LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON, N. J. THE JOHIT M. KREBS DONATION Dirision.JZ).>D ^ \ I Zj Section. .juL/.^ { C-t aopv( B sF . — ' *« comme:^taet ON THE SECOND EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLE PETEPi. y BY JOHN T. DEMAREST, D.D., MINISTER OP THE REFORMED DUTCH CHURCH, PASCACK, N. J. NEW YORK: A. LLOYD, 115 NASSAU STREET. 1865. BERGEN & TRIPP, PRINTERS, 103 Fulton St, N. T. ' * PREFACE. Our commentary on the second epistle 4>f Peter is chiefly exegetical, or designed to explain what we conceive to be the , true meaning of the Apostle ; or rather, what the Holy Spirit signifies by him. There are but few commentaries of this kind on this portion of scripture extant in our language ; and the one here offered to the Christian reader is the fruit of years of labor. Those who take pleasure in searching the Scriptures, because tliey testify of Christ and of eternal life in him, should not be deterred from jierusing an exposition of this sort, even if entirely unacquainted with the Greek language; for we have studied so to give the explanation, as to make it intelligible to the mere English reader, as well as to others. And when quotations from any author are given in Latin or Greek, they are in almost every instance translated, or the substance of them stated in our lan- guage. The author hopes that liis work will be of some use to his brethren in the ministry ; though he does not expect them to agree with him in all things : all that he can say is, that he has honestly endeavored to ascertain the meaning of this part of Holy Scrip- ture, and to state it with clearness and brevity. The introduc- tion is more protracted than we had originally intended, but the importance of the enquiry with respect to the authenticity of the 4 PREFACE. Epistle, and the efforts made by uioderii critics to brand it as •spurious, must be our apology. Tlie translation of the epistle is an essential part of the interpreta- tion, and if justice is done us herein, it must be viewed in that light. It is accordingly sometimes slavishly literal, inelegant and bald, corresponding more to the Greek than to the English idiom ; oftener, however, it is more in accordance with the laws of our tongue. It has been made, therefore, not to show what an Eng- lish version should be ; not to disparage the translation in com- mon use; but, in connection with the exj^lanations, to give more easily our own view of the exact meaning of the original text. Since this is alone authentic and inspired, a Commentator has a perfect right to take his own way of eliciting the sense of the original. Nor does the mode which we have adopted tend to lessen the esteem which unlearned Chi'istians should feel towards the excellent version of this Epistle in common use ; which Avill be evident to all who compare them. The Expositors to whom we are especially indebted for assist- ance are repeatedly mentioned in the commentary. The citations, or translations from Galvin are taken from the Amsterdam edition of his works. Jienson^s " Paraphrase and Notes on the Seven Catholic Epistles," London edition, 1749. McKnight on the Apostolical Epistles, Philadelphia edition, 1835. Our occasional references to Beza are from the following work : Jesu Christi D. N. Novum Testamentum Theodoro Beza interj^rete. Additfe sunt summre breves doctrinal in Evangelistas, et Acta Apostolo- rum, item, Methodus Apostolicarum Epistolarum ab eodem au- tore, cum brevi phraseon, et locorum difficiliorum expositione, ex ipsius ■ autoris majoribus annotationibus desumpta, paucis etiam additis ex Joach. Camerarii notationibus in Evangelistas et Acta : by P. Loselerius Villerius. London, 1574. It has been out of our power to consult the Cambridge edition of 1642. If, in any instance, then, we have done injustice to Beza, the cause of it is explained. HengeVs Gnomon Novi Testamenti, PREFACE. 5 third edition, by M. E. Beiigel and Steudel. Tubingin, 1835 and 183G. Tliomas Smith: Coramentarius, etc., in his Miscellanea, London, 1690. The following editions of the Greek Testament have been con- stantly consulted : Hahn, by Professor Robinson. Bloomfield, Philadelphia, 1844. Griesbach, edition of 1805. Lachmann's larger edition. Berlin, vol. I, 1842, vol. II, 1850. Tiscliendorf 's Editio Septima Critiea Major, published by Win- ter, Leipsic, 1859. We have also constantly examined Tyndale's Xew Testament, edition of 1526 ; the Vulgate, and particularly as found in Lach- mann's work, above mentioned ; also the translation of the Syriac New Testament by Murdock, though we have not cited it as an authority unless confirmed by Tischendorf. Some various readings have been given, chiefly to demonstrate how trifling and unimportant most of them are, and on Avhat a solid foundation the integrity and uncorrupted preservation of the New Testament rest. The authorities for and against the various readings, have been taken from the editions of Lachmann and Tischendorf by a careful collation. If there are any mistakes arising from oversight in this particular, they can easily be cor- rected by a reference to them. Tischendorf gives the authorities most accurately and fully. He has examined the uncial manu- scripts with great care and diligence, and constantly refers to them; also, to the cursive manuscripts, and versions, and to the ancient ecclesiastical writers or fathers. In his introduction, besides other interesting topics, he gives an admirable catalogue and description of the uncial manuscripts ; a catalogue also of the cursive ones, and explanations as to the editions of the Fathers used by him. The tmeial manuscripts, containing the Catholic Epistles, are comparatively few, and for the sake of those who may not have 6 PREFACE. a critical edition of the New Testament in their possession, we will mention them : (the cursive., about 200.) A. The Alexandrine Manuscript of the 6th century. It con- tains the Old and New Testaments nearly complete. The Catholic Epistles, as found in this manuscript, are complete. B. The Vatican Manuscript of the 4th century. It contains the Catholic Epistles complete, and the Old and New Testa- ments nearly so. C. Codex rescriptus S. Ephrae^ni of the 5th century. As to the Catholic Epistles, there are some deficiencies. G. Codex hihliothecm Angelicce, (of the Augustines at Rome,) or Codex Tassionei, formerly belonging to Cardinal Pnssione. It is of the 9th Century, and contains the text of the Acts, Pauline and Catholic Epistles. As to the latter, nothing is wanting. K. Codex Mosquensis S. Synodi Nr xcviii, ex monasterio S. Dionysii in monte Atho. Matthseio dicitur codex g. Scholzio cod. 102. It seem to be of the 9th century, and con- tains the Catholic Epistles complete, adjuncta catena patrum, (Tischendorf, Compare Hahn's New Testament by Robin- son, and Hug's Introduction to New Testament by Fosdick.) To avoid tedious and needless circumlocution, we have gener- ally given our explanations in an unequivocal and decided man- ner ; but by so doing, we have never intended them to be dogmat- ical. Where the phrase, "in our judgment," is not expressed, the reader will have the goodness to suppose it understood, or implied. If any should not be satisfied with this, then we com- mend to their attention a few words from a sensible heathen poet : Naturam expellas furca, tamen usque recurret. Pascack, Beeg-en Co., N. J., Jan. 16th, 1862. INTRODUCTION. I. An Inquiry into the Genuineness or Authenticity of THE Epistle. § 1. Preliminary remarks concerning the books of the JVew Testament called, Cofitrovei'ted, hy Eusebius. EusEBius, of Caesarea, published his Ecclesiastical History* about A. D. 312. He has done good sei'vice for the church in preserving many extracts from ancient writers in reference to the books of the New Testament. His learning in this department is unquestionable, and far superior to his judgment and critical acumen, in which he is somewhat deficient. This author makes the following classification of the books of the i^ew Testament : First, writings tmiversally received as genuine, or those whicli he found cited by ecclesiastical authors, from the first century to his day, as undoubtedly the productions of Apostles, or Apostolic men, i. e. the companions and disciples of Apostles. These books are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John ; the Acts of the Apostles, and thii'teen Epistles of Paul ; also the first Epistle of John, and the first Epistle of Peter. In the second class, or those controverted hy some, although well known and approved * An English version of tliis lii.story by C. F. Cruise, has been published. 8 THE CONTROVERTED BOOKS. hy most ecclesiastical authors as (/efvuine, are the following : The Epistles of James and of Jude, the second Epistle of Peter, and the second and third Epistles of John, the Epistle to the Hebrews, and the Revelation.* The third class mentioned by him comprises books that claimed to be apostolic, but w^ere imiversally rejected as sjnirious. These writings were forged and published in the name of Apostles, but they were miserable compilations, and entirely destitute of au- thority, inasmuch as they were not cited by any ancient church- writers as apostolic productions ; such were ' the Acts of Peter,' ' the Gospel according to Peter,' etc. Augustine, Athanasius, Jerome and Rufinus, in the catalogues they give of the New Testament, regard as unimportant this class- ification made by Eusebius. Indeed, in the latter part of the fourth century, the books of the NeAV Testament now" universally received by the Protestant churches, w^ere then also received by the church in general. The reason of this remarkable agreement of oi^inion as to the canon of the New Testament is, most likely, to be found in the fact, that the doubts of some as to the so-called controverted books (so honestly stated by the father of church history) were discovered, after a thoroi;gh examination into the historical evidence, to rest on no solid foundation. As to the principles by which the ancients Avere guided in de- ciding on the genuineness of any writing claiming to be apostolic, they were beyond all doubt, in the main, correct and sound. Be- fore a writing, professing to be composed by an Apostle, could be publicly read in the churches as a part of Holy Scrijjture, the fact that it was so written, was estabUshed by external or historical evidence; that is, by undoubted quotations of such writing as apostolic, by church writers from the first century to their day. Besides this external evidence, they examined also * Eusebius (Eccl. Hist, book ?,, chaps. 3 and 25,) does not distinctly place the Revelation and the epistle to the Hebrews among the controverted books ; though ho often mentions the doubts some entertained concerning their authors. THE CONTROVERTED BOOKS. 9 the internal. They brought a work professing to be apostolic to the touchstone of other writings universally acknowledged to be from the Apostles, in order to see wliether the same great lead- ing truths were maintained by both. They also examined in the same way the style of the so-called controverted books. But in this last particular, both ancient and modern writers in the church have been much too dogmatic, and often most mistaken, when most positive in the expression of their opinions. With respect to the circumstances which led some to doubt of the genuineness of the controverted books, they were the follow- ing: (1.) Doubts arose as to the question whether certain of these books Avere written by Apostles, or by others of the same name. This applies particularly to the epistles of James and of Jude, and to the second and third epistles of John. Accordingly, Eusebins, after mentioning 2d and 3d John, adds, " whetlier they are of the evangelist, or of some other of the same name." (2.) Doubts arose in the minds of some as to the epistle of Jude in particular, owing to the fact, real or alleged, that he quoted from apocryphal authors. (3.) Others doubted of some of these books from pre-conceived opinions, or doctrinal prejudice; paying little or no attention to the historical evidence in their favor ; away of procedure altogether unsound, and a fruitful source of error to critics even to this day. Matters of fact must not be settled by our philosophy or divinity, but by historical evidence. It Avas this doctrinal prejudice that led some to doubt of the Revelation, as John's. Their pre-conceived opinions concerning the niillen- nium, blinded their eyes as to the force and importance of the very ancient and unequivocal testimonies in favor of its genuineness. (4.) Doubts also arose as to the apostolic origin of some of these books from a difference of style, real or supposed, Avhcn compar- ed with other writings of the same apostle, universally admitted to be genuine. Hence some were led to doubt whether Paul was the author of the epistle of the Hebrews, and whether Peter Avas 10 THE CONTROVERTED BOOKS. the author of the second epistle ascribed to him, and claiming to be his. The question now natui-ally arises, what importance should be attached to doubts as to these books, thus originated ? Are they sufficient to justify us in rejecting these books as spurious? In our judgment they are not. (1.) Neither did Eusebius himself in all instances deem them so. He undoubtedly, for example, received the epistle to the Hebrews as Paul's. Hence he says, giving his own judgment, " The epistles of Paul are fourteen, all well known and beyond doubt." (Book 3, chap 3.) (2.) The books called by him controverted, were not without strong his- torical evidence in their favor, but they had not that full evidence as those called by him ' universally received.' The evidence was the same in kind ; it only differed in amount and degree ; or, tnore ancient writers had testified to the genuineness of the one class than to the other. This is manifest from his own express- ions. For, speaking of the controverted books, he says, " Among the controverted books, although they are xi'ell known and approv- ed hy niany^'' etc. And again, '•' The controverted, although they are recognized (i. e. as genuine) hy tnost ecclesiastical writers.'''' (Book 3, chap. 25.) Here is his testimony to the fact that these books were quoted as genuine by most of the old church writers ; and his testimony is of great value, since, as is well known, he had a large and precious library to consult. (3.) We are inclined to suspect that those persons in the Anti-Nicene church who hesi- tated about the authenticity of the so-called controverted books, made an improper use of a right distinction between apostles strictly so called, and apostolical men. Hence, Origen contend- ed that God only could tell who wrote the epistle to the Hebrews, i. e. as to its Greek style and construction ; though he unhesita- tingly admitted that the thoughts or doctrines contained therein were Pauline. Now, if Paul gave all the leading thoughts, and Luke or Apollos shaped the Greek expressions and constniction, the apostle himself would, of course review the whole, and send THE CONTROVERTED BOOKS. 11 it to tliose addressed, stamped, with his own approbation ; and such an epistle would be indeed Paul's, or he only would be its proper author. Again, if the epistle of Jude be not a composi- tion of the apostle Jude, it should not for that reason be thrown out of the number of inspired books. lie calls himself " a ser- vant of Jesus Christ and brother of James." No one can prove that this brother of James was not ' a leading man among the brethren,' and ' a prophet,' or inspired person ; if any will liave it that he was not an apostle, in the strict sense, still he was an apostolic man, a companion and disciple of apostles, a prophet or evangelist ; and inspiration was not a gift of the Holy Spirit con- fined to apostles alone. Apostles, Prophets and Evangelists were all inspired, though the apostles received the Spirit in larger measure, and were first also in rank or authority. (Compare 1 Cor. 12 : 28-30 with 8-11 vs. Eph. 4:11 and 3, 5.) (4.) There is nothing in any of these books repugnant to the apostolic doctrine as stated in the books ' universally received'; but, on the contrary, they fully agree M'ith them in the great leading truths. Thus it appears, not only that the internal evidence is on their side, but also that the external evidence is in favor of their authenticity, even according to the testimony of Eusebius himself. § 2. Historical evidence loith respect to the genuineness of the Epistle. The question is, whether this second epistle was truly written by the apostle Peter, thq author of the first. The writer of the second epistle declares it in a way that cannot be misunderstood. 2 Pet. 1:1, and 3:1; comp. 2 Pet. 1 : 16-18. We must therefore either receive this epistle as Peter's, or reject it as a forgery. Let us therefore call ancient witnesses before us, and listen with an^ unprejudiced mind to their testimony. 12 CLEMENT OF ROME. Clement of Kome, A. D. 70, or 96. This author wrote an epistle to the church of Corinth, in the name of the church of Rome, in order to quell the dissensions and party spirit then raging among the Corinthians. In it he cites by name Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, and alludes to other parts of the New Testament, generally however without any marks of quotation ; and often he alludes to the thought more than to the words. Thus he seems to allude to the second epistle of Peter. (VII.*) " Noah preached repentance^ and they toho hearkened v:ere saved.'''' (IX.) " JSfoah — by his 'tninistry preached regeneration to the workV With which 2 Pet. 2 : 5, must be compared : " He saved " (guarded, or safely kept) " Noah, one of eight, a preacher ofrigJit- eousness.'''' Some, with a magisterial air, assert that Clement sim- ply alludes to the Old Testament, as Davidsonf and others. But where in the book of Genesis, or in any part of the Holy Scripture, is Noah spoken of in the character of a preacher ? The preaching of Noah is mentioned in Scripture only in 2 Pet. 2 : 5. The writer of 2 Peter says that Noah and seven others were saved : Clem- ent, that they who hearkened unto Noah Avere saved ; by which he means the family of Noah, considering them as persons who believed the prophecy concerning the coming flood. They, also, both call Noah a preacher to the Antediluvians ; but this preach- ing is mentioned only in this second epistle. These coincidences are striking : the words of Clement therefore seem to be a mani- fest allusion to 2 Pet. 2:5; and, if so, they are a proof that Clem- ent and the church of Rome received ■ this epistle as a genuine epistle of Peter, and that, too, before the close of the first century. (XI.) Clement says, " Because of his hospitality and piety Lot was saved out of Sodom, when all the surrounding region was con- demned by fire and brimstone ; the Lord maMng it very manifest * We use Ilefele's Patrum Apostolicorum Opera, 3rd edition. ■j- Introduction to New Testament, vol. III. CLEMENT OF ROME. ^^3 tJiat heforsal'es not those lolio hope in him ; and on the other hand^ that those who turn aside he appoints to punishment and tornxentP 2 Pet. 2 : 6, 7, 9. " And consuming the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, he condemned with an overthrow, making them an ensample to those who shoiddlivein impiety. But delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked. Tlie Lord knotcs hoio to deliver the pious out of trial, and to keep the un- just for the day of judgment to he punished^ Clement here alludes to the second epistle of Peter, according to his usual way ; that is, he refers to the sentiment more than to the expression. Both writers not only mention the same facts, but they also draw the same inference from them with regard to God's sparing mercy towards the righteous, and his retributive justice towards the wicked. Clement's allusion may be to Gen. 18 : 23- 25, but the form of his expressions makes it as probable that the second epistle of Peter is referred to. It is best perhaps, to suppose the allusion to be both to the nar- rative in Genesis, and to the second chapter of this second epistle ; for Clement, immediately after the citation above given, S2)caks of Lot's wife as having an entirely difterent disposition from her husband, and of her signal punishment, and then adds : " In order that all may know, that they who are double-minded and distrustful of the power of God, are/br condemnation and for an ensample to all generations: dq -/.pqia xat. ei': ffrj/ietuxriv Tzafrai-: TciJ'T yevzucq ybovTai. In this clause there is a manifest allusion to 2 Pet. 2 : 6. Clement also seems to allude to 2 Pet. 1 : 9, (IIL) where he speaks of each one of those addressed as forgetful of his christian duties and as dim or short-sighted in his faith: h r^ r fecimen of his mode of citing from this apostle is given above. It is there introduced by on, or " because." (He, however, quotes from 1 Pet. without any formula of citation whatever, as in L, II.) The reference to 1 Pet. 2 : 11, all will readily admit. But is there not, in the clause italicised, an allusion to 2 Pet. 1:4? " Having fled from the corruption in the world in hcst.^'' (Gr.) 16 POLYCARP. The expressions, indeed, are not exactly the same, but the thought is. Polycarp is enforcing the exhortation to chastity, and there is nothing improbable in considering him to allude to 2 Pet. 1 : 4. He introduces his reference to that clause, the sense of which he gives, by " for," or yap. Thus also in chapter VII : " For whoever does not confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is an antichrist." (1 Jno. 4 : 3.) In 2 Pet. 1 : 4, the reference, in the last clause, is to bodily j^urity likewise ; comp. 2 Pet. 2 : 18, 19, 20. Besides, Polycarp's expressions should be particularly noticed : zo wmyM-zzaOai (=to be beaten or forced back, to he driven away^ aizb rmv l-iOuixiwv twv Iv zu) /.oaiJM., [=from the lusts that are in the world.) Now, to be driven away from these lusts, and to flee from them, or to drive oneself away from them, are not very different ; one writer uses the active voice, and the other the passive or middle ; the verb used is, indeed, different, but the sense is substantially the same. "We think, therefore, that Polycarj^'s allusion to 2 Pet. 1 : 4, is highly probable. " Whoever," writes Polycarp, (§ VIII.,) " perverts [fiedodeurj) the oracles of the luord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither resurrection nor judgment, he is the first born of Satan." By " oracles of the Lord," the New Testament is meant. For it is agreeable to his manner to call our Saviour " the Lord," and " our Lord ;" as in I., II., IV., V. And in § XII., we have these words : " I trust that ye are well exercised in the Holy Scrip- tures, ... as in them it is said, ' Be ye angry and sin not ;' and, ' Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.' " These prohibitions are found together only in Eph. 4 : 26. (Compare the first quotation, above given.) And any one who examines carefully the epistle of Polycarp will be astonished at the number of allusions and citations contained in it, taken from various books of the New Testament ; and will thereby discover clear evidence of the very early collection of the books of the New Tes- tament, as Scriptural and canonical. BARNABAS, HERMAS, AND IGNATIUS. 17 Barnabas, Hekmas, and Ignatius. Tlie other so-called Apostolic Fathers, viz. : Barnabas, Hermas, and Ignatius, we pass by, because no allusions to, or citations from 2 Pet. are found in them that are decisive. The epistle of Bar- nabas was, no doubt, written in the second century, by some be- liever in Christ so uamed; but certainly not by Barnabas, the companion and co-worker Avith Paul. It is, in our judgment, but a flimsy composition, unhappily distinguished by trifling allego- rical interpretations. " The Shepherd " of Hernias is a sort of pious fiction, or religious novel, of the same age ; from the nature of his work, it was not easy for him to employ direct citation. This work is inferior even to that of the so-called Barnabas ; and whether we look at it from a literary, moral, or theological point of view, we hesitate even to consider it milk fit for babes, (as some in the time of Eusebius seem to have done,*) but rather as a goblet, in which there are a few drops of milk, diluted witli much water — and sometimes with something worse. With re- spect to the so-called epistles of Ignatius, it would not be honest to quote anything from them, either from the shorter recension in Greek, or from Cureton's edition ; and that because the labors of Pearson, Cureton, and other leai'ned men, have not demonstrated the genuineness of either edition. A thick cloud still hangs over their authenticity, which we hope, however, wiU before long be dispelled. It should excite no surprise that there are no more allusions to 2 Pet. in the Apostolic Fathers ; for their writings which remain are few in number, small in size, and practical in their aim ; their design being, not to give catalogues of the Scriptures of the New Testament, but to incite to love and holy living. We proceed now to the Apologetic Fathers of this century, or * E. H. III. 3. 18 JUSTIN MARTYR. the apologists, who defended Christianity against the assaults of its enemies, whether Jews or Heathen. Justin Martyr, about A, D. 140. The quotations which follow are taken from his dialogue with TrypTio, the Jew, (Ed. Robert Stephens, Paris, 1551, pp. 88 and 89.) 2 Pet. 3: 8-10. "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord delays not, and the day of the Lord shall come," etc. Justin : " We also understand the saying that the Lord's day is as a thousand years, leads to this." Now, for what pur- pose does Justin cite this saying ? To prove what he conceives to be the true doctrine of the millennium, as stated in holy Scrip- ture, as will be evident from a part of the foregoing and follow- ing context. (The jDoint before us is, not whether Justin's views on this subject are true or false ; but Avhether he cites .2 Pet. as Scripture.) " Tell me truly," says Typho, " Do you [Christians] confess that tbis place, this same Jerusalem, is to be rebuilt, and that your people are to be gathered together, and be joyful with the Christ, together with the patriarchs and prophets, and with those of our race, and the proselytes, before ye expect your Christ to come ?" To which Justin replies : " I am not such a wretch as to say one thing and mean another. Accordingly, I confessed to thee formerly that I, for my part, truly think so, and many others ; as you [Jews] also well know that this shall come to pass. But, again, I signified to thee that many of those who are Christians of the pitre and godly opinion do not acknowl- edge tJiis.^ For I showed thee that some, indeed, are called * Some think the true reading is : " Christians not of the pure and godly opinion." "We follow the text of Stephens, as it concerns not the present argu- ment. JUSTIN MARTYR. 19 Christians, but are atheists and ungodly heretics, since tliey teach things in all respects blasphemous, atheistical, and unintelligible. But I, and whoever are, in all respects, orthodox Christians, know that there is to be both a resurrection of the iiesh, and a thous- and years' (residence) in Jerusalem, built, and adorned, and enlarged ; as the prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah, and others confess : for thus Isaiah sjioke concerning this inillenniwn.'''' The passage here cited by Justin is Isa. 65 : 17-25, on which he makes a few i-emarks, and then adds the words above translated : siprj/Jiivov {=zwhat is said, or the saying,) with refer- ence to what is written in Scripture, or to denote a Scriptural expression, is lui- questionable ; for after citinp; Isa. 65 : 17-25, he adds : " This saying," (the same Greek phrase,) " then, he uttered in these words." Paul, also, does tlie same, Rom. 4: 18. 