually blind. In his first epistle, John describes the man who claims to be in the light but hates his brother as a person who stumbles in the darkness because the darkness has blinded him (2:11).) c.

Forgetful) From the illustration of blindness, Peter proceeds to the point at issue: [This person] has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Forgetfulness is detrimental to one s spiritual life. It shuts out the past and blocks the memory of Christ s forgiving grace and love. This forgetfulness is itself an example of failure in the knowledge of Christ. ��37�� On the other hand, anyone who looks to Jesus in gratitude for his salvation and who continues to develop in his personal relationship with the Lord always remembers his conversion and time of baptism.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.25-49.5.26|AUTODETECT|” Peter s statement he has been cleansed has bearing on baptism. It harmonizes with Paul s remark concerning the church: Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.5.25-49.5.26|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 5:25 26) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.3.21|AUTODETECT|” ; also see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.3.21|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 3:21) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Baptism is the symbol of this cleansing, and Jesus sacrificial death on the cross is a reality.) 1 6 2 8 0 0 With the term past Peter indicates that someone who lived in sin was converted and baptized. Perhaps this person failed to realize the significance of his cleansing and therefore did not break with his past but mingled his worldly life with Christian living. Perhaps he gradually drifted from his commitment to Christ by forgetting the significance of his baptism and returning to his former sinful life.��38��) ) Doctrinal Considerations in 1:8 9) Verse 8) For Peter, faith is a basic virtue. He mentions it in his address: To those who & have received a faith as precious as ours (v. 1). In verse 5, he places faith at the head of the list of virtues. Faith is the mother of all the spiritual qualities he enumerates. Therefore, we should not view these virtues in a descending order of importance but as equally significant in relation to faith.) Verse 9) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.2.19|AUTODETECT|” Is it possible for a believer to sing the hymn Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine and forget his baptism? Hardly. By itself, baptism is no guarantee that a person is saved. Baptism is an external ceremony that must have its counterpart in an internal commitment to Christ. But if true faith is lacking in the heart of a person who has been baptized, all the other virtues that Peter mentions also are absent. John writes about people who in his day had left the church: They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.2.19|AUTODETECT|” I John 2:19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 18 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:8 9) Verse 8) Q�� from the verb Q�p�� (I am present), this present active participle in the nominative plural neuter denotes a conditional statement of simple fact. With the pronoun Q�� (you), which is a dative of possession, the participle is translated with the verb to have, If you have these qualities. ) �� as a present active indicative third person singular, the verb can mean either it brings or it makes. With the adjectives �� and ��, the preferred reading is it makes. The preposition �0�, then, means in respect to instead of into. ) Verse 9) � because of the dative case of this pronoun and the verb to be in the compound �� (it is present), here is a dative of possession (see v. 8). Note that the verb ��, which is present active indicative, is negated by the participle �� (not).��39��) �� this present active participle is a contraction of the words �� z� �� (to shut the eyes).��40��) D. Assurance) 1:10 11) Here is the conclusion to Peter s exhortation in the section about promises and virtues.

Peter encourages his readers to gain certainty in regard to their salvation. He writes,) 10. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall.) Observe three aspects in this verse:) a. Eagerness) With the adverb therefore, Peter summarizes what he has been saying in the preceding verses. The adverb encompasses the assurance of verse 8 and the warning of verse 9.

With the personal address my brothers, Peter speaks to the people described in verse 8 and separates himself from the persons mentioned in verse 9.) The tender address my brothers occurs only here in the two epistles of Peter. But the term dear friends is common in both letters.��41�� By addressing the recipients pastorally, Peter stresses the importance of their spiritual well-being.) Be all the more eager. In a sense Peter is using the same exhortation in verse 5. Now he is saying, Put forth every effort you can muster. The Greek verb also includes the notion of urgency (compare 1:15; 3:14). In fact, Peter commands the readers to act immediately without delay.

They must continue to do this by making it part of their daily routine and thus show diligence.) b. Election) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.2.12-50.2.13|AUTODETECT|” Make your calling and election sure. These two nouns are synonymous, for in the Greek they share one definite article. Although God elects and calls a person, and although from a divine aspect the chronological order should be that election is followed by calling, Peter indicates that in this verse he views calling and election from man s perspective. In the Greek word order, the expression sure follows the verb be eager, and because it precedes the combination calling and election, the expression is emphatic. Peter wants the readers to realize that God calls them in their lifetime, but that they must exert themselves diligently in ascertaining and appropriating their calling and election 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.2.12-50.2.13|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 2:12 13) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Peter stresses man s responsibility in regard to salvation.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.4|AUTODETECT|” Election and calling are and remain God s redemptive acts. God elects man in eternity 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.4|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 1:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.30|AUTODETECT|” ) but calls him in time 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.8.30|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 8:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.29|AUTODETECT|” ). Man does not elect or call himself, for Paul writes, God s gifts and his call are irrevocable 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.29|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 11:29) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.1.9|AUTODETECT|” ). Hence, God alone decrees man s election and calling. The task for man is to appropriate his salvation, so that he is absolutely certain of the calling with which God has called him and can live in the knowledge that he is God s child 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.1.9|AUTODETECT|” II Tim. 1:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��42��) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Calling is not merely an invitation; it is a royal command which man must obey. And election is evidence of God s grace and love toward man.��43�� Man, then, must take possession of his election by exercising the virtues Peter outlines in verses 5 7.) c. Established) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.15.5|AUTODETECT|” The purpose of the believer s exertion is that he is able to stand. Says Peter, If you do these things, you will never fall. In the Greek, the expression never is emphatic and indicates that the believer s fall cannot happen when he is all the more eager to make [his] calling and election sure. The believer is firmly established, unmoved, and absolutely sure of his salvation because he knows that he cannot lose it 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.15.5|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 15:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.37.24|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.37.24|AUTODETECT|” 37:24) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.24|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.24|AUTODETECT|” Jude 24) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 11. And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.) A literal translation of the beginning of this text is, for in this way (NASB). That is, by personally affirming his calling and election, the believer enters Christ s kingdom.) a. Rewards) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.4.18|AUTODETECT|” God responds to man s faithfulness and richly provides for him an entrance into the kingdom. Note that Peter employs the word rich to describe not the manner but the event of the believer s entrance into heaven. When God welcomes the believer to his heavenly abode, he considers the believer his child. Therefore, God lavishes gifts upon him to make him a rich person who enters heaven as a victor. John Albert Bengel writes, You may be able to enter, not as having escaped from a shipwreck, or from fire, but as it were in triumph. ��44�� (Incidentally, contrast the text If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner? [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.4.18|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 4:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ] with this text. Obviously, the contexts of these two verses call for a difference in expression.)) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Peter uses the personal pronoun you and tells the readers, You will receive a rich welcome. The meaning of the verb to receive, which is the same Greek verb translated to add in verse 5, implies that God will bless abundantly all those who cultivate spiritual virtues.) b. Place) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.145.13|AUTODETECT|” Only in this verse the adjective eternal is used to describe the kingdom 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.145.13|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 145:13) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.4.18|AUTODETECT|” ; and see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.4.18|AUTODETECT|” II Tim. 4:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.18|AUTODETECT|” , heavenly kingdom ). Christ s kingdom is eternal because he himself is eternal. In other words, the kingdom of Jesus is not subject to limitations of cosmic time; it exists forever. In this kingdom, Christ is king. As Jesus clearly teaches, God rules through his Son, Jesus Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.28.18|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 28:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 13 2 8 0 0 Peter is fond of calling Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior (see 2:20; 3:2, 18). In verse 1 he calls Jesus God and Savior to emphasize his divinity.) c. Significance) Because the recipients of this epistle know the Lord as their Savior, Peter is not teaching that they will enter either the church or the kingdom of Christ here on earth. The future tense causes us to look expectantly to the coming of Christ s eternal kingdom. We do not simply identify the kingdom with heaven, even though believers when they die enter this kingdom. The broader perspective, in Peter s own words, is that we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness (3:13).) ) Doctrinal Considerations in 1:10 11) How do I know that I am a child of God?

When I search my spiritual life, I know that the certainty of salvation does not come to me through dreams, visions, and revelations. I have assurance of salvation because God has given me his Word, has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and has worked and continues to work in my heart through the Holy Spirit. God has created faith in my soul so that I put my complete confidence and trust in him.) I know not how this saving faith) To me he did impart,) Nor how believing in his Word) Wrought peace within my heart.) But I know whom I have believed,) and am persuaded that he is able) To keep that which I ve committed) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.1.12|AUTODETECT|” Unto him against that day. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.1.12|AUTODETECT|” II Tim. 1:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , KJV]) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Daniel W. Whittle) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.24|AUTODETECT|” What is the effect of this gift of faith? When I obediently listen to God s call and do his will, when I experience God s nearness in my soul, then I begin to understand that God s calling and election are an unspeakable source of comfort to me. I realize that as long as I reflect God s virtues in my life, I shall never fall. I know that God is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before him in love and with great joy 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.24|AUTODETECT|” Jude 24) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 23 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:10 11) Verse 10) �t� �� v �� here are two nouns introduced by one definite article. The nouns are considered synonyms in this construction.��45��) �� the use of the present middle (reflexive) infinitive shows that Peter instructs every believer to make his own calling and election sure.) �� the present active participle denotes both a continuing activity and a condition: If you keep on doing these things. ) �P �t �� this is the only time in Peter s epistles that the double negative occurs. The use of this combination signifies emphasis. Also, the aorist subjunctive indicates single occurrence.) Verse 11) �� see verse 5, where the same verb appears in the aorist active. Here it is in the future passive. The future is definite.

Notice that the adverb �� (richly) precedes the main verb and is in a position of emphasis.) �� !�� v �� see verse 1. When one definite article governs two nouns, the construction shows that the writer refers to one person.) ) III. Divine Revelation) 1:12 21) 12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.) 16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.) 19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.) ) A. Memory) 1:12 15) Peter informs his readers that he himself is about to leave his physical body and thus enter the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ. But before he departs this earthly scene, he wants to be absolutely sure that his readers know the truth. He gives them an additional reminder.) 12.

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.) From his perspective as an apostle of Jesus Christ, Peter expresses his interest in and concern for the spiritual well-being of the church. He views the life of the church in relation to the truth of God s Word.) a. So I will always remind you of these things. Even though Christians have a basic knowledge of the truth, Peter sees the necessity of reminding them. The Greek, at this point, causes some difficulties for translators. In effect, the Greek verb translated I will in the New International Version is a double future.

Here is a version that has captured the thought best: That is why I am continually recalling the same truths to you (JB).��46��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.15.15|AUTODETECT|” Whenever and wherever the believers read this epistle, they are reminded of the words Peter has written. The content of this letter, then, serves as a reminder of the truth of God s revelation. For this reason Peter qualifies his statement with the adverb always. Not merely the spoken word of an apostle but the written word of God s revelation will continually remind the people of the truth. Peter knows that although his earthly life will come to an end, his epistle will remain as a constant reminder. Paul and John, in their epistles, also remind the readers of the truth they have taught. Says Paul, I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.15.15|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 15:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.3.1|AUTODETECT|” ); It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.3.1|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 3:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.2.21|AUTODETECT|” ). And John testifies, I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.2.21|AUTODETECT|” I John 2:21) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). They leave written documents that are God s inspired Word.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.5|AUTODETECT|” b. Even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. What are the things that the readers know? Certainly they are the truths Peter has written in the first part of this chapter. These truths, then, are not new teachings for the recipients of this letter. They have known them ever since they heard the gospel proclaimed 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=65.1.5|AUTODETECT|” Jude 5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.5.10|AUTODETECT|” ). Peter is descriptive when he says, [You] are firmly established in the truth 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.5.10|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 5:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.26.69-40.26.75|AUTODETECT|” ). He is not addressing recent converts, but Christians who have been fully indoctrinated in the truths of the gospel. Perhaps Peter chooses the words firmly established because of his own lack of commitment when he disowned Jesus in the high priest s courtyard 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.26.69-40.26.75|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 26:69 75) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Granted that the believers have the truth of God now, they readily forget and need someone to refresh their memories.) 1 4 2 8 0 0 13. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14. because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.) Notice that Peter speaks pastorally in a personal manner and with apostolic authority. He is convinced of his duty to help the people recall what they have learned. He regards this work as his pastoral task of preaching and teaching the Word of God.) The Greek verb to refresh means to wake up, to rouse. The human mind is apt to take a rest and readily becomes sleepy. Peter is not referring to normal nighttime sleep but to a lack of attentiveness.

Too often we rest on the laurels of past achievements and fail to be alert. We are lulled asleep, as if we are living in peace while the spiritual warfare against Satan and his cohorts is raging all around us. The time to awaken our minds comes at least once a week on the Lord s Day when God, through his servants, addresses us in the worship service.) Peter rouses his readers by refreshing their memories in a way that builds their faith in God and avoids offense. He does this pastorally and tactfully; yet at the same time he expresses the urgency of his duty. Calvin observes, We are also taught by the example of Peter, that the shorter term of life remains to us, the more diligent ought we to be in executing our office. ��47��) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.5.1|AUTODETECT|” Peter resorts to using a metaphor when he speaks of his physical body. He designates it a tent, much the same as Paul calls it an earthly tent 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.5.1|AUTODETECT|” II Cor. 5:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.5.4|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.5.4|AUTODETECT|” 4) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The illustration is telling, because a house provides a sense of permanence, but a tent is a temporary dwelling. Peter gives no indication that he despises the body and glorifies the soul. On the contrary, his figure of speech conveys the idea of temporality. The time allotted for Peter s earthly ministry is brief. Because of the brevity of the time that still remains, Peter wants to make his readers conscious of the authority and importance of his teachings. Therefore, as long as he is physically capable, he devotes his time to refreshing the memories of the believers.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Peter knows that his physical tent will be taken down in the near future. He writes, I know that I will soon put it aside. We are not told exactly when Peter died, for then we would be able to determine when Peter composed this epistle. If Peter suffered a martyr s death in the last few years of Nero s reign, according to tradition, we aver that Peter died in the mid-sixties. Nero committed suicide on the ninth of June a.d. 68.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.22|AUTODETECT|” Using the expression soon, Peter indicates that the end of his life will come suddenly. The Greek adjective soon appears only once more in the New Testament, in 2:1 ( swift, NIV). There it conveys the thought of suddenness, bringing swift destruction. He anticipates not a lingering illness which eventually ends in death, but a swift, unexpected execution that terminates his earthly life. He speaks of his impending death as if he removes a piece of clothing. He says of his body, I will soon put it aside 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.22|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 4:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.3.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.3.9|AUTODETECT|” Col. 3:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.5.10|AUTODETECT|” ). Peter is not afraid of death, for he will enter eternal glory with Jesus Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.5.10|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 5:10) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 9 2 8 0 0 As our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. Peter is guided not by premonitions but by a clear revelation given to him by Jesus Christ. The scriptural reference to this prophecy is Jesus word recorded by John in the last chapter of his Gospel: I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go (21:18). These words predict that Peter will become an old man, but they do not say anything about a sudden death. We assume, then, that Jesus saying was widely known in the early Church, as a prophecy of Peter s martyrdom. ��48��) 15. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.) Observe these matters:) First, Peter writes the pronoun I repeatedly in his letters.

In his first epistle, this personal pronoun appears in the last chapter (5:1, 12). In his second letter, he uses the first person singular in the first and third chapters (1:12, 13, 14, 15; 3:1, 2). Peter addresses the readers to demonstrate his personal interest in them.) Next, Peter has a penchant for repetition. For instance, the command make every effort also appears in Greek as a noun in 1:5 and as a verb in 1:10 and in 3:14. In 1:15, he writes the verb in the future tense, as if to make a solemn pledge.) Third, why does Peter use the future tense and not the present? If we take these words at face value, we must conclude that Peter intends to write still another document.

Some scholars interpret Peter s declaration to mean that together with Mark he wrote the Gospel of Mark. Certainly no document would redeem the apostle s promise so well as a gospel; and if a gospel is meant, the reference can hardly be to any other than that of St. Mark. ��49�� Christian writers in the second and third centuries testify to the fact that Mark composed his Gospel with the help of Peter. About a.d. 125, Papias, who was bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor and a former disciple of the apostle John, wrote:) ) Mark became Peter s interpreter and wrote accurately all that he remembered, not, indeed, in order, of the things said or done by the Lord. For he had not heard the Lord, nor had he followed him, but later on, as I said, followed Peter, who used to give teaching as necessity demanded.��50��) Some sixty years later, Irenaeus, bishop of the churches in Lyons, also testifies to this fact. Writing about the death of Peter and Paul, he says: But after their death [departure], Mark also, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself handed down to us in writing the things which were preached by Peter. ��51�� Even though the evidence from the early church points in the direction of Mark s Gospel, we can only assume but not prove that Peter is thinking of the Gospel.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.31|AUTODETECT|” Fourth, a key word in verse 15 is departure. This is a term Peter uses to describe his impending death. Undoubtedly he implicitly teaches that his death is a transition from this earthly life to an unending life with Christ. Therefore, he views his death not as a cessation but as a departure. In the New Testament, this expression occurs in two other places 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.31|AUTODETECT|” Luke 9:31) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.11.22|AUTODETECT|” and ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.11.22|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 11:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 [ end, NIV]) where it refers to a departure from this life. By using this same word in his remark about Peter s death, Irenaeus indicates that he is familiar with Peter s second epistle. It is hard to escape the conclusion that Irenaeus knew this passage in 2 Peter, and took the implicit promise to refer to Mark s Gospel. ��52��) 1 2 2 8 0 0 ) Practical Considerations in 1:12 15) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.15-43.21.19|AUTODETECT|” After Jesus reinstated Peter as an apostle 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.15-43.21.19|AUTODETECT|” John 21:15 19) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.12.1-44.12.19|AUTODETECT|” ), Peter exemplified his total commitment to Jesus even in the face of impending death. For instance, the night preceding Peter s trial before Herod Agrippa I 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.12.1-44.12.19|AUTODETECT|” Acts 12:1 19) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains (v. 6). He was sound asleep, so that the angel who came to release him had to strike him on the side to wake him (v. 7). Peter committed himself completely to the care of his Lord and therefore lived without worry and fear. He slept.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.23|AUTODETECT|” In his second epistle, Peter demonstrates this same trust and confidence in Jesus. He knows that the Lord has informed him about his imminent departure. Thus, he compares the passing from this life with the removal of a garment. He departs to be with Jesus, which is better by far 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.23|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 1:23) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 3 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:12 15) Verse 12) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.6|AUTODETECT|” �� the verb �� with an infinitive is equivalent to the future tense: I am about to. Here the future tense may denote an intended action. The future verb form occurs in one other place 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.6|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 24:6) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The variant reading given in the Majority Text is �� (from the verb ��, I reject).) 1 2 2 8 0 0 �� this present active participle in the feminine singular (from ��, I am present) signifies to have at one s disposal. ) Verse 14) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.3.21|AUTODETECT|” �� from �� (I take off), this noun occurs twice in the New Testament 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.3.21|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 3:21) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.14|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.14|AUTODETECT|” II Peter 1:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Here it is a euphemism for death.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.7.46|AUTODETECT|” �� a synonym of the more common ��, the New Testament features it three times 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.7.46|AUTODETECT|” Acts 7:46) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The use of this metaphor is not limited to Hellenistic writers, as its frequent occurrence in the Septuagint shows.) 1 12 2 8 0 0 Verse 15) �� the future active indicative from �� (I make every effort; see v. 10 and 3:14) is punctiliar.) �� note that the use of the middle in this present infinitive is reflexive.) B. Eyewitnesses) 1:16 18) If the recipients wish to keep their spiritual treasures, they must be assured that their possessions are genuine. For this reason, Peter speaks as an eyewitness to testify that he personally saw the majesty of Jesus Christ and the coming of his eternal kingdom.) 1. Christ s Coming) 1:16) 16. We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.) In this verse Peter presents his message first negatively in terms of a disclaimer and then positively by revealing the privileged status of an eyewitness.) a. We did not follow cleverly invented stories.

Notice the interesting change from the singular I to the plural we. Peter is not only a pastor who speaks personally to the members of his church; he also belongs to the body of the apostles. With the other apostles, he speaks with authority about the veracity of the gospel. When false prophets seek either to distort the gospel or to teach their own fables and legends, Peter voices his apostolic opposition.) The term stories in Greek is myths. According to Peter, false teachers are teaching the church members destructive heresies (2:1) and stories they have made up (2:3). They will scoff at Christ s promise to return, Peter adds (3:3 4).

