Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: Ver. 1. _A servant_] The pope, who will needs title himself, A servant of servants, is herein the successor not of Peter, but... [ Continue Reading ]
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, Ver. 2. _Through the knowledge_] There is not a new notion, or a further enlargement of saving knowledge, but it brings some grace and peace with it. All the grace that a man hath, it passeth through the und... [ Continue Reading ]
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that _pertain_ unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Ver. 3. _To glory and virtue_] To glory as the end, to virtue as the means. The very heathens made their passage to the temple of... [ Continue Reading ]
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Ver. 4. _Exceeding great and precious_] Every precious stone hath an egregious virtue in it; so hath every prom... [ Continue Reading ]
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; Ver. 5. _And besides this_] _q.d._ As God hath given you all things pertaining to life and godliness, and hath granted you exceeding great and precious promises, so must you reciprocate, by giving all diligenc... [ Continue Reading ]
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; Ver. 6. _And to knowledge, temperance_] That ye be wise to sobriety, not curiously searching into those things whereof ye can neither have proof nor profit. Some are as wise as Galileo, who used telescope to discove... [ Continue Reading ]
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. Ver. 7. _And to godliness, brotherly kindness_] Zeal for God should eat us up, but not eat up our love to God's people. Fire purgeth gold, but burneth it not; the fire of zeal may be warming, comforting, not scalding or scorchi... [ Continue Reading ]
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make _you that ye shall_ neither _be_ barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ver. 8. _If these things be in you_] What God doth for us, he doth by grace in us. And it is the growing Christian that is the assured Christian. Wh... [ Continue Reading ]
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Ver. 9. _But he that lacketh these_] Those that add not to their stock of grace, shall have no comfort either from the time past, for they shall forget they were purged from... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: Ver. 10. _Give diligence_] Say not here as Antipater king of Macedon did, when one presented him a book treating of happiness, ου σχολαζω, I am not at leisure. But... [ Continue Reading ]
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Ver. 11. _Ministered unto you abundantly_] Ye shall go gallantly into heaven, not get thither as many do, with hard shift and much ado. A ship may make a shift to get into t... [ Continue Reading ]
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know _them_, and be established in the present truth. Ver. 12. _I will not be negligent_] Ministers must carefully watch and catch at all opportunities of benefiting the people. Dr Taylor, the martyr, prea... [ Continue Reading ]
Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting _you_ in remembrance; Ver. 13. _To stir you up_] Gr. διεγειρειν, to rouse you and raise you, _ex veterno torporis, teporis et oblivionis._ Grace in the best is like a dull seacoal fire; which, if not stirred up, tho... [ Continue Reading ]
Knowing that shortly I must put off _this_ my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Ver. 14. _I must put off_] _See Trapp on "_ 2Co 5:1 _"_ What is this life, but a spot of time between two eternities? Our tents shall he taken down.... [ Continue Reading ]
Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. Ver. 15. _After my decease_] Gr. εξοδον, my exodus, or passage to heaven. The apostle in this expression hath respect doubtless to that, Luke 9:31; Daniel 6:15, refers to Psalms 2:1 . _ To ha... [ Continue Reading ]
For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Ver. 16. _Cunningly devised fables_] σεσοφισμενοις. Artificially composed and compiled, not without a show of wisdom and truth, to dece... [ Continue Reading ]
For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Ver. 17. _This is my beloved Son._] _See Trapp on "_ Mat 3:17 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Mat 17:5 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. Ver. 18. _When we were with him_] Witnesses of his glory, and the same were shortly after witnesses of his agony. Envy not the gifts or honours of others, since they have them upon no other terms than to underg... [ Continue Reading ]
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Ver. 19. _A more sure word_] The authority of the Scriptures is greater than an angel's voice, of equal command... [ Continue Reading ]
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Ver. 20. _Of any private interpretation_] That is, of human interpretation: private is not here opposed to public, but to divine, or to the Holy Ghost. The old prophet may bring a man into the lion's mouth, by t... [ Continue Reading ]
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake _as they were_ moved by the Holy Ghost. Ver. 21. _As they were moved_] φερομενοι. Forcibly moved, acted, carried out of themselves to say and do what God would have them.... [ Continue Reading ]