20 THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH. tin's quotation, then, is decidedly more conformable to the words in this second epistle. Both Justin and the writer of 2 Pet. refer to Isa. 65 : 17-25. (2 Pet. 3 : 13.) But, if it be not cer- tain that Justin designed to refer to Ps. 90 : 4, then he must allude to 2 Pet. 3 : 8-10. For he cites this saying as, in his judgment, contributing to prove the millennium spoken of by Isaiah and other prophets, by the apostle John in the Revelation, and by Christ in the gospel of Luke, It is clear, then, that Jus- tin cites this saying as of equal authority with other inspired writings, and hence as scriptural ; and that he takes it from the second epistle of Peter. And the testimony of this learned and inquisitive man is of great value. The same words have also been quoted by Irenmus^ mid Clement of Alexandria. (See Hug's Introd. N. T., by Fosdick, § IVO.) {SemiscNs " Justin Martyr," translated by J. E. Ryland, is an interesting and useful work, and an excellent introduction to the study of this Apologist.) (. Theophilus of Antioch. H He wrote "Three books to Autolycus," about A. D. 180. This work is designed for heathen, and refutes the calumnies as to the doctrine and life of Christians, then imputed to them by the gentiles. In a work of this sort many quotations from the New Testament are not to be expected. Yet he has cited, as Holy Scripture, Matt., Jno., Rom., 1 Tim., and Tit. For instance, the gospel of John is thus cited : " The Holy Scriptures teach us, and all the sjiirit-moved, among whom John says : ' In the be- ginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,' showing, that at the first, God was alone, and in him the Word. Then he says : ' And the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made.' " There is, also, in this author, undoubted allusions to other books of the New Testament ; and whether, in the following para- THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH. 21 graphs, he alludes to 2 Pet., is the question now to be examined. " Men of God and spirit-moved hy tlie Holy Ghost, and hence prophets, inspired and 7nade toise hy God himself ,' they were God-taught, holy and righteous. Wherefore they obtained the honor to become the organs of God. ( This passage is cited most fully by Lardner ; also by Hug and Davidson.) Iheu/ianxpopot TZ'^soimTo-; uyiou, says Theophilus, and in 2 Pet. 1 : 21, we have oTTrt Tzveu/j-aro-: ayioo artahers of a divine nature y"" ''"' as it is in 2 Pet. 1 : 4. (Orat. I., contra Arian.) 28 CYRIL. JEROME. Cyril of Jerusalem, A. D. 348. In his " Catechetical Discoux'ses" he mentions the seven Catho- lic epistles of James and Peter, John and Jude, as properly be- longing to the books of the New Testament. (Lardner, IV., p. 173.) He must, therefore, have received this second epistle as an authentic work of Peter, Jerome, A. D. 392. This learned man and celebrated commentator, in his letter to Paulinus, speaks of the Catholic epistles thus : " The Apostles James, Peter, John, Jude, have written seven epistles — of few words, but full of sense." Further citations are superfluous, since all admit that the Catho- lic epistles were received as genuine by Christians in this cen- tury. Even Ephrem^ the Syrian, in his Greek works, quotes largely from this second epistle, as the Apostle Peter's ; repre- senting, no doubt, the views of his brethren. In this age, the canon of the New Testament, embraced by the church, Greek and Latin, was the same as ours. Lost Writij^gs. Here let us pause, for a moment, to regret the loss of many an- cient Christian writings of the three first centuries. In the first century, for example, the work of Painas, of Hierapolis in Asia Minor, called, "An Explication of the words of the Lord." Eusebius has told us that Papias was a man of feeble intellect. But, for all that, he may have been upright, and competent enough to state j^lain facts ; and his testimonies to the Gospels, as cited by Eusebius, are valuable. If his work, above named, were extant, we could exercise our own judgment as to the char- LOST WRITINGS. 29 acter of his mind, and tlie nature of his writings. As it is, we must suspend our judgment herein; for Eusebius evidently speaks of him in a pet, and with some prejudice. (II. E. III. 39.) In the second century, we must lament the loss of writings composed by Dionysius of Corinth ; and particularly that epistle in which " he defended the rule of truth," or canon of our faith, against Marcion's heresy. The Catholic epistles, it is very probable, were mentioned in that treatise, as well as the Pau- line. TatiaiTbS work on the four Gospels, also, is lost. (Dia Tessaron.) So is the ecclesiastical history of Ilegesippus / a few fragments excepted, which are preserved by Eusebius. Melito of Sardis, in Asia Minor, wrote many books, Avhich shared the same fate, viz. : " Of the Prophets," " Of the Church," " On the Lord's day," " Of the obedience of faith," " On the Revelation of John," etc. The work of 3Iiltlades against the Montanists is lost, and his writings against the Jews and Gentiles. Also, the treatise which TJieo2)hilus of Antioch wrote against Her- mogenes ; only his three books to Autolycus, before cited, re- main. The brief notes, or commentaries, of Clement of Alexan- dria., (called " Ilypotyposes," or Institutions,) on various poi*- tions of the Old and New Testaments, and particularly on the Pauline and Catholic Epistlks, are lost ; Avhich cannot be too deeply regretted. In the third century, we have some of Ori- gen's works, only in Latin translations, the author of which has confessed that he made alterations in them, in order to make them conform to the translator's views of orthodoxy. These vmrks of Origen are worse than lost — mutilated and falsified. The treatise of Hippolytus " Against all heresies," lately discov- ei'ed, is not yet in our possession. The reader can see, from this brief statement, Jiow very likely it is that much of the evidence for the genuineness of this e])istlc, and the others doubted of by a few, has been destroyed by the tooth of time. It should not be forgotten, that all the books called contro- 30 I^OST WRITINGS. verted by Eusebius, are found in all the ancient manuscripts and versions of the New Testament that are extant, in a complete state ; the old Syriac version excepted. Modern critics Avho doubt of the authenticity of 2d Pet., lay great stress on the feet, that this epistle is not contained in the old Syriac version. This ver- sion, if not made towards the end of the first centiary, Avas cer- tainly made early in the second. It is very likely, then, that the author of this translation had no knowledge of this epistle at the time when he wrote. He, of course, could not translate a book altogether unknown to him ; and this is confirmed from the fact that Ephrem, the Syrian, freely quotes it as Peter's ; expressing, no doubt, the sentiment of the Syrian churches of the fourth cen- tury. Theophilus of Antioch, in Syria, in the second ceniury^ also alludes to this epistle, as before shown. The same critics also attach considerable importance to the fact, that this epistle is not quoted by Tertullian, Cyprian, and others. But the mere fact that this epistle is not cited by these writers, is no certain proof that they rejected it. What canon of criticism have we — what rule suggested by good sense, wMch rtialces it Mnding on any Christian writer, ancient or tno7t'^—\i\\\A^A away.) Sure- ly these delicate allusions are perfectly natui-al and artless, ac- cordant with the known facts, and such as no forger would have thought of, " even if Satan himself had been at his elbow." The same doctrine, likewise, pervades both epistles ; so far, at least, as the design of each epistle would lead a candid mind to expect, and enough to prove that Peter is the author of the second epistle, as well as the first. That gosj^el truth is in order to promote the constantly increasing holiness of believers, is cleai-ly stated and enforced in both epistles, 1 Pet. 1 : 13-16. 2 Pet. 1 : 5-11. The great motive which Peter employs, in his first epistle, to animate believers, in their duties, sorrows and OBJECTIONS REFUTED. STYLE. 43 trials, is drawn from the reward which they shall obtain at Christ's second coming. 1 Pet. 1 : 7-13 ; 4:13; 5:4. And tlie the great design of his second epistle is to confirm them in the trutlis taught in the first, as the true grace, or gospel of God, 1 Pet. 5: 12, with 2 Pet. 3:1; and this in opposition to those false teachers and scoffers, who either disbelieved the second coming of Christ altogether, or else denied his coming as Judge and Lord. If our Saviour is not truly God as Avell as man, he can not be a competent person to "judge the world in righteousness." Acts 17: 13. He should be man, to "know what sore temptations mean ;" and onniiscient as God, otherwise mistakes would be made. How else can he judge rightly of all our thoughts, words and deeds?. Accordingly, in both epistles, Peter lets us know that our Lord is Jehovah, 1 Pet. 1 : 11 ; 2 : 3, 4 ; or that Jesus Christ is our God and Saviour, worthy of present and eternal adoration. 2 Pet. 1: 1; 3, 18. Besides, the most sagacious writers, that oppose the genuineness of the epistle, (either wholly, or in a modified way,) admit that the internal evidence of this sort is decidedly in its favor. " Cer- tainly," says Calvin, " the majesty of Christ's Spirit shows itself in every part of the epistle." (Preface to 2 Pet.) " There is nothing," says Davidson, " in the epistle unworthy of an apostle ; nothing inconsistent with the analogy of faith, or with other parts of the New Testament. On the contrary, it breathes an apostolic spirit." (Int. New Testament, III., p. 443.) § 2. Objections to the genuineness of the ejnstle, derived from internal evide?ice, stated, and refuted. The following extract, from Jerome, will show what it was that led critics of his day, to doubt whether this epistle was Peter's : " Peter Avrote two epistles, called Catholic ; the second of wliich is denied by most to be his, because of the difference of style from 44 OBJECTIONS REFUTED. STYLE. the former: quarum secunda a pleris ejus esse negatur, propter styli cum priore dissonantiam. " But other hoohs^'' {%. e., books claiming to be written by him,) " one of which is called his Acts, another his Gospel, a third his Preaching, a fourth his Re- velation, a fifth his Judgment, are ranked among apocrj^jhal books, and are rejected as spurious : " inter apocryphas scriptu- ras repudiantur. (De vir. ill.) The second epistle of Peter, then, was not rejected as a spuri- ous, or forged composition, like the apocryphal books ascribed to him ; but critics then said, that its style led them to entertain doubts of its authenticity. Jerome often wrote in hot haste, and allowances, therefore, must be made for his unguarded express- ions. He meant to say, that a considerable number of persons, qualified to examine siich a question, doubted its genuineness, in his day, and that these doubts were occasioned by the ^ style of the writer, not because of the matter, or contents of the writing. The doubts of some very eminent modern theologians, have arisen from the same source. Hence, Calvin, in his preface to 2 Pet., says : " Notwithstanding some aflfinity in style, the differ- ences between it and the former, are such, as to indicate that they had not the same author." And again : " Since the majesty of the Spirit of Christ certainly shows itself in every part of the letter, I haA^e conscientious scruples about wholly rejecting it ; I do not, however, recognize in it Peter's genuine style," (or mode of expression.) He supposes, therefore, that it was, probably, written by a disciple of Peter, just before his martydom, approv- ed hy the apostle^ and so published. But this is pure conjecture, without even a broken reed of historical evidence to lean on, and therefore, worthless. But let us toeigh the principal objections to the authenticity of this epistle, taken from internal evidence, and not surrender our judgments, hoodwinked, to any great name, either of ancient or modern times. These objections are stated by Neander, in a note to his " History of the Planting and Training of the Chris- OBJECTIONS REFUTED. STYLE. 45 tian Church," by Ryland. (Book 4, Chap. 2.) His arguments are of two chisses : first, he gives " the 2)rincipal marks of the spuriousness of the epistle," and tlien " the circumstances that excite suspicion." The principal marks of the spuriousness of the epistle, accord- ing to the view of Neander, are the following: (1.) The great difference of character and style, between this epistle and the first. Now, it may be considered presumptuous, by our readers, for us to oppose Neander, Calvin, and others, in this particular ; but since the year 1851, when our exposition of the first epistle w\as published, we have often compared the two epistles in the original, and can not discover such a total disparity, in style, as is asserted. On the contrary, there are unmistakable indications that both epistles are the productions of the same author. Here we should observe that the mode employed by German critics, and their followers, in their attempts to jirove, from its style, the spuriousness of this eijistle, (and in other similar ef- forts,) is liable to grave objections. They insist, for example, on the nmubers of words found in the first epistle only, and not in the second, nor elsewhere in the New Testament. As if, for- sooth, a Avriter must be confined to a stereotyped set of words and phrases, or his productions be branded as spurious, by these great masters of literary criticism ! As if different subjects, or different modes of handling a subject, or feelings excited or com- posed, made no difference in a writer's expressions ! These gen- tlemen also take out their microscopes, and carefully examine tlie Unkings of a writer's verbal construction; and if, in one epistle they find a somewhat varied mode of arranging words into sentences or propositions, they forthwith denounce the epistle as spurious ! Even if a M'ord, or phrase, is too often repeated to suit their highly cultivated taste, they pounce upon " the draAvling construction" with the foolish demand, that he, whose words run tolerably smooth in one epistle, should never once stutter in an- other. They tell us also, that the appellations given to the 46 OBJECTIONS REFUTED. STTLE. Father and to Christ are different, or variously nsed in the two epistles. For examjDle, "The Lord" is too frequently used in the second epistle in reference to Christ ; it ought to have been used, say they, if Peter were its author, in reference to the Father. But in 1 Pet. 1 : 3 ; 2 : 3, (compared Avith 2 : 4,) it un- questionably denotes Christ. And since the folse teachers denied that their professed Redeemer was their Lord or Sovereign, and infidels scofied at the very idea of his appearing as Judge, it was perfectly natural, and meet, for the apostle to insist on the fact that he who is Lord and Redeemer, is one and the same, full both of mercy and justice. (2 Pet. 2:1.) In the two epistles different expressions are used to denote Christ's second coming : 1 Pet. 1:7, " the revelation of Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. 3 : 4-10 ; 2 : 9. "His coming," " the day of the Lord," " the day of Judgment." Now, besides the fact that these varied phrases are precisely suited to the design of the second epistle, it is nonsensical to assume, that one and ihe same person must always employ the same expressions, Avhen treating of the same thing. And yet, this sophism is built on this as- sumption ! If Hodge, the well known commentator, were to preach at Princeton on one Sabbath, and speak of ' the second appearing of our Lord,' and on another Lord's day, in the city of New Yoi'k, were to address the audience on ' the coming of Christ to judge mankind,' he would, by this Higher Criticism, be proved thereby, to have lost his personal identity ! Again, the writer of the second epistle does not quote formally from the Old Testament, nor weave its expressions into his let- ter, as is done in the first epistle. But he unquestionably refers to Isa. 65 : 17-25, and Isa. 66 : 22-24, for he takes thence the ex- pressions, " the new heavens and the new earth ; " nay, he refers to it by an indisputable formula of quotation, " according to his promise." 2 Pet. 3:13. And how a man, of delicate and dis- criminating taste, can read the second chapter of this epistle, and especially his graphic descrij^tions of the heretics, and not dis- OBJECTIONS REFUTED. STYLE. 47 cover one thoroughly imbued with the very soul and spirit of the Old Testament prophets, passes our comprehension. In the case of Noah and the deluge, the destruction of the cities of the Plain with the deliverance of Lot, his allusion likewise to Ba- laam, and to the Proverbs of Solomon, and all in one short chap- ter, sufficiently show that the apostle Peter is the writer. The discrepancy asserted exists, not in the epistle, but in the im- agination, of the objectors. And if Peter does not, in this epistle, so often convey his thoughts by Old Testament plu'ases, as he does in the first epistle, Avhat demonstration can that fact be that the epistle is not genuine ? Must an apostle not have the liberty, if at any time he prefers it, to express his thoughts in his own language ? Besides, his reference to the Old Testa- ment, and particularly to the prophetic portions of it, is of itself sufticieut to refute this objection. 2 Pet. 1 : 19-21. For he re- fers to the canon of Scriptm-al Prophecy, as an indisputable proof of the certainty of Christ's second coming ; and that was siiffi- cient for his scope in this epistle. And yet Davidson considers this objection unassailable ! We assure our readers, that the above specimen of objections against this epistle, derived from its style and construction, is no caricature ; * nor have we selected the flimsiest arguments. Such a mode of assailing the genumeness of any writer, must be consid- ered wholly unwarrantable ; but when it is applied to a sacred writer, it borders on the skeptical and profane. Neander, however, in the place before referred to, enters into no details whatever, but assumes a total disparity of style in this epistle, when compared with the first ; as if it were a matter too manifest to be proved ! There is one characteristic of Peter's style — a leading and striking one— which has been overlooked by grammatical hair- splitters and Avord-explainers ; and this peculiarity appears de- *See Davidson's Int. New Testament, vol. 3, p. 430, etc. 48 RHETORICAL ANALOGY BETWEEN THE TWO EPISTLES. cidedly in both epistles, showing that both proceeded from the ajiostle. The rhetorical figures employed by him are, so to speak, chiefly meant for the eye : he shows a liking for visual imagery. We begin with specimens from the first epistle^ with occasional citations, or references, to the second. He calls the Christians addressed " Strangers^'' (l : 1,) in the world. '■'•Sojourners and Strangers,'''' 2: 11. We may follow them with our eye as they walk, faint and wearied through the wilderness. He declares that God's renewed children have an inheritance, or patrimony, that is " incorruptible,'''' incapable of decay ; they will never perceive it to be dust and ashes in their hands. It is likewise '■'• imdefiled f not a blot or stain of sin will ever be detected on it. And '•'• it fadeth not away /''^ 'it is an amaranthine patri- mony, fresh and fair as a new-blown rose, the fragrance of which will ever be delightful. 1:4; comp. 5:4. To show that the inheritance is secured for such, he says, that it is " guarded on Mgh^'' or kept in the heavens, " for them." And, moreover, that " they are garrisoned in God''s joower," as in an impregnable fortress, by " faith for salvation." 1 : 4, 5. Speaking of the joy of those who believe in, and love Christ, his expressions are : " Ye leap up, with joy unspeakable, and glo- rified." Comp. 4:13. (Gr.) " Which things angels desire to look into ; " to bend doion and get a near look at, as the original signifies. 1:12. " Wherefore, by girding up the loitis of your mind, by Jceep>ing sober, hope, to the end, for the Grace that is to be brought to you,''^ (presented, put in your hands,) " at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1: 13. " Wherefore, laying aside all malice." 2:1. " The laying aside of my tent,''"' 2 Pet. 1 : 14. " Coming to whom, a living stone, ye, also, as living stones are built up, a spiritual house, a coJisecrated company of priests, to offer up spiritual sacrifices.'''' 1 Pet. 2 : 4, 5. RHETORICAL ANALOGY BETWEEN THE TWO EPISTLES. 49 " They strike against the Word," 2: 8. "Fleshly lusts, Avhich war against the soul." 2:11. " Jb muzzle these foolish men's ignorance." 2:15. " Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the crooJced,'''' 2:18. " If one bear up under griefs." 2:19. " That ye shoiddfolloio closely his foot prints.'''' 2 : 21 " We did 7iot follow cunningly devised fables;" we did not take them ns our guides. 2 Pet. 1:16; comp. 2 Pet. 2 : 2, 15. "That your prayers he not hindered ;''"' i. , 13. Paul also uses the verb in the same way, 1 Cor. 12: 3: "Wherefore, lam making knoicn to you, that no one speaking by the spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed ; " where Paul refers to ^ohat is written in that verse. Compare 1 Cor. 15: 1, with the third verse, where the ex- pression, " Jam maJciiui known to you the gospel," refers to his written defence of the doctrine of the resurrection which he Avas then making; and the phrases, "which I preached to you," "for I delivered to you," refer to his former oral teaching. The argu- ment of Neander then, on this topic, "vanishes into thin air." (4.) "The solicitude with which he endeavors to make him- self known as the apostle Peter, betrays an apocryphal writer." A wonderful argument, truly ! As if an apostle, warning the churches against false teachers, should not insist on the fact that he was indeed a legate of Christ ! Besides, the same way of arguing on which Neander here leans, would SAveep away at once both the epistles to the Corinthians, and the ejjistle to the Galatians ; and yet these letters were unquestionably written by Paul, and have been always and universally acknowledged and received as such. What then does such reasoning prove ? (5.) "The allusion to the words of Christ, John 21: 18, is brought forward in an unsuitable manner, 2 Pet. 1 : 14." In ichat respect this allusion is ^msuitahle, the objector has not conde- scended to inform us. The author of this epistle alludes to his swiftly approaching death as a motive, urging him to write this letter, designed to put the chui'ches on their guard against false teachers. Noav, where is the consistency of his alluding to his swiftly approaching martyrdom for the truth, Avhile in the very act of writing for the last time in its defence and confirmation ? There are ancient ecclesiastical writers who say, that Peter was crucified not only, but with his head downward ; and that the apostle himself desired to be so crucified !* Such miserable stuff, * These writers are the celebrated Origen, (see Eusebius, E. H., III. 1,) and Jerome. (De Y. E., cap. I.) 52 OBJECTIONS REFUTED. " taken from the dragnet of antiquity," surely betrays a writer over credulous, embracing a false and morbid humility. But the writer of this epistle shows not the least symptom of such a sickly temper of mind. He simply refers to what the Lord had told him as to the manner of his death, and gives the near ap- proach of that death as a reason why he is so anxious to guard and feed the flock addressed. In this, what is there unsuitable ? Nay, is it not in all respects suited to the character of the apostle Peter, who loved both Christ and his people so fervently ? (6.) "In order to distinguish himself as a credible Avitness of the life of Christ, he appeals to the phenomena at the transfigu- ration. But it certainly is not natural to sujij^ose that one of the apostles should select and bring forward from the whole life of Christ, of which they had been eye-witnesses, this insulated fact, which was less essentially connected with that which was the central point and object of his appearance ; the apostles were rather accustomed to claim credit as witnesses of the suffering and resurrection of Clmst." Neander in this paragraph, shows that he has altogether mis- taken the design of the writer of this epistle in his appeal to what took place at the Transfiguration of our Lord ; it was not to designate himself as a credible witness of Christ's life and suf- ferings on earth, during his first appearing among men ; though he was such a witness. (1 Pet. 5:1.) Neither is this wonder- ful fact, the transfiguration, an insulated one, but connected most intimately with Christ's second coming in power and glory, to recompense both the righteous and the wicked, and especially false teachers and scoiFers. And the writer of this epistle alludes to it for this end as a sample, or specimen of the manner in which our Lord is to come the second time to our world. (Comp. 1 : 16-18, with 1 : 5-11, and see 2 : 1, 3, 9 ; 3 : 3, 4, 7-13. The reference therefore, when properly understood, is in perfect keeping with the main design of the epistle ; and the most plau- .sible argument of the critic is based on " an egregious blunder ;" OBJECTIONS REFUTED. 53 demonsti-ating that the cliicf scope of this epistle, was not dis- cerned by him, at least, in the reference of its writer to the trans- fignration. We are told indeed, that " the apostles were accustomed to claim credit as witnesses of the sufferings and resurrection of Christ." But why, unless to prove by the correspondence of facts in Christ's life with Scriptural Prophecy, that he who had come in the flesh, was in truth the Messiah and the only Saviour ? (See Acts 2 : 22-36.) But does it follow from this, that an apostle may not, and must not refer to Christ's transfiguration as a proof, or specimen of his ability to come again as King and Judge, as a picture of the manner of his appearing ? Will we believe the apostles only Avhen they are witnesses of Christ's prophetical and priestly office, but disbelieve their testimony in refei-ence to his kingly and judicial office ? Why did the apostle of the Gentiles write his epistles to the Thessalonians ? Was it that Ave might sneer at the testimony given m them, of Christ's second coming ? Neander's objections then as to this matter, are worthless, being altogether irrelevant. He also says, that by calling the mountain on which the trans- figuration occurred, " the holt/ mount," the hand of a later writer is shown ; and the only reason given is that Mount Zion, usually called holy, can not be meant. But who supposes that Zion is intended ? Would not this mode of reasoning, (if such it can be called,) prove, that wherever in any part of Scripture Mount Zion is called " holy," a forger had been busy ? But the Jews, it may be said, were familiar with such a use of the term, since their laAV ascribes holiness to certain places, as well as persons. True, but why? Is it not owing to the fact, such persons were especially consecrated to God's service; and that such places were distinguished by extraordinary manifestations, permanent or temporary, of God's presence? And was there not such a manifestation of the divine presence on the mount where Christ was transfigured ? Beyond all doubt there Avas. To deny it, is 54 • OBJECTIONS REFUTED. to step beyond to the ranks of the skeptical army. !Neander might as well consider the book of Exodus a spiirious production ; for when Jehovah the Son, appeared to Moses, he called the place where he then manifested himselfj "holy." (Ex. 3: 5, with John 1 : 18.) The circumstances that excite suspicion concerning the author of this epistle, are in his view, the following : (1.) He thinks it a suspicious circumstance that " Jude speaks of the false teachers as actually existing, but the writer of this epistle as about to appear." But we have before proved that Jude made use of this epistle, and hence wrote subsequently. Besides, as before shown, the germs of the heresies foreshown in their fu- ture development, were already working when this ei^istle was writen. (2.) "The doubts respecting Christ's second coming, and the disappointment felt, because of its delay," furnish no good grounds to suspect the authenticity of the letter. For the Thessalonians made a mistake as to Christ's coming which Paul corrected. (2 Thess. 