Behold this second epistle I write to you, my dearly beloved, in which, I stir up by way of admonition your sincere mind:
ταυτην ηδη αγαπητοι δευτεραν υμιν γραφω επιστολην εν αις διεγειρω υμων εν υπομνησει την ειλικρινη διανοιαν
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
From this we learn that there are only two epistles of the apostle Peter. In them, 'I stir up by way of reminder' means this: in these epistles, or by these epistles, I stir up your pure mind. For it belongs to a pure mind to remember what it has heard or been commanded for salvation. It is also stirred up to fulfill this in deed with all strength and zeal.
Lest they appear to doubt the second epistle, the apostle says: I, Peter, am the one writing it.
From this we learn that Peter wrote only two epistles. His words should be understood in this way: 'in them I stir up your pure mind by way of reminder.'
In view of his approaching death (2 Pet 1:14) and the appearance of insolent mockers (2 Pet 3:3), the loving apostle deemed it necessary to write to his beloved children a new, second epistle.
In them, that is, both in the first epistle and in this second one, by way of reminder I stir up (2 Pet 1:13) your pure mind, or pure thought. This stands in contrast to the gloomy, or darkened, thought of the false teachers.
The pure mind of which the apostle speaks is the state of an enlightened soul. In it a man, by the action of God's grace, is cleansed from every spiritual impurity. In thought, he is cleansed from doctrinal error. In heart and will, he is cleansed from sinful desires and feelings.
In his whole life he is cleansed from moral defilements. Then the light of the Christian man so shines before men that the name of God is always glorified by them (Mt 5:16; 1 Cor 5:8; 2 Cor 1:12).
"In these epistles, or by these epistles, I stir up your pure mind. For it belongs to a pure mind to remember what has been heard or commanded for salvation, and to be stirred to fulfill it in deed with all strength and zeal.
"This was commanded through the preaching of the prophets and apostles. For all of them proclaimed the coming of the Lord. One cannot disbelieve so many witnesses. They proclaimed both the first and the second coming of our Lord and Savior Himself" (Theophylact).
The sources of unbelief concerning the second coming of the Lord are these. By references to the writings of the prophets (Joel 1:15; Obad 15), to the words of the apostles, and also to Jesus Christ Himself, Saint Peter affirms that the end of the world and the second coming of the Lord will certainly take place.
In particular he refers to the apostles of Asia Minor: Paul, Barnabas, and Silas. Hence Peter's expression, "your apostles."
Saint Peter foretells the appearance of unbelieving deniers of this truth. He indicates the source of their unbelief and the arguments on which it will rest.
The source lies in the sensuality, or lusts, of these men, who fear the judgment of God. Their arguments lie in the delay of the Lord's coming and in the unshakability of the laws of the universe's being: "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers began to fall asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."
The purpose of the apostle's reminder that he is already writing a Second Epistle is to show that he considers the matter of his discourse sufficiently explained. It is the same matter about which he spoke in the First Epistle, namely, that they possess true grace (see 1 Pet 5:12).
Therefore they need only relate to Christianity directly, without prejudice, and soundly. They must not listen to heretical idle talk, but firmly remember what the prophets foretold and what the Lord Himself commanded through the apostles.
Peter includes himself among these apostles. He calls the apostles yours in the sense of the complete union of all true Christians with them.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 16 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS