The Second Epistle of Peter is even more simple than the First. Like those
of Jude and John, it is written essentially with a view to the seducers,
who, with large promises of liberty, beguiled souls into sin and
licentiousness, denying the coming of Christ, and in fact disowning all His
rights over them. The epistle admonishes the same Christians to whom the
First was written, pointing out the characteristic features of these false
teachers; denouncing them with the utmost energy; explaining the
long-sufferance of God, and announcing a judgment which, like His patience,
would befit the majesty of Him who was to execute it.
But before giving these warnings, which begin with chapter 2, the apostle
exhorts Christians to make their own calling and election sure-not
evidently in the heart of God, but as a fact in their own hearts, and in
practical life, by walking in such a manner as not to stumble; so that
testimony to their portion in Christ should be always evident, and an
abundant entrance be ministered to them.
These exhortations are founded, first, on that which is already given to
Christians; secondly, on that which is future-namely, the manifestation of
the glory of the kingdom. In touching upon this last subject, he indicates
a still more excellent portion-the bright Morning Star, the heavenly Christ
Himself and our association with Him before He appears as the Sun of
righteousness. Thirdly, we shall see that the warnings are founded also on
another basis-namely, the dissolution of the heavens and the earth, proving
the instability of all that unbelief rested upon, and furnishing for the
same reason a solemn warning to the saints to induce them to walk in
holiness.
The apostle describes his brethren as having obtained the same precious
faith as himself through the faithfulness of God [see note #1] to the promises made
to the fathers, for that surely is the
force of the word "righteousness" in this place. The faithfulness of the
God of Israel had bestowed on His people this faith (that is to say,
Christianity), which was so precious to them.
Faith here is the portion we have now in the things that God gives, which
in Christianity are revealed as truths, while the things promised are not
yet come. It was in this way that the believing Jews were to possess the
Messiah, and all that God gave in Him, as the Lord had said. " Let not your
heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. There are many
mansions in my Father's house; I go to prepare a place for you." That is to
say, " You do not visibly possess God; you enjoy Him by believing in Him.
It is the same with respect to Me: you will not possess Me corporeally, but
you ,shall enjoy all that is in Me -righteousness, and all the promises of
God-by believing." It was thus that these believing Jews, to whom Peter
wrote, possessed the Lord: they had received this precious faith.
He wishes them, as is the custom, " Grace and peace," adding, " through the
knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." It is the knowledge of God and of
Jesus, which is the centre and the support of faith, that which nourishes
it, and in which it is developed and divinely enlarged, and which guards it
from the vain imaginings of seducers. But there is a living power with this
knowledge-a divine power in that which God is to believers-as He is
revealed in this knowledge to faith; and this divine power has given to us
all that pertains to life and godliness. By the realising knowledge which
we possess of Him who has called us, this divine power becomes available
and efficacious for all that appertains to life and godliness -"he
knowledge of him who hath called us by glory and by virtue."
Thus we have here, the call of God to pursue glory as our object, gaining
the victory by virtue-spiritual courage-over all the enemies that we find
in our path. It is not a law given to a people already gathered together,
but glory proposed in order to be reached by spiritual energy. Moreover we
have divine power acting according to its own efficacy, for the life of God
in us, and for godliness.
How precious it is to know that faith can use this divine power, realised
in the life of the soul, directing it towards glory as its end! What a
safeguard from the efforts of the enemy, if we are really established in
the consciousness of this divine power acting on our behalf in grace! The
heart is led to make glory its object; and virtue, the strength of
spiritual life, is developed on the way to it. Divine power has given us
all needed.
Now, in connection with these two things-namely, with glory and with the
energy of life-very great and precious promises are given us; for all the
promises in Christ are developed either in the glory or in the life which
leads to it. By means of these promises we are made partakers of the divine
nature; for this divine power, which is realised in life and godliness, is
connected with these great and precious promises that relate either to the
glory, or to virtue in the life that leads to it-that is to say, it is
divine power which develops itself, in realising the glory and heavenly
walk which characterises it in its own nature. We are thus made morally
partakers of the divine nature, by divine power acting in us and fixing the
soul on what is divinely revealed. Precious truth! Privilege so exalted!
and which renders us capable of enjoying God Himself, as well as all good.
By the same action of this divine power, we escape the corruption that is
in the world through lust; for the divine power delivers us from it. Not
only do we not yield to it, but we are occupied elsewhere, and the action
of the enemy upon the flesh is kept off; the desires from which one could
not cleanse oneself are removed; the corrupt relationship of the heart with
its object ceases. It is a real deliverance; we have the mastery over
ourselves in this respect; we are set free from sin.