2.) Now the evidence for the genuineness of these epistles is overwhelming : they can not be suspected on such a groxmd as this. Besides, the believers addressed in this letter, "had no such doubts, and felt no such disappointment. The writer refers to unbelievers, who sneered at Christ's coming as a pure dream of superstitious men. 3 : 3, 4. (3.) "What is said of the origin of the world from water, and its destruction by fire, does not correspond to the simplicity and practical spirit of the apostolic doctrine, but rather indicates the spirit of a later age, mingling much that was foreign with the religious interest." But why should any entertain a suspicion of the genuineness of the epistle because of what the writer says, as to the origin of our world? Is it inconsistent with the Mosaic cosmogony? And has a better cosmogony ever been published ? And as to its destruction by fire, the Avriter of this epistle does OBJECTIONS REFUTED. 55 not teach that our world is to be driven back into nothingness, or annihilated ; but that it is to undergo a great change by fire, and then, in its renovated state, to become the abode of the righteous. And is the hand of the Almighty too weak to effect this ? Is his promise unworthy of credit? Isa. 65: IV ; 66: 22. Neither does the author of this letter speak of this change, as a mere natural philosopher, but with the true practical spirit of an apostle, as is evident from his animated exhortation to holi- ness, mingled with his description of the awful scene. 3: 11, 12. What Neander means, by the writer's mingling foreign mat- ters with the religious interest, is not easy to understand. If he refers to the doctrines of the Stoics and others, about the de- struction of our world by fire, then he should have demonstrated two things : first, that their doctrine, and that taught in this epis- tle, is one and the same ; and next, that it is a false doctrine ; otherwise there is no reason to suspect that Peter is not the author of this letter. (4.) "The mode of citing the Pauline epistles, confirms also the suspicion against the genuineness of this epistle. A passage from Rom. 2 : 4, is cited in 3 : 15, as if this epistle were address- ed to the same -church." Here, again, the ci-itic takes for granted the very thing he should have proved. The passage from Rom. 2 : 4, is as follows : " Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness, and forbearance, and long-sufifiriug ; not knowing that the goodness of God lead- eth thee to repentance?'''* Is this text cited in 2 Pet. 3: 15? "And account the long-suffering of our Lord salvation.'''' What proof have we of it, except the mere say-so of the objector ? What then is the reference ? We reply, that 1 Tim. 2 : 4, and Eph. 3: 1-7, are alluded to in 3: 15 ; the destination of both <»f which epistles, was Ephesus in Asia, the proconsular Asia men- tioned, 1 Pet. 1 : 1. That the allusions are as stated, will appear from citing the passages. "And account the long-suffering of our Lord salvation, even as our beloved brother Paul, also, ac- 56 OBJECTION'S REFUTED. cording to the tcisdom given unto him, wrote unto youP 2 Pet. 3:15. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God owy Saviour, who will have all men to he saved^ and come to the knowledge of the truth." 1 Tim. 2 : 4. The first clause of 2 Pet. 3: 15, is an allusion to this passage of Paul, and both convey in substance the same sentiment. The writer of this epistle declares, that the apparent delay of the great day should be considered by men as furnishing them with opportunities to obtain salvation. And Paul says, that God our Saviour is de- termined to save men of all classes, whether in private or public life, and hence, gives them oi)portunities of becoming acquainted with the gospel or the truth, as to the way of salvation. "For this cause, I Paul, Cln-ist's prisoner, for you Gentiles. Since ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which has been given me for yoxir sakes: that by revelation the mystery has been made known unto me, as I wrote just before briefly, in reference to which mattei*, ye can, by reading, perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ, which in other gene- rations was not made known to the sons of men, as now it is revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit ; that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel ; of which [gospel] I be- came a minister, according to the gift of God''s. grace that has been given me, by the effectual working of his power." Eph. 3 : 1-7. Here are clear and abundant expressions, corresponding to the latter clcmse of 2 Pet. 3: 15, Avritten too in the first instance, to Christians dwelling in the capital city of the Roman province, Asia. This objection of Neander then, when sifted, is found to be no better than chaff; and when the real allusions of the writer of this epistle are discovered, they furnish, as we have seen, a point- ed and convincing proof of the genuineness of his letter. (5.) "A collection of all the Pauline epistles is referred to, and OBJECTIONS REFUTED. 57 it is assumed, that Paul, in all of them, referred to one subject, Avhich yet by no means, appears in all." Neander seems to suppose tliat a collection of Paul's epistles could not have been made until the second century, and hence he is led to suspect the authenticity of this epistle. "But," re- plies Olshausen,* "this assumption that the collection of the Pauline epistles Avas first made at so late a period, is by no means susceptible of proof. Indeed, in the fourth chapter, we attempted to prove it not improbable that even Paul himself made a collec- tion of his epistles. At all events, no historical fact can be ad- duced against this hypothesis, and Ave must, therefore, consider this much as certain, that the mention of a collection of Paul's epistles ought not to induce us to conclude against the apostolic origin of this epistle." Paul's epistles Avere A'ery highly esteemed by the primitiA'e Christians, and Paul himself earnestly urged them to read and circulate his letters. 1 Thess. 5 : 27; Col. 4: 16. And Avhen a church, or society of believers, received a letter from the great apostle, Avhat niore natural than to suppose that they Avould send, as soon as possible, an accurate copy of it to one or more of the nearest churches, and they again to others? And since Paul's epistles Avere Avritten before Peter sent forth his, Avhat ab- surdity is there in supposing the Christians of Asia Minor to be acquainted A\'itli them ? The bearers of the Pauline epistles had abundant opportunities before A. D. 64, or A. D. 68, (the date of his martydom assigned by chronologists,) to go from Rome to PJi llippi and Thessalonica / from thence to Corinth / from Co- rinth, across the ^Egean sea, to ^phesiis, and so to Galatia and Colosse ; and yet, forsooth, in Asia Minor, tl>e great field of Paul's labors. Christians must be supposed to have a collection of his epistles, only after A. D. 100 ! Accordingly^ Lardner, no * •' Proof of the Genuineness of the Writings of the Now Testament," trans- lated by Fosdick. (Vol. I., Com'j ou the Gospels.) 68 OBJECTIONS REFUTED. common judge on a topic like this, says : " Before the end of the first century, yea, not very long after the middle of it, it is likely there tcere collections made of the four gospels, and tnost of the other books of the Neio Testament, which toere in the hands of a good number of churches and persons^ (History of the Apos- tles and Evangelists, Chap. III.) But it is not necessary to suppose that the writer of this epis- tle refers to a complete collection of the Pauline letters in the sti'ictest sense ; for when he employs the clause, " As also in all his epistles," it seems to be used in manifest contrast to 3:15, " Even as Paul wrote to youP (1 Tim., Eph.) So that the sense seems to be this: " Our beloved brother Paul wrote, by divine in- spiration, especially to you living in Ephesus in Asia, or to you Christians in Asia Minor ; also, in most of his letters, not written directly to you, he speaks of these matters." According to this view, " all " signifies ' all that are now known to you,' or most ; and this interpretation is not forced, or far-fetched, but natural an-d obvious. Nor is it self-evident that the author of this letter takes it for granted that Paul, in his epistles, " refers only to 07ie subject^ " Speaking in them of these things^'' 2 Pet. 3:16. Now, since 2 Pet. 3 : 14-18, contains the conclusion of the ej)istle, why may we not suppose that the writer refers to all the leading topics set forth in the whole letter ? In the first chapter, the necessity of growth in holiness is maintained as a proof, or evidence of sincere acknowledgment of Christ, 1 : 5-9 ; and as that without which none shall enter into his future everlasting kingdom, 10, 11 vs. Then, the certainty of his coming to reward the holy in it, is proved from the transfiguration of our Lord, and from the Pro- phetic Word. In the second chapter, the characteristics and doom of False Teachers, at the day of judgment, are chiefly set forth \ though the deliverance of the righteous from a state of trial is also declared. In the third chapter is foretold the rise of scoffers, who ridicule the second coming of our Lord as " a cun- OBJECTIONS REFUTED. 59 ningly devised fable." After a brief refutation of them, he di- rects his discourse to tlie j^ious, and foretells tlie conflagration, and then the renovation of our Avorld, at Christ's coming, as the dwelling place of the righteous. " These things " are the chief topics of this second epistle. Now the author of this epistle says, that Paul, in all of his epistles known to them, but not directly addressed to them, speaks of these topics. Any one can see for himself, that this is true, by studying the epistles to the Thessalonians as to the com- ing of our Lord to reward the pious and punish the wicked ; and the epistle to the Romans, with respect to the renovation of the Avorld at the same epoch. 8: 18-23. With respect to the pro- gress in holiness, as proof of a sincere profession, and as necessary for admission into Christ's kingdom, see Phil. 1 : 27 ; 3: 12-15 ; 1 Thess. 3:6-8; 12, 13 ; 1 Cor. 6 : 9, 10. As to false teachers and their doom, see 2 Cor. 2 : 17 ; 11 : 13-15 ; Phil. 3:2; 18, 19. The writer of this epistle does not say that Paul treats only of these things in the epistles referred to, but that Paul agrees Avith him as to the certainty of Christ's coming, the place, and subjects of his kingdom ; and the excision of aU the unholy, and especially of false teachers and scofters, with their disciples and imitators; all which is true. This objection, therefore, must be considered as harmless as an exploded bomb. (6.) The last objection is,° that in 2 Pet. 3:16, the Avriter speaks of Paul's epistles as having the same authority with the writings of the Old Testament. That he does so, is too evident to be denied, although some have forced another meaning out of his words. The terra " Scripture," (and also in the plural, " Scrip- tures,") certainly means, in the writings of the other apostles, the books of the Old Testament. See Matt. 21:42; John 5 : 39 ; Rom. 1 : 2 ; 4 : 3. And thus the term is employed by Peter liiin- self. 1 Pet. 2 : 6 ; 2 Pet. 1 : 20. Noav, in 3 : 16, the author says : "Which things" (things or topics contained in Paul's epistles,) " they wrest, as also the other Scriptures." Here he certainly 60 THE PERSONS ADDRESSED. declares the Pauline Epistles to be inspired Avritings, forming a part of the canon of Holy Scripture, by putting them in the same class with the books of the Old Testament. But it is unsuitable for one apostle thus to refer to the writings of another ? " An apostle would never have done so," says the objector. (See also Calvin on 2 Pet. 3 : 15.) Why not ? "Be- cause the apostles call the Old Testament Scripture, or Scriptures." True, hut does it folloio from this, that they did not consider their own writings also inspired of God, and hence, equally de- serving of the name Scripture f It does not ; for Paul claims inspiration for himself as pointedly as it is ascribed to him in this ejiistle. Gal. 1: 11, 12; Eph. 3 : 3, 4 ; 1 Thess. 4: 15; 1 Cor. 14: 37; (compare 1 John 4 : 6.) Now, if it was not imsuitable for Paul to claim inspiration for himself, how can it be unsuitable for Peter, in opposition to false teachers, to give his testimony to a fact so evident and vmquestionable ? And how could he do it better than by speaking of Paul's epistles as Scripture ? We have thus shown that the arguments of this able and dis- tinguished man, against the genuineness of this epistle, are either mistaken in their assumptions, or that they fail to prove the point for which they are adduced. His assaults therefore, end only in smoke ; no harm is done thereby to the canon of the New Testament. It stands like an impregnable tower, in which dwells " The Spirit of Truth." in. — The p>ersons addressed. These are the same as those written to, in the first ej^istle, viz., Christians of Jewish and Gentile extraction, living in the five provinces of Asia Minor. 2 Pet. 1 : 1 ; 3: 1, with 1 Pet. 1 : 1. That Jewish believers are addressed in the first epistle, is evident from 1:1; for the word " dispersion," diaa-Kopd, M'hen followed by a noun or nouns in the genitive, denoting nation, tribe, or community, is used to designate Jews disj^ersed among such na- THE SCOPE OF THE EPISTLE. Gl tions or tribes, as in John 7 : 35. (Conip. Jas. 1:1; Ps. 14G : 2, in the LXX., 147, 2, in the EngUsh version ; 2 Mace. 1 : 27 ; Ju- dith 5 : 19.) But that Gentile Christians Avere also addressed, is clear from 1 Pet, 4 : 4, 5. Besides the provinces of Asia Minor were the great field of the labors of Paul and his helpers ; and that the churches of these provinces were composed both of Jewish and Gentile believers, is manifest, not only from the Pauline Epistles, but also from the Acts of the Apostles. And since 2 Pet. 3:1, makes it indubitable that this epistle was ad- dressed to the same churches as the first, there can be no rational doubt respecting those for whom the epistles were originally in- tended. They who contend that JeAvish or Gentile believers are, in the first instance, exclusively addressed, are confuted by 2 Pet. 1:1; where the apostle says that he writes to those Avhose faith leans on the righteousness ot our God and Saviour, Jesus Christ ; which surely is a characteristic of true believers as such, without regard to national distinctions. W.—TIie Scope of the Einstle. The chief design of the apostle is to assure them and us of the certainty of Christ's second coming as King and Judge ; and of the indispensable necessity of personal increasing holiness, on the part of those who profess to be believers, in order to sliare in the bliss of our Lord's everlasting kingdom ; also, to warn them and ns against the wiles of false teachers, scoffers, and their, follow- ers, as well as to predict the awful doom which will overtake them when their judge has come. A subordinate design, though an important one, is to give his dying testimony to the agreement of Paul with himself in the leading subjects of both epistles, and particularly of this epistle'; and to testify, in opposition to false teachers, that the great apostle of the Gentiles had been infalHbly taught by the Spirit of 62 THE OCCASION AND DATE OF THE LETTER. Christ. And the necessity of giving such a testimony is implied in 1 Pet. 5:12, compared with 1 Pet. 1:12. V. — The occasion and date of the Epistle. Peter' s martyrdom at Home. It is not necessary, as ah-eady intimated, to suppose that no false teachers, (having at least some of the features of those de- scribed in this epistle,) were at work among the churches in the five i^rovinces at the time Avhen Peter wrote his first epistle. For, in his former letter, 5: 12, he intimates that errorists were at work, by assuring them that that epistle exhibits the true grace of God ; or that it is an uncontaminated outline of the genuine gospel, agreeing with what Paul and his co-workers had taught them, 1 : 12. (Comp. 2 Pet. 3: 15, 16.) Hence, also, he sent ' that letter to them by the hands of Silas. In the second epistle he predicts that false teachers shall arise with more unblushing- impudence, and continue, (as it seems to us,) even to the end of the present dispensation, or down to the time of our Lord's per- sonal arrival ; 2d and 3d chapters. The zeal of such teachers in sowing tares appears either to have increased, after he had sent his first letter to the churches, or else the apostle had received more accurate information as to their doings ; which induced him, by the suggestion of the Holy Ghost, to write this second epistle to " strengthen his brethren " against heresy, as he had written the first to arm them against persecution. The occasion of writ- ing this epistle was accordingly furnished by the unholy zeal of false brethren ; at least, this is the most probable hypothesis. As to the date of the letter, it is not easy to decide. We know indeed that it was written shortly before the apostle's death, 1:14; but the place and time of his death have long been a sub- ject of controversy among the learned. If he died at Rome, and by the order of Nero, it took place either in the year A. D. 64, or in the year A. D. 68 ; for these are the dates assigned by different PETER'S- DEATH AT ROME. 63 chi'onologists to the niavtyrclom of Paul, according as tliey as- sume one impi-isonment of that apostle, or two. It matters little which opinion we embrace, for this is still an ixnsettled question. Schaif and Davidson contend for the former, Conybeare and Ilowson for the latter hypothesis ; to mention no others. Since this matter comes directly in our way, it may be well to review the evidence as to our apostle's residence and martyrdom at Rome. There is no allusion to Peter's residence there in the epistles of Paul Avhich Avere written from Rome, viz., those ad- dressed to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon, and the second to Timothy. It is indisputable therefore, and is generally admitted by candid writers,, that Peter's residence at Rome can not be proved from the New Testament, and that, if ever he did visit that city, he could not have arrived there until after the second epistle to Timothy was written. But he may have arrived there after that time, and been put to death in the city. These are matters of fact or fiction, and they must be settled, if settled at all, by historical evidence. Other witnesses therefore must be heard, and first let us listen to Clement of Home. (A. D. 70, or 96.) In his epistle to the Corinthians,* chapters V. and VI., he writes thus : " But, to leave ancient examples, let us come to the athlete, who existed quite recently. Let us take the noble ex- amples of our own generation. On account of zeal and envy, the most eminent and upright pillarsf were persecuted even unto death. Let us put before our eyes the excellent Apostles. Peter, on account of false zeal, endured, not one, nor two, but many hardships ; and thus, having given his testimony, (or, thus martyred, uuTto fxaprup [^jTat,] ) he departed to the place of Glory that was befitting. On account of a like zeal," (literally zeal; but Clement has just before defined the kind meant by using the descriptive adjective, "false;") " Paul, also, received the prize * Hefele's Apost. Pat. Opera. 3d edition. f Gal. 2 : ». 64 PETER'S DEATH AT ROME. of patience ; having borne chains seven times ; being banished, and stoned. After having been a preacher in the East and in the West, he obtained the noble renown of his faith ; having taught the whole world righteousness, and having come imder the jurisdiction of the highest tribunal of the West, and given his testimony to (or, having been martyred by) the governors ; he thus, after having become the most eminent pattern of pa- tience, was removed from this Avorld, and departed into the Holy Place. (VI-) With these men, who had lived holily, there were crowded together [assembled, joined, or mustered, rourot.^ roa; dvdpdacv . . . ffuvrjOpottrOrj -okh tzX-T/Ow: i/J,sy.-w'^^ a great mul- titude of the elect, who, on account of a like zeal, having suf- fered many indignities and torments, became a very beautiful example among \is." The English reader has now before him a literal version (one clause excepted) of that famous passage of Clement, about the meaning of which the learned have long and earnestly disputed. Clement, as it appears, in some degree even from this extract, is a writer somewhat florid, delighting in hyperboles, copious or prolix, but honest and zealous. Some contend that he refers to the persecution in the time of Domitian ; others, as Dodwell and Wake, to the persecution in the reign of Nero. We think the latter more probable, be- cause Clement is speaking of that persecution in which Paul and Peter were put to death, in company with a great multitude of Christians. " These men, who had lived holily," refers to Peter and Paul ; and the " great multitude of the elect," to the many believers who were put to death in the same persecution. And if so, the place of Peter's martyrdom was unquestionably Pome. Neither is 1 Pet. 5: 13, an objection to this, if Ave suppose the apostle to mean, by " Babylon," Pome, considered as the head- quarters of the then idolatrous and persecuting powers. Such an elliptical metaphor would be natural, if Peter wrote that epistle just before or after the Neronian persecution. And in PETER'S DEATH AT ROME. 65 our jitdgment, the apostle does allude to it, 1 Pet. 4: 12-17. Silas, the bearer of the letter, as Schaif suggests, could explain it to those addressed. If so, we learn from tlie Apostle himself, that he Avas in Rome in the year 63, or 64, or in both. The clause, of Clement, not literally translated above, is the following : xa[: ^-}] rd repij.a ri^t durrsiu^ t).0(av. The literal ver- sion is : " Having come to the limit of the West.'''' Some under- stand by " the limit of the West," the city of Rome ; but this is building a castle in the air. Others suppose that Clement in- tended to signify, thereby, Spain or England. Either of these countries, indeed, to Christians living at Rome in the first cen- tury, might well enough be considered as their " far west." But if Clement had designed to express such'a thought, — for example, that Paul visited Spain, — he would not have blundered so as to use the participle, " having come.'''' In that case he would have said, '■'• having dejMrted to the \m\\t oi the 'We^t ■.'''' ~opeuOa{^, not UOiov. This clause, therefore, furnishes no evidence that Paul fulfilled his intention of visiting Spain. The preposition l-\ above rendered to, is not found in the manuscript of Clement's epistle, but was supplied to fill up the gap by the editor Junius. It is not clear, however, that he se- lected the very preposition originally employed by Clement. For Clement might have used u-o, '< under." This mode of supplying what is wanting, was proposed by Wieseler, and is adopted ]>y Schaflf;* at least, he is favorably inclined to it. According to this suggestion, the version of the clause must be as follows : Having come under (the jurisdiction of) the highest tribunal of the West. In English, the word tertn (derived from terma, here used by Clement,) is employed in law, to denote " the time in which a court is held, or open for the trial of causes ;" and there is no absurdity in supposing that terma is used here by Clement to designate the "Supreme Court" of the West. Paul appealed * "History of the Apostolic Church," § 87, p. .'542. 5 66 PETER'S MARTYRDOM AT ROME. unto Csesar, and was tried by imperial authority at Rome ; or, as Clement says, " came under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court," that court beyond which appeals could no farther go; that court which was the boundary, or limit of the then legal and judicial authority, Dionysius of CorintJ), in his letter to the Romans, testifies, that "Peter and Paul came into Italy, and suffered martyrdom there, about the same time." (Euseb. E. H., 11.^ 25.) Irenmus says, " they founded the church of Rome," or established it more firmly on its foundations ; which, of course, implies that Peter must have been in the city. (Adv. Haer. III., 3 : Euseb. E. H., V., 8.) The testimony of Caius is thus given by Eusebius: "If you will go to the Vatican, or Ostian Way, you will find the trojDhies of those who founded this church." "Happy church," exclaims Tertullian, "for whose benefit the Apostles poured forth their doctrine with their blood ! where Peter suffered like his Lord ; where Paul was crowned with martyrdom, after the manner oj John" (the Baptist.) Jjcictantms says, that Peter came to Rome in the reign of Nero, and was by his order crucified, and Paul slain. (De Mort. Persec, cap. 2.) Indeed, this is the uncontra- dicted testimony of the ancients, and the fact, therefore, should be admitted. As to the fables that have been mingled with the fact of Peter's death at Rome, (such as his long residence in that city, and the ridiculous stories about his contests with Simon Magus,) ' these are easily accounted for, and should not shake our belief of that in which all the witnesses agree. Conybeare and Howson* seem to think that the testimony of the ancients as to this matter, is suspicious, because it might have originated in a desire to exalt unduly the bishops of Rome. But surely we may carry our skepticism too fiir ; and even if some of the ancients were swayed by such a motive, as is likely in what they said of the duration of Peter's residence in that city, and * "Life and Epistles of Paul." Vol. 2, chap. 2t, (note.) PETER'S MARTYRDOM AT ROME. 67 his teaching there, still this Avould not demonstrate that his death in Rome is a fable ; for in this particular there is no dis- senting voice. Besides, those reformers, and their followers, who denied that Peter ever set his foot in the streets of Rome, and died there, may have been too much influenced by polemic zeal, as well as some of the ancients, by unhallowed ambition. That Peter and Paul laid the foundations of the church at Rome, in the strict sense, is certainly a fable ; and if Caius of Rome, and Ireiid&us intended so to testify, they either blundered grossly, or deliberately made a false statement ; but Avhy they should so foolishly perjure themselves, is unaccountable, when we recollect that any Christian might readily perceive, by read- ing Paul's epistle to the Romans, that a flourishing church, a church "whose faith was spoken of throughout the whole world," (Rom. 1 : 8,) existed in the city before the visit of either of the great apostles. It is fairer, therefore, to suppose that these ancient writers meant to say that they established it more firmly on the Rock, Christ. (Compare Rom. 1:11.) The Papal assumption, however, that Peter was Bishop of Rome, or Pope, for twenty or twenty-tive years, is a pure fiction^ unsupported by credible tes- timony. Neither Clement of Rome, the most unexceptionable witness, nor Irenseus, nor Caius, nor Tertullian, nor Lactantius, so testify.