The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Peter — Section 19

HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-4.-Theaddress. I. ST. PETER's DESCRIPTION OF HIMSELF. 1. His name. Ho wrote "Peter" simply in the First Epistle; he writes "Symeon Peter" now. Apparently he is writing to the same Churches as before; bt1t it is a Second Epistle he seems to know more of tbem-he gives his full name. That name contains the his!ory of his soul: the first tells of his admission into the old covenant by circumcision; the second, of his admission into the new covenant through faith in Jestis Christ. He had passed through a great spiritual _change; so had tho~e to whom he was writing; they had been gathered, one by one, rnto the fold of Chnst, some from heathenism, some from Judaism. His first name seemed to speak to his fellow-countrymen; he was a Jen•, as they were; he bore the name of one of their old patriarchs. h means "hearing." God once beard the prayer of Leah, and gave her a second son ; God had heard the prayers of Simon Barjona, had given him a new name, and bad made him not only one of the living stones in the spiritual temple which he described in his First Epistle, but also one of those twelve foundations on which are the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Rev. xxi. 14). 2. His office. He described himself in the First Epistle as "an apostle of Jesus Christ;" he again claims the same high title; but here adds the lowlier name of "servant." Christ's ministers must learn of their Master, who is meek and lowly in heart; if his providence bas fet them in high positions, they need all the more the precious grace of humility; it is the only safeguard against the many temptations of earthly ambition. And they must remember that they are the bondservants of Jesus Christ; he bas given them work to do for him. They must watch for souls, as men that must give account : woe is unto them if they preach not the gospel I II. His DESCDIPTION OF ms READERS. 1. W71at they are. They are believers. They had listened to tbe preaching of St. Paul and his companions. St. Paul had said, in his first sermon in Asia Minor, "By him all that believe are justified" (Acts xiii. 39); he and BarnabaR, Silvanus, and Timotheus, and other holy men, had gone about preaching the gospel of Christ. Many souls bad been gathered in ; they had obtained liko precious faith with those who had preached the faith to them. That faith was now their lot, their inheritance, their most precious possession. Faith is the gift of God : let it be our most earnest prayer, "Lord, increase our faith." For faith is precious exceedingly, above all earthly price. Sight is precious; blintlness shuts a man out from so much brightness and joy. Faith is spiritual sight : by faith the believer sees " him who is invisible" (Heb. xi. 27); he sees the promises afar off, and embraces them, and confesses that he is a stranger and a pilgrim on the earth. Spiritual blindness shuts a man out from all this bright and holy hope. "The world seeth me no more," the Lortl said; "but ye see me" (John xiv. 19). '!'hen faith is far more precious than sight; without faith we are blind, ignorant, lost. Christ is the Way, and without faith we cannot find that Way, the only Way to life eternal. And the faith of the humblest Christian now is equally precious with the faith of the holiest apostle; it is the gift of the same God. It has the same blessed, justifying influences; it leads on to the same blessed end, everlasting life with God in heaven. 2. Row they became so. "In the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ." Ho was in the form of Goel; he took upon him the form of a servant; thus, taking our nature to cleanse it, llyiag in that nature to atone for our sins, he became our Saviour. And in his right,·ousncss he became the Saviour of the world," the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe:" he tasted death for every man. Jew and Gentile are alike invited; the gospel is to be preached to every creature; all that are weary and heavy-laden are called to come to him. And none that come are cast out; in the holy working of his righteousness they obtain from him that precious faith which justifies the true believer. It is only within the sphere of the working of that righteous love that we can gain this precious gift. "Lord, increase our faith." III. THE GilKETING. 1. The blessing invoked upon his ,·eaders. It is the old form of salutation which ho had used in his First Epistle, word for word the same. He could express no holier wishes for them: what more can they need on whom the gracious favour of God abideth, who have received from him the blessed gift of pe:i.ce? lie  12 THE SECOND EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. [oa. 1. 1-21.