But it is not enough to have escaped by faith from even the inward dominion
of the desires of the flesh; we must add to faith-to that faith which
realises divine power, and the glory of Christ that shall be revealed-we
must add to faith, virtue. This is the first thing. It is, as we have said,
the moral courage which overcomes difficulties, and governs the heart by
curbing all action of the old nature. It is an energy by which the heart is
master of itself, and is able to choose the good, and to cast aside the
evil, as a thing conquered and unworthy of oneself. This indeed is grace;
but the apostle is here speaking of the thing itself, as it is realised in
the heart, and not of its source. I have said that this is the first thing;
because, practically, this self-government-this virtue, this moral
energy-is deliverance from evil, and renders communion with God possible.
It is the one thing which gives reality to all the rest, for without virtue
we are not really with God. Can divine power develop itself in the laxity
of the flesh? And if we are not really with God-if the new nature is not
acting-knowledge is but the puffing up of the flesh; patience but a natural
quality, or else hypocrisy; and so on with the rest. But where there is
this virtue, it is very precious to add knowledge to it. We have then
divine wisdom and intelligence to guide our walk: the heart is enlarged,
sanctified, spiritually developed, by a more complete and profound
acquaintance with God, who acts in the heart and is reflected in the walk.
We are guarded from more errors-we are more humble, more sober-minded: we
know better where our treasure is, and what it is, and that everything else
is but vanity and a hindrance. It is therefore a true knowledge of God that
is here
meant.
Thus walking in the knowledge of God, the flesh, the will, the desires, are
bridled; all their practical power diminishes, and they disappear as habits
of the soul; they are not fed. We are moderate; there is self-restraint; we
do not give way to our desires; temperance is added to knowledge. The
apostle is not speaking of the walk, but of the state of the heart in the
walk. Still, being thus governed, and the will bridled, one bears patiently
with others; and the circumstances that must be passed through are, in all
respects, borne according to the will of God, be they what they may. We add
patience to temperance. The heart, that spiritual life, is then free to
enjoy its true objects-a principle of deep importance in the christian
life. When the flesh is at work in one way or another (even if its action
is purely inward), if there is anything whatever that the conscience ought
to be exercised about, the soul cannot be in the enjoyment of communion
with God in the light because the effect of the light is then to bring the
conscience into exercise. But when the conscience has nothing that is not
already judged in the light, the new man is in action with regard to God,
whether in realising the joy of His presence or in glorifying Him in a life
characterised by godliness. We enjoy communion with God; we walk with God;
we add to patience godliness.
The heart being thus in communion with God, affection flows out freely
towards those who are dear to Him, and who, sharing the same nature,
necessarily draw out the affections of the spiritual heart: brotherly love
is developed.
There is another principle, which crowns and governs and gives character to
all others: it is charity, love properly so called. This, in its root, is
the nature of God Himself, the source and perfection of every other quality
that adorns christian life. The distinction between love and brotherly love
is of deep importance; the former is indeed, as we have just said, the
source whence the latter flows; but as this brotherly love exists in mortal
men, it may be mingled in its exercise with sentiments that are merely
human. with individual affection, with the effect of personal attractions,
or that of habit, of suitability in natural character. Nothing is sweeter
than brotherly affections; their maintenance is of the highest importance
in the assembly; but they may degenerate, as they may grow cool; and if
love, if God, does not hold the chief place, they may displace Him-set Him
aside- shut Him out. Divine love, which is the very nature of God, directs,
rules, and gives character to brotherly love; otherwise it is that which
pleases us-that is, our own heart-that governs us. If divine love governs
me, I love all my brethren; I love them because they belong to Christ;
there is no partiality. I shall have greater enjoyment in a spiritual
brother; but I shall occupy myself about my weak brother with a love that
rises above his weakness and has tender consideration for it. I shall
concern myself with my brother's sin, from love to God, in order to restore
my brother, rebuking him, if needful; nor, if divine love be in exercise,
can brotherly love, or its name, be associated with disobedience. In a
word, God will have His place in all my relationships. To exact brotherly
love in such a manner as to shut out the requirements of that which God is,
and of His claims upon us, is to shut out God in the most plausible way, in
order to gratify our own hearts. Divine love then, which acts according to
the nature, character, and will of God, is that which ought to direct and
characterise our whole christian walk, and have authority over every
movement of our hearts. Without this, all that brotherly love can do is to
substitute man for God. Divine love is the bond of perfectness, for it is
God, who is love, working in us and making Himself the governing object of
all that passes in the heart.