* "This view also, conti'adicts the plainest facts of the New Testament, and cannot stand a moment before the bar of criticism." (See Schaif's History of the Apostolic Church, § 93.) On the subjects of this chapter, beside the authors already mentioned, Lardner may be consulted, in his " History of the Apostles and Evangelists," chapters XVIIL, XIX., Davidson, in his Introduction to the New Testament, Vol. III., p. 354, etc., and Neander, in his Planting and Training of the Church, book =<■ Eusebius and Jerome first gave currency to this ridiculous story. How they enlarnred their throats, so as to swallow such a camel, is hard to say. Per- )i>T)S their time-serving had something to do with it. 68 THE INTEGRITY OF THE EPISTLE. 4, chap. 2, Barrow on the Supremacy of the Pope is the best work on that topic in English. VI. — Tlie Integrity of the Epistle. This epistle, as we now have it, is contained in all the manu- scripts and versions of the New Testament that have come down to us in a complete state ; the old Syriac version excepted. Its uncorrupted preservation is, therefore, as certain as a fact of that kind can be. The same thing is demonstrated from the citations found in ancient authors. And yet, Bunsen* supposes that 2 Pet. 1 : 1-11, with a brief doxology appended, is all that belongs to Peter ! And, moreover, that the portion referred to is the short letter meant by the apostle, 1 Pet. 5: 12. But any unprejudiced man can see that, 1 Pet. 5: 12-14, is a post- script to the first epistle, and that the apostle mentions Silas as the bearer of that letter. Whatever may have been the gifts of Bunsen, no man more certainly stepped into the wrong boat than he did, when attempting to play the part of a theological or biblical critic. Ullnian was a very different man, an able divine ; and even he supposed that only the first chapter of the second epistle properly belonged to it ! All the external or his- torical evidence is against such a hypothesis, as also the internal, as Hugf has irrefutably shown. In the analysis and exposition of this epistle, we have also proved the unity of design that runs through the whole of it, so that the attempt to tear it asunder must be branded as a perverse specimen of critical acumen, rest- ing on mere caprice and conjecture. VII. — The term Catholic, or general, as applied to the epistle. In tlie fourth century, ecclesiastical writers were accustomed to call the epistles of Peter, James, John, and Jude, Catholic. * "Hippolytus and his Age," Vol. I. London edition, 1854, pp. 24, 25. ,f Introd. N. T., by Fosdick. § 1*78. THE TERM CATHOLIC, AS APPLIED TO THE EPISTLE. 69 These seven epistles could not have been so called, because then " universally acknowledged," for some of theni were " contro- verted." The common explanation is, that they were so named, because not addressed to a particular church, but to many churches in general ; encyclical letters, sent to Christians in various pro- vinces or countries. James, certainly, wrote to Jewish be lievers in the dispersion ; and Peter, to Christians, in different parts of Asia Minor ; the first epistle of John also bears the stamp of an encyclical letter. So does the epistle to the Hebrews, although not so denominated by the ancients. The second and • third epistles of John, however, though styled Catholic, by an- cient authors, are letters addressed to individuals ; not to a par- ticular church, or churches. This appellation applies only to ■most of these epistles — not to all — and may have been the reason of their being so called. Hug supposes that they were so named, in order to distinguish them from the Pauline epistles, and that the title, Catholic Epis- tles, was given them to denote epistles composed by the other apostles who were authors. His mode of reasoning, indeed, is not satisfactory, but the suggestion has internal verisimiltude. In speaking of the scriptures of the New Testament, the ancients needed convenient phrases as much as we do. It Avould be as natural for them as for us, when referring to the four biographies of Christ, to call them Gospel, or Gospels, or Evangelicon. And when speaking of Paul's epistles to style them ' the Apostle,' or Apostolicon ; and, of the other epistles, most of which wore written by apostles, and the rest by prophets or evangelists, to name them ' Catholic epistles,' or epistles composed by the otlier apostles and apostolic men. But as it is a matter of no practical importance, we may suspend our judgment, or embrace either of the opinions we prefer. But whether the expression, " catholic epistles," was em})loyed by ancient writers to denote the persons addressed, or the authors 70 ANALYSIS OF THE EPISTLE. of the letters, it has no reference to the contents of the epistles. All of them arose from sj^ecial occasions, had special aims or designs; they are by no means letters on general topics, or common places of theology, but j^articnlarly intended to refute theoretical and practical errors, and Antinomian licentiousness. VIII. — Analysis of the Epistle. I. Tlie introduction : 1 : 1-15. After the inscription and salu- tation, there is a general description of the abimdant qualifications of the apostles conferred on them by Jesus our Lord, with the de- sign of such gracious endowments in reference to men. 3, 4 vs. An animated exhortation to the cultivation of constantly in- creasing holiness follows, enforced by the design of the apostolic office, as instituted by the Lord ; also, by the fact that such pro- gress alone demonstrates our confession of Christ to be unfeigned ; and, from its indispensable necessity in order to a triumphant admission into Christ's everlasting kingdom. 5-11 vs. The propriety of the Apostle's zeal in this matter, is shown from the fact that such admonitions and exhortations are not useless because well known ; also, from the fact that such a course agrees well with the duty of an apostle, and especially of one near death ; and, particularly, because of false teachers pronouncing apostolic instructions fables. 12-16 vs. II. He thus opens up the way to prosecute his chief design, the certainty of Christ's second coming in power and glory as as King and Judge. (A.) He shows that our Lord is indeed to come the second time, to establish his kingdom ; first, from the Transfiguration of Christ, and the attestation of God the Father ; secondly, from Scriptural Prophecy, which treats so largely of that coming and kingdom. 16-19 vs. To this a practical admonition is added, reminding us that since the Prophetic Word is not of human invention, but of divine original, we should receive its revelations ANALYSIS OF THE EPISTLE. 71 on this subject with attention, reverence and faith. 20,21 vs. Thus lie declares that Jesus our Lord is to come as King, and to reward his peoi^le. (B.) He next predicts the rise of false teachers, who shall deny Christ's coming as Judge of the wicked. (2d chai)ter.) Such will deny that their professed Redeemer is Lord and Judge ; they will be crafty and avaricious iu promulgating their self-contrived doctrines, gain many disciples, and so cause genu- ine Christianity to be reproached ; but they themselves, because of their sins, shall meet an awful doom from the Lord at the day of judgment. 2 : 1-3, with 9 v. Having thus briefly spoken of their characteristics, success and doom, he next demonstrates the certainty of their punishinent in that day from former examples of God's retributive justice ; the certainty of the deliverance of the ^nous from a state of trial is also intimated. 4-9 vs. Then the apostle gives a more 2ycirticular description of these false teachers, repeating, as he goes along, the certainty of their punishment, and illustrating its Jt^^^/ce. 10-16 vs. Their charac- teristics are habitual indulgence of bodily appetites, and contempt of government ; in which particulars they act more like brutes than men. Their covetousness is also prominent ; in which, by constant drill, or habitual exercise, they have become such ac- complished ministers of Satan that they hesitate not, like Balaam, to become teachers of idolatry and uncleanness ; whose condem- nation is just. The futui'e everlasting punishment of such teachers is also shown to be just, or richly deserved; first, because by empty pretences they deceive or disappoint the natural expectations of those who depend on them for religious instruction ; secondly, because they tempt and lead to apostacy, by the promulgation of known falsehood and promised impunity, those professors who had fled for a time from the gross wickedness of their former as- sociates ; thirdly, because by thus turning away from the known 72 ANALYSIS OF THE EPISTLE. holy requirements of the gospel, and enticing others to do the same, they bring themselves and those whom they lead astray, into a condition and habit of life worse, in all resj^ects, than any to which they had formerly been addicted ; in this way jjrepar- ing themselves and others for the prison of the incorrigible, which is hell. lV-22 vs. Thus the apostle shows that the Lord Jesus is to come as Judge to deliver the righteous from trial, to punish the unrighteous, and especially the false teachers. (C.) I7i the third chapter^ the apostle predicts the rise of infi- dels^ whether in the visible church or out of it. After commending again to their reverent and believing at- tention the proj)hetic scriptures, which treat so largely of Christ's coming as King and Judge, and the Apostolic Com- mandment in reference to holiness as absolutely necessary for the subjects of Christ's kingdom, he predicts that scoffers shall ap- pear, who will deride our Lord's coming as a dream of fanatical and superstitious men, and, flinging away Holy Scripture, make their own lusts the rule of action. He thus portrays them as in truth infidels or skeptics. 3 : 1-4. He shows, in opposition to such, that their assumption of the uniformity of the course of nature is false in fact ; the world having once been destroyed by the deluge, and that it is reserved for fire, when Christ comes to punish such ungodly sinners as they, 5-7 vs. The apostle then directs his discourse to the pious, and assures them that length of time is no obstacle to the Lord, as to the accomplishment of his promised commg, and that he has good reasons for his apparent delay, viz., to promote their salvation, and to give all opportunities for repentance. 8, 9 vs. This is followed by a prediction with respect to the physical change of our world, together with its renovation as the perma- nent dwelling-place of the righteous ; an animated exhortation to the cultivation of the greatest degree of holiness being thrown in the midst of his description of the awful scene. 10-13 vs. ANALYSIS OF THE EPISTLE. 73 He thus predicts that Jesus our Lord is to come to punish infi- dels, as well as to save and honor his people. III. The Conclusion, in which he exhorts them to make a wise improvement of the opportunities afforded them, that they may be found by Christ blameless and spotless ; and in Avhich he likewise declares Paul's inspiration and agreement with himself as to the principal subjects of this epistle ; states also, the prac- tical aim of his letter ; gives another exhortation to growth in grace and true knowledge of the gospel, the great subject of which is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whom he worships as worthy of present and eternal adoration. 14-18 vs. COMMENTARY. CHAPTER I. > Siinou Peter, a bondman, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them who have obtained equally precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ; ^ grace and peace be multiplied to you in acknowledging God, and Jesus our Lord. Here we have the inscription and apostolic salutation. By the expression, bondman (slave or seiwant) of Jesus Christ., some suppose that Peter describes himself as a saint or believer. And the phrase is so used, as in Rev. 1:1; Eph. G : 6 ; (compare 1 Pet. 2:16, ' God's bondmen.') Others take it as an official title, as m Gal 1 : 10; Col. 4: 12. The latter interpretation is prefer- able, since it is more natural to suppose that he alludes to his office as a minister of Christ ; and it is confirmed by his adding " an apostle of Jesus Christ." Bondman, as the more general title, precedes the other, and denotes his entire and Avilling con- secration to the service of his Lord and Master. The word apostle literally means one sent, or a messenger. John 13:16; 2 Cor. 8 : 23 ; Phil. 2 : 25. In Acts 14 : 14, it de- notes an apostolical or inspired missionary ; comp. Acts 13 : 1-4. Here it is used in the common official signification, to designate Peter as an extraordinary ambassador of the Saviour ; one of the twelve called by Christ apostles. Luke 6:13. The characteristics of the apostles are these : They Avere called or chosen by Christ himself, not by man, Luke 6:13; Gal. 1:1; fjQ CHAPTER I., YER. 1. infallibly taught by the Holy Spirit to comprehend and make known " the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation." John 10: 13; 1 John 4:6; 1 Thess. 4: 8; Eph. 3: 3. They were competent witnesses as to the resurrection of Christ. Acts 3:15; 1 Cor. 9: 1 ; 15 : 15. The truth of their commission as our Lord's envoys was demonstrated by miracles. Mark 16: 20; 2 Cor. 12 : 12. They held the highest office our Lord ever gave to men, and were appointed by him to lay the foimdations of the Christian Church by gathering and teaching disciples, appointing officers, and the general ordering and government of its affiiirs. Acts 6 : 2, 3 ; 1 Cor. 5:4-6; 12 : 28 ; 2 Cor. 11 : 28. Peter in neither of his epistles calls himself " Chief of the Apostles," " Chief Pastor," " Universal Bishop," or " Pope," but a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, one of the same rank and office with the original twelve. If Christ had appointed him Pope over the apostolic college, and designed the bishops of Rome to succeed him in that office, it is inexcusable remissness in him never to give his readers the least hint of it, especially in the inscriptions of his epistles, and more particularly in this second ejDistle, designed to warn the churches against false teach- ers. On the contrary, he expressly recognizes Christ alone as " the Chief Pastor," ruler or king, of the church and its officers. 1 Pet. 5:4. The persons addressed, are described as those who have obtain- ed equally 2yi'ecioits faitJi with us, etc. : roi-z layooG(. — to those who have obtained by lot, or received. Thus it is intimated " that their faith was the gift of God," Eph. 2 : 8. Like precious faith, or, equally precious faith xoith us, Iffozifiov ijijJv -KisTiv : the faith of the Christians addressed is called equally precious with that of the apostle, or the apostles generally ; for the pronoun may refer to Peter, as in 1: 16,* or especially to * "We shall refer to the epistle on which we are commenting, simply by usinfj; the Arabic numerals. CHAPTER T., VER. 1. '7'7 Peter and Paul, as in 3 : 2, the sense remaining the same. Faith in Christ is called precious, costly, or valuable, because it is that by which we lay hold of the benefits of redemption, or become personally partakers of them ; and for another reason, viz. : be- cause of its imperishable nature. So, our apostle says, " Your faith, much more 2^'^'6cioiis than perishable gold,'''' 1 Pet. 1 : 7. In both epistles,* he mentions faith as precious ; but, in the first, he shows that he alludes thereby to its indestructible nature. Now, our Saviour prayed for Peter, that his faith might not utterly fail, Luke 22 : 32 ; if then, the faith of other true be- lievers be not permanent or imperishable, it can not be said to be equally p>recious with Peter's faith. The faith of private Christians, indeed, is alike precious with that of any of the apostles, inasmuch as it is the same in kind, in its efiiects, in its origin, its duration, and with respect to the foundation on Avhich it rests for acceptance with God. But the chief scope of the apostle is to indicate the value of faith as arising from its per- manency, and the immovable and perfect foundation on w^hich it is built. Accordingly, he says : " Equally precious faith in the rigltteous- ness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ." The preposition, ivy must not be rendered "through," for which Peter uses Sea, 3, 4, vs., but in, on, or leaning on. This preposition is here used of the object on which a mental power acts, or of the ground on which, or the sphere in which, it is exerted. (Winer. Masson's edition, pp. 404, 405.) So, 1 Cor. 4: 6: "That ye might learn m ?/5," i. e., by fixing the mind, or attention on us as an example. John 13 : 35. "7n this, all shall knoAV that ye are my disciples, if ye have love in one another ;'''' i. e., all by fixing their attention on this, namely, your love resting on one another, shall know that ye are my disciples. So, also, Xenophen : " Cyrus was in * Such coincidences show that Peter is, indeed, the author of both epistles. No coincidence can be more natural and undesigned, than the one before us. 78 CHAPTER T., VER. 1. these things," or, he engaged in these matters by fixing all the energies of his mind on them. (Cyrop, 3: 11.) 1 Tim, 4: 15. " Be in these things," bring all your faculties to bear on them, or, " give thyself wholly to them." 1 Cor. 2: 5. "That your faith should not be hi the toisdom of men, but in the power of God f that your faith should not lean on human wisdom, but on the power of God. Rom. 3 : 25. " Faith in his hlood^'' faith resting on his sacrifice. Precisely so here : faith leaning on the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ : this is the object on which precious faith acts, the foundation on which it rests. (Sec, also. Gal. 3 : 2G ; Col. 1 : 4 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 14 : 2 Tim. 3: 15.) The righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ : too Osoo rj/iajv xat ffwr-^por Ir^aou Xpiaroo. This, the marginal transla- tion of the English Bible, is, in our judgment, the only accurate version. It is based on the following general rule : " When two or more personal nouns of the same gender, number, and ease, are connected by the copulative y.ai, if the first has the definite article, and the second, third, etc., have not, they both relate to the same person." Our apostle's construction is certainly in conformity with this rule. Thus, 1 : 11, "The everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.'''' Again, 2 : 20: "In acknowledging the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ '"''' and in 3 : 18 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 3. Paul follows the same rule, Tit. 2 : 13: "The glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.''' 2 Cor. 1:3; corap. Jude 40. But what is meant by the righteousness of our God and Saviour ? Sin is dvo/ua, or lawlessness, 1 John 3 : 4, and its op- posite, righteousness, is a perfect conformity to God's law ; " any want of conformity to, or transgression of, God's law, is sin," and perfect obedience to it is righteousness. (See Tholuck, Hodge, and Haldane on Rom. 1 : 17.) So, it is used by Paul in the matter of our justification before God. Rom. 3 : 21-22. And Peter shows that he agrees with Paul in this doctrine, by CHAPTER I., VER. 1. 79 declaring that faith leans on the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. This righteousness has been wrought out, not simply by a sin- less man, but by Jesus Christ, our God and Saviour. It is the perfect obedience, in heart and life, to the divine law of " God manifested in flesh," as our legal representative ; a righteousness of which " God in Chi'ist " is both the author and approver ; a righteousness imputed to every believer ; and hence the perfect acquittal of such, is indisputable; a righteousness distinct from, but inseparably connected with, inherent sanctifieation or holi- ness. Thus we are taught, in the epistles to the Romans and Galatians. See, also, 2 Cor. 5 : 19-21 ; Phil. 3 : 9 ; 1 Cor. 1 r 30. Calvin says : " He calls faith equally 2)i'&cious, not because it is of the same degree in all, but because all possess the same Christ with his righteousness, and the same salvation by faith. Although, then, there is a disparity as to the degree of faith, yet this does not prevent all believers from having a knowledge of God, in common, nor hinder the fruit thence arising, so that we have a true communion of faith with Peter and the apostles." Bengel : " Their faith is equally jyrecious with those who saw Jesus Christ, as Peter and the rest of the apostles ; and with those who believed without seeing him, since it lays hold of the same righteousness and salvation." 1 Jno. 1 : 3 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 8. Jjurkitt : " Their faith is Wee that of Christ's apostle, as to its nature and quality, though not for its measure and degree; and alike jii'ecioiis, in regard of its object, Christ ; in regard of its subject, the heart ; in regard of its act, which is acceptance and consent to the terms of the gospel covenant ; in regard of its effects and precious fruits, peace with God, peace with conscience, victory over the world, and the like. We see then, that the faith of the poorest believer is as precious as that of the richest, and that the weakest believer has the same precious faith Avith the strongest ; and if it be alike precious, it shall be alike permanent and persevering." 80 CHAPTER I., VER. 1. Beza and McKnight say, that the righteousness here spoken of by the apostle, refers to God's faithfulness in fulfilling the Old Testament promise of extending faith and salvation to the Gen- tiles. But, this interpretation is hased on two mistaken assump- tions ; first, that the words rendered, " Our God and Saviour Jesus Christ," refer both to the Father and the Son, whereas, the reference is to the latter. Our faith leans not on the righteous- ness of the Father, but on that of the Son, " God manifested in flesh." It is by His obedience that we become righteous in the sight of God. 2 Cor. 5 : 19, 21 ; Rom. 5 : 19. Second, they take it for granted that " righteousness," here, means faithfulness, which we deny, and cannot believe without clear and convincing proof. "I, even I, am Jehovah, and beside me there is no Saviour;" thus speaks the Most High by Isaiah, 4: 3, 11 ; comp. 4: 5, 21, 22; Hos. 13: 4. Peter was well acquainted with such passages of Holy Scripture, and yet, he hesitates not to call "Jesus Christ our God and Saviour," and to declare that " there is salvation in no other," Acts 4: 12; demonstrating that the apostle con- sidered our Lord truly God, as well as man. The unforced and perfectly natural manner in w^hich this is done shows that his celebrated confession, " Thou art the Christ, the Sou of the liv- ing God," sprung from the depths of his heart. (The same art- less and forcible allusions to Christ's Godhead occur, also, in the first epistle, tending to prove that Peter is, indeed, the author of both. See 1 Pet. 1 : 1 1 ; 2 : 4.) V. 2. The love of God, whollj- undeserved by sinful men, is " Grace^'' the primal fount of every blessing, or every kind and de- gree of true happiness and prosperity, which is signified by the word " Pcrtce." Luke 24 : 36 : 10 : 5 ; John 14: 27 ; Rom. 3:17. In the apostolical salutations, Peace corresponds to the Hebrew word, Shalom^ the radical idea of which is soundness or com- pleteness, (Gen. 29:6,) and hence it means every sort of good. There is, however, a special allusion in these salutations to our CHAPTER I., VER. 2. 81 reconciliation or friendship with God, obtained by faitli in the sacrifice of our Lord, (Rom. 5 : 1,) without which no true bliss or prosperity is attainable in time or in eternity. Hence Christ is called " Our Peace," i, e., the author and procurer of it, Eph. 2 : 14-lG ; not only as destroying enmity among men, but also as reconciling us to God by his sacrifice offered on the cross. Ac- cordingly the sense is : may God continue to remember you wdth the favor he bears unto his people, and since he is reconciled to you by the death of his Son, may every blessing that comes from God as " the foimtain of Life," and through his Sou as the Me- diator, be richly bestowed upon you. Thus the ordinary formula of apostolic greeting is best explained, and in this explanation, at least in the substance of it, the most eminent commentators concur, as Calvin, Hodge, Olshausen, and Tholuck. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in acknowledging God^ and (Testes our Lord : h iiziyvmffit ro6 6eod xai Irj(Tuu rou xopioo yj!J.u)v. The general rule, stated before, does not apply here, since the article in the original is put both before " God " and " our Lord ;" thus accurately describing both the Father and the Son as the persons of the Godhead, by the acknowledgment of Avhom grace and peace are multiplied to believers. Besides, in these saluta- tions neither the Father nor the Son is ever mentioned separately, but together. The noim i-niywffiq means something laid upon or added to former knowledge, ynbaiq ; or " growth in knowledge," as our Apostle expresses it, 3 : 18. Paul generally employs it ,to denote full, increased, or more accurate knowledge. Rom. 10: 2. "They have a zeal for God, but not according to accurate knowledge." Eph. 1: 17, and 4: 13; Col. 1:9, 10; Rom. 3: 20. "For by the law there is a more accurate knowledge (or conviction) of sin." Peter uses the same term to express knowledge and con- fession, or, in a word, acknowledgment ; and that, whether it be true or false ; as here and in 1 : 3, 8 ; 2 : 20. Comp. 2 Tim. 2 : 25 ; Tit. 1:1. The reference here is to a true acknowledgment. 6 82 CHAPTER L, VER. 3, 4. It is not enough to acknowledge God, and Jesus as our Sa- viour^ imless he in fact saves or delivers us from our sins. Matt. 1 : 21. To talk, in any terms, of Grace and Peace as ours, with- out acknowledging, both in word and deed, the Father and the Son, is no proof of a sincere confession. The profession and the life must correspond. See Tit. 1:16; 1 Jno. 1:0: 7. And our apostle here speaks of acknowledging "Jesus our Lord^'' that is, not only as our Saviour, whose grace and mercy induced him to die for us, but who has thereby laid us i;nder the most powerful and attractive obligations to obey him. And this addition to his former salutation, 1 Pet. 1 : 2, is in perfect keeping with the main design of this epistle. J3eza : " Faith is an acknowledgment of God and of Christ, from Avhich all our happiness emanates." This is a description of a genuine confession, or one arising from " faith unfeigned." (See John 17 : 3, and Alexander on Isa. 53: 11.) They, there- fore, who deem a profession of the true religion a matter of little or no importance, and they who rest satisfied Avith a naked jjro- fession of it, are both, by this salxTtation of our aj^ostle, tacitly but unmistakably reproved. Compare Rom. 10 : 9, 10. 