These teachers deny the historical basis of the gospel message and instead present their own myths.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.4|AUTODETECT|” What is a myth? A myth is a story which man has formulated to express his own desires without any reference to reality. Because of its mancentered focus, a myth is devoid of redemptive power 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.4|AUTODETECT|” I Tim. 1:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.4.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.4.7|AUTODETECT|” 4:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.4.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.4.4|AUTODETECT|” II Tim. 4:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.14|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.14|AUTODETECT|” Titus 1:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).��53�� By contrast, Scripture originates with God. The Bible is divinely inspired, rooted in history, and unquestionably true. And last, the gospel message redeems man from sin and glorifies God.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 Peter calls the myths of the false prophets cleverly invented stories. He says that the apostles refused to follow manmade fables and rejected their alleged authority. In his epistle, Peter does not explain the content of these stories but rather reminds the readers of the content of the gospel.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.1-40.17.8|AUTODETECT|” b. When we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. These words must be seen in the context of this passage, for they refer to the transfiguration of Jesus 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.1-40.17.8|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:1 8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.2-41.9.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.2-41.9.8|AUTODETECT|” Mark 9:2 8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.28-42.9.36|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.28-42.9.36|AUTODETECT|” Luke 9:28 36) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.3|AUTODETECT|” ). Peter relates the event when he with John and James saw a glimpse of the power and majesty of Jesus Christ coming into his eternal kingdom. He uses the term coming to explain the promised return of Christ. In their writings, the apostles often testify to the coming of Christ 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.3|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 24:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.14.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.14.3|AUTODETECT|” John 14:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.15.23|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.15.23|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 15:23) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.2.8|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.2.8|AUTODETECT|” II Thess. 2:8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.30|AUTODETECT|” ). When Jesus returns, he manifests his power in defeating the forces of his opponents. Some interpreters understand the terms power and coming to mean mighty coming. ��54�� The appearance of Jesus is a coming that is characterized by power 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.24.30|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 24:30) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.1|AUTODETECT|” Mark 9:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.13.26|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.13.26|AUTODETECT|” 13:26) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.21.27|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.21.27|AUTODETECT|” Luke 21:27) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The Greek word coming signifies not Jesus birth but his return to earth. In the context of Peter s epistle, this word plays a significant role in the question of the scoffers: Where is this coming he promised? (3:4; also see 3:12). In the New Testament, the Greek term coming is never used to describe the first coming of Jesus but always the second. Therefore, we relate this term to the return of Christ and see his coming as a revelation of Jesus power on the last day. As Peter indicates, the transfiguration of Jesus, which the apostle observed, prefigures this glorious event.) 1 4 2 8 0 0 c. We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. In this clause the emphasis is on the term eyewitnesses. In Greek, this term occurs only once in the New Testament.��55�� In Hellenistic literature it is used for men who, after their initiation, were permitted to look into the mysteries of a cult. The expression in verse 16, however, does not depend on this Hellenistic usage, because the historical context emphasizes that the three apostles were observers. The account of Jesus transfiguration has nothing to do with the mystery cults of the Greeks.

The apostles were eyewitnesses of Jesus majesty.) 2. Christ s Glory) 1:17) 17. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.14|AUTODETECT|” a. For he received honor and glory. Peter declares that the preaching of the apostles is absolutely trustworthy because they speak as eyewitnesses of the person and words of Jesus Christ. They personally saw Jesus glory and honor from the time of his baptism to the day of his ascension. John testifies to this fact. He writes, We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.14|AUTODETECT|” John 1:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.1-40.17.8|AUTODETECT|” Here is a reference to the time when Jesus was transfigured on a high mountain and talked with Moses and Elijah while Peter, James, and John observed 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.1-40.17.8|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:1 8) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). When Jesus was transfigured, his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light (v. 2). He received honor when a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him! (v. 5).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.8.5|AUTODETECT|” For at least two reasons we should not look for a chronological order in the listing of honor and glory. First, the combination honor and glory occurs in reverse order in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.8.5|AUTODETECT|” Psalms 8:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.7|AUTODETECT|” and ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.7|AUTODETECT|” Hebrews 2:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.9|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.2.9|AUTODETECT|” 9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .��56�� The two nouns, then, are interchangeable in this pair of words. Second, in spite of the fact that the translations do not show a grammatical break at the end of verse 17, the sentence is incomplete. That is, the verse begins with a participle that is translated having received. But the verb on which this participle depends is missing. Thus, we are unable to determine if the apostle meant to show a chronological sequence in the words honor and glory.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Granted that honor and glory are closely related, we can distinguish between the two. Glory is a quality that belongs to God and is shared by Christ. Honor is the recognition of someone who has attained a position through his labors and achievements. Glory is external and visible, but honor is abstract and unknown until it is revealed. Jesus was transfigured in heavenly glory and honorably recognized by God the Father.) b. From God the Father.

