2 Peter 1

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables; rather, did not follow. The participle ( ἐξακολουθήσαντες ) is aorist. This compound verb is used only by St. Peter in the New Testament; we find it again in 2 Peter 2:2 and 2 Peter 2:15 . Bengel and others have thought that the preposition ἐξ , from or out of, implies wandering from the truth after false guides; but probably the word merely means "to follow closely," though in this case the guides were going astray. Perhaps... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16-18

Witness to Christ. The Divine Saviour was the theme of apostolic preaching. They, whom he himself commissioned for the purpose, published the tidings of their Lord's first advent as the object of human faith, and of his second and future advent as the object of human hope. Thus the "power and presence of our Lord Jesus Christ" was the great thought that inspired the apostles' minds, and animated them in their labours. And it was most natural and wise that, for their own sake and. for the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16-18

Certainty concerning Christ the secret of spiritual earnestness. The apostle gives the reason for his earnestness in the passage before us, and certainty is the key-note of his utterance; He declares he knows what he enforces, that error has not been palmed on him for truth, that his eyes have seen and his ears have heard what he tells. Then our subject is— Certainty concerning Christ the secret of spiritual earnestness. Doubt and deadness go together, certainty and vigour; and in an... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16-21

Threefold testimony to the truth of Christianity. In laying out the grounds of his own faith, and the grounds, too, on which he would have his readers build their faith, St. Peter indicates the lines of a threefold evidence. I. THE TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTLES . 1 . They were "eye-witnesses"— a rare word, describing spectators who were admitted into the highest grade of initiation into mysteries. How true of Peter and James and John, with regard to the life of our Lord! ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:17

For he received from God the Father honour and glory. The construction here is interrupted; the literal translation is, "Having received," etc., and there is no verb to complete the sense. Winer supposes that the apostle had intended to continue with some such words as, "He had us for witnesses," or, "He was declared to be the beloved Son of God," and that the construction was interrupted by the direct quotation of the words spoken by the voice from heaven ('Grammar,' 3:45, b). (For a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:18

And this voice which came from heaven we heard; rather, and this voice borne from heaven we heard. The pronoun is emphatic; we, the apostles who had that high privilege. They heard the voice when it was borne ( ἐνεχθεῖσαν ; he repeats for emphasis the remarkable word of 2 Peter 1:17 ) from heaven, they heard it come from heaven. When we were with him in the holy mount. This description of the Mount of the Transfiguration supposes a knowledge of the history in St. Peter's readers;... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:19

We have also a more sure word of prophecy; rather, as in the Revised Version, and we have the word of prophecy made more sure; or, we hare the word of prophecy more sure (than the testimony of the heavenly voice). The rendering of the Authorized Version is ungrammatical; we must adopt one of the other modes of representing the original. The second seems to be preferred by most commentators. Thus Archdeacon Farrar, translating the passage, "And still stronger is the surety we have in the... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:19

The lamp and the dawn. Notwithstanding Peter's personal acquaintance with the Lord Jesus, and the abundant evidence which had come before him, during Christ's ministry, of his Master's duty and authority, Peter was far from disparaging the value of those attestations to the authority and sway of the Messiah-Prince to be found in the Scriptures of the Old Testament. I. THE NIGHT OF TIME . The world is, apart from special illumination from above, a dark place. The human race, in... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:19-21

Certainty about Christ the result of giving heed to the Divine Word. Some to whom the apostle writes might object, that, if personal intercourse be the ground of certainty concerning Christ, Peter may well be certain; but what of them who have had no such personal intercourse? The apostle deals with that in the passage before us. Earnestness about spiritual things due to certainty about Christ is followed here by certainty about Christ the result of giving heed to the Divine Word. I. ... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:20

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. By "knowing this first" ( γινώσκοντες ) is meant that we must recognize this truth as of primary importance, or, before we commence the study of prophecy; the phrase occurs again in 2 Peter 3:3 . The literal translation of the following clause is, "that all prophecy of Scripture [there is no article] is not; all … not" ( πᾶσα … ου) ) being a common Hebraism for none, οὑδεμία ; but the verb... read more

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16-18

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16-18

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:16-21

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:17

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:18

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:19

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:19

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:19-21

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Peter 1:20

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