3 As his divine jiower has given us all the things designed for, (or pertaining to) life and godliness, through our acknowledg- ment of him Avho called lis by his own glory and excellency ; * by which exceeding great and precious promises have been given to us, in order that by these ye might become partakers of a divine nature, after having lied from the corru2)tion that is in the world in consequence of lust. Most commentators think that Peter here refers to effectual -calling or regeneration, to the divme power as the efficient ^cause of it, and to the gospel as the means employed in produc- ing it. Thus Calvin, Beza and Bengel, McKnight, explains both verses of the qualifications of the apostles, or the gifts of the Spirit imparted to them by Christ, in order to lead men to life and godliness. Benson thinks that the fourth verse has a special CHAPTER I, VER. 3. 83 reference to such apostolic endowments, and to the design of their office. In our judgment, Peter is speaking here of the apostles only, but in a tAvo-fold manner ; first as believers, 3d v., and then as apostles, 4th v. To suppose that Peter is treating in this para- graph only of such gracious endowments of " the Spirit of Christ" as are common to all believers, is untenable. For this explana- tion overlooks the change of person, or rather the marked dis- tinction between the first person and the second. For example : *' To them Avho have obtained like precious faith loith r£T^c, = Through, or by glory and excellency. The former reading is de- cidedly preferable ; but, either way, the sense is the same ; for, if we adopt the latter, o'A must be employed, as in Rom. 11 : 26 ; 1 Cor. 8 : 6. Glory and excellency are used, by hendiadys, for excellent glory. Glory is here equivalent to power, for our Lord's divine power is the subject spoken of; by this the apostles were called. Thus, the word is used, Rom. 6:4. " Christ was raised from the dead hy the glory of the Father ;" and by our apostle, 1 Pet. 4 : 14 : " The Spirit of Glo-ry resteth on you," the almighty Spirit. Compare John 11: 40. Excellency : the Greek word literally means, goodness, or excellency of any kind. In 1 Pet. 2: 9, it denotes the divine perfections: "That ye should show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness intO' his wonderful light." Glory and excellency, then, are equivalent to " his divine power," or an excellent exertion of it. It deserves consideration, whether, by the aj^ostolical acknowl- edgment spoken of here, Peter does not allude to the occasion which called it forth. " But whom do ye" (disciples) " say that I am?" '•'■ Siinon JReto%" the usual spokesman of the twelve, " answered, and said: Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.'''' See Matt. 16 : 13-19. Here, Peter, answering for the CHAPTER I., VER. 4. . 8V rest as well as himself, acknowledged not only our Lord's human, but his divine nature ; and our SaA'iour declared that acknowl- edgment of himself to be not the eiFect of human teaching, but of divine revelation or illumination, 17 v. Another apostle says: "Whoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ," in the sense just explained, " is born of God^'' 1 John 5 : 1, with 5 v. The rendering given by our translators, "that hath called us to glory and virtue," cannot be justified for oid with the genitive never means to. Into this unhappy mistake they seem to have been led by Beza : ad gloriam ac virtutem. The correct trans- lation is given in the margin of the English Bible. V. 4. By xohich [glory and excellency] exceeding great and precious promises have been given to us, etc., i. e., by which ex- cellent manifestation or exertion of his divine power, exceeding great and precious things promised by our Lord have been given to, or bestowed on us, the apostles of Christ. Here, the refer- ence is especially to the exti'aordinary or miraculous gifts im- parted to them. " Promises," by metonomy, for the things pro- mised, as in 3:4. " Where is the joro/nese of His comipg?" that is, Where is the fulfilment of that promise ? See, also, Luke 24 : 49 ; Ileb. 10 : ,16. In Gal. 3 : 22, as here, a promise is said to be given when it is fulfilled, or when the thing promised is given : " The Scripture hath concluded all iinder sin, that the ^^romise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe ; " tliat is, that the thing promised, justification by faith in Christ might be actually conferred on believers. (Thus, Benson.) Comp. Gal. 3: 14. Moreover, how can a 2y>'omise be given by power, except by the fulfilment of that jDromise? That the exceeding great and precious things promised to the apoBtles, by our Lord, relate to the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, is clear from many passages. For example, Luke 24 : 49. " And behold, /am sending the promisQ of my Father upon you," etc. ; that is, I will soon send upon you the Spirit pro- mised by my Father. Compare Acts 1 : 4, 8; Luke 21 : 15. "7" 88 CHAPTER I. VER. 4. will give you a mouth, and tcisdom^ which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay, or resist;" comp. 2 Pet. 3: 15. " For ye are not the speakers, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you," Matt. 10: 20. "And 7" will ask the Father, and he shall give another Paraclete," (teacher, advocate and helper, and comforter,) " to abide with you for ever, the Spirit of Truth," etc., John 14: 16, 17. "But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, which the Father shall send in my name, He shall teach you all things, and remind you of all which I have said to you,'''' John 14: 26. "I have yet many things to say to you, but ye cannot bear them now ; but, whenever the Spirit of Truth shall have come, He loill guide you into all truth^'' (or, the whole truth ;) for he shall not speak of himself, but, whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak ; and he loill tell you things to come.'''' (Compare the whole passage, John 16 : 7-15. See, also. Acts 1 : 4, 5, 8.) " Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the toorks that I do, shall he do also ; and greater than those shall he do ; because I am going to my Father. And whatever, ye shall ask, in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son, If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it," John 14: 12-14. Here we have a specimen of the exceeding great and precious things promised by our Lord to his apostles ; and which Peter declares were actually given to them. These relate especially to their plenary inspiration by the Spirit of Christ ; the wisdom given them, the revelation of future things, and of the true way of salvation, together with the miracles by which the Lord Jesus confirmed the truth of their doctrines, and the reality of their commission. (Compare Mark 16: 20 ; Rom. 15 : 18, 19 ; 1 Cor. 2 : 7-13 ; Gal. 1 : 11, 12 ; 1 Cor. 14 : 37 ; Heb. 2 : 4 ; 1 John, 4 : 6.) The great design of bestowing such gifts is next stated : In order, that, by these, ye might become partakers of a divine nature, etc. ; "va did TouTtov yiv7jfu^<>vr£-: = having fled from, having escaped, i. e., after ye have escaped, or fled from, as the same participle is rendered, 2 : 20. It does not denote the means of becoming holy, as Bloomfield aflfirms ; for that is indicated in the phrase, by these, (promises given to us.) Peter uses corruption in the sense of great wickedness, shameful immorality, 2 : 12, 19. The corruption in the loorld in lust, is the literal rendering : rr^z iv ■/.otTiKo. h i-'.Ou!J.'.a (fOopai. This corruption is shown on earth, it is in the world ; or manifested by men of the world, the unrenewed ; so that world, by metonomy, is put for its inhabitants. It is a corruption in lust ; that is its fountain, or source, as Calvin 1/ 90 CHAPTER L, YER. 4. explains ; or this corruption is in consequence of lust. So the jjreposition is used by our apostle, 1 Pet. 1 : 6 ; 4 : 14, 16 ; and 2 Pet. 2 : 3. Or it may be equivalent to consisting in, as in 2 : V ; but Ave prefer the former explanation. The great design of the apostolical endowments Avill become more evident by giving a version more in accordance with the English idiom : " In order that by these, after ye have fled from the corruption that is in the world, in consequence of lust, ye might become partakers of a divine nature." Thus, it lucidly appears that this design is not only an avoidance of immorality with loathing, but also the acquisition of a disposition like that of God, in which knowledge, holiness, and bliss are inseparably united. (1 John 1:5.) This thought, the apostle John would liave expressed, after this manner : " In order that ye should not walk in darkness, but in the light, as God is in the light." 1 John 1:6:1; compare 1 Pet, 2 : 9. Tor this same purpose, then, showing therewith all haste, sup- ply, with your fiith, boldness ; and with boldness, knowledge ; "and with knowledge, self-mastery ; and with self-mastery, steadfast endurance, and with steadfast endurance, godliness, (or, piety ;) 'and with godliness, love of the brethren ; and with love of the brethren, philanthropy. Tor, if ye have these things, and they abound, they make you stand neither idle nor unfruitful, as to the acknowledgment of our Lord Jesus Christ. Tor he who has not these things is blind, shutting the eye, forgetful of the jjuri- tication of his old sins. '"Wherefore, brethren, hasten the more to make firm (or, sure) your calling, and so (your) election ; for, doing these things, ye can in no wise stumble at last. "For thus an entrance shall be richly supplied for you into the everlasting- kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Peter, having given a brief description of the qualifications of the apostles for their work, consisting in the sanctifying and ex- traordinary gifts of the Spirit ; and, having stated the great design of their office, as instituted by the Lord Jesus, — viz., to restore men to the moral image and likeness of God, — ^now exhorts them to use the most earnest efforts to this end, in connection with CHAPTER I., VER. 5. 91 the means and agencies thus provided for them, so tliat a beauti- ful, progressive, and holy consii;tency might be conspicuous in their temper and conduct, 5-7 vs. And this exhortation is also enforced by other jiowerful and attrtctive motives, 8-1 1 vs. Y. 5. For this same 2)w>'2^ose^ then, ^''Xg. y.a\ au-u toTjto ds : eti; is understood before adra tooto. No^\ , although xat ok is often equivalent to also, and might have been translated so here, with- out changing the sense ; yet dk, here, is Cvintinuative, and /.ac is used to introduce the apodosis, as is common. In such instances, the English idiom requires the use of then, or therefore; or, and then; now then. '■'■As his divine poAver has given ics, etc., noio then, do ye also supply," etc. In Rom. 9: 17 ; Col. 4: 8, etq is put before ad-u tuuto. Peter omits it, but employs the expression m the same signification. In Gal. 2 : 10 ; 2 Cor. 2:3; Phil. 1 : 6, Paul also omits ££'?, though in these instances uutu rouro is de- pendent on a verb, so that Conybeare's version of the phrase, " accordingly," is hardly allowable. (Thus, he renders it in Gal. 2 : 10 ; Phil 1:6; but in 2 Cor. 2 : 3, " for this very reason.") The interpretation now given is adopted, in substance, by Cal- vin, Bengel, Benson, McKnight, Doddridge, and others. El^ auTo TUUTO, prout placet CEcumenio.* The other reading, xa\ ai'jTOi, A, leaves the sense unchanged, but, as the easier one, looks like a correction. For this very ^j?«?;^:>0S6', viz., to escape the corruption in the world in consequence of lust, and to become partakers of a divine nature ; then, or there/ore, introduces the apodosis, and in- timates the consequence that should follow as to our behavior. " As Jesus, our Lord, has bestowed exceeding groat and pre- cious promised gifts on us, the apostles, in order to promote your holiness to the greatest degree, for the accomplishment of this design in your case, do ye, therefore,''^ etc. Shoiciny, therewith, all haste, supply with your faith, excellency. \^ The participle, * Thomas Smith : Commentarius in Secundam S. Petri Apostoli Epistolara. 92 CHAPTER L, VE'rl. 5. Tzapen^eviyxavTe'^, is found only here in the New Testament, and the literal translation is, "Having brought in beside," or "bring- ing in alongside of." All haste is equivalent to the greatest zeal, 01', the most earnest efforts. Thus, our apostle inti- mates that their utmost effrrts must be used in connection with the inspired word, spoken or written, of the ajDostles. Compare 1 Pet. 1 : 23-25, and 2 : "i-3 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 14-16 ; John 11: 20, 21. A participle is employe d by Peter, with a verb in the imperative mood following, or preceding, to indicate the manner in which a duty enjoined is to be done, 1 Pet. 2: 1; 1: 13. '■^Supply with (or, add to) your faith, excellency," etc. ; how ? by exhibit- ing the greatest diligence : the sense, then, is, Show the utmost zeal in endeavoring to furnish yourselves with these virtues. Supply, that is, desire and endeavor to do so : k-f/opriyrjffare. In classic writers, the verb sometimes means to lead out a chorus ; also, to pay the expenses of getting up a chorus, and hence to supply or furnish, as here and in the eleventh verse. That no special stress must be laid on the preposition in this verb, is clear, from the adverb, " richly," prefixed to it in the same verse. The simple verb is used, 1 Pet. 4 : 11; comp. Gal. 3 : 5 ; 2 Cor. 9: 10. Doddridge's explanation as if the apostle meant to per- sonify the virtues mentioned, they being led up as in a dance, is far-fetched and repugnant to Petrine and Pauline usage. To suppose the allusion in the phrase kruxopriyrjao-z h to be a founda- tion is better ; for kv is sometimes equivalent to on, leaning on, as in 1 : 1. The preposition, however, has often the same sig- nification as in connection with, or with, as in 1 Pet. 3 : 2. Furnish or equip yourselves with these virtues ; do not rest satisfied with faith only, but exert your highest zeal to supply ex- cellency, etc., or, make haste and add one to the other. The version in common use gives the sense remarkably well ; " giving all diligence, add to," etc. Excellency, dperyj, in the third verse means p>oioer. Here it denotes boldness^ or moral power. Supply with your faith, CHAPTER I., VER. 5. 93 power, signifies that to confidence in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, (1 : 1,) we must add an energetic discharge of duty, laughing at danger and throwing aside all stumbling blocks in our way. This power is necessaiy for growth and consistency in holiness. Thus Benson, Scott, Barnes, and others. This excellency, or moral power, does not differ much, or at all, from what Peter elsewhere calls a girding up of the loi?is of the mind, 1 Pet. 1 : 13. The assumption that the word here means " virtue," in the ordinary sense, has never been proved, though advocated by Calvin and Warburton. The Latin virtus, in the sense of manliness, bravery, or that which becomes a hero, is more like apzTnj here ; and if the word " virtne" in the English Bible were so understood, it would be unexception- able; but it is not by the unlearned. Christian manliness or heroism is the virtue here meant by the apostle ; a bold discharge of duty amidst danger and difticuity, as becomes a good soldier of Christ. And with boldness, knoicledge : the knowledge here meant is both theoretical and practical ; or an increasing aquaintance with the gosi)el, and prudence, which is jjractical knowledge. That your boldness may not degenerate into rashness, grow in the knowledge of your duty to Christ, (3: 18,) and do not foolishly put yourselves in the way of danger, Matt. 10 : 23. Many, in the Ante Nicene church, forgot or disregarded this precept of Christ and his apostle, or they would not have courted martyr- dom as they did. And they equally forget or disregard this apostolic precept, who are mere passive recipients of evangelical knowledge, not searching the Scriptures for themselves, as the Bereans did. Acts 17: 11. V. 6. And with knowledge, self-mastery: rijv iyxpdTetav=in- ward strength, self-government, rule over one's spirit, mastery of one's evil inclinations. Prov. 25 : 28. The word "temperance," as now commonly used, does not give the sense of the Greek word. (Compare Acts 24 : 25 ; Gal. 5 : 22.) Since the word 94 CHAPTER I., YER. G. Strictly means dominion over our sinful desires, chastity is of course included, and may also be particularly intended by our apostle ; yet the government of all our evil passions is the pre- ferable explanation, since thus Ave are commanded to strangle all the hissing vipers within us. And with self-mastery, steadfast endurance : ryfv u-oiiovr^v = a staying itnder^ literally ; hence, patience, perseverance, or stead- fast endurance. While attempting to govern yourselves, do not become discouraged, but persevere until you conquer. Our apostle may also refer to outward calamities, and then the sense is : Tame your passions raging within, and bear up nnder trou- bles arising from external circumstances ; and this we prefer. And with steadfast endurance, godliness (or piety:) rr^v etxre- jSscav. The word means reverence towards God mingled with love, or the worship that is properly due to him. Be constantly engaged in adoring God and entreating his help, for so your daily struggles for self-government and resignation will be crown- ed with success. To assume that Peter here speaks of piety in the sense of reverence and affection due to kindred and friends, as some do, is altogether forced, since it is opposed to usage, marked and uniform. See Acts 3:12, where Peter is the speaker, and the same word is used, though the common version has "holiness." "As though by our own power or godliness," etc. 1 Tim. 2 : 2 ; 3 : 16 ; 2 Tim. 3:5; Tit. 1 : 1, etc. (The cognate verb is only once used to express the idea of filial i^iety. 1 Tim. 5 : 4.) V. 1. And with godliness, love of the brethren, or brotherly love : the love referred to is a fervent, practical love, shown to one because he is a child of God and a brother in Christ. Comp. 1 Pet. 1: 22, and 4:8; Ileb. 6: 10. Charity or Love, as dis- tinguished from brotherly love, means pMlanthrophy^ or love to man as man, shown by benevolence and beneficence. V. 8. The apostle, having enforced the exhortation to growth in holiness from the great design of the apostolic office as insti- CHAPTER I, VER. 8. 95 tuted by our Lord, now proceeds to present another motive to the same end. With the greatest diligence, add to your faith, boldness, etc., for these virtues, if they exist in you and abound, will make it manifest that your confession of Christ is sincere. For if ye have these things^ these virtues or graces of the Spirit which I have just mentioned, and they abound^ or increase more and more : literally. For these things existing and abounding to you ; but here the participles are used to express a condition, as in 1 Pet. 3 : 6, and being joined with the dative of a person, they imply possession ; hence the version in our idiom is, " If ye have these virtues, and they abound," For these things, if they be yours and abound, cause you to standi etc. : raura (sc. uij.a(-) xadiar7j;la<:l, leaping, or shall exultingly rejoice.") This verb is found elsewhere, only Rom. 11: 11 ; James 2: 10; and 3:2; comj). Jude, 24 V. James employs it in the sense of to sin, or stumble in the path of duty ; but this signification is not appropriate here ; for the words that immediately follow show, that the apostle alludes to the ultimate result of holy obedience to Jesus our Lord. " If ye persevere in holy living, ye can in no wise be in the wrong path, and at last stumble and flill into hell, for thus an entrance," etc. The context, therefore, leads naturally to the interpretation given, and the verb is so used by Xenophon. Cyr. 3 : 1, 26. "I think it is a peculiarity of this man to be insolent ^ohen ^i^'osper- ing^ and quickly to crouch through fear vnhen stunihUng ; i. e., when failing of success, or stumbling while in the pursuit of good. Jude, 24 V : " To him who is able to keep you from stumbling^ and to make you stand before his glory, blameless with exulta- tion:" a-zaitTTou<; ; i. e., to Him who is able to keep you from ultimately failing of success, and cause you to appear before his glorious presence with holy exultation. The reading adopted by Lachmann, " Hasten the more, to make sure, bg your good xcorlcs^'' etc., is found in A. and the Vulgate ; but it is omitted by B. C. The evidence for it is slight ; it was probably, at first, a marginal explanation of some copjast. The addition is certainly tautological, or superfluous, be- cause there immediately follows, " doing these things^'' etc. We may be sure, therefore, that Lachmann's addition, taken from only one manuscript, forms no part of the apostle's original text. V. 11. For so an entrance shall be i-lchly supplied for you into the everlasting liingdom, etc. So or thus : in this manner, only, that is, clothed and adorned with these virtues, or by doing these things. This by no means proves that our virtues merit or deserve such a reward; but it shows that none give the evidence to others, or can be certain themselves, that they are called cflect- 102 CHAPTER I., VER. 11. iially, and, consequently, chosen of God, excej^t those who par- take of a divine nature ; or, that the only way into the king- dom is the highway of hohness. Isa. 35: 8-10; 1 Cor. 6: 9, 10; Eph. 5:5; Jas. 2: 5. Besides, the form of speech em- ployed, " So an entrance shall be richly supplied for you^'' or abundantly furnished you by God, of itself implies that his grace is to be very conspicuously exhibited, both in enabling us to per- severe in holy living, and to reign with Christ in imspeakable glory. Calvin : " The apostle explains the inode of perseverance^ Avhen he says, ' An entrance shall be abundantly sui^j^lied for you ;' the sense of which is, God, by largely and repeatedly fur- nishing fresh supplies of grace, will lead you all along, until you enter his kingdom," The everlasting Jcingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The kingdom here meant, is not that kingdom which, as the Word, or Logos, or as God coequal and coeternal with the Father, he had from eternity ; and which, from the very nature of the thing, must be eternally His, in union with the Father and the Holy Spirit; one indivisible God with one indivisible kingdom, the Universe. 1 Cliron. 29 : 11. "Thine, Jehovah, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all ^hat is in the heavens and on earth is thine : thine is the king- dom, Jehovah, and thou art exalted Head over all." Compare Ps. 103: 19-22, and 145: 10-13. As Jehovah, therefore, this kingdom belongs to the eternal Son by indefeasable and inalien- able right. But the kingdom intended by the apostle is that which be- longs to him as " our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," or his kingdom considered as Mediator between God and man. It is teimied " the kingdom of heaven ;" a kingdom heavenly or divine in its origin and administration ; and " the kingdom of God." (The source of such forms of speech will be found in well-known passages of the prophet Daniel.) It is also called " the kingdom of Christ," and here, "the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour CHAPTER I., VER. 11. 103 Jesus Christ." Matt. 3 : 5 ; 6 : 33 ; 7 : 21 ; 19 : 24 ; Mark 1 : 14, 15 ; Luke 4 : 11 ; 9 : 1 ; John 3 : 3, 5 ; (Luke 22 : 30 ; John 18 : 36. "My khigdom.") Eph. 5: 5, "the khigdora of Christ." Col. 1: 13, " the kingdom of His beloved Son." 2 Tim. 4:1, IS ; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 11:15. " The kingdom of God," means the Divine kingdom of Christ ; as " the kingdom of heaven" means the heavenly kingdom of our Lord, as Paul expresses it, 2 Tim, 4 : 18. And the kingdom of our incarnate God and Lord is thus named, as above said, because it is divine or heavenly in its origin, and administration. "My kingdom is not of tlds v^orld^'' John 18: 36, that is, it does not derive its origin from human ap- pointment ; the rule of its administration does not 'spring from human j^olicy. "I appoint a kingdom for you, as my Father ap- 2)ointed it for me.'''' Luke 22 : 29. Now, this mediatorial kingdom of Christ, this kingdom which is peculiar to him as " God manifested in flesh," is set before ns in the New Testament as hoih. present and future. His jvesent kingdom, as the incarnate God, is twofold: _F<;>6'^, the visible church of Jesus Christ is the divinely constituted, or heavenly api)ointed, form of his kingdom now, to last xmtil his second coming. The subjects of this kingdom are men both renewed and \mrenewed ; all, hoAvever, acknowledging, whether feignedly or truly, Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour, Matt, 13 : 37-43. " The Son of Man shall send forth his angels," (at the consumma- tion of the age, at the end of the present dispensation of his grace,) " and they shall gather out of his kingdom all the stum- bling blocks and those doing iniquity." Here, our Saviour is speaking of the visible church, as it will appear, when he comes; in it there will be up to that time " stumbling blocks," professors leading others to sin, or to stumble in the path of duty ; of which stumbling blocks false teachers arc most influential. Rom. 15: IT. Li this church there will also be up to that day "them that do iniquity," or who live in the habitual indulgence of their sin- ful propensities. Such are not indeed, strictly speaking, chil- 104 CHAPTER I., VER. 11. dren of the kingdom, but yet they outwardly appear as such, having a form of godliness while denying the power thereof. The phrase " his kingdom," then, in Matt. 13 : 41, denotes Christ's visible church, Avith wheat and tares in it ; but when he shall send forth his angels to separate the one from the other, " then shall the righteous shine forth as the sim in the kingdom of their Father ; " or then the future form of his kingdom, to which both Christ and they who are Christ's were appointed by the Father, (Luke 22 : 39 ; Matt. 25 : 34,) shall be established in ineffable glory. " Who delivered us from the power of darkness, and trans- lated us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,^^ (Col. 1: 13;) ^. e., who, by regenerating us delivered us from the author- ity, i^ouffcac, of Satan the prince of darkness, and set us over, or removed us into, the church of Jesus Christ. Compare Col. 4:11. Secondly. Our Lord's present kingdom as the incarnate God, consists in his association as such, with the Father in the govern- ment of the universe, and especially of the heavenly worlds. Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour is noAV •' at the right hand of the Majesty on high," seated on his Father's throne, (Rev. 3: 21,) "angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject unto him," (1 Pet. 3 : 22,) " Lord both of the dead and living," Rom. 14: 9. He has the keys of the spirit-world and of death, Rev. 1: 18. The great design of this form of his kingdom is indicated, (Eph. 1 : 10 ; Phil. 2 : 9-11,) viz., that he may be ac- knowledged as the incarnate Jehovah by all intelhgent beings in all worlds, and that all the saints, in heaven and on earth, may hereafter be gathered together into one kingdom under him as the head. His future kingdom as God-Man Mediator, is here spoken of by our apostle ; for it is a kingdom into which they had not yet entered, and hence it cannot mean Christ's visible church : " For so an Qwlv^ncQ shall be richly furnished y oil mto the everlasting CHAPTER I., VER. 11. 