Julian Pe devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he Rome.
riod, 4778, or 4779. Vulgar Æra, 65 or 66.
9 Whom resist, stedfast in the faith, knowing that the
same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that
are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto
his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suf-
fered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen,
settle
you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.
§ 15. 1 FET. v. 12, to the end.
The Apostle informs them he sends this Epistle by Silvanus
(the same as Silas, Acts xv. 40. and xvi. 19.) he writes
to them as he considers briefly testifying to them that it is
the genuine Gospel of Christ which has been preached—
He desires them to salute each other, in Testimony of
their Christian Love, and concludes with his apostolical
Benediction.
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I sup-
pose, I have written briefly, exhorting and testifying that
this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Julian Pe- St. Peter, under the impression of approaching Martyr-Italy or dom, writes to the Jewish and Gentile Christians, dis persed in the Countries of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, &c. to confirm the Doctrines and Instructions of his former Letter, to caution them against the Errors of the False Teachers, by reminding them of the Judgments of God on Apostates, and to encourage them under Persecution, by the Consideration of the happy Deliverance of those who trusted in him, and the final Dissolution both of this World and of the Jewish Dispensation ".
26 Many doubts were entertained by the ancients whether St. Peter was really the author of this Epistle. Eusebius reckoned it among the avriλeyoμéva, or books not gencrally received as
1. 2 PET. i. 1—11.
Vulgar Era, The Apostle's Address and Benediction-He is commissioned an Apostle both to Jews and Gentiles, by Jesus
canonical. Semler thinks the superior influence of that party
in the Church which advocated the admission of the idolatrous
Gentiles, prevented its general reception. This opinion re-
quires confirmation. We have the most satisfactory evidence,
as Mr. Horne has well observed, of its genuineness and authen-
ticity.
This Epistle, as well as the former, although its genuineness,
as has been already observed, was doubted by some of the an-
cients, expressly claims St. Peter as its author. At the same
time it is proved that this, with the four other Catholic Epis-
tles, not universally acknowledged as inspired writings, were
very early known, and upon full and impartial inquiry, their
authenticity was established beyond a possibility of doubt.
There is a remarkable coincidence between this and the First
Epistle of St. Peter; and the writer appeals to facts and cir-
cumstances which evidently refer to that apostle. The writer
styles himself Simon Peter, which is the Hebrew form of writ-
ing, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ. St. Luke has
distinguished him by the same name (chap. v. 8.) and John
has done so seventeen times in his Gospel, as Macknight ob-
serves, perhaps to shew that he was the author of the Epistle
which begins Symeon Peter, a servant and an apostle. The
writer calls himself an apostle both in the inscription and chap.
iii. 2; and in verse 15, of the same chapter, he calls St. Paul
his beloved brother, and commends his Epistles as Scriptures,
or inspired writings. He also declares that he was with Jesus
at his transfiguration, and alludes to the prediction of our Sa-
viour (John xxi. 19.) where Jesus imparted to St. Peter by
what death he should glorify God. Some commentators have
supposed that the First and Second Epistles of St. Peter were
not written by the same person, because the style in which they
are composed differs; but this difference seems confined only
to the second chapter of the second Epistle, the first and
third chapters resembling the first Epistle-which circum-
stance would more naturally lead to the conclusion that the
second Epistle was written by two different authors, rather
than that both the Epistles were. But this diversity of style is
more easily accounted for by supposing that many expressions
in the second chapter, which is distinguished from the others,
were borrowed from the Gnostics, whose doctrines the apostle
was exposing and confuting. Thus, in 2 Peter ii. 17. the Gnos-
tics are called "clouds agitated by a tempest ;" and we are in-
formed that the Manicheans, who held many similar doctrines
with the Gnostics, taught that there were five good and five
bad elements, and that one of the latter was called " tempest."
They speak also of darkness under the name of Logos, which
word occurs several times in this chapter. The Epistle of St.
Jude also abounds with unusual figurative expressions, which
may be accounted for after the same manner. On the other
hand, Macknight remarks, if the subjects treated of raise an
author's indignation and abhorrence, he will use an acrimony
of style expressive of these feelings. For the apostle, whose
love to his Master was great, and who had the feeding of
Christ's sheep committed to him, regarding the false teachers
Julian Period, 4779. Vulgar Æra, 66.
Christ, who has endowed the Apostles with divine Power Italy or by the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, to enable them to bring
as the most flagitious of men, wrote that chapter against them
with a bitterness which he would not have used in correcting
teachers who had erred through simplicity. The arguments of
Grotius against the genuineness of this Epistle, on account of
its difference of style and sentiments, are not worthy of notice,
as he proposes, without the slightest authority, to expunge some
words; and on no better grounds to consider others as interpo-
lations.
Michaelis remarks, the deluge, which is not a common sub-
ject in the apostolic Epistles, is mentioned both in 1 Peter iii.
20. and in 2 Peter ii. 5; and in both places the circumstance is
noted, that eight persons only were saved, though in neither
place does the subject require that the number should be parti-
cularly specificd. The author of the first Epistle had read St.
Paul's Epistle to the Romans; and the author of the second
Epistle speaks in express terms (chap. iii. 15, 16.) of the Epis-
tles of St. Paul. Now, no other writer of the New Testament
has quoted from the New Testament; consequently, we have in
these Epistles a criterion from which we may judge that they
were written by the same author.
