The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 9

SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. EXPOSITION. apostle sent into the world to win souls for CHAPTER I, Christ (comp. Rom. i. I; Phil. i. 1; 'Iitus i. Ver. 1.-Si.mon Peter. "Symeon" seems 1; Jas. i. I; Jude 1). To them thathe.ve ob- to be the best-supported spelling in this ta.ined like precious faith with us. The word place. The same form of the name is found rendered "obtained" (-rois ;\axov11,11) means in Luke ii. 25 e.nd Acts xiii. 1 ; it e.lso properly "to obtain by lot," as in Luke i. occurs in Acts x:v. 14, where St. James 9. It is noticeable that one of the few places refers to St. Peter's speech on the gree.t in which it occurs in the New Testament is question of the circumcision of Gentile in e. speech of St. Peter's (Acts i. 17); its Christians. It is the form e.lways used in use here implies that fo.ith is e. gift of God. the Septuagint Version of the Old Testa- The word for " like precious" (l11fr ,µ011, ment, The old me.n's thoughts go back to equally precious) is found only here in the his early years; he describes himself by the New TestCLment ; it calls to our memory the familiar name of his youth; he uses tho.t ,ro;\I, -r,µu1,-r,pov of I Pet. i. 7, e.nd indicates Greek form of it which was most dis- CL correspondence with the First Epistle. tinctively Jewish. But he joins with the St. Peter addresses this Epistle simply to old name, which spoke of Jude.ism, the new those who he.ve obtained CLn eqnally precious no.me which the Lord Jesus had given him faith "with us." By the le.at words he may -the no.me which describes him as a stone mean himself only, or the apostles generally, or rock, which indicates also hie close con- or, possibly, e.11 Jewish Christions. He is nection with the.t Rock on which the Church writing apparently to the some Churches to ill built, which is Christ. His no.mes com- which his First Epistle was addressed (ver. bine Hebrew and Greek, Jewish and 16 and eh. iii. 1); he sCLys that their faith Christie.n, e.ssocio.tione. He is writing is eque.lly precious with that of the e.postles, probo.bly, e.e in his First Epistle, to Churches or perhaps the. t the Gen tiles have received of mingled Jewish e.nd Gentile elements. the like precious gift with the chosen The first word of the Epistle supplies e.n people. By "fe.ith" ha mD,y meD,n the argument for the genuineness of the Epistle. truths believed, ns Jude 3; or, more pro- It is sco.rcely possible that e.n imite.tor, who bably, faith in the subjective sense, the we.a o.cquainted with the First Epistle gmce of fe.itb, which receives those truths (eh. iii. 1), and shows, as some eo.y, so much ns e. message from God (comp. 1 Pet. i. 7). o.nxiety to identify himself with the o.postle Through the righteousness of God and onr (oh. i. 12-18), would have e.nnounced Saviour J'esllS Christ; rather, ns in the himself by e. no.me different from tho.t used Revised Version, in the righteoiwiess of our in the First Epistle, e.nd would ho.ve God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Some com- adopted e. form of the Hebrew name vo.ry- mentators, ns Luther, Estius, etc., under- ing from that which occurs so frequently in ete.nd by "righteousness" in this place, the Gospels. A aerve.nt and e.n e.postle of tho righteousness which God gives, as in J'esus Christ. St. Peter, like St. Paul, Rom. x:. 3, eto. But this seems unsuitablo describes himself o.e e. servant, litere.lly, "e. here; for fo.ith is not given in righteous- slave," a bondman of Jesus Christ. We a.re ness, but rather righteou,mess in faith. not our own; we are bought with e. price; Others tCLko righteousness us tbo object of we h11ve work to do for our Mnster. St. the foith-"to them thCLt have obtained Peter'e work was that of e. missionCLry, e.n faitl:\ in the righteouanese;" i.e. who nro II PETEB, !I  2 THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL QI,' PETER. [en. 1. 1-21.