Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

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:

“Christ is to all believers "made of God wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." through--Greek, "in." Translate, as the one article to both nouns requires, "the righteousness of Him who is (at once) our God and (our) Saviour."”

Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

“Grace . . . peace-- (1Pe 1:2). through--Greek, "in": the sphere IN which alone grace and peace can be multiplied. knowledge--Greek, "full knowledge."”

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

“The oil and flame are given wholly of grace by God, and "taken" by believers: their part henceforth is to "trim their lamps" (compare 2Pe 1:3, 4 with 2Pe 1:5, &c.). life and godliness--Spiritual life must exist first before there can be true godliness.”

Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption…

“Whereby, &c.--By His glory and virtue: His glory making the "promises" to be exceeding great; His virtue making them "precious" [BENGEL]. Precious promises are the object of precious faith.”

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

“Your natural affection and brotherly kindness are to be sanctified by godliness. "And in your brotherly kindness love," namely, to all men, even to enemies, in thought, word, and deed. From brotherly kindness we are to go forward to love.”

Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,

“Nowhere else does he so address them, which makes his calling them so here the more emphatical. give diligence--The Greek aorist implies one lifelong effect [ALFORD]. to make--Greek middle voice; to make so far as it depends on you; to do your part towards making.”

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

“Minister in your faith virtue and the other graces, so shall there be ministered to you the entrance into that heaven where these graces shine most brightly. The reward of grace hereafter shall correspond to the work of grace here. abundantly--Greek, "richly."”

Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.

“Wherefore--as these graces are so necessary to your abundant entrance into Christ's kingdom (2Pe 1:10, 11). I will not be negligent--The oldest manuscripts read, "I will be about always to put you in remembrance" (an accumulated future: I will regard you as always needing to…”

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

“Yea--Greek, "But"; though "you know" the truth (2Pe 1:12). this tabernacle--soon to be taken down (2Co 5:1): I therefore need to make the most of my short time for the good of Christ's Church.”

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

“Peter thus fulfils Christ's charge, "Feed My sheep" (Joh 21:16, 17). decease--"departure." The very word ("exodus") used in the Transfiguration, Moses and Elias conversing about Christ's decease (found nowhere else in the New Testament, but Heb 11:22, "the departing of Israel" out of Egypt, to…”

For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

“A refutation of the scoffers (2Pe 3:4): I, James and John, saw with our own eyes a mysterious sample of His coming glory. were--Greek, "were made." eye-witnesses--As initiated spectators of mysteries (so the Greek), we were admitted into His innermost secrets, namely, at the Transfiguration.”

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

“The fulfilment of prophecy so far in Christ's history makes us the surer of what is yet to be fulfilled, His consummated glory.”

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.

“Laying it down as a first principle never to be lost sight of. is--Greek, not the simple verb, to be, but to begin to be, "proves to be," "becometh."”

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.

“"Spake" implies that, both in its original oral announcement, and now even when in writing, it has been always, and is, the living voice of God speaking to us through His inspired servants. Greek, "borne (along)" forms a beautiful antithesis to "was borne."”

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

“Whom the true doctrine teaches to be their OWNER by right of purchase. Literally, "denying Him who bought them (that He should be thereby), their Master." bought them--Even the ungodly were bought by His "precious blood."”

Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed.

“False doctrine and immoral practice generally go together (2Pe 2:18, 19). by reason of whom--"on account of whom," namely, the followers of the false teachers.”

For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them deep into hell, placing them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment;

“The oldest manuscripts read, "dens," as ALFORD translates: the Greek, however, may, in Hellenistic Greek, mean "chains," as Jude expresses it.”

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;

“Contrasted with the densely peopled "world of the ungodly." preacher--not only "righteous" himself (compare 2Pe 2:8), but also "a preacher of righteousness": adduced by Peter against the licentiousness of the false teachers (2Pe 2:2) who have no prospect before them but destruction, even as it…”

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

“Judgment belongs to God, not the angels. How great is the dignity of the saints who, as Christ's assessors, shall hereafter judge angels!”

The harm they will suffer is the wages of their wickedness. They consider it a pleasure to carouse in broad daylight.

“Spots--in themselves. blemishes--disgraces: bringing blame (so the Greek) on the Church and on Christianity itself. sporting themselves--Greek, "luxuriating." with--Greek, "in." deceivings--or else passively, "deceits": luxuries gotten by deceit.”

Their eyes are full of adultery; their desire for sin is never satisfied; they seduce the unstable. They are accursed children with hearts trained in greed.

“Job 31:7, "Mine heart walked after mine eyes." covetous practices--The oldest manuscripts read singular, "covetousness." cursed children--rather as Greek, "children of curse," that is, devoted to the curse.”

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

“"Clouds" is a transcriber's correction from Jude 12, where it is appropriate, "clouds . . . without water" (promising what they do not perform); but not here, "mists driven along by a tempest." mist--blackness; "the chilling horror accompanying darkness" [BENGEL].”

Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.”

“But--You need not wonder at the event; for dogs and swine they were before, and dogs and swine they will continue. They "scarcely" (2Pe 2:18) have escaped from their filthy folly, when they again are entangled in it.”

Beloved, this is now my second letter to you. Both of them are reminders to stir you to wholesome thinking

“Opposite to "having the understanding darkened." ALFORD explains, The mind, will, and affection, in relation to the outer world, being turned to God [the Sun of the soul], and not obscured by fleshly and selfish regards.”

“Where is the promise of His coming?” they will ask. “Ever since our fathers fell asleep, everything continues as it has from the beginning of creation.”

“What becomes of the promise which you talk so much of? his--Christ's; the subject of prophecy from the earliest days. the fathers--to whom the promise was made, and who rested all their hopes on it. all things--in the natural world; skeptics look not beyond this.”