105 kingdom," etc. This future form of tlie kingdom of Clirist in which "' the righteous sliall shine as the sun," will be instituted at our Lord's second coming, Tliis is manifest from the main drift of this epistle, and the certainty of Christ's powerful coming to admit the holy triumphantly into it, is shown in the latter part of this chapter, (10-19 vs.) ^'- His appearing and his Icbigdom^'' (2 Tim. 4:1,) must mean when he appears again to establish his kingdom. And, from the explanation which the King himself gave of the parable of the tares of the field, it is indisputable that the good and bad will exist in the visible church until the sepa- ration is made by his order at "the consummation of the age," or end of the present dispensation. " Tlien the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father ; " which passage has been before explained. See also Matt. 25: 31-46. Our Lord and Saviour, when he comes with power, will institute this form of his kingdom in our renovated world. 3 : 13 ; Acts 3 : 19-21 ; Dan. V: 27, with 21, 22 vs.; Luke 1 : 32, 33; Rev. 11: 15. Li the last passage here referred to, the apostle John foretells that our world is to be the place where the kingdom of our Lord, the Christ of God, is to be established, and his reign in it is expressly declared, as here, to be everlasting. Paul also agrees with Peter herein, for he, after declaring the greatness of the inheritance of God's true children Avho are to be glorified with Christ, and the littleness and insignificance of their sufferings when compared witli that future glory, expressly declares that our renovated world is to be the place where Christ and they who are his, are to be glorified together. Rom. 8: 17-23. Paul also, in this passage, unmistakably indicates the epoch or time, viz., when we obtain " the redemption of our body," which all admit will not be till Christ's second coming. The time then, or great epoch, in which this form of Christ's kingdom shall be established, viz., at his second coming; the place, our renovated world; the dura- tion of his reign here from that epoch, for ever and ever ; and the subjects of it, the truly holy, are, in our judgment, scriptural 106 CHAPTER I., VER. 11. doctrines and therefore true, and of a holy tendency. And our apostle uses them as the great motive to holiness in this epistle. The passage, 1 Cor. 15 : 23-28, is difficult of interpretation, (2 Pet. 8: 16,) but not impossible to be understood. There is an order observed in the resurrection : First, Christ rose as the first fruits, and many of the saints soon after, Matt. 27 : 52, 53. IVext, Christ's iDeojjle are to be raised at his coming. TJcen the last hand, to zikot;, of the dead, those who are not Chrisfs, or the unholy and reprobate, are to be raised, Kev. 20: 11-15. Then, when all his enemies are become his footstool, when both the holy and unholy have immortal bodies, or bodies indestructible, when death is thus annihilated, Christ tcill deliver up the hing- dom to God even the Father. What kingdom ? The one he is to institute in the renovated earth at his appearing ? Impossible, as God is true ; for this is expressly declared by Christ's legates to be EVERLASTING. If then his jjcculiar kingdom as our Media- tor is to be everlasting, the kingdom which he is to resign to the Father is his association with him in the government of the miiverse. T/iat kingdom will be given up when all his enemies are under his feet, and death vanquished ; not that everlasting one into which the holy shall enter. This interpretation, in sub- stance, is given by David IST. Lord. But some object to Christ's personal reign on earth hereafter, and say, that his reign will be spiritural only. Christ now reigns in hea- ven ; but is he personally absent from heaven because his Spirit dwells in angelic minds and in the spirits of the just made perfect? When he comes again the Spirit shall be poured out upon all flesh, Satanic influences cease, (Joel 2: 28-31; Rev. 20 : 1-3,) and our world then will be " in principle as pure as this is gross and selfish." And can any Christian brother object to be on our renovated earth with Christ, and like him in body and soul ; or to share in the employments and enjoyments of those whose intelligence, holiness and bliss will be as conspicuous as the sun ? CHAPTER I., VER. 12. 107 ^"Wherefore I always intend to remind jon of these things, though ye know them, and are cstabHshed in the present truth. "I think it right, moreover, as long as I am in this tent, to awaken you by admonition ; 'M-cnowing that speedily my tent is to be laid aside, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made it clear to me. '^I will also hasten that, after my departure, ye may ever have it in your power to recall these things. '"For we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, not after Ave had followed cunningly devised fables, but after we had been eye witnesses of his Majesty: "for he received from God the Father honor and glory, when a voice of this sort relating to him, came beneath the greatly befitting glory, This is my Son, my beloved, in whom I delighted. "And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount ; "and hence we have firmer (or, surer) the Pro- phetic Word ; to which ye do well in giving heed, as to a lamp shining in a gloomy place, until daylight break through, and the light-bringer arise [and shed his beams] in your hearts : ^"know- ing this first, that no scriptural prophecy comes from [the pro- phet's] own explanation; ^'for prophecy never came by man's Avill, but God's holy men spake as moved by the holy Spirit. In this section the apostle shows the propriety of his zeal in previously enforcing the exhortation respecting advancement in hoUness as necessary to the demonstration of the honesty of our confession of Christ, the assurance of our calling and election by God, and as making us meet to be admitted into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour. V. 12. Whei'efore I cdicays intend to remind you of these things, though ye know them and are established in the present truth. MeUyiu)u ooToq tnziv, dq ov iph ebooxr^ffa, according to the text adopted by Tischendorf. Or, this one is my beloved Son, according to the ordinary reading. There is no difterence in the sense ; only the former reading is more emphatic tlmn the other. This one 116 CHAPTER I., VER. 17. refers to our Lord Jesus Christ, as to come in power, 16 v. It designates him, therefore, as one of Avomau born, and yet God's Son, Gal. 4 : 4. This is 3Iy Son, a partaker of my nature or essence. The Son of David as to his human nature, but as to his holy divine nature, the Son of God, as Paul says, Rom. 1 : 3 4. (See Hodge in loc.) The Son of David in time, the Son of God from eternity, or the only begotten of the Father, John 1 : 14. In Heb. 1 : 1-3, Christ, as God in flesh, is called God's Son. And so he is here : This one is 3Ty Son ; this human being now transfigured before you, is also very God. My Beloved: " The Father loveth the Son," i. e., he loves him in a way and in a degree as he loves none else, and which none but the Father and the Son, from the very nature of the thing, can understand : the Holy Spirit, of course, excepted. John 5 : 20 ; and 3 : 35. The Father loves the Son more than the world, (John 3 : 16,) more than angels, because He loves the Son as Ids equals or companion. Zech. 13:7; Phil. 2:6. In v:hom I de- lighted, or towards whom my love has been from eternity directed : si'; ov tyoj eoSoxrjffa, the aorist referring to the indefi- nite past eternity, so to speak. Compare ProA'. 8 : 23, 30. Or, if the aorist here be considered as equivalent to the perfect tense in classical Greek, then the sense is. not essentially changed : " Whom I have ever loved, and in whom I still delight." Or, " Whom I have ever delighted in as my equal, and now delight in as my Christ, sent to redeem men." Comji. Col. 1 : 13-15. The shallow Arian and Socinian interpretation of this declara- tion of the Father, as meaning simply the Christ, in their sense of that phrase, receives no countenance in any part of Scripture ; for the Messiah foretold by the prophets, and the Messiah de- scribed by the apostles, is one and the same, namely, God-Man, or the Son of God and the Son of David. See Ps. 2 : Isa. 9 : 6, 7 ; Luke 1 : 31-33. Mic. 5:2-4; Zech. 14:9; Rev. 22 : 16 ; and 19: 16. And these passages of David, Isaiah, Micah, and Zechariah, and .the words of the angel Gabriel in Luke, set the CHAPTER I, VER. 18, 19. 11 7 Messiah, God-Man, before us as the future King of Israel, and Lord of the whole earth. They declare, in a word, " the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" to establish his everlasting kingdom on earth, not in heaven. The second Psalm, for instance, is very clear in this matter ; for it speaks of rulers and peoples on earth attempting to oppose the Father and his Christ as to the establishment of the Messiah's kingdom : foretells the vanity and madness of their eiforts, and declares that the Father will establish his Son as King in Zion, and of the whole world, 1-9 vs. V. 18. And this voice which came from heaven, from the at- mosphere, in which the light cloud floated that overshadowed them, and out of which the voice came, as the sacred historians testify. The mountain is deservedly called holy, or consecrated, that is, hallowed for the time by the extraordinary manifestations of the presence of God the Father. Compare Ex. 3:5; Josh. 5 : 15. It is not certain that Mount Tabor was the scene of the Transfig- uration ; it is more probable that it was a mountain near Cesjerea Philippi. (See Robinson and Smitii ; "Biblical Researches," Vol. 3, pp. 221, 222.) V. 19. And hence we have finner (or, surer,) the I^rophetic IVord .' xai e^ofjLsv /i-lia'.u^Bpov ruv —pohecy of scriptwc 122 CHAPTER I., YER. 20. begins to he of (or, from) oicn explanatloii. This bald literal version corresponds to the original, and may be of use to the mere English reader, in order to an intelligent view of the ex- position now to be given. The participle hioicing, expresses a supposition assumed as true, 3:3. ' By giving heed to the Prophetic Word ye do well, provided ye know, as I take for granted, this fact, that no prophecy, etc' First, in importance, especially, Prophecy of /Scripture— in-o-phecj contained in the Old Testa- ment, or Scriptural Prophecy : thus true prophecy is denoted as opposed to divination. False prophecy may be found in many books, but the true only in Scripture. Begins to he^ or, comes of, ybzTai: "Before Abi'aham began to be," etc. John 8: 58; Matt. 8 : 24 ; 2 Pet. 2:1. "False jDrophets began to be among the people," or, false prophets arose among them. Gal. 4 : 4. " God sent forth his Son, horn of a Avoman ;" or, who, as to his human nature, began to be of, or took his origin from, a woman. Now Peter denies that Scriptural Prophecy begins to be, or ai*ises from own explanation. Any one can discern that this clause means more than what is literally said; and it may be called a pregnant construction, or elUptical expression, as the reader deems best. Something must be supplied to make it in- telligible in our idiom ; but this must be perfectly consistent with the subject and aim of the writer. The main subject is Christ's second coming ; the aim here, and in the following Aerse, is to direct them and us how to attend to Scriptural Prophecy, namely, with reverence and faith. We must especially know, by exam- ining the evidence in the case, that Scriptural Prophecy is not of human, but of divine original ; or, that the Old Testament pro- phecies are not a record of human conjectures and shrewd guesses, not an explanation or unfolding simply of what the prophets thought or willed, but a revelation of God's mind and will. The ellipsis, then, may be supplied thus : " Provided ye first know this, that no scriptural prophecy comes of the pi^ophefs own ex- planation ;" i. e., scriptural prophecy is not an explanation of the CHAPTER I., VER. 20. 123 prophet's own mind or will : it is not a revelation of liis thoughts, but of God's. But if we translate the thoxtght of the apostle, then the best version is as follows: "Provided ye first know this, that no scriptural prophecy is of the prophet's own invention." Calvin, Mill, Benson, McKnight, T. Smith, Whitby, Doddridge and Robinson, agree that the meaning is as above explained ; though they arrive at the same result somewhat differently. That this is the only true interpretation appears, not only from the following words, "for i:)rophecy never came by man's will," but also from the untenableness of the other explanations that have been proposed. Let us look at these suggestions and see whether they do not lead us to the true interpretation. Grotius suggests an emen- dation of the text, e-r^Xuasioq for £-c?.u(7euj/;. He miglit also liavo suggested s-iXuaiaq. But the fundamental rule of biblical criti- cism is to alter nothing by conjecture ; and no manuscript ex- amined contains either of the words : nine, according to Tischen- dorf, has SiaXoasuiq, and that is the only various reading noticed by him. The text therefore, is unassailable. Ilorsely rashly assumes that the design of the apostle in this verse is to give us a rule, or leading principle, whereby we must interpret prophecy. ("Sermons" XV., XVI., XVIL, VXIII.) He contends that Peter's meaning is, " that no prophecy of scripture is of self-interpretation ; that is, that no single prophecy is its own interpreter, because the scripture prophecies are not detached predictions of separate, independent events, but arc imited in a regular and entire system, all terminating in one great object — the promulgation of the gospel, and the complete estab- lishment of the Messiah's kingdom. Of this system, every par- ticular prophecy makes a i)art, and bears a more immediate or a more remote relation to that which is the object of the whole. It is therefore, very unlikely, that the true signification of any particular text of prophecy should be discovered from the bare 124 CHAPTER L, VER. 20. attention to the terms of the single prediction, taken by itself, Avithout considering it as a part of that sj'stem, to which it un- questionably belongs, and without observing how it may stand connected with earlier and later prophecies, especially with those which might more immediately precede, or more immediately follow it. Again, of the whole of the scripture prophecies, it is true that it cannot be its own interpreter. Its meaning never can be discovered, without a general knowledge of the principal events to which it alludes ; for jDrophecy was not given to enable curious men to pry into futurity, but to enable the serious and considerate to discern in past events the hand of Providence." This, Horsley calls " an infallible rule of interpretation ! " Moreover, he assigns a forced meaning to e-jAu^tc ; affirming xoitliout proof ^ that "it is the specific name of that sort of expo- sition which renders the .mystic sense of parables, dreams, and prophecies." Again he says: '"Twas undoubtedly within the power of the Almighty to have delivered the whole of prophecy in terms no less clear and explicit than those in which the general promises of revelation are conveyed, or pai'ticular deliverances of the Jewish j^eople occasionally announced : but his wisdom re- probated this unreserved prediction of futurity, because it would have enlarged the foresight of man beyond the proportion of his other endowments, and beyond the degree adapted to his present condition. To avoid this mischief, and to attain the useful end of prophecy, which is to afford the highest proof of Providence, it was necessary \hsit prophecy should he delivered in such guise as to be darh while the event is remote^ to clear up as it approaches^ and to he rendered perspicuous hy the fulfilment P If this be not comparing prophecy to "a lamp put under a bushel," Avhat can it mean ? Does a lamp shining in a gloomy room make it darh f And who supposes that scrii3tural prophecies are detatched predictions ? Who asserts the uselessness of historical study ? Who denies the profit arising from comparing predictions with one another, or endeavoring to gain a synoptical view of pro- CHAPTER I., VER. 20. 125 phecy as a wliole? But ho^o is it jiossiblefor these jyredictions to he tmited in one grand system, or unfold the one great plan and design of the Almighty, if the particular portions, each of which must help -to unfold this scheme, a,re so tcritten as not to be perspicuotcs until after the event foretold has come to pass ? Can facts or events make those words plain which are in them- selves dark ? According to this view, scrijitural projihecy would cease to be a revelation from God, since it would and could, in fact, disclose — nothing. If the chapters that make up Calvin's " Institutes of the Christian Religion," were, separately consider- ed, exj)ressed in dark and enigmatical language, how could the whole work be a clear and able system of divinity ? How could a knowledge of the principal events of Calvin's life alone make his language in the Institutes perspicuous ? If every chapter of Isaiah, in itself considered, is dark, hoAV can his whole book be called the vision, or revelation, which was imparted to him ? What then can it reveal, or how can it ever be understood ? All the splash and dash, then, of apparent argument here shown by Horsley in defending his explanation of the apostle, ends in what may be called critical foam, or learned nonsense. Beza says : " The prophets must indeed be read, but so that the gift of interpretation should be sought from God, in order that the author and interpreter of the prophetic scriptures may be the same." But here those influences of the Holy Ghost which sanctify the human heart, and those which qualify men to be prophets, or interpreters of God's mind and will, are con- founded. Many prophets will be condemned by Christ when he comes Avith power, because unholy and sinners. Matt. 7 : 21-23. To be supernaturally enlightened and to be supernaturally sanc- tified then are not the same, and Ave must discern tilings that differ. With respect to prophecy, or holy scripture in general, it is certainly true that " study Avithout prayer is Atheism, and prayer Avithout study, presumption ;" yet prayerful study of the prophetic scriptures makes no one a pi'ophet: if it does, then 126 CHAPTER I., VER. 20. prophecy comes by the will of man, and so all prayerful com- mentators on the prophets would be inspired ; which the history of interpretation in Beza's own day might have taught him to be baseless, and the same history from that time until now must demonstrate to ns. The Holy Ghost cannot be the author of conflicting and contradictory intepretations. Besides, Peter's scope is not to propose a rule of interpretation, as Horsley sup- posed ; neither is it to show from whom the gift of interpreting j)rophecy is to be obtained ; but to declare that scriptural pro- phecy is not of himian, but of divine original, (20, 21 vs.) and that therefore we should read, hear and study it with attention, reverence and faith. The Rhemish Annotators thus briefly and crabbedly remark : " The scriptures cannot be rightly expounded of every private spirit or fantasy of the vulgar reader ; but by the same spii'it wherewith they were written, Avhich is resident in the church." But Peter is speaking, not of the scriptures in general, but of prophecy of scriptnre. Next, the apostle's aim is not to show from whom the gift of interpreting prophecy is to be derived, as just proved. Lastly, it is assumed, without one grain of proof^ that the Holy Spirit is resident in the church ; which is a great deal to take for granted. For to assume that the church means the Roman clergy, to the exclusion of the vulgar laic reader, is limiting and confining the Holy Spirit's inflences to pipes and conduits of their own manufacture. But whether this interpret- ing spirit resides in the Pope alone, or in a general council of prelates alone, or in both combined, is a question Avhich the Roman church, with its boasted infallibility, has not been enabled to decide. Until this is done, we may justly declare such words as the above to be, not an interpretation of Peter, but a distinguished and characteristic specimen of Roman arro- gance. What our translators meant by " any private interpretation," passes our comprehension, and it is probable that the phrase is CHAPTER I., VER. 21. 127 an enigma to most readers. A desire to be literal has occa- sioned a verbal version that is unintelligible as well as inac- curate ; thus involving the present context in darkness to the mere English reader. ^ V. 21. For Prophecy never came hy maiTb s tcill : oh yap OsXriiMn. ay0pco7:oo ^'^^X^V ~people." Who shall craftily bring in, i. e., into the church, or among you, professed disciples : w'ir.'vE? r.apsiffd^ouffiv. The verb 9 130 CHAPTER II., VER. 1. means either to lead in by the side of another, bring forward, introduce ; or to bring in something beside that which is ap- parent, introduce secretly or cunningly. Peter uses it in the latter signification. Compare Gal. 2:4; Jude, 4 v. " To lead in by stealth, to smuggle in," as Robinson hajipily explains it. Heresies of destruction^ alpiast- ar.oXziai; equivalent to destruc- tive heresies, or deadly heresies. Heresy strictly means choice, and hence it is generally employed to denote what we call school, sect, or party. Acts 5 : 17 ; 15 : 5 ; 26 : 5 ; 28 : 22. Bi\t no school of philosophy, no sect, party, or denomination of Christians, can be established except it be built on some distinguishing opinion or opinions. Accordingly in this place the word designates both ; sects of professed Christians holding opinions destructive to their eternal happiness. False teachers who cunningly intro- duce into the church fatal errors and draw away disciples after them, (Acts 20: 29, 30,) are wolves, not sparing the flock. And it is indisputable that our apostle here uses the word " heresies" to designate hoth false doctrinal vieics, subversive of the gosj^el, and the sects thus originated^ by which the unity of the visible church has been destroyed, agreeably to his prediction. For he defines them as "heresies of destruction,'''' and this word "destruction" denotes the second death, future i>unishment, the destruction, not of man's being, but of his well-being. See Matt. 7: 13; Acts 8 : 20 ; Rom. 9 : 22 ; Phil. 1 : 28 ; 3 : 19 ; 1 Tim. G : 9 ; Heb. 10 : 39 ; Rev. 17: 8,11; John 17: 12; 2 Thess. 2 : 3, here and 3 : 16. Comp. Matt. 10: 28. The heresies, (or sects built on error,) meant then, are of the worst sort, such as leadmento destruction, or the loss of eternal life. "False prophets arose,'''' iyivovro, began to be, arose, or were : wc za: = " even as," (Rev, 6 : 11,) "as also among you there shall be false teachers :" i. e., false prophets appeared among the Israelites in all periods of their history doAvn to Christ's first coming, also false teachers shall be among you Christians until his second coming. Aiid especially denying that their Hedeemer is [their] Sover- CHAPTER II., VER. 1. 131 elgn, bringing on themselves sioift destruction : y.a\ zo'^ ayitfidfra-^za ahzohb dsffnozTj'^ dpvoo/j.zvoc, ircdyovrs^ iauro'.q raycAf/ d~ct)Xe'.av. And., i. e., a7id in particidar, and especially ; for xa:' not only connects words and sentences, but also cmpliatically distinguishes single Avovd or clause, (Liddell and Scott's Lexicon.) And tliat in divers modes : e. g.^ Otu\ y.ai Zew:, " the gods, and aboA^e all (especially) Jupiter," Ozm xal Iloffscdmv, " the gods, and in partic- ular Neptune," ^sch. Pers. 750. Where a part is subjoined to a whole by way of emphasis, says Robinson, /.at may be render- ed a7id especially, imprimis, Mark 1:5. "And there Avent out unto him all the land of Judea, a7id especially they of Jerusalem." Mark 16:7. " Tell his disciples, andTeter in ptartictdar,'''' Matt. 8 : 33. "They told all, and especially the things relating to the demon- ized." Precisely so here : ' There shall be false teachers among you, men who shall craftily introduce into the church deadly heresies, and in particular (or, especially) denying that their Re- deemer is Lord.' Calvin : Ca;teruni nos admonet Spiritus Dei, ut intenti simus ad cavendum ; atqiie hue spectat tota descriptio quam mox subjiciet. Quanquam singulas sectas non pinget suis coloribus, sed peculiariter sermonem diriget in homines profanes qui Dei contemptum inducunt. Generalis quidem est sententia, Cavendum esse a falsis doctoribus ; sed interea speciem unam elegit, undo plus instabat periculi. Quod ex Judaj verbis melius patet, qui idem prorsus argumentum tractat. Here Calvin, in substance, says that the Spirit of God admonishes us to beware of false teachers, that this is the general thought ; that the apos- tle, however, does not portray each and every heretical sect in their appropriate colors, but selects one species or class of the false teachers, from Avhose teachings and doings more danger was imminent. It is clear then, that he considered xai as intro- ducing a pi'oposition which describes a particular class of here- tics, or as a part of that of which destructive heresies is the whole. Denying, that is, by denying, the participle expressing the 132 CHAPTER IT., VER. 1. inannei' in which they bring on themselves swift destruction. " Bringing on themselves swift destruction ; " how ? " By deny- ing that their Redeemer is Lord," It is common in Greek for words of affirming and denying, or which have that signification, to take the accusative with the infinitive, expressed or implied : so here, literally : Denying tJuit he loho redeemed them (is) Sov- ereig?i. Words expressive of a mental act or affection are com- monly construed in the same way, as in the thirteenth verse : " Thinking that riot in daylight (is) Pleasure." Tiieir He- deemei\ that is, acknowledged as such : comp. 2 : 20. They con- fess liim as Redeemer, but deny him as 8£ffT:6rrjv. Now this word means 3faster, as opposed to slaves, head of a family ; its ruler or governor. 1 Tim. 6:1,2; Tit. 2 : 9 ; 1 Pet. 2:8. It is also applied to God as the Sovereign, ruler and master of men ; their Lord whom they are bound to obey by right of creation ; as in Acts 4 : 22, "Sovereign, thou who art the Maker of heaven and earth and sea, and all that are in them," etc. (Peter probably led in this prayer.) Luke 2: 29, " Sovereign, (or Master, Lord,) now dismiss thy servant in peace." etc. Rev. 6 : 10, "How long, Sovereign, holy and true," etc. It is also applied to our Lord Jesus Christ, or to him as both Redeemer and Lord ; as here, where it is said that the false teachers shall admit the one, but deny, (verbally or practically, or in both methods,) the other. 2 Tim. 2: 21, is a parallel jias- sage : " Whoever, then, shall purify himself from these," such heretics as Hymenseus and Philetus, " he shall be a vessel for honor, consecrated, useful to his Sovereign,'''' etc. : that is, his Lord and Master Christ, as the preceding context demonstrates. Jude, 4 v. " Ungodly, inasmuch as they have perverted the grace of our God unto lasciviousness, and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." The ancient Gnostics denied that Jesus Christ was Sovereign or Lord ; they made him but an iEon, an emanation from God's fullness, a sort of angel, only seemingly incarnate. In a word, CHAPTER II., YER. 1. 133 they denied Ins precxisteace as the Eternal Logos coequal with the Father, and his incarnation. In their view he was not Thean- thropos, or God in flesh. 