In his first epistle, Peter introduces the Trinity at the beginning of his letter and mentions God the Father twice (1:2, 3; also see v. 17). In his second letter, Peter places the phrase God the Father in the setting of the transfiguration. In this scene, the glory of Christ is inseparably linked with the glory of God. ��57�� And the unity of Father and Son is expressed audibly.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.145.5|AUTODETECT|” c. When the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory. Peter reveals his Hebraic roots when he deferentially speaks of the Majestic Glory to avoid using the name of God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.145.5|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 145:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.20.7|AUTODETECT|” ). A literal translation of this clause particularly depicts the Jewish fear of transgressing the command not to misuse the name of God 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=2.20.7|AUTODETECT|” Exod. 20:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.5.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=5.5.11|AUTODETECT|” Deut. 5:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). The text actually has the reading, Such a voice as this was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory. Nevertheless, the relation of Father and Son is clear because of the message spoken by the voice.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.5|AUTODETECT|” d. This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. At first sight, this statement appears to be identical with that in the synoptic Gospels 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.5|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.7|AUTODETECT|” ; and see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.9.7|AUTODETECT|” Mark 9:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.35|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.9.35|AUTODETECT|” Luke 9:35) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.42.1|AUTODETECT|” ). But a close examination reveals a difference. All three synoptic Gospels have the additional command, Listen to him! Peter s version comes closest to Matthew s account but differs from it in minor details (in the Greek). Peter had no need to rely on written accounts, for we assume that his memory served him well. The wording of this statement has its source in ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.42.1|AUTODETECT|” Isaiah 42:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. ) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.3|AUTODETECT|” What is the significance of this divine proclamation? First, God the Father reveals that Jesus is his Son. If we acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God, whom the Father has sent, we have eternal life 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.17.3|AUTODETECT|” John 17:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.4.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=62.4.15|AUTODETECT|” I John 4:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.3.17|AUTODETECT|” ). Next, God qualifies his statement by adding, my Son, whom I love. Through his Son Jesus Christ, God the Father loves us.��58�� Last, God asserts, With him I am well pleased. At the time of Jesus baptism God the Father also spoke these words 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.3.17|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 3:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.1.11|AUTODETECT|” ; and compare ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.1.11|AUTODETECT|” Mark 1:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.3.22|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=42.3.22|AUTODETECT|” Luke 3:22) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Because of his redemptive work, Jesus is the recipient of God s good pleasure at both his baptism and his transfiguration.) 1 8 2 8 0 0 ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:17) �� the aorist active participle, which expresses a temporal mode, stands unrelated to a main verb. The sentence, therefore, is incomplete.) �� the genitive absolute construction also stands by itself because of the absence of a main clause. The noun �� is without the definite article (to indicate deference for God). The aorist �� (from ��, I bear) denotes single occurrence. The passive with Q�� points to God as the agent.) �� & �� whereas the Synoptic writers have only one personal pronoun in the genitive singular, Peter has two.) 3. Christ s Companions) 1:18) 18. We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.14|AUTODETECT|” a. We ourselves heard this voice & from heaven. Note the emphatic use of the intensive pronoun ourselves. Peter puts the pronoun in the plural to indicate that he is not the only one who witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus. James and John were with him, too. Although John does not refer to this particular event in his Gospel or in his epistles, he nonetheless states, We have seen his glory 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.1.14|AUTODETECT|” John 1:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.5|AUTODETECT|” ; also see 2:11; 17:24). Peter virtually repeats the wording of the preceding verse. He again discloses his Jewish reverence for God s name and in an effort to avoid its use he writes, from heaven. Even though the Gospel account reveals that a voice came from a bright cloud that surrounded them 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.17.5|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 17:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ), for Peter this was the voice of God the Father in heaven.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 b. When we were with him. Peter reminds his readers that the main character in the transfiguration is Jesus. The apostles testify to his glorification because, as Peter indicates, we were with him. They were eyewitnesses of an event that was burned into their memories. Peter with his fellow apostles was with Jesus.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.4.5|AUTODETECT|” c. On the sacred mountain. In Peter s mind, the mountain where Jesus was transfigured became holy because God was there. Again this is a typical Jewish expression. Matthew calls Jerusalem the holy city 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.4.5|AUTODETECT|” Matt. 4:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.27.53|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=40.27.53|AUTODETECT|” 27:53) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.87.1|AUTODETECT|” ) and in the Old Testament the common expression holy mountain refers to Mount Zion 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.87.1|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 87:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.11.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.11.9|AUTODETECT|” Isa. 11:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.56.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=23.56.7|AUTODETECT|” 56:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). This is not to say that the mount of transfiguration is Mount Zion. In fact, the church has never been able to identify the place of transfiguration. Some scholars are of the opinion that the mountain may be Mount Hermon; others have thought of Mount Tabor. The exact location is not at issue. The point Peter makes is that the revelation of God s glory made the mountain holy for the apostles who witnessed the event.) 1 15 2 8 0 0 ) Doctrinal Considerations in 1:16 18) Of all his recollections of Jesus ministry, why has Peter selected the transfiguration scene for his discourse in this epistle? The transfiguration of Jesus provides Peter with the knowledge that Jesus Christ will give every believer a rich welcome into [his] eternal kingdom (v. 11). Instead of listing numerous details of this memorable event, Peter emphasizes the main points: the power and coming of Jesus Christ, the heavenly honor and glory given to Jesus, and his confirmation by God the Father. As human witnesses, the apostles were permitted to see a glimpse of heaven in which Jesus rules with power, honor, and glory, and in which he is the Son of God who receives his Father s love and approval.) Peter chooses to focus on the transfiguration to show that he can personally vouch for the veracity of Christ s teachings. He asserts that a glorious entry into Christ s kingdom awaits the believer, and that everyone must be all the more eager to make [his] calling and election sure (v. 10).) C. Prophecy) 1:19 21) This is the third part on the subject divine revelation.

In the first segment Peter exerts himself to refresh the memory of his readers (vv. 12 15). In the second part he gives his eyewitness account of Jesus transfiguration (vv. 16 18). And in the third section he reveals the certainty, origin, and source of Scripture (vv. 19 21). For Peter, Scripture is God s revelation to man and not man s description of God. For him the written Word of God is indisputably trustworthy.) 1. Certainty) 1:19) 19.

And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.) In the preceding section Peter focused on the spoken word of God the Father. In this verse he concentrates on the written Word of prophecy, namely, the Old Testament Scriptures. From a broader perspective, we see a definite connection between the message proclaimed by the apostles and the words of the prophets, that is, the entire Old Testament. The point at issue in this verse is whether the Old Testament Scripture is confirmed by the teaching of the apostles or the apostles message is confirmed by the Old Testament.) (a) Translations) Here are two translations to show the difference. The King James Version has the reading, We have also a more sure word of prophecy. This means that the Old Testament supports the teaching of the apostles.

In support of this view, we can say that the Jewish people accepted the unquestionable certainty of the Scriptures. As is evident from the New Testament, the writers appeal to Old Testament prophecies for support. Therefore, the Scriptures do not need to be confirmed.��59�� The New American Bible supports this view: Besides, we possess the prophetic message as something altogether reliable. However, the objection to this translation is that verse 19 appears to diminish rather than strengthen Peter s emphasis on the apostolic eyewitness account (v. 16 18).) Hence, other versions have an alternative translation: And we have the word of the prophets made more certain. ��60�� This wording does justice to the sequence of the apostolic message confirmed by the transfiguration and by the Old Testament Scripture. Although translators favor this rendering, they must admit that the Greek for the word made more certain is not as accurate a translation as we have a more reliable word. Simply put, the verb made is not in the Greek text.) (b) Warning) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.10-60.1.12|AUTODETECT|” Peter writes, And you do well to pay attention to [this prophetic word]. What is this prophetic word? Some scholars interpret it to refer to the messianic prophecies in the Old Testament. Others explain that it relates to the entire Old Testament (understood as prophecy concerning the coming of the Messiah). And still others say that it points to the prophecies of both the Old and New Testaments.��61�� The immediate context seems to indicate that Peter is thinking of the prophecies of Scripture. All the prophets of the Old Testament era from Moses to the last of the minor prophets speak with one voice 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.10-60.1.12|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:10 12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Furthermore, the expression the word of the prophets is comprehensive enough to include, beside the predictions concerning Christ s Second Coming, all the numerous prophecies fulfilled in connection with His earthly life. ��62�� Peter urges his readers to pay close attention to the context of this prophetic word.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.119.105|AUTODETECT|” Peter compares the word of the prophets to a light shining in a dark place. At night, light immediately attracts our eye, for it gives us the ability to see. Light dispels darkness and brings everything into view. We do not stare at the light but use it to look at the objects that become visible 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=19.119.105|AUTODETECT|” Ps. 119:105) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.35|AUTODETECT|” ; also see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.5.35|AUTODETECT|” John 5:35) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). Peter writes that the prophetic word keeps on shining into a place that is dark. In New Testament Greek, the term dark occurs only here. It evokes an image of the squalid conditions of people who are living in spiritual darkness; upon them the light of God s Word shines.) 1 1 2 8 0 0 c. Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. What is the significance of the word day? This word should be interpreted in relation to the term morning star. Peter points to the day of Christ s return. With the expression morning star, which in transliterated Greek is phMsphoros (light bringer), he points to Christ and his eventual return. These names are symbolic, for in various settings and forms they appear elsewhere in Scripture. Consider, for example, these verses:) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=4.24.17|AUTODETECT|” A star will come out of Jacob. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=4.24.17|AUTODETECT|” Num. 24:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ]) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.13.12|AUTODETECT|” The day is almost here. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.13.12|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 13:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ]) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.10.25|AUTODETECT|” As you see the Day approaching. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.10.25|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 10:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ]) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.16|AUTODETECT|” I am & the bright Morning Star. [) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.22.16|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 22:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ]) 1 16 2 8 0 0 Because the words are symbolic, we should not expect Peter to write that the morning star arises before the break of day (as is the natural sequence). Venus, usually known as the morning star, reflects the rays of the sun when daybreak has as yet not appeared. But the terms day and morning star are both poetic descriptions of the coming of Christ and do not necessarily imply a sequence. Like other writers, Peter exhorts the readers to pay close attention to the prophetic word of Scripture and to do so with reference to Christ s imminent return.) What do the words in your hearts mean? The second coming of Christ is an event that every eye shall see. It is not something that takes place secretly in the hearts of believers.

