2 Peter 1:13,14

2 Peter 1:13-14 And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me.

Expanded Translation

Yet I think (deem), it right, proper, and correct, as long as I am in this tent (as long as my spirit dwells in my body), to arouse your mind (literally, wake you up) by putting you in remembrance; realizing that the laying aside of my tent (that is, my body) will be abrupt, sudden, and swift, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made known unto me.

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And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle

Our bodies are the tabernacles or tents housing our spirits. (Tabernacle, (skenoma) is translated habitation in Acts 7:46.) By calling it a tent, the apostle emphasized the temporary and perishable nature of our outward beings.

Peter did not plan to put himself on the shelf in his older years. As long as I am alive and able, he says, I will stir you up. What a wondrous attitude to have toward the work of the Gospel! Let us serve our Master to our fullest capacity until our dying day!

to stir you up by putting you in remembrance

(See also 2 Peter 3:1).

Diegeiro, stir (you) up means to wake up, awaken, arouse from sleep. It is here used as a metaphor meaning to arouse or activate the mind, animate.

The word rendered putting. in remembrance (hupomnesis) is the noun form of the verb defined in 2 Peter 1:12. One means every faithful Gospel preacher must use to challenge and activate God's people, is to remind them of their responsibilities and privileges as Christians.

knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly

Peter was now getting along in years, for he was an older man when he wrote his first epistle (1 Peter 5:1). Now he speaks of the laying aside of his earthly tabernacle and the time of his decease (2 Peter 1:15). When the spirit returned to God who gave. it (Ecclesiastes 12:7), it would leave its earthly abode or tabernacle, his body.

The adverb tachinos (the poetic and later form of tachus) means literally swift, speedy, and has reference to the manner of his death, not the time.[51] His life was to be taken abruptly and suddenly in his old age.

[51] However, some lexicons have near at hand, or impending as a proper definition for the word here, agreeing with the King James Version's shortly. And Thayer does cite several secular sources to show that the word may refer to an event soon to come.

even as our Lord Jesus Christ signified unto me

Where? In John 21:18-19 are these words: Verily, verily I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself and walkest whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. Now this he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me. The significant part of the prophecy was not the fact that Peter would die during his older yearsmost people do that. The historian plainly tells us Christ was signifying by what manner of death he should glorify God in his old age. It was to be an abrupt, sudden, forceful death.

Now that Peter was an older man, he knew he was completely qualified to fulfill this prophecy at any moment. Some day in the near future, his life would be suddenly snuffed out.