1 Jno. 4 : 1-3. The Arians denied his Godhead strictly understood, and made him to be the first-creat- ed and highest of intelligent beings in human form ; which was a modified revival of the Gnostic heresy. The Socinians, with the so-called Unitarians of a later period, admit him to be a sinless man, the greatest of God's prophets, and Saviour ; but they deny his atonement in the scriptural sense, and are decided opponents of his supreme Godhead. Most modern Unitarians also deny the everlasting duration of the punishment of the Avicked ; assimilating herein with the Universalists, who contend that all, without exception, are saved at death ; or with the Restoration- ists who believe, that all at last will be saved, the more aban- doned, however, being punished in a sort of purgatory for an undefined period hereafter. The prediction in this verse then, inclusive of the denial by false teachers of the future punishment of the wicked by Jesus Christ, has been and is abundantly fulfilled. The Redeemer is practically denied to be Lord and Master, when his professed disciples are heedless in obeying him ; when they set aside his authority as the Law-giver of the church, and act as they please, and not as the Lord Jesus commands ; or when they act on the supposition that there is grace in Christ, but not justice, and that he will not, as judge, consign any to everlasting punishment, contrary to clear and emphatic warn- ings from Christ himself. Matt. 10: 28 ; 25 : 46 ; Rev. 2 : 23. Bringing on themselves swift destruction. This shows that to deny our Redeemer to be Lord is a destructive heresy. Such professors may flatter themselves that their error is harmless, a mistake that the merciful Saviour will readily forgive. But the Spirit of Christ has in the clearest manner taught that our Re- deemer is Sovereign, God-Man, and Judge; that eternal life aAvaits the believing and holy, and everlasting punishment the 134 CHAPTER 11., VER. 2. unbelieving and wicked. If these things be not indubitable, the holy scriptures reveal nothing that can be relied on. And they who are blmd, willingly shutting their eyes against the light, (9 V.,) bring on themselves destruction ; or are the authors of their everlasting misery. It cannot be an innocent or harmless thing to entertain false views of Jesus Christ for those who have in their hands the scriptures of the Old and New Testament. The apostles unquestionably represent him as Theanthroi^os ; as the Creator and conserver of the universe ; as the Redeemer of jost men ; and hence as their Sovereign, Lord and Master, not only by right of creation, but also by right of redemption ; and also as the future judge of all mankind. See John 1 : 1-3, with 14 v.; Col. 1: 13-18; 2 Tim. 4 : 1; Acts 17: 31; 1 Pet. 2: 9. To deny then, in word or deed, that our Redeemer is Sovereign, is an error that " drowns men in destruction and perdition." T. Smith considers kaordig as equivalent to " one another," as in 1 Pet. 4 : 8. Thus understood the sense is : They bring de- struction not only on themselves, but also on their disciples and imitators. Peter calls it sunft destruction, because "the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." Compare Jas. 5 : 7-9 ; 2 Pet. 3 : 8, 9. The destruction of false teachers would soon be accomplished, as to their souls at death, and as to both soul and body when Christ appears as Judge. Comp. 1 : 14.23: 9, 10. The refer- ence is epecially to the latter. Bengel : celerem, ob celcrem ad- ventum Domini. It will be but a short time before our Lord comes, when compared with the long starless night of eternity in which teachers of known falsehood shall grope and stumble and rage in hell. V. 2. And many sJiall follmo their lascivious doings^ by rea- son of whom the way of truth shall be evil sjyoken of " They who perverted the grace of our God unto lasciviousness, and denied our only Sovereign and Lord Jesus Christ," (Jude, 4 v,,) were Antinomian-Gnostics. Jude thus records the speedy ful- filment of Peter's prophecy, as well as shows how he understood CHAPTER II., VER. 2. 135 it. We err not therefore in saying that Arians, Socinians or Unitarians, and TJniversalists, in whatever part of the visible church they exist, deny that the Redeemer is Sovereign. And so do they who are orthodox in lip and creed, but heterodox in life. " Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven," etc. Matt. 7: 21-23. The correct reading is aazXyttai^^ translated in the margin of the English Bible : in favor of it are A. B. C. G. K. and the Vulgate. Literally, their lasciviousnes.ses : either their lascivious doings or teachings, or both. ' Many shall imitate their profli- gate actions by believing their erroneous doctrines.' The Anti- nomian Gnostic, in the ante Nicene age of the church, (compare Rev. 2: 14, 15,) were notorious for their lasciviousness, the proofs of which may be found in the histories of Gieseler, Nean- der, and Schaff. Uncleanness, indeed, is a striking characteristic of all the false teachers that have craftily introduced destructive heresies, from the time of the Gnostics down to " the Latter- Day Saints," or Mormons. And yet such have always pretended to be saints by way of eminence, and scientific theologians (which the Avord, Gnostics means,) who alone understood the way of truth ! (See also Whitby and Benson.) The Roman church, too, by forbidding her clergy to marry, has certainly countenanced lasciviousness. J3y reason of who7n, OY, or\ Avhose account: dt'uut;. The \cay of the truth, literally : the scriptures give a revelation of the true metht>d of salvation ; " the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation," as Paul expressess it, Eph. 1:13. Here the gospel is especially intended, the grace of God perverted by them to lasciviousness. The profligacy of such false teachers and their followers, assuming the Christian name, caused the heathen to calumniate the true gospel, and gave occasion to the circulation of the most outrageous stories respecting true and false disciples of Christ indiscriminately ; the evidences of which abound in the pages of the early Christian apologists, Justin 136 CHAPTER II., VER. 3. Martyr, Tertiillian, and others. The shameless licentiousness of the Papal clergy, at the time of the Reformation and before, is also well known, on whose account the way of truth has been evil spoken of. V. 3. And in consequence of covetousness, etc.: xal iv rcXeovB^ia. In covetousness, literally : in consequence of or through avarice, (See on 1 : 4.) WitJi feigned loords, izXaazoi': XMyoiq, moulded words ; words put in the mould of their own invention and shaped to suit their purpose, as the potter makes up the clay to suit his: compare Rom. 9 : 20 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 13. The words meant then are feigned or fictitious, self contrived ; drawn from their own minds, not from an honest investigation and explanation of the sci'iptures. Now the loords of a teacher can mean only his doctrines, or religious instructions. 1 Cor. 1:18. "For the word of the cross," the doctrine of tlie Atonement, " is to them who are perishing, foolishness." Eph. 5:6. " Let no one deceive you loith vain loords, for because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the children of disobedience." 2 Tim. 2 : 17. " Their word will eat (or, spread) as a cancer ; of whom are Hymeuffius and Philetus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the Resurrection is already past," etc. Their self- contrived doctrines are like counterfeit bills wherewith, because of covetousness, they trade in human souls. With feigned words shall they buy and sell you: op-dc; iij-ope- offovrai. So the verb is rendered. Jas. 4 : 13. It means to travel about as a merchant, to trade, i. e., buy and sell ; and this is always done for the pecuniary advantage accruing. Compare LXX. and Heb. ; Gen. 34 : 10-21 ; 42 : 34 : Ezek. 27 : 21. The sense then is : They, because of covetousness, will, with their self-contrived doctrines, get all the money out of you they can ; buying and selling you like a bale of goods for their own profit. They shall teach what they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. Tit. 1: 11. Against lohom the judgment long since [threatened] comes not CHAPTER IL, VER. 3. 137 Ungcringlij^ and their destruction [long since foretold] slumbers not: o1^ TO -/.piim, either the judgment to ^\\\on\ — V1hose judg- ment^ (Rom. 3:8,) or, against vihom the judgment ; but either way the sense is the same. Judgment, by implication, condem- nation, as in Rom. 3 : 8 ; 1 Tim. 3 : G. That some word like threatened or denoxmced must be supplied is clear from Jude, 4 v., "Those long since proscribed to this judgment," /. c, the judgment well known as long ago foretold by the prophets to overtake such ungodly men. See Deut. 32 : 35 : Ps. 5 ; 37 : 9-13 ; This judgment llngereth not, ouy. dpylt, comes not as an idle man (apyo^, 1 : 8,) walks : i. e., their condemnation is rapidly ap- proaching. And their destruction, that is the destruction long since denounced against such sinners as their just due : h.-aXat is to be supplied from the preceding clause. This destruction slumbers not, ou yoprdXst, is not nodding or slumbering : i. e., it it not forgotten. Their punishment is not only swiftly approach- ing, but there is no danger of its ever being forgotten. Or, ' it is both near and certainly to be executed.' Compare 9 v., 3: 7. To be in a state of slumber is to be in a state of forgetfulness, but God's justice is never asleep. Instead of their punishment never coming, as if justice did not demand the destruction of the incorrigible, it is coming swiftly : instead of there being any doubt about the infliction of the penalty announced and de- served, it is absolutely certain. Against such Antinomian- Universalists Paul denounces the same judgment. Eph. 5 : 3-7 ; Col. 3 : 5, 6. (Compare 1 Pet. 4 : 17, 18.) The apostle, having declared in general that false teachers shall infest the Christian church, even as false prophets did the Jewish ; and in particular that false teachers shall arise who will deny their Redeemer to be Sovereign, or their Lord as God in flesh : he thus describes them, in modern language as Antitrinitarian Antinomians. For they who deny their Redeemer to be Sover- eign and Lord, who walk lasciviously, and because of covetous- ness trade in human souls, certainly set aside his authority as the 138 CHAPTER II., VER. 3. Lord of the churcli ; they pervert the gospel of God to the vilest purposes. He describes them, at the same time, in such a Avay as to indicate unmistakably that they would deny the future and everlasting punishment of the wicked ; in modern language, as Universalists. Why, if not to intimate this characteristic tenet of the false teachers, does he say that their sins are the proxi- mate cause of their destruction, or that they hring it on them- selves f Why does he speak of their destructive heresies ? Of their jud(/me7it as linger ing not, and their destruction as slumber- ing not ? What, moreover, is the apostle's aim in j^roving that punishment shall certainly be inflicted on such unrighteous men ? All this unquestionably jire-supposes, that the false teachers would deny the reality and certainty of such punishment. ^For if God spared not angels that sinned, but [bound] with chains of darkness hurled them into hell, and delivered them up to be kept for judgment ; ^and spared not the Old World, but guarded Noah, one of eight, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought the flood on an ungodly world ; *and when he burned to ashes the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, by the overthrow he condemned them, setting them forth as an example to them who shall live ungodly ; ''and yet he rescued righteous Lot, worn out by the lascivious behaviour of the lawless : "for that righteous one while dwelling among them, by seeing and hearing, torment- ed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds ; [if these things be so, then] *the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous for the day of judgment to be punished ; "but especially those who walk after the flesh in filthy lust, and despise government. The apostle in this paragraph is showing the absolute certainty of the punishment of false teachers, and their imitators, at the day of judgment; or when Christ comes as judge of the wicked. And the historical arguments employed in this context are laid on an immovable foundation, the immutdbility of God ; on the clearly i-evealed truth that he is as unchangeable in his justice as in grace or mercy, or in any other perfection of his nature. " lie camiot deny himself'' (2 Tim. 2 : 13,) that is he cannot act un- like himself, or in a way inconsistent with any perfection of his CHAPTER II., YER. 4. 139 Godhead. He is the same just God note, and icill be to all etcrmi- ty, as when he severely punished angels that sinned, the antedi- luvians, or the inhabitants of the plain. He is as unchangeable in his knowledge and jiower now as then, (9 v ;) no sins escape the notice of his omniscient eye, and no sinner can get out of the reach of the hand of the Almighty. It follows therefore, that false teachers and their followers, except they repent, (3 : 9,) can- not be passed by unpunished. The absolute certainty of the deliverance of the pious from a state of trial when our Lord comes, is also shown in this para- graph. God's kindness to the godly w'ill be the same at the day of judgment as when he guarded Noah by the shield of his almighty love, and made the ark to swim unharmed on the flood that drowned an ungodly world ; it will be the same on that great day to them who love Christ and holiness as it was to Lot — they shall have certain knoAvledge of the signal punishment of the ungodly, but escape it themselves ; for "God in Christ" is as unchangeable in his grace and tender mercy as in his justice. Y. 4. For if God spared not Angels that sinned, etc. The argumentative particle /br depends on the latter part of the third verse. 'Their judgment lingers not, and their destruction slum- bers not ; for if God spared not,' etc. The protasis begins here, the apodosis, at the ninth verse : ' If God spared not angels, etc., then {apa implied before u\dz-J) the Lord knows,' etc. Other modes have been suggested with reference to the apodosis, but none seems so accurate as the one here given, in which the most eminent expositors agree. Peter briefly refers to the fall of the Angels as a well known fact, clearly, though incidentally taught in Holy Scripture. He says nothing of the time when they sinned, the manner in which they manifested, their transgression, and other circumstances at- tending it, — because these things would have had but an indirect bearing on his present argument. He wishes to confine our at- tention directly to a single point, viz. : Angels that sinned were 140 CHAPTER IL, VER. 4. puuishetl, and that in a signal manner. This fact, the insepara- ble connection between sin and punishment, bears directly on his present argument, and demonstrates that those who Avalk in the way of lewdness and avarice, and deny their jirofessed Redeemer to be Lord and Master Avill be punished at the day of judgment, when their Sovereign calls them to account for their vile misdeeds. The expression, "Angels that sinned," implies that others did not, and hence ^ye read of "the elect angels," 1 Tim. 5, 21, " faithful found among the faithless." The same expression also implies that they were originally created in a holy state. No other supposition can stand a mpment before the bar of right, reason or Scriptui-e; for "God is Light, and in him is no darkness at all," 1 John 1: 5; i. e. God is perfectly holy, and in him there is no sin at all. It is absolutely impossible therefore that any sinful suggestion could have been proposed to angelic minds by the Holy One ; in this sense, " God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any one," whether man or angel, Isa. 1, IS- IS. The sinful thoughts and deeds of angels, then, must have originated in their own minds. If we attempt to proceed farther in this inquiry, what progress can Ave make ? If men will believe no fact xmless they can at the same time miderstand how and why it is so, they will be forced to put but one article in their creed, as follows : I believe in — Nothing. The revealed fact is, that Angels sinned. If any ask. How can such a foet be believed ? we answer, If you receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater ; for God cannot lie. 1 John 5:9; Ileb. 6:18. If you farther ask, Why did God permit them to sin, or why did he not pi'event them from sinning ? the best answer we know of is : " Even so. Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight." Let us in this matter be contented with that which Calvin denominates " a sort of learned ignorance ;" believing the fact that angels sinned on the testimony of the God of Truth, and at the same time ingenuously confessing our utter ignorance of the manner of the concej)tion and birth of sin in angelic minds. The Origin of CHArTER II., VER. 4. 141 Evil, or the reason why llie Alniiglity, infinitely wise and good, allowed it to enter the minds of angels or men, may be called the only difficulty in theology ; it belongs, however, rather to natural theology than to revealed : it is a question which, if we persist in endeavoring to. investigate, may lead us to madness — or some- thing worse. " Who art thou, O man, that repliest against God?" It is a question that should be left alone, because it is moral in- sanity for us to dream that we can fathom the depths of God's mind, or discover Avhat he has not revealed in his word : also be- cause it lies far out of the grasp of the human understanding, and the attempts to explain it, from Origen to Beecher,* are de- cided failures ; attempts on waxen wings to reach the sun. As to the mode, however, in which the angels manifested the fact that they had become sinners, Jude gives a very significant hint. "Angels that kept not their jDrincipality, w/'/r^^-, but left their own habitation" — 6 v. Their own habitation or dwelling- place, TO I'otou oixTTJpur^, means the world allotted and adai)ted to such intelligences as they. So Avhen Judas Iscariot is said to have gone to his own place, it signifies the place appointed for and suited to such a sinner as he, Acts 1 : 25. The angels, it seems then, became dissatisfied with the world which God, in his infinite wisdom and goodness, had appointed for them to dwell in ; a world, too, adapted to give exercise and delight to all their faculties ; and hence they left it, without divine permission, in a sullen, discontented and fault-finding temper of mind ; as if they could select a better home for themselves than the only wise God. Besides, "they kept not thah- 2)i'incipality,^^f they did not watch * " The conflict of ages " will continue — until men, tented in claj', find a line and plummet long enough to a.scertain the depth of that ocean which is bound- less and fathomless. " Who, by searching, can find out God ?" And whether the origin of evil will be explained when Christ comes, or whether any intelli- gent creature could comprehend it, if set forth in any language — is doubtful. ■{•See how the word is used, Rom. 8 : 38 ; Eph. 1: 21; 3: 10; C: 12; Col. 1 : IG ; 2 : 10, 15 : Tit. 3 : 1. The marginal translation of Jude, G v. is therefore correct. 142 CHAPTER II., VER. 4. over the Avorlcl where they had been appointed princes or rulers ; they disregarded the divine injunctions to teach and govern its inhabitants; in insane envy, they threw up their commission. By thus abandoning their official station and dwelling-place they demonstrated that they had sinned ; they thus proved that they had " that vaulting ambition which overleaps itself," 1 Tim. 3:0; and plunges its possessor into hell. Many theologians have assumed that the habitation of the angels before and up to the time when they sinned, was what is commonly called Heaven ; and they so teach their hearers, or readers. This opinion may be found in Milton's Paradise Lost, but there is not, so far as we are aware, a single passage of Holy Scripture to favor such an assumption. All that the Lord has been pleased to reveal is, that it was a dwelling-place or world destined for and adapted to angels, and that they voluntarily abandoned it, and the government of it Avith Avhich they were invested; but what particular part or world of the celestial dwelling-places it was, is not revealed. God spared not angels who sinned ; or he severely punished them. As the judge of all, he took the rod of his justice in his hand, and, in using it, spared them not. Rom. 8: 32; Gen. 18: 24; Dent. 13: 8 and 29: 20; Ezek. 5: 11. The metaphorical expression denotes that he treated them as their sin deserved, manifesting towards them justice unmingled with mercy. Com- pare Jas. 4: 12 and 2 : 13. But lolth chains of darJctiess hurled them into hell, i. e. bound with chains of darkness. There is a metaphor in the expression, and the sense is : they are like crimi- nals, but the chains wherewith they were bound are their own sinful temper and habits, with which misery is ever united. Prov. 5: 21. "His own iniquities shall take (or ensnare) the sinner himself, and with the cords of his sin shall be holden," (or, held fast) i. e. his own sinful disposition and habits shall be the means of his punishment. DarJaiess is often iised in scripture to denote sin, with its inseparable companion, misery. " If we say that we CHAPTER II., VER. 4. 143 liavc communion with Him, and yet ^oalk in darJoiess, "we lie," or deceive ourselves : i. e. such profession means nothing, if we still habitually commit sin. 1 John 1 : 6. There is no darkness at all in God. 1 John 1:5; that is, no shi and no sadness. Compare 1 Pet. 2: 9. "Out of darkness into his Avonderful light ;" out of a state of sin and misery into a state of holiness and blessedness like that of God, (2 Pet. 1 : 4.) See also Rom. 13: 12; Acts 26: 18. Chains or cords of darkness here, and cords of sin, (Prov. 5 : 21,) are identical in signification. Hurled (or, cast) them into hell ; with his almighty arm, guided by justice, he flung them into hell: the participle used is found only here, zaL-capioaaq. " Having hurled them into hell, he delivered," etc. : which in our idiom is the same as, He hurled them into hell and delivered, etc. Thus 1 Peter 3: 19; "Having gone, he preached," he went and preached. The verb rauTapvd^^r^pi-rzv^ elq zdurapuy^ hurl into Tartarus or hell. Iliad 8 : 13 sq. and 8:477 sq. In later Greek usage Tartarus means the place of punish- ment, or hell. In Luke 8: 31, and Rev. 29: 3, the place of punishment is called the abyss, the bottomless deep, rather than jjit : a fathom- less ocean, in which they are ever drowning, but never die. " O, how unlike the jilace from Avhence they fell ! " Homer represents Tartarus as a doleful prison or dungeon, from which there is no escape, and in which there is no joy ; the light of the sun and cooling breezes being excluded. And our apostle, by declaring that the angels who sinned were cast into tartarus, evidently means that they were punished by being put into a doleful dungeon, or hurled from their former dwelling place into hell. And delivered them \tp to be kept for judgment. God as judge gave them over to the proper officers, to be kept, reserved or se- cured, for trial and condemnation, when Christ comes, (9 v., Jude, 6 v.) The apostle speaks of them as infamous criminals, put in prison, and kept there for future trial and punishment. While 144 CHAPTER II., YER. 4. thus imprisoned in tartarus, bound with the cords of sin, the recollection of past offences, and the fearful looking for of the judgment to come, make their passions rage, thus producing present and constant torment : remorse and despair ever dwell- ing within them. But this punishment will be augmented Avhen Christ shall confine them all in hell forever. 9-17 vs. ; Jude, 6 v; Matt. 25: 41 ; Rev. 20: 10. (The common version, "de- livered them into chains of darkness" is incorrect.) The sense accordingly is : God manifested his strict justice on angels that sinned, seizing them in their sins, and bound with the cords of their sinful temper and habits, hurled them from their former dwelling-place in this unholy and miserable condition into hell. If he thus dealt with them, how can false teachers, and their imitators, escape the judgment of God ? The reading atipai': is supported by G. K. Vulgate, and Syriac version; aeipoiq, by A. B. C. But (Teipotqz^ffipo:^, means pits to keep grain in, and no one of good taste can suppose that the apostle employed it. The former reading is, in our judgment, alone genuine ; and it is edited by Bengel, Griesbach, Bloomfield, and Tischendorf. It is moreover confirmed by deffij-uiq. Jude, 6 v. Where tartarus, hell, or the abyss, is, is not revealed in scrip- ture. Some have childishly imagined it to be in the dark and cloudy atmosphere ; others deep down in the earth ; but since these are pure conjectures, built on no solid foundation, we may fling them aside as worthless, and be admonished that tliere is such a place, and that both angels that sinned and the finally im- penitent shall inhabit it. Matt. 25 : 41. Demons wandered about the earth, when our Lord Jesus Christ appeared in Judea ; and hence some have inferred that the angels who sinned could not then have been in that place of punishment where they shall everlastingly be confined, after the judgment of the great day. But if Luke (8: 31,) be carefully examined, that opinion must be given up. " And he besought him that he would not command thenC (the many demons, 30 v.,) CHAPTER II., TER. 5. I45 " to f)0 off into the abyss.'''' The clemons feared that Christ would command them to go oft* from earth into tartarus, their proper prison ; they begged therefore, for a longer reprieve, or that they might still be permitted to stay on earth. All this implies that they knew full well, they could not be j^risoners at large Avithout his jiermission ; it also implies that others of their number were then, and are now, in hell. V. 5. And spared not the Old Worlds the world before the flood ; world, by metonomy for its inhabitants. All the antedi- luvians, eight alone excepted, are thus designated : and they are also described as an ungodly xoorld. They were, probably, idol- aters, inasmuch as Moses says, " The earth, was corrupt before God," Gen. 6:11, with Ex. 32 : 7, 8 ; Deut. 32 : 5 ; Judges 2 : 19. (See Ains worth and Bush on Gen. 4 : 26, and 6 : 11.) The earth also Avas filled with violence, (Gen. 6 : 11,) with violent Avrong, or violent men. Lasciviousness was likewise a prevailing sin. Gen. 6 : 1, 2. This example of God's retributive justice is very perti- nent to our apostle's purpose, falling with a crushing Aveight on them Avho by words or deeds deny their Redeemer to be their Sovereign, and who teach or practice lewdness. God brought the flood on an ungodly xoorld ; the number of the transgressors did not prevent him from severely punishing them, and hence the multitudes that follow false teachers must not expect exemp- tion from punishment. But guarded N'oah^ i is im- plied, Rom. 5: 18. After zl in a conditional clause, apa begins the apodosis, Matt. 12 : 28 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 16-18 ; Gal. 2 : 21. Peter omits the sign of the apodosis here and in 20 v., as is quite natu- ral to such a fervent spirit, borne onward by the strength of his emotions. "For if God spared not angels who sinned, etc., then CHAPTER IT, VER. 9, 10. 