16 For when we gave you news of the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our teaching was not based on stories put together by art, but we were eye-witnesses of his glory.
And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory--such glory as is given to an only son by his father--saw it to be true and full of grace.
And we have seen and give witness that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
Or to give attention to stories and long lists of generations, from which come questionings and doubts, in place of God's ordered way of life which is in faith;
And in my preaching there were no honeyed words of wisdom, but I was dependent on the power of the Spirit to make it clear to you:
That which was from the first, which has come to our ears, and which we have seen with our eyes, looking on it and touching it with our hands, about the Word of life (And the life was made clear to us, and we have seen it and are witnessing to it and giving you word of that eternal life which was with the Father and was seen by us); We give you word of all we have seen and everything which has come to our ears, so that you may be united with us; and we are united with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ:
So that we may be no longer children, sent this way and that, turned about by every wind of teaching, by the twisting and tricks of men, by the deceits of error;
And about eight days after he had said these things, he took Peter and John and James with him and went up into the mountain for prayer. And while he was in prayer, his face was changed and his clothing became white and shining. And two men, Moses and Elijah, were talking with him; Who were seen in glory and were talking of his death which was about to take place in Jerusalem. Now Peter and those who were with him were overcome with sleep: but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men who were with him.
And he said to them, Truly I say to you, There are some here who will have no taste of death till they see the kingdom of God come with power. And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and made them go up with him into a high mountain by themselves: and he was changed in form before them:
But by whom may the day of his coming be faced? and who may keep his place when he is seen? for he is like the metal-tester's fire and the cleaner's soap.
The prophet Enoch, who was the seventh after Adam, said of these men, The Lord came with tens of thousands of his saints,
Having first of all the knowledge that in the last days there will be men who, ruled by their evil desires, will make sport of holy things, Saying, Where is the hope of his coming? From the death of the fathers till now everything has gone on as it was from the making of the world.
But have nothing to do with unclean and foolish stories. Give yourself training in religion:
See, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the day of the Lord comes, that great day, greatly to be feared.
By whom this poor body of ours will be changed into the image of the body of his glory, in the measure of the working by which he is able to put all things under himself.
But let it be so, that I was not a trouble to you myself; but (someone may say) being false, I took you with deceit. Did I make a profit out of you by any of those whom I sent to you?
For we are not like the great number who make use of the word of God for profit: but our words are true, as from God, being said as before God in Christ.
In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you have come together with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus,
But we give the good news of Christ on the cross, a hard thing to the Jews, and a foolish thing to the Gentiles;
So that having every grace you are living in the hope of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Even as you gave him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all those whom you have given to him.
And Jesus came to them and said, All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Peter 1
Commentary on 2 Peter 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Second Epistle General of Peter
Chapter 1
In this chapter we have,
2Pe 1:1-4
The apostle Peter, being moved by the Holy Ghost to write once more to those who from among the Jews were turned to faith in Christ, begins this second epistle with an introduction, wherein the same persons are described and the same blessings are desired that are in the preface to his former letter; but there are some additions or alterations which ought to be taken notice of, in all the three parts of the introduction.
2Pe 1:5-11
In these words the apostle comes to the chief thing intended in this epistle-to excite and engage them to advance in grace and holiness, they having already obtained precious faith, and been made partakers of the divine nature. This is a very good beginning, but it is not to be rested in, as if we were already perfect. The apostle had prayed that grace and peace might be multiplied to them, and now he exhorts them to press forward for the obtaining of more grace. We should, as we have opportunity, exhort those we pray for, and excite them to the use of all proper means to obtain what we desire God to bestow upon them; and those who will make any progress in religion must be very diligent and industrious in their endeavours. Without giving all diligence, there is no gaining any ground in the work of holiness; those who are slothful in the business of religion will make nothing of it; we must strive if we will enter in at the strait gate, Lu. 13:24.
2Pe 1:12-15
2Pe 1:16-18
Here we have the reason of giving the foregoing exhortation, and that with so much diligence and seriousness. These things are not idle tales, or a vain thing, but of undoubted truth and vast concern. The gospel is not a cunningly devised fable. These are not the words of one who hath a devil, nor the contrivance of any number of men who by cunning craftiness endeavour to deceive. The way of salvation by Jesus Christ is eminently the counsel of God, the most excellent contrivance of the infinitely wise Jehovah; it was he that invented this way of saving sinners by Jesus Christ, whose power and coming are set forth in the gospel, and the apostle's preaching was a making of these things known.
2Pe 1:19-21
In these words the apostle lays down another argument to prove the truth and reality of the gospel, and intimates that this second proof is more strong and convincing than the former, and more unanswerably makes out that the doctrine of the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a mere fable or cunning contrivance of men, but the wise and wonderful counsel of the holy and gracious God. For this is foretold by the prophets and penmen of the Old Testament, who spoke and wrote under the influence and according to the direction of the Spirit of God. Here note,