Albert Barnes

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

“Simon Peter - Margin, “Symeon.” The name is written either “Simon” or “Simeon” - Σίμων Simōn or Συμεών Sumeōn. Either word properly means “hearing;” and perhaps, like other names, was at first significant. The first epistle 1Pe 1:1 begins simply, “Peter, an apostle,” etc.”

and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

“And to godliness brotherly kindness - Love to Christians as such. See the Joh 13:34 note; Heb 13:1 note. And to brotherly kindness charity - Love to all mankind.”

and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

“For so an entrance - In this manner you shall be admitted into the kingdom of God. Shall be ministered unto you - The same Greek word is here used which occurs in 2Pe 1:5, and which is there rendered “add.””

I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,

“Yea, I think it meet - I think it becomes me as an apostle. It is my appropriate duty; a duty which is felt the more as the close of life draws near.”

And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.

“Moreover, I will endeavour - I will leave such a permanent record of my views on these subjects that you may not forget them.”

For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am…

“For he received from God the Father honour and glory - He was honored by God in being thus addressed. When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory - The magnificent splendor; the bright cloud which overshadowed them, Mat 17:5.”

We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt.

“We have also a more sure word of prophecy - That is, a prophecy pertaining to the coming of the Lord Jesus; for that is the point under discussion. There has been considerable diversity of opinion in regard to the meaning of this passage.”

For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

“For the prophecy came not in old time - Margin, or, “at any.” The Greek word (ποτὲ pote) will bear either construction. It would be true in either sense, but the reference is particularly to the recorded prophecies in the Old Testament.”

Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.

“But there were false prophets also among the people - In the previous chapter, 2Pe 2:19-21, Peter had appealed to the prophecies as containing unanswerable proofs of the truth of the Christian religion.”

In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

“And through covetousness - This shows what one of the things was by which they were influenced - a thing which, like licentiousness, usually exerts a powerful influence over the teachers of error.”

if He did not spare the ancient world when He brought the flood on its ungodly people, but preserved Noah, a preacher of righteousness, among the eight;

“And spared not the old world - The world before the flood. The argument here is, that he cut off that wicked race, and thus showed that he would punish the guilty.”

and if He rescued Lot, a righteous man distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless

“And delivered just Lot - Gen 19:16. This case is incidentally referred to, to show that God makes a distinction between the righteous and the wicked; and that while the latter will be destroyed, the former will be saved. See 2Pe 2:9.”

if all this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.

“The Lord knoweth ... - That is, the cases referred to show that God is able to deliver his people when tempted, and understands the best way in which it should be done.”

Yet not even angels, though greater in strength and power, dare to bring such slanderous charges against them before the Lord.

“Whereas angels - The object, by the reference to angels here, is to show that they, even when manifesting the greatest zeal in a righteous cause, and even when opposing others, did not make use of reproachful terms, or of harsh and violent language.”

They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.

“Which have forsaken the right way - The straight path of honesty and integrity. Religion is often represented as a straight path, and to do wrong is to go out of that path in a crooked way.”

These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.

“These are wells without water - Jud 1:12-13 employs several other epithets to describe the same class of persons. The language employed both by Peter and Jude is singularly terse, pointed, and emphatic.”

It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than to have known it and then to turn away from the holy commandment passed…

“For it had been better for them ... - Compare the notes at Mat 26:24. It would have been better for them, for: (1) Then they would not have dishonored the cause of religion as they have now done; (2) They would not have sunk…”

by recalling what was foretold by the holy prophets and commanded by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

“That ye may be mindful of the words - Of the doctrines, the truths; the prophetic statements. Jude Jud 1:18 says that it had been foretold by the apostles, that in the last days there would be scoffers.”

Most importantly, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

“Knowing this first - As among the first and most important things to be attended to - as one of the predictions which demand your special regard.”

But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water,

“For this they willingly are ignorant of - Λαιθάνει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοῦτο θέλοντας Laithanei gar autous touto thelontas. There is some considerable variety in the translation of this passage.”

through which the world of that time perished in the flood.

“Whereby - Δι ̓ ὧν Di' hōn. Through which, or by means of which. The pronoun here is in the plural number, and there has been much difference of opinion as to what it refers.”

And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

“But the heavens and the earth which are now - As they now exist. There is no difficulty here respecting what is meant by the word “earth,” but it is not so easy to determine precisely how much is included in the word “heavens.””

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise - That is, it should not be inferred because His promise seems to be long delayed that therefore it will fail.”

Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to conduct yourselves in holiness and godliness

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved - Since this is an undoubted truth. What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness - In holy conduct and piety.”

But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise - The allusion here seems to be, beyond a doubt, to two passages in Isaiah, in which a promise of this kind is found.”