149 the Lord knows," etc. For tins is rendered more perspicuous to the mere English reader by supplying as above. The verb to know, in connection with the infinitive, implies also both ability and willingness. "The Lord has all the knowledge and j^ower requisite to deliver them, and is unchangeably determined to do so." Compare Matt. 7:11. "If ye then know how to give good gifts," etc., i. e., If ye know their wants, have power or resources to supply them, and a heart disposed so to do. 1 Tim. 3:5; Phil. 4: 12. To rescue the godly from trial or snatch them away from it, is to deliver them from a state of trial in which their fidelity to the Lord, their faith and patience, arc put to the proof, or tested like gold in the fire. 1 Pet, 1 : 7. While dwelling among the wicked, "as lambs in the midst of wolves," the pious Jiave abun- dant opportunities to manifest their love of truth and holiness, and their hatred of destructive heresies and sins. When false teachers arise among them, and the love of many waxes cold ; when many put on the form of piety, but are strangers to its power ; " the Lord trieth the righteous " to make it unquestiona- ble, that they truly love Him, and esteem His word above all ; Deut. 13 : 3 ; 2 Pet. 2 : 1 with 9 v. ; 1 Cor. 11:19; 1 Pet. 1 : 6, 7 ; 4: 12. But this state of trial is to last only till "the day of judgment;" till Christ comes as Judge and separates the one from the other. Matt. 13 : 40-43. To heep the ^inrighteous for the day of judgment to he pun- ished^ means to watch over or secure them, reserve them to be punished at the day of judgment: comp. 1 Pet. 1 : 4 ; 2 Pet. 2 : 4. They are reserved for that Great Day ; that is the epoch in which the Lord has determined that they shall be judged and punished more severely than when in the separate or disembodied state. Matt. 25 : 41, 4G ; 2 Thess. 1 : 7-10. It is Christ's day in which he shall come again to earth and appear in his glory, attended by all his holy angels, and sit down on his glorious throne. Matt. 25: 31; the day when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from 150 CHAPTER IT., VER. 9, 10. heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, giving retribution to them that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ ; who shall suffer punishment, everlasting destruc- tion from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power ; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, etc., in that day." 2 Thess. 1 : 7-10. "The Father jndgeth no one, but hath committed all judgment to the Son." John 5:22; Acts 17 : 31 ; 1 Cor. 4 : 5, And this appears to be the reason Avhy the apostle uses " Lord," and not " God," as in the 4 v. " God, in the person of our Lord, is able and willing to deliver the godly from a state of trial, and to confine safely the wicked to be punished at the day of judgment." Ei-: ijidpa-^ xpiaewq—xx^ to the day of judg- ment, Avhen it has come, or, for that time: comp. 1 Pet. 1 : 11 ; 2 Pet. 3 : 7 ; J Thess. 4 : 15, Our apostle also alludes to what he said before of the false teachers and their followers; "Denying that their Redeemer is Sovereign." "Such a denial is vain, as they will discover when he as Lord and Judge comes to punish them and others of like character." JBut especially these, etc.; here the apodosis ends. The sense is. But the Lord knows how to keep for the day of judgment, to be punished in an especial manner, the leaders and guides who entice others, by Avord and deed, to imitate their abominable actions. He brands them, says Calvin, with two marks, filthy lust and contempt of government. To walk after the flesh in filthy lust, is habitually to indulge the bodily appetites in all sorts of lewdness, as fornication, adultery, and unnatural sensual practices. Compare Jude 7 v.; 1 Cor. 6 : 9, 10 ; Rom. 1 : 27, 32. To despise government, is to speak contemptuously of it to en- deavor to overthrow legal and judicial authority ; and, when that can not be done by the lawless, to use shameful efforts to lessen in men's minds reverence for law, and for them Avho are appoint- ed to execute it. Such men, in the nineteenth century, are like moral descendants of the inhabitants of the Plain. Filthy lust and contempt of government are still their characteristic features. CHAPTER ir., VER. 10. 151 (Gen. 19: 9.) Xot only the family, and the church, but ^//e State also is of divine institution., Rom. 13 : l-V ; 1 Pet. 2 : 13-16 ; and for men to treat civil government with contempt, because they wish to gratify to the full their vile, shameless, and filthy appe- tites, is to ojipose God himself, in the present government of this world ; it evinces, moreover, such a love of sin as deserves ex- treme punishment, and which the apostle here predicts shall be certainly executed. '"I'ool-hardy, self-willed men ! they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities: "whereas angels, who are greater in strength and power, bring not against them an evil-spoken judgment, when standing before the Lord. "But these, as irrational sensual ani- mals, which are made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of things they do not understand, and, in consequence of their cor- ruption, shall be destroyed, "receiving the wages of unrighteous- ness; inasmuch as they think that luxury in day -light is pleasure: spots and blemishes ! living luxuriously, while in consequence of their deceits they feast with you ; "since they have eyes tilled W' ith an adulteress, and that ceases not from sin, insnaring unes- tablished souls ; since they haA'e a heart trained in covetousness — children of curse ! "because they have forsaken the right way, w^andered, and followed the way of Balaam, the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness ; "'but he had a refuta- tion of his transgression, when the dumb ass spoke in a voice like men, and restrained the prophet's madness. V. 10. Fool-hardy ToXinjTai=darers, over-bold men, who show what they call their courage at the expense of good sense and de- cency ; A^enturesome 2:)ersons who bridle not their tongues even when the prison and gallows are in sight. Self-ioilled men, auOddac:, self-j^leasinff, or self-conceited ; hence self-willed or ob- stinate, regardless of the rights or feelings of others, those of the highest earthly dignity not excepted ; nay, they delight to spurt their filth all around the pillars of the state. Stat eorum Voluntas pro Ratione et Lege et Scriptura. They will have their way and their say, notwithstanding reason and law and Holy Scripture alike forbid it — mulish heroes ! With these words the apostle begins his more particidar de- scription of the false teachers, which is continued to the first 152 CHAPTER IL, VER. 10. clause of the seventeentli verse inclusive ; Avhile, as he proceeds with the description, he repeats the certainty of their future pun- ishment, and shows or illustrates how richly deserved or Just such punishment will be. T/iey are not afraid to speaTc of dignities : literally, " they tremble not speaking evil of glories," i. e. they tremble not in so doing, or they are not afraid to revile them. Ao^a-:, glories, ex- cellencies, honors or dignities : the same word is used in the plural also in 1 Pot. 1: 11: "the glories after these sufferings," his honors subsequent to his passion, as the head of all principality and power, 1 Pet. 3 : 22. Flere the same word is used by metonomy for men in places of honor ; " honors " for honorable men, or magistrates.* This mode of interpretation agrees well with what precedes : " They despise Government, these self-willed heroes ! You cannot discern any trembling of their nerves when employed in their ordinary occupation, reviling persons invested with lionor ; or those appointed to uphold the state and enforce its laws." Compare Jude, 8 v. Calvin : "After the apostle had said, they despise government, he indicates the source of the evil, viz : because they are fool- hardy and self-icilled. Lastly, in order to heighten the more their haughtiness, he says, They tremble not when they .speak evil of glories. For it is a mark of wonderful arrogance to count as nothing worth, that glory which shines brightly in the orders ap- pointed by God. For it is beyond doubt that he designates by this name, the military and civil authorities, or magistrates su- preme and subordinate, (imperia et magistratus designet.) For although there is no honest kind of life but what is praise-worthy, still we know that the function of magistrates is the most emi- nent, because they are God's vicegerants in governing mankind." The fanatical Anabaptists of the sixteenth century were pre- cisely such men as the apostle here describes ; and the Papal * When an advocate in onr courts begins his address to the presiding Judge, he commonly says : " May it please your Honor." CHAPTER II., VER. 11. 153 cliurch has always despised government and spoken evil of dig- nities, cxcej^t when she could mould them as clay to suit her own ambitious schemes. V. 11.' Whereas, angels, who are greater in strenfjth and po%cer, bring not against them an evil-spoken judgment, when standing before the Lord. Peter's aim, in these words, is to expose the moral ugliness of their effrontery ; and this he does by contrast- ing their ribald speeches against magistrates with the calm, truthful and respectful demeanor of the holy angels in similar circumstances. Whereas o-oo, icJiere, equivalent either to since, 1 Cor. 3:3; or to in which condition or circumstances. Col. 3 : 11. " Where Xhei'Q is neither Jew nor Gentile," etc.: i.e., in which condition (the condition of men as renewed, Col. 3 : 10,) there are no national distinctions. Heb. 9: 16, "For ?M€re a testament (or covenant) is," etc., i. e. on that condition, or in such circum- stances. 'These self-willed heroes despise dominion, and revile dignities ; angels, however, when in like circumstances, act very differently.' Who are greater in strength and power : Asteismus gravis, majoi'es homunculis, says Bengel. " Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, mighty ones of strength (=powerful heroes,) that do his command," etc., Ps. 103: 20. These fool-hardy and self- willed men, who think that they manifest their courage by revil- ing dignities, are very much mistaken ; for angels in like circum- stances act very differently, and they are heroes indeed, dis- playing moral boldness in obeying God well worthy of human imitation. They are indeed far superior to the most eloquent false teachers and evil-speaking orators of sedition and anarchy. T. Smith explains this clause thus : " Angels of great power, and the most excellent beings created by God ; for excellence is derived from power, according to common conception :" — excel- lentia enim sumitur a potentia juxta vulgi conceptum. Whitby, Benson, and others : ' Who are greater in power than the fallen angels.' When holy angels are compared with men generally, they must be allowed to be far superior in intellectual and moral 154 CHAPTER II. VER. 11. endowments ; even the wisest and best of mankind are weak and imperfect creatnres when compai-ed with those mighty ones of strength who do God's command, listening for the least intima- tions of his will, Ps. 103 : 20. When holiness and intellect are combined, then intelligent beings are strong; when such have never sinned, then they are " greater in strength and poicer'''' than those who have. From this point of view, in our judgment, these words of the apostle must be interpreted. (What he says here is indeed equally true if explained of the angels that sinned ; but we think that interpretation would never have been resorted to, had not expositors supposed that 2 Pet. 2:11, and Jude 9 v. w^ere parallel in signification.) Now, if angels thus excel the wisest and holiest men in strength and power, how far superior must they be to the miserable men portrayed by the apostle — wretches overpowered by lasciviousness, avarice and foolish ambition ! This interpretation so briefly hinted at by Bengel, is perfectly consistent with the preceding and subsequent context, 10 : 12 vs. For, says the apostle, ' they are exceedingly lascivious persons, and despise dominion or government ;' not that surely with which angels are invested, but that entrusted to men. ' Fool-hardy and self-willed !' or obstinate and impudent men whose passions blind their judgment, and impel them to treat with abuse and slander those who are appointed to ujDhold the state and enforce its laws. But angels, when they speak of magistrates, never utter words of vituperation. These men, however, like animals, let their pas- sions drive them to destruction. The word *' angels," accompa- nied by no descriptive word or phrase, means the holy angels. Comp. Matt. 4 : 11 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 12. (Here, however, they are de- scribed or defined as " greater in strength and power "; the allusion being to Ps. 103 : 20.) Angels bring not against them an evil-spohen judgment^ when standing before the Lord: oh tfipooai xaz avTwv -apa xopiat ^ka.«. The word rendered irrational means speechless or reasonless; we prefer "irrational," for to express dumb or speechless, Peter uses a^wv»!>, 16. (Compare 1 Pet. 2:2; Rom. 12:1, Gr.) Sensual, literally, natural ,' guided by the nature which animals have, whose appe- tites are a law to them, since reason is withheld from them. But when men put their passions to the helm, while reason and con- science are fist asleep, then they must make shipwreck of their well-being in time and in eternity, Which are made to be taken and destroyed: literally, "Born for seizure and corruption;" CHAPTER II., VER. 12. 159 that is, physical corruption or death, such corruption as befalls animals, which, whether wild or tame, were made by God to be taken and killed by men for their sustenance or safety. Gen. 9 : 1-3, Some connect natural Avith the following Avords, taking it adverbially : ' But these, as irrational animals, naturally horn for seizure and corruption': it Avould, however puzzle any one but a learned commentator or critic to demonstrate how either men or animals can be born except naturally. SjyeaJc evil of things that they do not binder stand, or, speak evil of things that they know nothing of: tv olq ay^ooat (iXafffy^iwouvrei^: Si) oT?=^-' TouToifT, a. 'They insolently babble on matters whicli they knoAV nothing of.' " They revile the acts of magistrates," says Benson, " ignorant of the secret springs or motives of their conduct : they know nothing of the arcana imperii," which re- viles acts from the impulse of fierce passions only, attacking dig- as wild beasts rush on their enemies: but they are irrational in so doing; for without Government and Dignities, our world would soon become an Aceldama, and exhibit a vivid picture of Hell, where all are "hateful and hating one another." And, in consequence of their corruption, shall be destroyed: literally, " And in their corruption shall be corrupted." Corrup- tion means gross moral depravity or wickedness, as in the nineteenth verse, and 1 : 4. In their corruption signifies, In con- sequence of their corruj^tion, as in 1 : 4 ; 1 Pet. 4 : 14. The verb shall he corrupted is equivalent to shall be destroyed ; (compare Gen. 6 : 12, 13 ; Heb.) A similar sudden change of meaning oc- curs 1 Cor. 3:17. If any one corrupt the temple of God, him vnll God corrupt^'' i. e. destroy ; xai 7at, C.** G. K. Tischendorf and Lachmann edit the former reading, Griesbach and Bengel, the latter. Receiving the wages of unrighteousness : or carrying off tlie wages of unrighteousness. This clause must be connected witli the preceding one : "And shall, in consequence of their corrup- tion, be destroyed, receiving the wages of unrighteousness ;" i. e. 160 CHAPTER II., YER. 12. tliey shall certainly be punished, and punished justly, receiving the payment or retribution they have earned by their enormous wickedness. " The wages of sin is Death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6 : 23. '■''Bringing on themselves swift destruction," 1 v. That the sins of men are the proximate causes of their condemnation, is the uniform doctrine of Scriptnre. T. Smith : Male haec verba a precedentibus sejunguntur : poenam, quam impietate sua meren- tur, subibunt. The participle here used by Peter is the future middle of the so-called Attic form : xopMu/xsvut In the active voice y.oij.i%io means to take up and bear away (for another), hring^ Lvake 7:37. Elsewhere it is found in middle voice, meaning to take up and bear away for one's self, or bring on one's self, i. e. receive. Thus, Matt. 25 : 27 : "Thou shouldst therefore have i>ut out my money to the exchangers, and then, when I come, I tooxdd have received my own with interest." 2 Cor. 5: 10. " For we must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in or- der that each may receive^'' etc. Col. 3 : 25. " For he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done ; and hence there is no partiality." 1 Pet. 1 : 9. " 7?ece^y^V^v7 the end " (ultimate result, or final gracious recompense,) of your faith, your personal salvation." 1 Pet. 5:9. " And, when the Chief Shepherd has appeared, ye shcdl receive the crown of glory that cannot fade ;" take up and bear away for yourselves as conquer- ors, that crown. So here ' In consequence of their wickedness they shall certainly be punished, and that justly, for they shall re- ceive the wages of unrighteousness^ or bring on themselves that punishment which their sins deserve.' They shall have to take up and carry a dreadful burden, made up of an accusing conscience and a sense of the wrath of God. For "the worm that diethnot," is a perpetually accusing conscience, and the " fire that is not quenched" is the fearful indignation of the Holy, Immutable and Almighty Judge. Mark 9:48, with John 3:36; Rom. 2:5-11; 9: 22; Eph. 5:6; Rev. 6: 17, 17; 14: 10. 11; Matt. 25: 41; CHAPTER II., VER. 13. 161 Heb. 10:27. And how can the inoorrigihhj depraved escape from his hands, or break the prison doors of hell ? How can they flee from themselves ? Let the chief English poet of the Satanic School, illustrate the mode of "receiving the wages of unrighteousness " : "The mind that broods o'er guilty woes, Is like the scorpion gin by flre, In circle narrowing as it glows ; Till inly searched by thousand throes, And maddening in her ire, One sole and sad relief she knows — The sting she nourished for her foes, Whose venom never proved in vain, And darts iC into her desperate brain. So do the dark in soul expire : Or live, like scorpion, girt by fire. So withers the soul remorse hath riven. Unloved of earth, unblessed of heaven : Darkness above, despair beneath, Around it flame, within it death." But some deceive themselves and others with vain words, or false and meaningless doctrines, (Eph. 5 : 6,) affinuing that the future destruction of the wicked consists in annihilation. We answer that it is the destruction, not of being, but of Avell-being. The Judge of all, must know all about this awful subject, arid he cannot lie. What is his determination and declaration on this subject ? He declares, in the most striking, perspicuous, and fear- ful language, that it does not consist in annihilation. " Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall he salted with fire, and every sacrifice shallbe salted with salt^'' Mark 9 : 48, 49. Here Ave are explicitly told that the finally impenitent and incorrigibly Avicked shall not lose their immor- tality ; their conscience is immortal, and so must be their other mental faculties : while the purpose of the Judge, and his holy indignation against their sins, is a fire unquenchable or innnuta- ble, from which escape is impossible. For every one shall be preserved iu being by the almighty power and just displeasure 11 162 CHAPTER IL, VER. 13. of the Judge, (Dent. 4: 24; Heb. 12: 29,) and every victim of the divine justice shall be preserved in being everlasting. (" Shall be salted with salt"=shall be preserved with preserva- tion ; an intensive form of speech to denote everlasting exist- ence.) And that the body will partake of the punishment,, is also explicitly told us by " the Judge of all the earth," Matt. 10: 28. Men bring this destruction on themselves, inasmxieh as their moral corruption is the iH'ocuring proximate cause of it, (2: 1, 1 2.) " God in Christ " brings it on them, and keeps them im- mortal to endure it, as the holy, truthful, just, omnipotent and un- changeable Judge, 2:5, 9, 10. To assume that the lost in hell will, in some future age after the judgment of the great day, be renewed by the Holy Spirit, is " destructive heresy." There is not the faintest intimation of such a doctrine in all the sacred Word. Men may and do de- ceive us, hut God cannot. And what are mere human opinions and ooojectvTres worth to a soul exchangang time for eternity ? What must be thought of them by those whose destiny is unal- terably fixed ? " Be BOt deceived ; God is not mocked :" (he is not one to be scorned or sneered at) " for whatever a man sowetli', that shall he also reap; for he that sowethto his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he tliat soweth to the spirit sliall of the spirit reap life everlasting," Gal. 6 r 7-8. Here life everlasting is contrasted with cori'uption, or endless blesseelness with endless misery, and it is declared that no other recompense awaits the imholy and holy. And in Matt. 25 : 41, the same word, " ever- lasting," is used to express the duration of the bliss of the right- eous and the misery of the wicked. Inasmuch as they think that luxury in daylight is pleasure — s2X)ts^ and blemishes / living Inxuriouslyy while in co7iseqnence of their deceits they feast with you. The apostle is illustrating the justice of their pimishment: 'In consequence of their moral cor- ruption they sliall be destroyed, receiving the wages of un- CHAPTER IL, VER. 13. 163 righteousness ; inasmucli as they esteem,' etc. The participle " thinking," is employed to assign a reason of the preceding statement, instances of Avhich have been before noticed, 1 : 14. ^'^ Knowing that," etc., since I know, 2:7. " Rigliteous Lot, loorn out^'''' i. e., since ho was worn out, 3:11. " All these things, then, l>em(/ dissolvable,''^ i. e., inasmuch as tliey are so constituted. (Compare 1 Pet. 1 : 22, 23.) And so also in 14, 15 vs. Luxury in daylight, ttjv tv riidim -fiuiprj'j, does not mean daily luxury, quo- tidianas delicias, as Beza translates ; neither does it mean luxury summed up in a day, or brief and transitory luxury, as others explain ; nor does it signify their luxury on the day in which the love-feasts were celebrated, as Bengel suggests; but "in the daytinae," or in daylight, as our translators rightly judged. So it is used also in 1:19. " Until daylight break through," or the day dawn. Luxury means a soft, effeminate and ej^icurean Avay of living ; an excessive use of rich food and choice wines, with an undue regard for costly raiment, Luke 7 : 25. Paul in a paral- lel passage, describes in a homely manner such idol Avorship, Phil. 3: 19. See also Isa. 4: 11, 12 ; 28: 7. Such heretical fops and epicurean false teachers deserve severe punishment; for they live, not to guide their disciples in the way of life, not to serve God or benefit men, but to eat and drink and dress — that is all. And " inasmuch as they think that luxury in daylight is pleasxire^'' {i. e., the chief good, or the next thing to it,) " they shall be destroyed, receiving the wages of unrighteousness." The an- cients generally feasted in the night ; luxury in the day time therefore denotes uncommon excess in this particular, Acts 2:15; 1 Thess. 5 : 7. jSjyots and blemishes ! An outburst of holy indignation, as in 10 v. Here are two elliptical metaphors, equivalent to 'These are spots and blemishes,' and the sense is : These, like filthy spots on garments and blemishes on the human body, are a disgrace and dishonor to the church of Christ, under this disi)ensation of his grace. (Compare Eph. 5:27; Lev. 21 : 16, etc.) Living lux- 164 CHAPTER II., VER. 13. tiriously, living like epicures, though professing to be Christians ; [LXX. Isa. 55:2; Jas. 5:5;) not " sporting themselves," unless that expression means luxurious self-indulgence : the allusion in this word, hrpufibvTEq, is not to their licentiousness, but to the worship of the dining-table, or what the great English poet calls " sumptuous gluttonies and gorgeous feasts." In consequence of their deceits^ i. e., hypocritical stratagems, and seemingly holy words. "Lepers in saintly garb!" "With good words and fair speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple," Rom. 16 : 18. While they feast with you: comj). Jude, 12 v. The reference in these words is either to the agapre or love-feasts ; feasts to which the wealthier brethren chiefly contributed, and in which the dis- ciples, rich and poor together, met to partake of what was orig- inally but a frugal meal, in token of their brotherly love. See Jude, 12 V. Compare 1 Cor. 11 : 21, 22. We have the testimony of a heathen who had the best opportunities of judging, Pliny the younger, that the Agapce, (or Lord's supper, or both,) were then innocently observed by Christians in Asia Minor : Cibraii siniul capiebant, promiscum tamen et innocuum. (Compare Ter- tuUian, Apolog. cap. 39.) But the appearance of false teachers in the church, and the great success they met with, in accordance with the apostle's prediction, (2: 1, 2,) led to the non-observance of them altogether. Or the reference in the words " while they feast with you," is to the love-feasts and the Lord's supper, Avhich were both observed in the apostolic age by professed Christians. (The Lord's supper however, is alone of divine institution, 1 Cor. 11: 23-26.) And it is probable, as Doddridge suggests, that the apostle's design is to show that false teachers would live luxuriously at home and among those like themselves, not among their dupes ; while, on other occasions, or when the Agapce and Lord's supper Avere observed, their hypocrisy Avould impel them to play the part of saints by banquetting Avith them at these pious festivals. Hoav else could they keep up even the appear- ance of piety? What becomes of their deceitful words and CHAPTER II., VER. 14. 165 stratagems, if this be not assumed '? And does not the wliole history of the church demonstrate such hypocrisy to be an un- questionable fact ? Accordingly the sense of this verse is : ' They shall be justly punished, inasmuch as they think that excessive luxury is the chief good — vile men bringing reproach on the church of Christ ! Living constantly in luxury in their private dwellings, Avith others of the same corrupt mind, and "blind guides" like themselves ; while in the public religious assemblies, they banquet with you at the supper af the Lord, and at feasts indicative of fraternal love.' (This interpretation is based on the fact that the participle, atr^towyuijiLzvat^ " feasting with you," expresses a condition^ or rather a supposition assumed as true by the apostle, as in 1:20; 3 : 3.) A.* C. G. K. for the com- mon reading a-«rair, B. aya-atc. Jude has : "These are break- ers in your agapa\" concealed rocks among those who meet to testify their brotherly love, (12 v.,) or dangei'ous men who covert- ly lead and dash others to destruction, causing them to make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience, 1 Tim. 1: 19. The MSS. evidence for the common reading is decidedly preponder- ating ; Avhile the translation of the thirteenth verse in the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, is too paraphrastic and confused to suffice for elucidation. Neither is the fact that Jude has aga- pte, any decisive proof that the same word was here used by Peter, miless it could be demonstrated that Jude was but a slavish copyist, which can never be done, since he has striking expressions peculiarly his own: e. t filled tcith an adulteress., and that cease not from sin, insnariny tinestablished soids. Their punish- 166 CHAPTER II., VER. 14. ment is just, not only because of their excessive luxury and hy- pocrisy, (13 V.,) hut also because of their lasciviousness. Eyir^re'r^ having=since they have. Eyes filled with, or full of, an adul- teress^ 6