the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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2 Peter 1:1
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Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
Simon: or, Symeon, Acts 15:14
Peter: Matthew 4:18, Matthew 10:2, Luke 22:31-34, John 1:42, John 21:15-17, 1 Peter 1:1
a servant: John 12:26, Romans 1:1
an apostle: Luke 11:49, John 20:21, 1 Corinthians 9:1, 1 Corinthians 15:9, Galatians 2:8, Ephesians 3:5, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Peter 5:1
have: 2 Peter 1:4, Acts 15:8, Acts 15:9, Romans 1:12, 2 Corinthians 4:13, Ephesians 4:5, Philippians 1:29, 2 Timothy 1:5, Titus 1:1, Titus 1:4, 1 Peter 1:7, 1 Peter 2:7
through: Jeremiah 33:16, Romans 1:17, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Philippians 3:9
of God and our Saviour: Gr. of our God and Saviour, Isaiah 12:2, Luke 1:47, Titus 2:13
Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 34:5 - So Moses Psalms 36:1 - servant Psalms 98:2 - righteousness Psalms 103:17 - his righteousness Isaiah 45:22 - for Isaiah 45:24 - in the Isaiah 54:17 - and their Daniel 9:24 - to bring Matthew 6:33 - his Mark 3:16 - Simon Luke 6:14 - Simon Luke 19:13 - his John 1:1 - the Word was John 5:23 - all men John 15:15 - I call Acts 5:31 - a Saviour Acts 13:23 - raised Acts 20:19 - Serving Romans 4:6 - imputeth Romans 4:11 - righteousness Romans 5:18 - the righteousness Romans 5:21 - through Romans 10:3 - God's righteousness Romans 14:17 - but 1 Corinthians 7:22 - is Christ's 2 Corinthians 3:9 - the ministration of righteousness Galatians 2:16 - we have Ephesians 4:13 - the knowledge Philippians 1:1 - the servants Philippians 1:5 - General Colossians 3:24 - for Colossians 4:12 - a servant 1 Thessalonians 5:9 - obtain 1 Timothy 1:1 - God 2 Timothy 1:10 - our Hebrews 11:1 - faith Hebrews 11:7 - righteousness James 1:1 - a servant James 2:1 - the faith 1 Peter 2:4 - precious 2 Peter 1:11 - our
Cross-References
And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
God saw that the light was good, so he divided the light from the darkness.
God saw that the light was good, so God separated the light from the darkness.
And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness.
God saw that the light was good (pleasing, useful) and He affirmed and sustained it; and God separated the light [distinguishing it] from the darkness.
And God seiy the liyt, that it was good, and he departide the liyt fro derknessis; and he clepide the liyt,
And God seeth the light that [it is] good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,
And seeing that the light was good, God separated the light from the darkness.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
Simon Peter, a servant, and an apostle of Jesus Christ,.... The writer of this epistle is described first by his names, Simon Peter; the first of these was the name by which he was called from his infancy by his parents, and by which he was known when Christ called him to be a disciple and follower of him, and is the same with Simeon; and so it is read in most copies; see Acts 15:14 a name common with the Jews; the latter is what was given him by Christ at his conversion, John 1:4, and answers to Cephas in the Syriac language; and both signify a rock or stone, because he was built upon Christ, the rock and foundation, and chief corner stone, and with a view to his future solidity, firmness, and constancy: and he is next described by his character as a servant, not of sin, nor Satan, nor man, but Jesus Christ, whose servant he was, not only by creation, but by redemption and grace; and not merely a servant of his, in common with other believers, but in a ministerial way, as a preacher of the Gospel, which this phrase sometimes designs. The use of it shows the apostle's humility, his sense of obligation to Christ, and acknowledgment of him as his Lord, and that he esteemed it an honour to stand in such a relation to him: but to distinguish him from a common servant of Christ, and an ordinary minister of the word, it is added, "an apostle of Jesus Christ": one that was immediately sent by Christ, had his commission and doctrine directly from him, and a power of working miracles, in confirmation of his mission and ministry being divine, and an authority at large to go everywhere and preach the Gospel, plant churches, and put them in due order, and place proper persons over them. This is said to give weight and authority to his epistle: and further, in this inscription of the epistle, the persons are described to whom it is written, as follows,
