The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 14

the apostle tells us to mnke our calling and of these things; rather, as in the Revised election tture, he means that we must try to Version, wherefo1·e I 8haU be ready. 'l'his realize thnt calling aml election, to bring reading (µ.e>.."Af,a-w) is better supported than its solemn responsibilities nnd its blessed that of the T.R. (ovK O.f<e"A11uo,). (For this hopes to bear upon our d11,ily life, to live use of µ.,"A>..eiv with the infinitive almost os ns men who have been called into God's o. periphrasis for the future, eompo.re, in the Church, who are elect unto etern11l life, and Greek, Matt. xxiv. 6.) The apostle will tnke so (if we may dnre to say it) to ratify God's every opportunity of reminding his readers election by onr poor acceptance. He calls of the trntbs nnd duties which he he.s been us into oornno.nt with himself; we answer, describing, and that because faith in those as the children of Israel said at Mount truths and the practice of those duties is Sinai, "All that the Lord hath se.id will we the only way to Christ's eternol kingdom. do, and be obedient" (Exod. xxiv. 7). Our Though ye know them, and be established obedience me.kes the covenant sure to us; iu the present truth; better, a.s in the holine;s of life is the proof of God's election, Revised Vereion, and are established in the for it implies the indwelling presence of truth which is with you. These words seem "that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the to imply that St. Peter knew something, earnest of our inheritance." For if ye do through Silvanus (see 1 Pet. v. 12), of tlioee these things, ye shell nover fall. " If ye do to whom he was writing; they wera not these things;" i.e. " If ye make your cailing ignorant of the gospel ; now they Lad read and election sure." "The plural shows his First Epistle, e.nd earlier they had that the apostle considered this me.king heard the preaching of St. Paul or his sure a very many-sided act" (Dietlein, in companions (comp. Rom. i. 13). (For the Huther). Others refer the .,.,.;;'1'.., "these word rendered "established" ( ecrT71p1')'µ.e- things," to the graces just ennmerated. Ye 11,vs), comp. 1 Pet. v. 10; eh. iii. 16, 17.) shall nefler fall; literally, ye shall never St. Peter seems to have kept ever in his stumble(ovµ~ 'IM'aitr71n). IlTaieiv is "to strike thoughts the solemn charge of the Saviour, one's foot against some obste.cle," and so to " When thou a.rt converted, strengthen stnmble. St. Jo.mes says," In me.ny things (crrifp•€ov) thy brethren" (Luke xxii. 82), we offend (,r.,.alaµev) e.11" (iii. 2). St. Peter For "the trnth which is with you" here means to stumble so as to fall (Rom. (,rapo.Jcrp), comp. Col. i. 6. ::tl. 11); while Christians "do these things," Ver. 18.-Yea, I think it meet, as long as while they make their calling e.nd elec- I e.m in this ta.bernaole ; rather, as in the tion sure liy holiness of life, they cannot Ilevi:led Version, and I think it right. The stumble ; it is in nngna.rded moments that natural body is hut e. tabeme.cle for the they fa.II into temptation. soul, a. tent to dwell in during our earthly Ver. 11.-For so an entrance shall be pilgrimage, not a. permanent habitation. miltistered nnto you abundantly ; rather, 'l'he word reminds us of 2 Cor. v. I-4, as in the Revised Version, for thm shall where St. Paul uses the same metaphor; be richly supplied unto you the entrance. and olso of St. Peter's words o.t the 'l'ra.ns- The verb '"'XOP"l"Y'le,/creTa, looks be.ck to figuration, "Let UB make three tabernacles." n,xoP11Y'1CTa'TE in ver. 5, and "richly" to To stir you up by putting you in remem- "abound" in ver. 8. Ii we do our poor brance; literally, to arouse you in re- best in supplying the graces mentioned minding. 'fhe phroee occurs again in above, the entrance 8ha.1l be richly supplied. oh. iii. I. St. Peter's readers knew the St. Peter seems to imply that there will be facts of the gospel history ; they neoded, degrees of glory hereafter proportioned to as we all need, to be a.roused to o. sense of our faithfulnes~ in the use of God's gifts the solemn responsibilities which that here. 'l'be a.drnrb "riclily" is fitly joiuecl knowledge involves. with the verb ,,,.,xop71')'<iv, which signifies Ver. 14.-Knowing that shortly I must properly to provide the expenses for a chorUB. put o:IF this my ta.bema.cle ; literally, Tmow• The article defines the entrance as the great ing that swift is the putting off of my object of the Christian's hope. Into the tabernacle. St. Peter may mean by these everlasting kingdom of our Lord and words eitber that his death was neo.r at Saviour Je111S Christ; rather, the etemal hand, or that, when it came, it would be kingdom. Notice the exact correspondence sudden, a violent death, not II lengthened of the Greek words l1ere, 'l'ov Kvplov 7//JMV illness. So llcngel, " Qui cliu mgrota.nt, ,cal ::Z.wT'ijpos 'l11crov Xp,cr-rov, with those ia possunt a.lios a.uhnc pascere. Crux id ver. 1, -rov 0,ov 7JJLW" Kai 2;,Tf;pos 'I71trov Petro non crat permissura. ldeo prius Xp«rTov, as a strong argument in favour of agit quod ngcndum est." Compare the use the translation, "Our God and Saviour of the same word (Taxwf1) in eh. ii. 1. St. J tsus Christ," in that verse. Paul, in 2 Cor. v. 1--4, speaks, like St. Ver. l:.!.-Wherefore I will not be negli• Peter here, of putting off' e. to.berno.clc or ger:t to put you always in remernbri,.nce tent as we talk of putting off o. garment, orr. t. 1-21.] 'l'HE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 7