Now, if these things are in us, the knowledge of Jesus will not be barren
in our hearts. But if, on the contrary, they are wanting, we are blind; we
cannot see far into the things of God: our view is contracted; it is
limited by the narrowness of a heart governed by its own will, and turned
aside by its own lusts. We forget that we have been cleansed from our old
sins; we lose sight of the position Christianity has given us. This state
of things is not the loss of assurance, but the forgetfulness of the true
christian profession into which we are brought-purity in contrast with the
ways of the world.
Therefore we ought to use diligence, in order to have the consciousness of
our election fresh and strong, so as to walk in spiritual liberty. Thus
doing, we shall not stumble; and thus an abundant entrance into the eternal
kingdom will be our portion. Here, as throughout, we see that the apostle's
mind is occupied with the government of God, applying it to His dealing
with believers, in reference to their conduct and its practical
consequences. He is not speaking in an absolute way of pardon and
salvation, but of the kingdom-of the manifestation of His power who judges
righteously-whose sceptre is a sceptre of righteousness. Walking in the
ways of God, we have part in that kingdom, entering into it with assurance,
without difficulty, without that hesitation of soul which is experienced by
those who grieve the Holy Ghost, and get a bad conscience, and allow
themselves in things that do not accord with the character of the kingdom,
or who shew by their negligence that their heart is not in it. If on the
contrary the heart cleaves to the kingdom, and our ways are suitable to it,
our conscience is in unison with its glory. The way is open before us: we
see into the distance, and we go forward, having no impediments in our way.
Nothing turns us aside as we walk in the path that leads to the kingdom,
occupied with things suitable to it. God has no controversy with one who
walks thus. The entrance into the kingdom is widely opened to him according
to the ways of God in government.
The apostle desires, therefore, to remind them of these things, although
they knew them, purposing, so long as he was in his earthly tabernacle, to
stir up their pure hearts to keep them in remembrance; for soon would he
have laid aside his earthly vessel, as the Lord had told him, and by thus
writing to them, he took care that they should always bear them in mind.
It is very plain that he was not expecting other apostles to be raised up,
nor an ecclesiastical succession to take their place as guardians of the
faith, or as possessing sufficient authority to be a foundation for the
faith of believers. He was to provide for this himself, in order that, on
his removal, they might find something on his part that would remind the
faithful of the instructions he had given them. For this purpose he wrote
his epistle.
The divine importance and certainty of that which he taught were worthy of
this labour. We have not, says the apostle, followed cunningly devised
fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but were eye-witnesses of His majesty.
The apostle is speaking, as his words plainly shew, of the transfiguration.
I notice it here, in order to mark more evidently that in his thoughts of
the Lord's coming he does not go beyond His appearing in glory. For the
moment He was hidden from those who trusted in Him: this was a great trial
of their faith, for the Jews were accustomed, as we know, to look for a
visible and glorious Messiah. To believe without seeing was the lesson they
had to learn; and it was a magnificent support to their faith, this fact,
that the apostle, who taught them, had, with his two companions, seen, with
their own eyes, the glory of Christ manifested-had seen it displayed before
them, together with that of former saints who share His kingdom. At that
time Jesus received, in testimony from God the Father, honour and glory; a
voice addressing Him from the excellent glory-from the cloud, which was to
a Jew the well-known dwelling place of Jehovah the Most High God-owning Him
as His well-beloved Son; a voice which the three apostles also heard (even
as they saw His glory), when they were with Him on the holy mount. [see note #2]
We see that it is here the glory of the kingdom, and not the dwelling, in
the Father's house for ever with the Lord, which occupies the apostle. It
is a manifestation to men living on the earth; it is the power of the Lord,
the glory which He receives from God the Father as the Messiah,
acknowledged to be His Son, and crowned with glory and honour before the
eyes of the world. It is into the everlasting kingdom that the apostle
wishes them to have an enlarged entrance. It is the power and glory that
Christ received from God, which the apostle saw, and to which he bears
testimony. We shall indeed have this glory, but it is not our portion,
properly so called: for this is within the house, to be the bride of the
Lamb, and it does not display itself to the world. With regard however to
the assembly the two things cannot be separated; if we are the bride, we
shall assuredly participate in the glory of the kingdom. To the Jew, who
was
accustomed to look for this glory (whatever might be his idea respecting
it), the fact of the apostle's having seen it was of inestimable
importance. It was the heavenly glory of the kingdom, as it shall be
manifested to the world; a glory that shall be seen when the Lord returns
in power. (Compare Mark 9:1) It is a communicated glory which comes from
the excellent glory. Moreover the testimony of the prophets relates to the
manifested glory; they spoke of the kingdom and glory, and the brightness
of the transfiguration was a splendid confirmation of their words. We have,
says the apostle, the words of the prophets confirmed. Those words
proclaimed indeed the glory of the kingdom which was to come, and the
judgment of the world, which was to make way for its establishment on
earth. This announcement was a light in the darkness of our world, truly a
dark place, that had no other light than the testimony which God had given,
through the prophets, of that which shall happen to it, and of the future
kingdom whose light shall finally dispel the darkness of separation from
God in which the world lies. Prophecy was a light that shone during the
darkness of the night; but there was another light for those that watched.