to them that have obtained like precious faith with us; they were believers in Christ, who had a faith of the right kind; not a faith of doing miracles, which was not common to all, nor was it saving; nor an historical faith, or a mere assent to truths, nor a temporary one, or a bare profession of faith; but that faith which is the faith of God's elect, the gift of his grace, and the operation of his power; which sees the Son, goes to him, ventures on him, trusts in him, lives upon him, and works by love to him. This is said to be "precious", as it is in its own nature, being a rich and enriching grace, of more worth and value than gold that perisheth, or than thousands of gold and silver; it is not to be equalled by, nor purchased with the riches of the whole world; it is precious in its object, it being conversant with the precious person, precious blood, and precious righteousness and sacrifice of Christ, and is that grace which makes Christ, and all that is his, precious to souls; it is precious in its acts and usefulness; it is that grace by which men go to God and Christ, receive from them, and give all glory to them, and without which it is not possible to please God: to which add the durableness of it; it is an abiding grace, and will never fail, when the most precious things in nature do: and it is "like precious" with that the apostles had; for there is but one faith, and which is called a common faith, even common to all the elect; and which is the same in all, not as to degrees, for in some it is strong, and in others weak; or as to the actings of it, which are not in all alike, nor in the same persons at all times; in some it is only a seeing of the Son, his glory, fulness, and suitableness, and longing for views of an interest in him; in others a reliance on him, and trusting in him; and in others a holy confidence, and full assurance of being his: but then it is alike with respect to its nature, as it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen; and as it works by love to Christ and his people; it springs from the same cause, the love and favour of God, and has the same object, Jesus Christ, and is followed with the salvation; for though it is but as a grain of mustard seed, yet, being genuine, the person that has it shall certainly be saved: wherefore, for the comfort and encouragement of these scattered believers, the apostle assures them, that their faith was the same as their brethren that dwelt at Jerusalem and in Judea, who believed in Christ, and even with them that were the apostles of Christ; and this he says they had obtained, not by their own merits or industry, but by the grace of God; for faith is not of a man's self, it is the gift of God, and the produce of his grace and power. Some have rendered it, "obtained by lot"; not by chance, but by the all wise, good, and powerful providence of God, ordering, directing, assigning, and giving this grace unto them. And which came to them
through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; or "of our God, and Saviour Jesus Christ", as the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions read; that is, of Christ Jesus, who is our God and Saviour: so that here is a testimony of the deity of Christ, as well as of his character as a Saviour, who is an able and a willing one, a full, complete, suitable, and only Saviour: and the reason why he is so is because he is truly and properly "God"; and why he is so to us, because he is "our" God: wherefore by "righteousness" here, cannot be meant the goodness and mercy of God, as some think, though faith undoubtedly comes through that; nor the faithfulness of God making good his purpose and promise of giving faith to his elect, as others think: but the righteousness of Christ, which is not the righteousness of a creature, but of God; that is wrought out by one that is God, as well as man, and so answerable to all the purposes for which it is brought in. Now faith comes "in", or "with" this righteousness, as the phrase may be rendered; when the Spirit of God reveals and brings near this righteousness to a poor sensible sinner, he at the same time works faith in him to look to it, lay hold upon it, and plead it as his justifying righteousness with God: or it comes "through" it; hence it appears that faith and righteousness are two distinct things; and that faith is not a man's righteousness before God, for it comes to him through it; as also that righteousness is before faith, or otherwise faith could not come by it; and, moreover, is the cause and reason of it; faith has no causal influence upon righteousness, but righteousness has upon faith: the reason why a man has a justifying righteousness is not because he has faith; but the reason why he has faith given him is because he has a justifying righteousness provided for him, and imputed to him.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Simon Peter - Margin, “Symeon.” The name is written either “Simon” or “Simeon” - Σίμων Simōn or Συμεών Sumeōn. Either word properly means “hearing;” and perhaps, like other names, was at first significant. The first epistle 1 Peter 1:1 begins simply, “Peter, an apostle,” etc. The name Simon, however, was, his proper name - “Peter,” or “Cephas,” having been added to it by the Saviour, John 1:42. Compare Matthew 16:18.
A servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ - In the first epistle the word “apostle” only is used. Paul, however, uses the word “servant” as applicable to himself in Romans 1:1, and to himself and Timothy in the commencement of the epistle to the Philippians, Philippians 1:1. See the notes at Romans 1:1.
To them that have obtained like precious faith with us - With us who are of Jewish origin. This epistle was evidently written to the same persons as the former (Introduction, Section 3), and that was intended to embrace many who were of Gentile origin. Notes, 1 Peter 1:1. The apostle addresses them all now, whatever was their origin, as heirs of the common faith, and as in all respects brethren.
Through the righteousness of God - Through the method of justification which God has adopted. See this fully explained in the notes at Romans 1:17.
(The original is ἐν δικαιοσυνη en dikaiosunē, in the righteousness, etc., which makes the righteousness the object of faith. We cannot but regard the author’s rendering of the famous phrase here used by Peter, and by Paul, Romans 1:17; Romans 3:21, as singularly unhappy. That Newcome used it and the Socinian version adopted it, would not make us reject it; but when the apostles state specially the ground of justification, why should they be made to speak indefinitely of its general “plan,” or method. The rendering of Stuart, namely, “justification of God,” is not more successful; it confounds the “thing itself” with the “ground” of it. Why not prefer the apostle’s own words to any change or periphrasis? See the supplementary note at Romans 1:17).
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ - Margin, “our God and Saviour.” The Greek will undoubtedly bear the construction given in the margin; and if this be the true rendering, it furnishes an argument for the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. Middleton, Slade, Valpy, Bloomfield, and others, contend that this is the true and proper rendering. It is doubted, however, by Wetstein, Grotius, and others. Erasmus supposes that it may be taken in either sense. The construction, though certainly not a violation of the laws of the Greek language, is not so free from all doubt as to make it proper to use the passage as a proof-text in an argument for the divinity of the Saviour. It is easier to prove the doctrine from other texts that are plain, than to show that this must be the meaning here.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
THE SECOND GENERAL EPISTLE OF PETER.
Chronological Notes relative to this Epistle.
-Year of the Constantinopolitan era of the world, or that used by the Byzantine historians, and other eastern writers, 5568.
-Year of the Alexandrian era of the world, 5562.
-Year of the Antiochian era of the world, 5552.
-Year of the world, according to Archbishop Usher, 4064.
-Year of the world, according to Eusebius, in his Chronicon, 4288.
-Year of the minor Jewish era of the world, or that in common use, 3820.
-Year of the Greater Rabbinical era of the world, 4419.
-Year from the Flood, according to Archbishop Usher, and the English Bible, 2408.
-Year of the Cali yuga, or Indian era of the Deluge, 3162.
-Year of the era of Iphitus, or since the first commencement of the Olympic games, 1000.
-Year of the era of Nahonassar, king of Babylon, 809.
-Year of the CCIXth Olympiad, 4.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Fabius Pictor, 807.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Frontinus, 811.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to the Fasti Capitolini, 812.
-Year from the building of Rome, according to Varro, which was that most generally used, 813.
-Year of the era of the Seleucidae, 372.
-Year of the Caesarean era of Antioch, 108.
-Year of the Julian era, 105.
-Year of the Spanish era, 98.
-Year from the birth of Jesus Christ, according to Archbishop Usher, 64.
-Year of the vulgar era of Christ's nativity, 60.
-Year of Claudius Felix, governor of the Jews, 8.
-Year of Vologesus, king of the Parthians, 11.
-Jesus, high priest of the Jews, 1.
-Year of the Dionysian period, or Easter Cycle, 61.
-Year of the Grecian Cycle of nineteen years, or Common Golden Number, 4; or the second after the first embolismic.
