CHAP III. _He assureth them of the certainty of Christ's coming to judgment, against those scorners who dispute it; warning them, from the long patience of God, to hasten their repentance: he describeth also the manner how the world shall be destroyed; exhorting them, from the expectation thereof,... [ Continue Reading ]
YOUR PURE MINDS— _Your sincere minds._ This seems to be an intimation that their minds were not yet corrupted, either by the false teachers, or by the scoffers. They were through Divine grace _pure,_ or untainted with the evils which he describes; and St. Peter was desirous that they should continue... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE MAY BE MINDFUL, &C.— This is an allusion to what he had said ch. 2 Peter 1:12 where he had alleged the authority both of the prophets and apostles. By the _prophets_ are meant the Old Testament prophets, who are properly placed before the apostles of Christ, as having lived long before them.... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOWING THIS FIRST— That is, either what was to happen first in order of time, or as a premise, from whence they might conclude, that they ought to remember the predictions of the prophets, and the commandments of the apostles. _The last days_ particularlyand more immediately refer to the lastdays o... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING?— The _promise_ is here put for the _thing promised._ The meaning of the question was, "Where is the promised advent of Christ? What proof or sign is there of his appearing again?" By this question these scoffers intended to insinuate, that there was no hope or pro... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS THEY WILLINGLY ARE IGNORANT OF— It is probable, that these scoffers had once been Jews, and afterwards professed Christians; and consequently their ignorance in this point must needs have been wilful and affected. They prevaricated in their inquiry, or did not duly attend to and regard the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREBY— Δι ων, _by which things;_ that is, by the heavens and earth being of such a constitution.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE HEAVENS, &C.— Not only the ancient Jews, but the Stoics, and other philosophers among the Heathens, held that the world was to be destroyed by fire. It was also intimated by some, both of the Greek and Latin poets. _By the same word,_ means, "The same wise will and _appointment_ of God, reve... [ Continue Reading ]
ONE DAY IS WITH THE LORD, &C.— "I have taken notice, that the scoffers are voluntarily ignorant of, or inattentive to these things. But as to the _distance of time,_ with which they insult you, be not you ignorant of, or inattentive to _this one thing;_ namely, _that one day is with the Lord as a th... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE— He may be called slow or slack, who has it in his power, and yet does not perform a thing at the proper time; but that cannot be said of God, who is perfectly wise, true, powerful, and good. The apostle, by _some men,_ refers to the _scoffers_ mentioned... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME— The last great day of general judgment will come, when it is least of all expected. See Matthew 24:43. The _passing away of the heavens,_ here means the same as by their being _dissolved by fire,_ 2 Peter 3:12. The word 'Ροιζηδον signifies, with a _very loud_ and _... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING THEN THAT ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE DISSOLVED— Some would read this and the following verse thus; _As then all these things are to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought you to be?—Even such, as by a holy conversation and pious life shew that you expect, and eagerly desire, or aspire after... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS, WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK, &C.— That is, "Though the present frame of things shall be dissolved by fire, yet we look for another, a more durable and perfect state; new heavens, and a new earth—new and everlasting abodes, which the divine mercy will then open to our enraptured... [ Continue Reading ]
IN PEACE, WITHOUT SPOT, AND BLAMELESS— By the words _in peace,_ some understand that they should be at peace with their own consciences; others, that the Christians should be at peace with one another, or with mankind in general. But it seems more likely, that St. Peter means they should endeavour t... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ACCOUNT, THAT THE LONG-SUFFERING OF OUR LORD IS SALVATION;— They were not to account the long extended patience of God as any sign of an unreasonable _delay,_ or as implying any the least danger of his never coming to judge the world, and make the righteous perfectly happy; but as a proof of his... [ Continue Reading ]
IN WHICH ARE SOME THINGS HARD, &C.— "In which epistles of his are some things, &c." And it is most true, that in St. Paul's epistles there are some difficult points, which were greatly abused and perverted even in that age, and which have been perverted by _unstable_ men in almost every age since; s... [ Continue Reading ]
YE THEREFORE, BELOVED,— Beza observes, that St. Peter does not say here, "Abstain from these obscure scriptures; choose out only certain Chapter s; leave the rest either to the more learned, or the more curious; expect new revelations, and suffer the tares in the mean time to grow;—for _who art thou... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GROW IN GRACE, AND IN THE KNOWLEDGE, &C.— "But to help you against all declensions and revolts, let it be your earnest prayer and endeavour, in the use of all proper means, to be progressive in daily exercises and increases of every Christian grace, as also in an abiding sense of the free love a... [ Continue Reading ]