2 Peter 1:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Lest, through constant reminder of the same things, they should think they were being condemned for idleness and be grieved, the Apostle added: "though you know and are established in the present truth."

Peter says, "I think it right," as though he had said: although it seems unjust to the Jews to call the Gentiles to the faith.

From this they wish to show that, even after death, the saints remember life here and intercede for the living. Others interpret the saying simply and understand it thus: "I will be careful that after my departure you may always recall these things" (2 Pet 1:15). That is, let the unceasing repetition of the same exhortations neither surprise nor burden you. I act in this way not to reproach you for idleness. By continually instructing you in these things, I strengthen in you firm and unshakable knowledge concerning them.

"I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by reminding you."

Here is the cause which by itself was always powerful enough to move him to remind them of the most important Christian duty.

As an Apostle and pastor, he regarded it as right to move the faithful to fulfill the most important Christian obligations by reminding them of these things.

There are many reasons for this. As long as a Christian remains in this world, amid the world's temptations and seductions, he can always grow weak in zeal for fulfilling his Christian duties.

He is distracted by worldly cares and affairs, by the bad examples of others, by prevailing customs, and the like.

Scripture calls the body a tent, that is, the dwelling place of the soul.

In this bodily tent, or tabernacle: so the body is called as the dwelling of the soul. This image is used, besides the passage under consideration, by the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 5:1) and in the Old Testament (Isa. 38:12; Wis. 9:15).

The soul is presented as living in the body during the present life as a man lives in a dwelling, house, or tent. At death it is as though it goes out from this dwelling, departing to another world.

This figurative expression signifies the immortality of the human soul amid the mortality of the body. It also signifies the brevity of its stay in the body and the ease of its departure from this life.

The image of a tent is especially strong, rather than that of a house. A house is usually more solid, and one can live in it for a long time.

Having set forth the ladder of Christian perfection, the holy Apostle Peter persuades us to ascend it (2 Pet. 1:10-20).

"Be even more diligent to make your calling," that is, your Christian calling, "and election," that is, election unto salvation, "sure." This means to justify them in deed and secure them for yourselves.

"For if you do these things, you will never stumble," despite the difficulty and narrowness of the path to salvation. On the contrary, "an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ."

My concern, the Apostle seems further to suggest, and my salvation, is whether you will walk by the ladder of Christian perfection traced out for you.

Like the First Epistle (see 1 Pet. 5:12), this Epistle has as its chief aim the confirmation of Christians in the truth.

The truth, given to Christians in the fullness possible for them, was known to them. Yet not all firmly remembered it or fulfilled it in life.

In addition, certain false teachers were presenting their supposed knowledge as higher knowledge. Having shown where truth can be and where it cannot be, the Apostle now tells Christians that they possess unquestionable truth.

Thus they have no need to seek it outside Christianity, among false teachers.