Michael Green has proposed an ingenious solution that would completely remove the difficulty we face in the text. He suggests that we take the phrase in your hearts with verse 20 .��63�� But the Greek word order makes no allowance for this proposal. Hence, we prefer to keep the phrase in this text and interpret Peter s words to signify that every believer must have subjective knowledge of Christ and his return. That knowledge the believer keeps in his heart as he waits for the actual, objective appearance of Jesus Christ.) 2. Origin) 1:20) 20. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet s own interpretation.) Here is an important point of doctrine which Peter introduces with the words above all.

Before we study the various interpretations of this verse, we can accept Peter s remark that the readers must know the use of Scripture. That is, they ought to know that Scripture did not originate in man s mind. Peter puts it as follows: No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet s own interpretation. ) (a) Differences) Observe the difference we encounter in two translations:) ) No prophecy of scripture is a matter of one s own interpretation (RSV; compare KJV, NKJV, NASB, and JB)) ) No prophecy of Scripture ever came about by a prophet s own ideas (SEB; compare NIV).��64��) The difference centers on the word own. Should the reading be one s own interpretation or the prophet s own interpretation ? This difference is profoundly important: the one translation means that a person has no freedom to interpret Scripture; the other version signifies that Scripture does not originate from the interpretation of a prophet. In simple terms, the first translation stresses the use of Scripture, the second its origin.) (b) Explanations) Commentators who favor the first explanation say that Scripture ought not to be interpreted privately, for in this epistle Peter himself says, Ignorant and unstable people distort [Scripture] (3:16).

A believer may interpret Scripture as long as he abides by the teachings of the church, which is guided by the Holy Spirit. But Peter places no restrictions on the individual believer who reads the Scriptures.) In fact, the Reformers taught that believers are free to interpret Scripture and can do so without ecclesiastical regulations. The Reformers stressed the perspicuity of Scripture.& They did not mean to minimize the importance of the interpretations of the Church in the preaching of the Word. They pointed out that Scripture itself testifies to its perspicuity, where it is declared to be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. ��65�� Even though we know that the Holy Spirit directs the church into a clearer understanding of Scripture, we cannot deny that the Spirit also guides individuals in interpreting the Bible. Consequently, we must refrain from reading into the text restrictions that Peter did not write; instead we should listen carefully to what the writer is trying to communicate.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.4.34|AUTODETECT|” The second view is that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet s own interpretation. Admittedly, the expression prophet is not in the Greek text but has been added by the translator for the purpose of clarifying the passage. Translators ask whether Peter was thinking of the reader when he wrote one s own interpretation or if he had the prophet in mind. If he means the prophet, then he is talking about the origin of Scripture. In the last part of verse 20 the Greek expression to come about denotes origin. Also, the noun interpretation refer[s] to the activity of the Biblical prophet himself; to what was in his mind as he wrote. ��66�� Incidentally, in the New Testament the noun interpretation occurs only here; the verb appears in only two places 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=41.4.34|AUTODETECT|” Mark 4:34) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.19.39|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.19.39|AUTODETECT|” Acts 19:39) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). And last, this verse is a prelude to verse 21.) 1 19 2 8 0 0 (c) Conclusion) Many difficulties remain and no conclusion is without detraction. Yet, in my opinion, the second view harmonizes with the elaborate description of prophetic activity that Peter provides in his first epistle (1:10 12). Furthermore, this view fits the immediate context of verse 20, which speaks of the origin of Scripture. In verses 16 19, Peter discusses the origin of the apostolic message; verse 21, which flows forth from the preceding verse and is closely connected with it, reveals the divine origin of Scripture.) 3. Source) 1:21) 21. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.) Here is a beautifully balanced sentence that expresses a contrast in which man is passive and God is active.

It reveals this contrast negatively and positively. By taking the word order in the Greek, we see the following parallel:) Passive Passive ) for but ) by the will of by the ) man Holy Spirit ) prophecy never men ) was borne were borne ) Active ) [men] spoke ) from God ) ) ) Note these points:) (a) Negative) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.13.3|AUTODETECT|” Peter begins his statement on the origin and source of prophecy by stating that Scripture did not come into being by the will of man. With this opening remark he finds support in the Old Testament, which asserts emphatically that true prophecy never originates with man. For instance, God tells Jeremiah, Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord (23:16). And God pronounces woes upon the wicked prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=26.13.3|AUTODETECT|” Ezek. 13:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 2 2 8 0 0 Peter says that the human will did not originate true prophecy. He uses an absolute when he writes the term never. At no instance in the formation of Scripture did man s will ever prevail. On the contrary, prophecy comes from God.) (b) Positive) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=10.23.2|AUTODETECT|” Thus Peter states that prophecy has come about by the Holy Spirit. Both the Old and the New Testaments declare that the men who spoke and wrote realized that the Holy Spirit was at work in them. So David testifies, The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=10.23.2|AUTODETECT|” II Sam. 23:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.28.25|AUTODETECT|” ). Likewise, Paul calls the Holy Spirit the primary author of prophecy and Isaiah the secondary author 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.28.25|AUTODETECT|” Acts 28:25) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.7|AUTODETECT|” ; also see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.7|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 3:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.10.15|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.10.15|AUTODETECT|” 10:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 8 2 8 0 0 (c) Passive) In the parallel (above), the verbs in the two main columns are passive and are derived from the verb to carry. In the Greek, the verb was borne is in the past tense and indicates that the composition of prophecy by the will of man never happened. By contrast, the verb were borne in the second column is a participle in the present tense in Greek. This participle discloses the continual activity of the Holy Spirit, who carried men along in the work of writing Scripture. The figure of speech is borrowed from the nautical vocabulary, in the sense that a sailboat is carried along by the wind.) The Holy Spirit employed men, not instruments, for the composition of Scripture. The Spirit used human beings with their talents and insights, their peculiarities and characteristics, keeping them from sin and error.

