and the things which will happen at His coming and before it. When Paul appeared to delay the day of the Lord to a longer period than the other apostles, there were some who either doubted or denied His coming altogether. — h o7g , in which things ) — b'jffvorjra, hard to he understood. It is one thing to be hard to be understood, and an- other thing to be beyond the reach of the understanding. — nvd) some things , not all. — a) which things , which subjects , and so even the writings of Paul. With this corresponds the expression which fol- lows, “ they wrest the Scriptures ,” and so even the subjects men- tioned in them. The one is to be understood as included with the other. — oi a^aQsTg, the unlearned ) who are without heavenly learning. — ffrp&(3Xov<nv) twist , whereas they are straight in themselves. There is an instance, 2 Tim. ii. 18. — rag Xoinug ypa<pag, the other Scriptures') It follows from this that the epistles of Paul already formed part of the Scriptures. Comp, has written , ver. 15. — xpog, to) so that they seem to agree with the abandoned perception of the wicked. — ibia v, their own) without any injury to St Paul. — avuiXaav, destruction) ch. ii. 1.
17. 'Tpstg) ye. warned by the injury of others. — ‘rpoyivunrnovrsg) knowing the danger beforehand. — dr^p/y/xoD, from your defence) [“ Stedfastness”] Comp. ver. 16, i. 12. This defence is grace. Comp. Jude 21.
18. Aiigobsrs, increase) the more; the more they decrease \fv yupiri xai yvwffs/, in grace and knowledge) ch. i. 3, 8. — V. g.] — 7i/j,epav a/uvog, the day of eternity) This title agrees with that sense, in which the apostle employed it, through the whole of this chapter. Eternity is a day , without night, unmixed and perpetual.