For the remnant of the Jews, the Sun of righteousness should rise with
healing in His wings; the wicked should be trodden as ashes under the feet
of the righteous. The Christian, instructed in his own privileges, knows
the Lord in a different way from this, although he believes in those solemn
truths. He watches during the night which is already far spent. He sees in
his heart, by faith,[see note #4] the dawn of day, and the rising of the bright
star of the
morning. He knows the Lord as they know Him who believe in Him before He is
manifested, as coming for the pure heavenly joy of His own before the
brightness of the day shines forth. They who watch see the dawn of day;
they see the morning star. Thus we have our portion in Christ not only in
the day, and as the prophets spoke of Him, which all relates to the earth,
although the blessing comes from on high; we have the secret of Christ and
of our union with Him, and of His coming to receive us to Himself as the
morning star, before the day comes. We are His during the night; we shall
be with Him in the truth of that heavenly bond which unites us to Him, as
set apart for Himself while the world does not see Him. We shall be
gathered to Him, before the world sees Him, that we may enjoy Himself, and
in order that the world may see us with Him when He appears.
The joy of our portion is, that we shall be with Himself, "for ever with
the Lord." Prophecy enlightens the Christian, and separates him from the
world, by testimony to its judgment, and the glory of the coming kingdom.
The testimony of the Spirit to the assembly does this, by the attraction of
Christ Himself, the bright Morning Star-our portion while the world is
still buried in sleep.
The bright morning star is Christ Himself, when (before the day, which will
be produced by His appearing) He is ready to receive the assembly, that she
may enter into His own peculiar joy. Thus it is said, "I am the bright and
morning star." (Rev. 22:16.) This is what He is for the assembly, as He is
the root and offspring of David for Israel. Consequently, as soon as He
says " the morning star," the Spirit, who dwells in the assembly and
inspires her thoughts, and the bride, the assembly itself which waits for
her Lord, say, " Come !" Thus, in Revelation 2:28, the faithful in Thyatira
are promised by the Lord that He will give them the morning star, that is
to say, joy with Himself in heaven. The kingdom and the power had been
already promised them according to Christ's own rights (vers. 26, 27); but
the assembly's proper portion is Christ Himself. In addition to the
declaration of the prophets, with regard to the kingdom, it is thus that
the assembly expects Him.
The apostle goes on to warn the faithful, that the prophecies of scripture
were not like the utterances of human will, and were not to be interpreted
as though each had a separate solution-as though every prophecy were
sufficient to itself for the explanation of its full meaning. They were all
parts of one whole, having one and the same object, even the kingdom of
God; and each event was a preliminary step towards this object, and a link
in the chain of God's government which led to it, impossible to be
explained, unless the aim of the whole were apprehended-the revealed aim of
the counsels of God in the glory of His Christ. For holy men, moved by the
Holy Ghost, pronounced these oracles, one and the same Spirit directing and
co-ordaining the whole for the development of the ways of God to the eye of
faith, ways which would terminate in the establishment of that kingdom, the
glory of which had appeared at the transfiguration.
Thus we have here (chap. 1) these three things:- First, divine power for
all that appertains to life and godliness, a declaration of infinite value,
the pledge of our true liberty. Divine power acts in us, it gives to us all
needed to enable us to walk in the christian life.
Secondly, there is the government of God, in connection with the
faithfulness of the believer, in order that a wide and abundant entrance
into the everlasting kingdom may be granted us, and that we may not
stumble. The great result of this government will be manifested in the
establishment of the kingdom, the glory of which was seen on the holy mount
by the three apostles.
But, thirdly, for the Christian there was something better than the
kingdom, something to which the apostle merely alludes, for it was not the
especial subject of the communications of the Holy Ghost to him as it was
to the Apostle Paul, namely, Christ taking the assembly to Himself, a point
not found either in the promises or the prophecies, but which forms the
precious and inestimable joy and hope of the Christian taught of God.
This first chapter has thus taught us the divine aspect of the christian
position, given to the apostle for the instruction, in the last days, of
believers from among the circumcision.
