INTRODUCTION TO 2 PETER 3 In this chapter the apostle makes mention of the end and design of his writing this second epistle; foretells that there would be scoffers at the coming of Christ in the last days; describes the coming of Christ and the burning of the world; and closes with the use saints... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS SECOND EPISTLE, BELOVED, I NOW WRITE UNTO YOU,.... This is a transition to another part of the epistle; for the apostle having largely described false teachers, the secret enemies of the Christian religion under a profession of it, passes on to take notice of the more open adversaries and profa... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE MAY BE MINDFUL,.... This is an explanation of the above mentioned end of his writing this and the other epistle; which was, that those saints might be mindful of two things more especially: OF THE WORDS WHICH WERE SPOKEN BEFORE BY THE HOLY PROPHETS; that is, the prophets of the Old Testamen... [ Continue Reading ]
KNOWING THIS FIRST,.... In the first place, principally, and chiefly, and which might easily be known and observed from the writings of the apostles and prophets; see 1 Timothy 4:1; THAT THERE SHALL COME IN THE LAST DAYS SCOFFERS, or "mockers"; such as would make a mock at sin, make light of it, pl... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SAYING, WHERE IS THE PROMISE OF HIS COMING?.... That is, of the coming of the Lord and Saviour, 2 Peter 3:2; the object of their scorn and derision, and whom they name not, through contempt; and the meaning is, what is become of the promise of his coming? where the accomplishment of it? The prop... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THIS THEY WILLINGLY ARE IGNORANT OF,.... Namely, what follows; for as these men were such as had professed Christianity, and had the advantage of revelation, and had the opportunity of reading the Scriptures, they might have known that the heavens and the earth were from the beginning; and that... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREBY THE WORLD THAT THEN WAS,.... The old world, as it is called in 2 Peter 2:5; and as the Ethiopic version here renders it; the world before the flood, that had stood from the creation 1656 years: BEING OVERFLOWED WITH WATER; by the windows of heaven being opened, and the waters over the earth... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHICH ARE NOW,.... In being, in distinction from, and opposition to the heavens that were of old, and the earth standing in and out of the water, and the world that then was when the waters of the flood overflowed it: BY THE SAME WORD ARE KEPT IN STORE; that is, by the... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT, BELOVED, BE NOT IGNORANT OF THIS ONE THING,.... Here the apostle addresses the saints he writes unto, and for whom he had a tender affection and regard, and for whose welfare he was concerned, lest they should be stumbled at the length of time since the promise of the coming of Christ was given... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS NOT SLACK CONCERNING HIS PROMISE,.... The Syriac version reads in the plural, "his promises", any of his promises; though the words seem rather to regard the particular promise of Christ's coming, either to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, of which coming there was a promise made, an... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT,.... That is, the Lord will come in that day, which he has fixed, according to his promise, than which nothing is more certain; and he will come as a thief in the night: he will come "in the night", which may be literally understood; for as h... [ Continue Reading ]
[SEEING] THEN [THAT] ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE DISSOLVED,.... By fire; the heaven with all its host, sun, moon, and stars, clouds, meteors, and fowls of the air; the earth, and all that is upon it, whether of nature, or art; and, since nothing is more certain than such a dissolution of all things,... [ Continue Reading ]
LOOKING FOR AND HASTING UNTO THE COMING OF THE DAY OF GOD,.... The same with the day of the Lord, 2 Peter 3:10, and so the Vulgate Latin and Arabic versions here read; and it intends the day of Christ's second coming to judgment, and so is a proof of the deity of Christ; and is called "the day of Go... [ Continue Reading ]
NEVERTHELESS WE, ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE,.... Or promises, as the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin version; namely those in Isaiah 65:17; LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH; not figuratively, the world to come in distinction from the Jewish world or state; a new church state, the Gospel d... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE, BELOVED, SEEING YE LOOK FOR THESE THINGS,.... For the burning of the heavens and the earth, for the coming of Christ, and for the new heavens and new earth, BE DILIGENT THAT YE MAY BE FOUND OF HIM; Christ, or αυτω, "in him", as in Philippians 3:9; for such as are in Christ will have an u... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ACCOUNT [THAT] THE LONGSUFFERING OF OUR LORD,.... Not his longsuffering towards the wicked, and his forbearance with them, for that is not the means of, nor the way to, nor does it issue in, their salvation, but in their sorer punishment and greater damnation, see Romans 2:4; but towards the ele... [ Continue Reading ]
AS ALSO IN ALL [HIS] EPISTLES,.... From whence it appears, that the Apostle Paul had, by this time, wrote several of his epistles, if not all of them; and they were all written according to the same wisdom, and under the influence of the same spirit, as his epistle to the Hebrews: SPEAKING IN THEM... [ Continue Reading ]
YE THEREFORE, BELOVED, SEEING YE KNOW [THESE THINGS] BEFORE,.... As that there will be such mockers and scoffers in the last days, and such unlearned and unstable men that will deprave the Scriptures, and wrest them in such a miserable manner: BEWARE LEST YE ALSO, BEING LED AWAY WITH THE ERROR OF T... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT GROW IN GRACE,.... In the gifts of grace, which, under a divine blessing, may be increased by using them: gifts neglected decrease, but stirred up and used, are improved and increase. And though men are to be thankful for their gifts, and be contented with them, yet they may lawfully desire more... [ Continue Reading ]