-Year of the Jewish Cycle of nineteen years, 1; or two years before the first embolismic.
-Year of the Solar Cycle, 13.
-Dominical Letter, it being the Bissextile, or Leap Year, FE.
-Day of the Jewish Passover, the second of April, which happened in this year on the fourth day after the Jewish Sabbath.
-Easter Sunday, the sixth of April.
-Epact, or age of the moon on the 22d of March, (the day of the earliest Easter Sunday possible,) 3.
-Epact, according to the present mode of computation, or the moon's age on New Year's day, or the Calends of January, 11.
-Monthly Epacts, or age of the moon on the Calends of each month respectlvely, (beginning with January,) 11, 13, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 19, 21, 21.
-Number of Direction, or the number of days from the twenty-first of March to the Jewish Passover, 12.
-Year of the reign of Caius Tiberius Claudius Nero Caesar, the fifth Roman monarch, computing from Octavianus, or Augustus Caesar, properly the first Roman emperor, 7.
-Roman Consuls, the Emperor Nero Augustus, the fourth time, and Cossus Cornelius Lentulus.
CHAPTER I.
The apostolical address, and the persons to whom the epistle
was sent described by the state into which God had called, and
in which he had placed, them, 1-4.
What graces they should possess in order to be fruitful in the
knowledge of God, 5-8.
The miserable state of those who either have not these graces,
or have fallen from them, 9.
Believers should give diligence to make their calling and
election sure, 10, 11.
The apostle's intimations of his speedy dissolution, and his
wish to confirm and establish those Churches in the true faith,
12-15.
The certainty of the Gospel, and the convincing evidence which
the apostle had of its truth from being present at the
transfiguration, by which the word of prophecy was made more
sure, 16-19.
How the prophecies came, and their nature, 20, 21.
NOTES ON CHAP. I.
Verse 2 Peter 1:1. Simon Peter — Symeon, συμεων, is the reading of almost all the versions, and of all the most important MSS. And this is the more remarkable, as the surname of Peter occurs upwards of seventy times in the New Testament, and is invariably read σιμον, Simon, except here, and in Acts 15:14, where James gives him the name of Symeon. Of all the versions, only the Armenian and Vulgate have Simon. But the edit. princ., and several of my own MSS. of the Vulgate, write Symon; and Wiclif has Symont.
A servant — Employed in his Master's work.
And an apostle — Commissioned immediately by Jesus Christ himself to preach to the Gentiles, and to write these epistles for the edification of the Church. As the writer was an apostle, the epistle is therefore necessarily canonical. All the MSS. agree in the title apostle; and of the versions, only the Syriac omits it.
Precious faith — ισοτιμονπιστιν. Valuable faith; faith worth a great price, and faith which cost a great price. The word precious is used in the low religious phraseology for dear, comfortable, delightful, c. but how much is the dignity of the subject let down by expressions and meanings more proper for the nursery than for the noble science of salvation! It is necessary however to state, that the word precious literally signifies valuable, of great price, costly; and was not used in that low sense in which it is now employed when our translation was made. That faith must be of infinite value, the grace of which Christ purchased by his blood; and it must be of infinite value also when it is the very instrument by which the soul is saved unto eternal life.
With us — God having given to you-believing Gentiles, the same faith and salvation which he had given to us-believing Jews.
Through the righteousness of God — Through his method of bringing a lost world, both Jews and Gentiles, to salvation by Jesus Christ; through his gracious impartiality, providing for Gentiles as well as Jews. See the notes on Romans 3:21-26.
Of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ — This is not a proper translation of the original τουθεουημωνκαισωτηροςιησου χριστου, which is literally, Of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ; and this reading, which is indicated in the margin, should have been received into the text; and it is an absolute proof that St. Peter calls Jesus Christ GOD, even in the properest sense of the word, with the article prefixed. It is no evidence against this doctrine that one MS. of little authority, and the Syriac and two Arabic versions have κυριου, Lord, instead of θεου, God, as all other MSS. and versions agree in the other reading, as well as the fathers. See in Griesbach.
