2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3:1

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above. All gifts that truly bless us are God’s gifts. And cometh down from the Father of lights. God, the Creator of every light of the material world, and the source of all moral light. With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. God is unchangeable, always the same, nor does he cast a “shadow of turning” like the sun. The allusion is to the constantly changing shadows of objects in the sunlight caused by the movement, not of the sun, but of the earth.

2 Peter 3:2

Of his own will begat he us. Not in caprice, but our birth as children of God was due to his eternal will. That we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. The early converts are often called first fruits of the gospel.

2 Peter 3:3

Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. Let each saint hear and learn, but be careful not to speak rashly, and especially in anger.

2 Peter 3:4

For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. An angry man will show forth something very different from God’s righteousness.

2 Peter 3:5

Lay apart all filthiness. Every impurity of life. And superfluity of naughtiness. “Overflowing of wickedness” (Revised Version). Wrath would cause such an overflow. Receive with meekness the engrafted word. The word of God planted in your hearts.

2 Peter 3:6

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only. He who is only a hearer deceiveth himself. See Matthew 7:21-23.

2 Peter 3:7

He is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass. The point of the comparison is this: Like a man who looks in the glass and soon forgets the impression, so the impression of the word on such a man is soon forgotten. The word must be impressed by the doing of it.

2 Peter 3:9

But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty. The gospel, which sets men free. He who looks into it, is impressed by it, and obeys it shall be blessed in the doing.

2 Peter 3:10

If any . . . seemeth to be religious. He who professes religion and yet bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, does not control his tongue is deceived. Unless he has grace enough to rule the unruly member, he has not enough for salvation.

2 Peter 3:11

Pure religion and undefiled before God. Combining pure hearts and pure outward lives. This genuine religion has two elements: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. First, kind and loving deeds, exemplified especially in helping the helpless, such as widows and orphans, and [And] to keep himself unspotted from the world. Living pure, unsullied lives, unstained by the sins prevalent in this sinful world.

2 Peter 3:13

Faith and Works SUMMARY OF JAMES 2: Respect of Persons. The Royal Law. He Who Keeps the Law Must Offend in Nothing. Faith Not a Living Faith If Alone. Its Life Must Be Shown by Its Fruits. It Is Perfected by Obedience. The Lesson of Abraham’s Faith. Have not the faith of our Lord. The Gospel, the Christian profession. With respect of persons. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), nor should Christians be. God respects character, not dress, or wealth, or earthly rank.

2 Peter 3:14

If there come unto your assembly. “Into your synagogue” (Revised (Version). The place of worship, whether Jewish or Christian. James, a Jewish Christian of the strictest sort, uses the Jewish term. With a gold ring, in goodly apparel. An indication of wealth in that age, especially in connection with the fine clothing. A poor man, as shown by his mean clothing.

2 Peter 3:15

And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing. Show respect not to the character but to the clothes, by giving one a welcome and a good seat, while the other is treated contemptuously, allowed to stand or to sit in a very uncomfortable place. Does not this describe the spirit of half the churches of our time?

2 Peter 3:16

Are ye not then partial in yourselves? Show partially from outward appearance. And are become judges of evil thoughts? Judge between the two men under the influence of evil thoughts.

2 Peter 3:17

Hath not God chosen the poor of this world. Ye choose out the rich for favor, but God hath chosen in most part the poor to be rich in faith, etc. See 1 Corinthians 1:16,17. God has made poor men heirs of the eternal inheritance.

2 Peter 3:18

But ye have despised the poor. Those whom God accepts you reject. Do not rich men oppress you? The oppressors of the poor are usually the rich. They are the money lenders, those who bring suit for debt, and hence draw the poor before the judgment seats. Perhaps also there is an allusion to the fact that they were the persecutors.