Bible Commentaries
2 Peter 1

Verses 1-19

1 The introduction of the name Simeon, before Peter, and slave in addition to apostle, gives us a clue to the character of this second epistle. The emphasis is laid on practice rather than precept. It is concerned with living rather than learning.

2 The recognition of God and of Jesus Christ, our Lord, is the source of grace and peace, as well as all that tends to life and devoutness. This is indicated by beginning the epistle proper by "So. . ." and by the repetition of the thought: "through the recognition of Him Who calls us to His own glory and virtue." The word "recognition" probably includes the wider range of realization and appreciation. It is a favorite word in this epistle, for it occurs again in verse 2Pe_1:8 , and again in 2Pe_2:20 . Standing, as it does, at the threshold of an epistle devoted to conduct, it teaches the important lesson that knowledge is essential to good deportment. Those who refuse to recognize God are given over to a disqualified mind to commit the whole catalogue of crime ( Rom_1:28 ). The only salvation from these things is a vision of His glory and virtue, in this manner becoming a participant of the divine nature which flees from corruption. Consequently, the most powerfully practical course to pursue is to gain a grasp of God's glories and virtues, so that they may operate in us to produce their like.

5 The path of the saint is one of progress or apostasy. If he is not adding, he will probably be subtracting. Hence Simeon Peter exhorts his readers to advance, making each spiritual grace the container of another and a better, until they all unfold for the display of love, the highest and best of all.

5 Faith is the radical virtue. By it all others are possible. In the repeated groupings of graces found in the epistles, faith is invariably assigned the first place, being made to stand nearest the Source of every virtue.

10 Peter, like James, is apt to present the human side of redemption. Calling and choice are purely divine, yet their confirmation in the eyes of men depends on the evidence of ideal acts. The divine side is hidden to all but the one who is called. His conduct should confirm his confession before the world.

14 In that marvelous resurrection scene in John's evangel, where our Lord commissions Peter for the ministry which he fulfills in writing these epistles, He also intimates the character of his death. Peter was to follow Him to the very end, and die like his Master, Who said, "Verily, verily, I am saying to you, When you were younger you girded yourself and walked where you would; yet whenever you may be growing decrepit, you will stretch out your hands, and another shall be girding you and carrying you where you would not" ( Joh_21:18 ). And it is immediately added, "Now this He said, signifying by what death he will be glorifying God."

16 Peter and James and John were especially chosen to accompany the Lord to the Mount of Transformation (commonly called the Transfiguration) to witness a foreglimpse of the coming kingdom and its power and magnificence. Thus they perceived undeniable evidence of its reality and glory. They heard the voice from heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I delight. Be hearing Him!" They saw the lowly Nazarene transformed so that His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as light. They recognized Moses and Elijah talking with Him concerning His impending exodus ( Mat_17:1-8 ; Mar_9:2-7 ; Luk_9:28-35 ). Here were all the elements of the kingdom. Moses might well represent the dead in Israel awakened from their sleep. Elijah may typify those who are living at His advent. His own face and form assume the glory which belongs to them. The power and glory of the kingdom are anticipated in this scene. It is at once a sample and an assurance of the magnificence and splendor of His millennial reign. There were seven persons present. Peter, James, and John are types of those believers on earth who shall witness the coming of the Lord and enter the kingdom. This reference to Christ's Transformation by one of the eyewitnesses is one of the internal proofs of the Petrine authorship of this epistle.

19 The day star is the coming of the Lord. The lamp is prophecy. No one can find his way in this world without the illumination of the prophetic word. All is dark without it. But prophecies often seem obscure. The prophets themselves did not always know the import of their predictions. Now, however, that the word of God is complete, and some has been fulfilled, and each intimation may' be sorted and compared with all of like tenor, the whole outline of prophecy may be readily perceived. Prophecy is not an attempt by the prophet to explain the purposes of God in current or future events. It is not the result of his observation and experience, or his interpretation of God's ways. Not the human will but God's Spirit produced the words of the writers of prophecy.

Verses 20-21

The program of prophecy has gradually become clearer with added revelation. The preexile prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah know only one advent. In the post-exile prophets the second advent is distinguished from the first, and Israel's dispersion comes in between. Ezekiel, however, sees still further, and predicts an end to the Messianic kingdom. This is also the farthest range of Peter in his epistles and John in the Unveiling. But Paul goes far beyond, and sees a conclusion to the post-Messianic eon, when kingly government is brought to an end and the Son abdicates because all need for rule has disappeared. Then God becomes All in all. This is the climax of prophecy. It explains its purpose and solves its enigmas.

4 The "gloomy caverns" of Tartarus are distinct from the unseen, from gehenna, and from the lake of fire. They are the temporary dungeon of spirits.

4 Peter recounts the ancient judgments of God with a view to establishing the certainty of the impending judgments of the end time. That, also, will be a judgment on spirit beings, for Satan will be bound. It will be visited on a world which has reverted to the wickedness which drew down the deluge, and which is guilty of the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Then, too, the righteous shall be delivered, as Lot out of Sodom, and as Noah through the flood.

10 No one acquainted with the world as it is, and especially the tendency of the times, but will conclude that Peter's epistles will have a very special fulfillment in the dreadful days that are to come. Even now, the revolt against authority has overthrown vast empires, and undermines all established government. Millions "despise dominion", and are drifting toward a worse despotism than any the world has ever seen. But this is most evident in the sphere of religion, The sovereignty of God is unknown and unrecognized. Whole nations defy the Deity and seek to deny His existence. And this leads to the second great sin of the end time. Loosed from the restraints of even formal religion, the world is plunging into the defilements of the flesh. The marriage bond is slack or slighted altogether. Divorces are becoming more and more frequent. The world is rapidly ripening for the time when these sins will have the sanction of religion and the worship of the wild beast will be encouraged by the gratification of the lowest lusts of the flesh.

15 The story of Balaam (Num. 22-25) shows the fearful lengths to which men will go for reward, even in the face of divine displeasure. They are lower than the brute beasts in their rejection of God's revealed will, if it leads to preferment or pecuniary advantage.

17 This paragraph brings before us some of the same characters which are found in the sixth and tenth chapters of Hebrews. There were and will be apostates among the Circumcision who will go great lengths in following the Messiah, even as Judas did, yet finally they fall away and repudiate their profession. Our Lord had many such followers who left Him. Recognition of the truth concerning Christ may prevail with men for a time so as to compel separation from defilements that still allure. The apostle is not contemplating such as have become participants of the divine nature, and so flee the corruption that is in the world by lust; but those whose inner malady is not healed, who have reformed under the influence of truth, and who are still curs and swine.