The Holy Spirit is in control of man. Therefore, the text is clear on this point: in the writing of Scripture, man is passive and the Spirit active.) (d) Active) The main verb in the last part of the sentence is spoke. Men spoke from God. ��67�� Notice that men are active, not passive, in the formation of Scripture. Granted that Peter uses the verb speak, we are confident that it includes the concept write. The Greek, however, discloses that Peter mentions the act of speaking (and writing) and not the content of what was said. The content of Scripture originates not in man but in God.

Therefore, Peter says, Men spoke from God (italics added). The message that man conveys comes from God, for God is the source of Scripture.) ) Doctrinal Considerations in 1:20 21) Verse 20) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.17.11|AUTODETECT|” The New Testament is replete with verses that encourage the believer to search the Scriptures. For example, the Bereans received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.17.11|AUTODETECT|” Acts 17:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ). But if every believer interprets the Scriptures according to his own insights and applies it as he sees fit, the explanations of a given passage will be countless and extremely diverse. As we reject the teaching that only the church has authority to interpret the Bible, so we see dangers in the exercise of pure individualism.) 1 2 2 8 0 0 God has entrusted his revelation to his people as a body, and therefore interpreting the Scriptures should involve the fellowship of believers. Together the Bereans examined the Scriptures daily to check the teachings of Paul. Let us follow the example of these early Christians.) Verse 21) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.3.16|AUTODETECT|” This is one of the well-known passages in the Bible that attests directly the inspiration of Scripture. Another text, of course, is ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=55.3.16|AUTODETECT|” II Timothy 3:16) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , All Scripture is God-breathed. Both texts reveal that the origin of Scripture is divine, for the primary author of the Bible is the Holy Spirit. For this reason, we use the adjective holy to describe the Bible. However, the stress is laid here, not on the spiritual value of Scripture (though that, too, is seen in the background), but on the divine trustworthiness of Scripture. ��68��) 1 16 2 8 0 0 The men who wrote Scripture were moved by the Holy Spirit. He directed them in their writing, so that their human words conveyed the Word of God and not their own thoughts. In his epistle, James underscores this same truth when he writes, Take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord (5:10). What they said was authoritative not because of their prophetic office but because of the source of their revelations: the Lord God.) ) Greek Words, Phrases, and Constructions in 1:21) �� from the verb �� (I carry), this aorist passive corresponds to the present passive ��. The aorist indicates single action, the present continual activity. Also note that the passive of this (compound) verb appears in verses 17 and 18.) �� this can mean either [they] spoke what was derived from God or controlled by God. ��69�� The preposition �� lacks a passive verb.

Therefore, the first interpretation given by C. F. D. Moule is preferred.) Summary of Chapter 1) After identifying himself, Peter greets the readers of his letter with a salutation in which he expresses the wish that they may increase in grace and peace through a knowledge of Jesus Christ. He informs them about the great and precious promises God has given them. He exhorts them to add to their faith seven virtues: goodness, self-control, knowledge, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

He teaches them that they will be effective and productive in their spiritual life if they increase these qualities. He encourages them to ascertain their calling and election, so that they may enter Christ s eternal kingdom.) Peter reminds the readers of the truth they possess. He wishes to refresh their memories, especially because the duration of his earthly life is short. He discloses that Jesus Christ has told him about his impending death. Therefore, he puts forth every effort to have them remember spiritual truths.) With the other apostles, Peter preaches not fables but truths about the power and coming of Jesus Christ. He proves the veracity of the apostolic message by relating his account of the transfiguration.

He is able to testify that he heard the voice of God the Father commending the Son. God s revelation is confirmed by the prophetic word of the Scriptures, which have been inspired by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the prophets were carried along by the Spirit when they spoke the Word of God.) ) ) ) ) 1 For example, see Charles Bigg, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude, International Critical Commentary series (1901; Edinburgh: Clark, 1961), pp. 246 47. And consult Edwin A.

Mantey, A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament (1927; New York: Macmillan, 1967), p. 147. Also see C. F. D. Moule, An Idiom-Book of New Testament Greek, 2d ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1960), pp. 109 10.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.7|AUTODETECT|” 13 ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.1.7|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 1:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.1.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.1.3|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=47.1.2|AUTODETECT|” II Cor. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=48.1.3|AUTODETECT|” Gal. 1:3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=51.1.2|AUTODETECT|” Col. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.1.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.1.1|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 1:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.1.2|AUTODETECT|” II Thess. 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=56.1.4|AUTODETECT|” Titus 1:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=57.1.3|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=57.1.3|AUTODETECT|” Philem. 3) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.2|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.2|AUTODETECT|” II Peter 1:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.1.4|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 1:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 33 2 8 0 0 NIV New International Version) 14 In the Greek, the simple verb as a participle appears in 1:20 and 3:3; the compound verb in 2:21 (twice); the simple noun in 1:5, 6; and the compound noun in 1:2, 3, 8; 2:20.) 15 The JB, which reflects some of the readings of Latin versions, has an abbreviated ending of v. 2: as you come to know our Lord. Moffatt has the reading the knowledge of our Lord.) 16 Compare Robert H. Mounce, A Living Hope: A Commentary on 1 and 2 Peter (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982), p. 105.) KJV King James Version) NASB New American Standard Bible) NKJV New King James Version) MLB The Modern Language Bible) 17 See C. E. B. Cranfield, I and II Peter and Jude: Introduction and Commentary, Torch Bible Commentaries series (London: SCM, 1960), p. 174.

And consult J. N. D. Kelly, A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and Jude, Thornapple Commentaries series (1969; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981), p. 300.) 18 For instance, consult Michael Green, The Second Epistle General of Peter, and the General Epistle of Jude: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1968), p. 63. And see R. C.

H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude (Columbus: Wartburg, 1945), p. 257.) 19 Bauer, p. 353.) 20 John Albert Bengel, Gnomon of the New Testament, ed. Andrew R.

Fausset, trans. William Fletcher, 7th ed., 5 vols. (Edinburgh: Clark, 1877), vol. 5, p. 85.) 21 Calvin, The Second Epistle of Peter, p. 369.) 22 Consult Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, p. 179.) 23 Calvin, The Second Epistle of Peter, p. 371.) 24 Mounce, A Living Hope, p. 107.) 25 Donald Guthrie, New Testament Theology (Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity, 1981), p. 185.) 26 Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, p. 177.) 27 Refer to Werner de Boor, Der Zweite Brief des Petrus und der Brief des Judas, in Die Briefe des Petrus und der Brief des Judas, Wuppertaler Studienbibel (Wuppertal: Brockhaus, 1976), p. 198.) 28 Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 3d corrected ed. (London and New York: United Bible Societies, 1975), p. 699.) 29 Refer to A. T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (Nashville: Broadman, 1934), p. 670. And see Dana and Mantey, Manual Grammar, p. 121.) 30 Consult Bigg, The Epistles of St.

