2 Peter 1:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

As an explanation of the reason for his constant reminder, he added that he knows his release from the body will soon follow.

Blessed Peter beautifully called his end not death, but the putting off of his tabernacle. For it is clear that the servants of God who have reached the limit of their years leave the bonds of the flesh in this way. They are like travelers who, at the end of the journey, receive their own home instead of dwelling in a tent. They are like those who return to their homeland after completing a campaign by putting the enemy to flight and humbling him. For their only possession is in the heavens.

"Knowing that shortly I must put off my body, as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me."

Here is yet another reason that moved the Apostle to remind Christians of their most important obligations with special care. He knows that he will soon be loosed from the body, or soon die, as the Lord revealed to him.

Even before His sufferings, the Lord foretold Peter's death (Jn. 13:16). After His resurrection from the dead, He more clearly defined the manner of his death (Jn. 21:18).

Yet those predictions did not define the time when Peter was to depart into eternal life. Therefore one must suppose that he received a special revelation from the Lord concerning his end, not known to us from Holy Scripture.

The Apostle gives as his motive for reminding them of the firmness of their calling (verse 10) the nearness of his death, concerning which he had received a revelation from Jesus Christ. According to the Evangelist John, this revelation was given after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ (Jn 21:19). According to tradition, it was repeated just before the Apostle's death, when he was preparing to leave Rome. At the city gates he was met by the Lord, who declared that He was going to Rome to be crucified again.

I must shortly put off, and so forth: see verse 13.

As the Lord also, and so forth: according to the account of the Evangelist John (21:18-19), the Lord veiledly foretold to Peter the manner of his death, crucifixion on a cross, when he would reach old age.

Now this age had come for Peter, and the Lord's prediction could be fulfilled soon, suddenly or within a short time. Compare Lk. 18:8; Rev. 1:1.

Yet the Apostle seems to have hoped to receive a special revelation concerning the coming of his end. Something similar seems to have happened with the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. 4:6).

History also bears witness to such a thing in certain great men of the Church, such as Cyprian and Chrysostom.

The putting off of my tent is more exact than leaving my tent. The image is taken either from removing clothing from oneself, or from a tent that is folded when one wishes to move it to another place.

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.