2 Peter 1:15

2 Peter 1:15 ‘And. will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these things to mind.'

‘diligent' -‘to exert one's self, endeavor' (Thayer p. 585) ‘they must give diligence to make their calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10) and Peter for his part would give diligence to furnish them with. lasting record of the truths of Christianity.' (P.P. Comm. p. 7)

‘at any time' -‘at every time, whenever there may be need' (P.P. Comm. p. 7)

‘departure' -For the Christian, death is simply. departure. The Greek word rendered here, ‘departure' is the word ‘exodus', lit.,. way out. Peter doesn't agree with those who contend that man ceases to exist at the death of the body. Peter believes he will depart at death (Ecclesiastes 2:7)

‘you may be able to call these things to mind' -The best way for Peter's audience to remember these truths after his death, is for Peter to put them into writing. Again, we are faced with the fact that the truths revealed through the apostles, the authority of their writings was not limited by the first century. (See also John 12:48; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:21; Revelation 21:8). Some see in the above statement. reference to the Gospel that Mark would write, who was. co-worker with Peter (1 Peter 5:13). Two important words occur in this section that should not be overlooked when considering the genuineness of this epistle. They are the words “tabernacle” and “decease/exodus”. Both words occur in the account of the transfiguration- Luke 9:31. Peter was present on that occasion.

‘Peter is far from being. bitter old man who resents the abilities and energies of the next generation of Christian leaders and does everything in his power to thwart them….Peter calls us to go back to the original model, time and again. Although two thousand years of church history have elapsed, there is. sense in which every generation of Christian is only the second generation. We do not have the direct knowledge and experiences of the first generation (which is why Peter takes such care to pass his experiences on to us), but neither are we at such. distance from the apostles that we need other teachers and interpreters….”the business of the church and of preaching is not to present us with new and interesting ideas, it is rather to go on reminding us of certain fundamental and eternal truths.' (Lucas/Green p. 71)

The Truthfulness Of His Message:

‘Here Peter is clearly defending himself against some accusation of the false teachers'. Green p. 81)