The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 10

c>nnbled f.o bclieYe in Go:l.'s righteousness Comp. 1 Cor. xiii., where, nfler saying in nnd t.o trust in it. 'l'his seems a forced '\'er. 8 that "knowledge (-yvwu,s) shall be int.erprt>tn1 ion. It is better to take the done away," St. Paul continues, in ver. 12, preposition 11s meaning "in the working of "Now I know (-yivo\u,c,.,) in pc11-t, but then God's righteousness," in the sphere of its I shall know ( ,1r.-yvo\uoµa,) even as also I operation, nnd to understand "righteous- am known ('1r•-yvo\u61,v)." He contrasts our ness" 11s the attribute of God, his just and present imperfect knowledge with the full holy dealing witli men. There is no knowledge which the blessed will have in rPspect of persons with God; in his right- heaven, and which God now has of us, eousness be bestows the like precious faith using the verb J,r1-yivdu1e01 of that fuller on all who come to him, without distinction knowledge, as he had used -yvwu,s of tho of race or country. According to the strict imperfect knowledge. The word i1rl-y11wuis grnmmatical construction of the pnssa.ge, occurs several times in the Gospels, and is "God " and " Saviour" a.re both predicates common in St. Paul's Epistles; it seems to of" Jesus Uhrist," as in Titus ii. 13. The imply a sort of protest against the know- First and Second Persons of the blessed ledge that "puffeth up" (1 Cor. viii. 1), and Trinity are distinguished in the following especially against the knowledge "falsely '\'erse, and this bas led several commento.tors so called" (1 Tim. vi. 20), which was to think that the same distinction should be claimed by the false teachers, who were the made here. It is true that the absence precursors of the coming Gnosticism (comp. of a second article does not make it abso- Col. i. 9, 10 ; ii. 2; iii. 10). St. Peter had lutely certain that the two words "God" learned more of the doings of these false and "Saviour" must be taken e.s united tenchers since he. wrote the First Epistle, under the one common article, aud so and this may perhaps be a reason for his re,,,"1l.rded as two predicates of "Jesus frequent use of the word hl-yvwu,s in the Christ; " but it furnishes at least a very second. "Jesus our Lord " is a variation strong presumption in favour of this view, of the more common form, such as " the especially as there is not here, as there is Lord Jesus;" it occurs only here and in in Titus ii. 13, any word like 11µ.il,11 to girn Rom. iv. 24. definiteness to u,.,,-:;,pos (see Bishop Ellicott's Ver. 3.-Aocordmg as his Divine power; note on Titus ii. 13, and, on the other side, lietter, seeing that, as in the Revised Ver- Alford's notes on both passages). The sion. The construction is the genitive Lord Jesus is called " our Saviour" five absolute with &r. The words are to be times in this Epistle. The word does not closely connected with ver. 2: " We need occur in the First Epistle; but in St. Peter's not fear, for God has given us all things speech (Acts v. 31) the apostle declared to that are necessary for our salvation ; grace the Sanhedrin !hat God had exalted Jesus and peace will be multiplied unto us, if "to be a Prince and a Saviour." only we seek the knowledge of God." This Ver. 2.-Grace and peace be multiplied is better than, with Buther and others, to unto you. The order of the words in the make a fnll stop after ver. 2, and to connect Greek is the same as in 1 Pet. i. 2. The vers. 3 and 4 closely with ver. 5. The exact correspondence should be noticed. word for "Di vine " ( Beios) is unusual in the The writer of the Second Epistle, if not St. Greek Testament; it occurs only in two Peter himself, must have been attempting other places-ver. 4 and Acts xvii. 29. to imitate of set purpose the opening saluta- Hath given unto us all things that pertain tion of the First Epistle. Through the unto life and godliness; rather, RB in the knowledge of God, and of J"eSllB our Lord; Revised Version, hath gra.nted. St. Peter rather, in the knowledge. The knowledge does not here use the ordinary verb for "to of God is the sphere in which grace and give," but one ('6,.,peoµa,) which in the New p8ace 1u:e cowmunicated to the soul; they 'l'estament occurs only in this Epistle 11nrl cannot be found outside that sphere. "Full in Mark xv. 45. "Goel ha.th given us all knowledge" (bri-yvwu,s) may be regarded as things for ( ,rp&s) life," i.e. all things neces- the key-note of this Epistle, as "hope " ie sa1·y for life. By "life" St. Peter means of the fir.rt. •E,r!-yv,.,u,s is a stronger word the spiritual life of the soul; that life than -yvwu,s ; it means "knowledge" which consists in union with Christ, whioh directed towards an object, gradually ap- is tlie life of Christ living in us. "Godli- proaching nearer and nearer to it, con- ness" ( •vul/3«a) is a word of the later centrated upon it, fixed closely upon it. apostolic age ; besides this Epistle (in So it comes to mean the knowledge, not which it occurs four timeR) and a speech of merely of intellectual apprehension, but St. Peter's in Acts iii. 12, it is found only rather of deep contemplation; the know- in St. Paul's pastoral Epistles; it means fotlge which implies love-for only love can reverence, true piety tow11rds G otl. cm,centr,ite continually the powers of the Through the knowledge of him that hath s::.ul in cloli8 mc<lil.ation upon its object. ca.llod us to glory and virtv-e ; literally, (III, I, 1-21.] THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 3