Peter and St. Jude, p. 257; Green, The Second Epistle General of Peter, pp. 66 67.) 31 Guthrie, New Testament Theology, p. 600.) 32 Thayer, p. 167.) 33 Martin Luther, The Catholic Epistles, vol. 30 of Luther s Works, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan and Walter A. Hansen (St. Louis: Concordia, 1967), p. 156.) 34 Thayer, p. 644. Also consult R.

C. Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament (1854; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1953), p. 197.) 35 Heidelberg Catechism, answer 28.) JB Jerusalem Bible) 36 Refer to Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, p. 189. The word nearsighted occurs once in the New Testament. Green suggests that Peter borrowed a line from a poem or popular song. The Second Epistle General of Peter, p. 73.) 37 Joseph B. Mayor, The Epistle of St.

Jude and the Second Epistle of St. Peter: Greek Text with Introduction and Notes (1907; Grand Rapids: Baker, 1965), p. 96.) 38 Consult de Boor, Die Zweite Brief des Petrus, p. 204.) 39 Consult Robertson, Grammar, p. 962.) 40 Thayer, p. 420.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.11|AUTODETECT|” 41 See ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.11|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 2:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.4.12|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.4.12|AUTODETECT|” 4:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.1|AUTODETECT|” II Peter 3:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.8|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.8|AUTODETECT|” 8) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.14|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.14|AUTODETECT|” 14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.17|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.3.17|AUTODETECT|” 17) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.1.26|AUTODETECT|” 42 Also see ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.1.26|AUTODETECT|” I Cor. 1:26) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.7.20|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=46.7.20|AUTODETECT|” 7:20) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.18|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.1.18|AUTODETECT|” Eph. 1:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.1|AUTODETECT|” 4:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.4|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=49.4.4|AUTODETECT|” 4) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.3.14|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=50.3.14|AUTODETECT|” Phil. 3:14) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.1.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=53.1.11|AUTODETECT|” II Thess. 1:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.1|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=58.3.1|AUTODETECT|” Heb. 3:1) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.15|AUTODETECT|” 43 Refer to ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=44.9.15|AUTODETECT|” Acts 9:15) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.9.11|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.9.11|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 9:11) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.5|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.5|AUTODETECT|” 11:5) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.7|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.7|AUTODETECT|” 7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.28|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.11.28|AUTODETECT|” 28) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.1.4|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=52.1.4|AUTODETECT|” I Thess. 1:4) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 4 2 8 0 0 44 Bengel, Gnomon of the New Testament, vol. 5, p. 90.) 45 Consult Robertson, Grammar, p. 787.) 46 Other translations have the reading I will not hesitate (NEB), I intend (NAB, RSV), I shall be ready (RV, ASV, NASB), or I will not be negligent (NKJV, KJV, following a variant Greek text). Others present a simple future tense: I will (NIV, SEB, GNB, MLB).) 47 Calvin, The Second Epistle of Peter, p. 379.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.18|AUTODETECT|” 48 Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, p. 200. Many interpreters understand ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=43.21.18|AUTODETECT|” John 21:18) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 to refer to Peter s crucifixion. For example, see William Hendriksen, The Gospel of John, New Testament Commentary series, 2 vols. in 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1954), vol. 2, p. 490. Also see Lenski, Interpretation of the Epistles, p. 282.) 1 6 2 8 0 0 49 Bigg, Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude, p. 265.) 50 Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 3.39.15 (LCL).) 51 Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 5.8.3 (LCL). Also see Irenaeus Against Heresies 3.1.1 (Ante-Nicene Fathers).) 52 Green, The Second Epistle General of Peter, pp. 80 81.) 53 Consult Karl Hermann Schelkle, Die Petrusbriefe, Der Judasbrief, Herders Theologischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament series, 5th rev. ed. (Freiburg: Herder, 1980), vol. 13/2, p. 198. Refer to Gustav St�hlin, TDNT, vol. 4, pp. 785 86.) 54 See, e.g., GNB.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.12|AUTODETECT|” 55 In the Greek, however, Peter uses the verb twice 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.2.12|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 2:12) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.3.2|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.3.2|AUTODETECT|” 3:2) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 ).) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.2.7|AUTODETECT|” 56 Also refer to ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.2.7|AUTODETECT|” Rom. 2:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.2.10|AUTODETECT|” , ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=45.2.10|AUTODETECT|” 10) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.17|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=54.1.17|AUTODETECT|” I Tim. 1:17) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.7|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=60.1.7|AUTODETECT|” I Peter 1:7) 1 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.9|AUTODETECT|” ; ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=66.4.9|AUTODETECT|” Rev. 4:9) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 .) 1 5 2 8 0 0 57 Guthrie, New Testament Theology, p. 91.) 58 Consult Calvin, The Second Epistle of Peter, p. 384.) 59 Consult Bigg, The Epistles of St. Peter and St. Jude, p. 268. And see Green, The Second Epistle General of Peter, p. 87.) 60 NIV. Also see RSV, NEB, NKJV, JB, ASV, NASB. The MLB puts the text in these words: So we have the prophetic message reaffirmed, and adds in a footnote, By the gospel of Christ which the writer has been preaching. ) 61 For a complete list, see Bauckham, Jude, 2 Peter, p. 224.) 1 1 2 8 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.19-61.1.21|AUTODETECT|” 62 D. Edmond Hiebert, The Prophetic Foundation for the Christian Life: An Exposition of ) 7 1 -1 9 0 “tw://bible.?id=61.1.19-61.1.21|AUTODETECT|” 2 Peter 1:19 21) 1 1 -1 9 0 0 , BS 141 (1984): 160.) 1 8 2 8 0 0 63 Consult Green, The Second Epistle General of Peter, p. 87.) RSV Revised Standard Version) 64 The translation No one can interpret any prophecy of Scripture by himself (NEB; also see GNB) is a free rendition of the Greek text, which has the verb is or becomes but not can interpret.) 65 Louis Berkhof, Introductory Volume to Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1932), p. 167. Also see Peter Toon, The Right of Private Judgment (Portland, Ore.: Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1975), p. 3.) 66 Anthony C. Thiselton, NIDNTT, vol. 1, p. 578. Also consult Henry Alford, Alford s Greek Testament: An Exegetical and Critical Commentary, 5th ed., 4 vols. (1875; Grand Rapids: Guardian, 1976), vol. 4, pt. 2, p. 400.) 67 Manuscript evidence for the translation holy men of God (KJV, NKJV) is strong. Translators, however, regard this reading as secondary and refrain from adopting it.) 68 B. B. Warfield, Inspiration, ISBE, vol. 2, p. 841.) 69 See Moule, Idiom-Book, p. 73.)

New Testament Commentary (Baker)

William Hendriksen (1900–1982) was a Dutch-American Reformed theologian and professor at Calvin Theological Seminary. His New Testament Commentary series, later completed by Simon J. Kistemaker, covers the entire New Testament and is one of the most highly regarded Reformed commentary sets of the …

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