From chap. i. 14. it is evident that this Epistle was written a short time before St. Peter's death. It appears to have been written from Rome likewise, not long after his first. For, as Lardner (Can. iii. p. 253.) observes, "It is not unlikely, that soon after the apostle had sent away Silvanus with the first Epistle, some came from those countries to Rome, where there was a frequent and general resort from all parts, bringing him an account of the state of religion among them, which induced St. Peter to write a second Epistle, for the establishment of the Christians, among whom he had laboured; and he might well hope, that his last dying testimony, to the doctrines which he had received from Christ, and had taught for many years with unshaken stedfastness, would be of great weight with them." It was evidently written under the impression of soon dying a martyr for the truth he had maintained; and ecclesiastical history informs us that the apostle finished his course by being crucified with his head downwards, in the year 68, the fourteenth of the Emperor Nero.
The second Epistle was written to the same communities as the first-to the whole of the Christian brethren dispersed in the countries mentioned in the inscription of the former Epistle. (Compare 1 Peter i. with 2 Peter iii. 1.) Its design was the same, to comfort them under their persecution, by the most powerful arguments and considerations. I shall conclude by observing, in the words of Dr. Macknight, that "in speaking of the matters contained in the second Epistle of St. Peter, I must not omit observing, that in it, as in the first Epistle, there are discoveries of some important facts and circumstances not mentioned at all, or not mentioned so plainly, by the other inspired writers. Such as 1, That our Lord was transfigured for the purpose of exhibiting not only a proof of his greatness and power, as the Son of God, and Judge of the world, but an example of the glory in which he will come to judgment: an example also of his power to transform our corruptible mortal bodies at the resurrection, into the likeness of his own glorious body, as it appeared in the transfiguration, 2. That the de
Julian Period, 4779. Vulgar Æra, 66.
Men to a godly Life, which is obtained through the
Knowledge of Christ Jesus (John xvii. 3.) who has Rome.
called them to the Glory of being his Apostles, and in-
fused into them strengthening Energy and Courage for
that Purpose, committing to them all the glorious Pro-
mises of the Gospel, that Man might become again a
Partaker of the holy and immortal Nature, having escap-
ed the Corruption of the World through Lust-To join
to their Faith true Fortitude and Resolution of Mind
under Persecution, with increasing Knowledge of the
Doctrines of Christ-And to Knowledge, Moderation in
all earthly Enjoyments, Patience under Afflictions, and
Piety towards God-And to Piety, Love of their Chris-
tian Brethren, and to Love of the Brethren, Love to all
Men, not excepting their Enemies-If these Things
abound in them they will be neither inactive nor unfruitful
in good Works-But he who is deficient in good Works,
and active Christian Graces, is wilfully Blind, shutting
his Eyes against the Light, assuming a forgetfulness of
his baptismal Vow, to purify himself from his old Sins-
Seeing that this is the case with many, they are exhorted
struction of the cities of the plain by fire, was intended to be an
example of that destruction by fire from the presence of the
Lord, which will be inflicted on the wicked after judgment.
(Compare Jude verse 7.) 3. That in the last age of the world
scoffers will arise, who, from the stability of the present mun-
dane system, will argue that the world hath existed as we see it
from eternity, and that it will continue for ever. 4. That after
the judgment this earth, with its atmosphere, shall be set on
fire, and burning furiously, the elements shall be melted, and
the earth with all the works of God, and man thereon shall be
utterly destroyed. That after the present heaven and earth
are burnt, a new heaven and a new earth shall appear, into
which, according to God's promise, the righteous shall be car-
ried, there to live in unspeakable happiness, an event which St.
Peter himself, in his discourse to the Jews, (Acts iii. 21.) hath
termed "the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken,
by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began."
These supernatural discoveries could only have been revealed
by the Spirit of God-by an apostle really inspired as St. Peter
declares himself to have been. The strong internal evidence,
therefore, of this Epistle, must of itself be sufficient to prove
its authenticity.
From the whole tenor of the Epistle it is evident the apostle is confuting the dangerous errors of those who perverted the doctrine of justification by free grace through faith, without the works of the law, so as to make it a pretence for gratifying the lusts of the flesh without restraint. The false teachers endeavoured to persuade their disciples that Christ had purchased for them the liberty to indulge all their passions and appetites. And in order to circulate their impious doctrines they arrogated to themselves authority and illumination superior to that of Christ, or of his apostles.-See Dr. Mackuight and other com.
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more earnestly to labour, to make their Calling and Italy or
Election by the Gospel to be the Sons of God and his
Church sure, by doing good Works through Faith, which
Things if they practise, God will support them by his
Grace, and minister to them an honourable and triumphant
Entrance into his everlasting Kingdom.
1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with
us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour
Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue :
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom" of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
§ 2. 2 PET. i. 12, to the end.
As the Practice of Christian Virtues through Faith is the only
Way by which they can enter into Christ's Kingdom, St.
Since we are told (1 Cor. xv. 24.) that after the judgment Christ will deliver up the kingdom to his Father, the everlasting kingdom here referred to, signifies the kingdom which Christ erected by what he did in the flesh, and which by the government which he now exercises, he will at length fully establish. This kingdom will continue after he has delivered it up to his Father throughout all eternity, when God will be all in all. See Macknight in loc.
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