2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

sense, without falsehoods) mind (Acc. Dir. Obj.) by means of
remembrance (Instr. Means; repetition of some basic
doctrines you may have forgotten):
BGT 2 Peter 3:1 Tau,thn h;dh( avgaphtoi,( deute,ran u`mi/n gra,fw evpistolh,n( evn ai-j diegei,rw
u`mw/n evn u`pomnh,sei th.n eivlikrinh/ dia,noian
VUL
2 Peter 3:1 hanc ecce vobis carissimi secundam scribo epistulam in quibus excito vestram in
commonitione sinceram mentem
LWB 2 Peter 3:2 So that you may remember the words which were previously
communicated by the holy prophets [Old Testament] and the mandates of the Lord
and Savior by the apostles [New Testament],
KW 2 Peter 3:2 That you should remember the words spoken previously by the holy
prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles;
KJV 2 Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy
prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
TRANSLATION HIGHLIGHTS
Peter is stirring up their minds so that (Purpose Infinitive) they might remember the
words which were previously communicated (Intensive Perfect tense) by the holy
prophets and the mandates of the Lord and Savior by the apostles. By the dual mention of
prophets and apostles, Peter covers both the Old and New Testament as they existed at
that time. The NT canon was not complete, but much of it was already in circulation and
was accepted by believers as such. The Greek word “rhema” emphasizes the spoken
word of the prophets as compared to the written word or “logos.” The agents of verbal
and written communication were the prophets and apostles; the source of the mandates
was the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Some primary mandates for the Church Age
believer are to be filled with the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, do not grieve or quench the
Spirit, reside in the sphere of His power and agape love, keep on studying Bible doctrine,
etc.
RELEVANT OPINIONS
Peter uses the perfect tense for the word spoken to indicate that although these prophecies
were uttered in the past they are valid in the present. (S. Kistemaker) The coupling together
of the prophets and the apostles as joint witnesses to the Christian revelation becomes
routine in the early 2 nd century. (J. Kelly) The words of the prophets were among the canon
of the Jewish Scriptures. They were certainly to be heeded. But from the beginning of the
birth of the Church, the apostles doctrines, or the commandments of the apostles of the Lord
and Savior, were followed by the believers. (P. Cedar) Peter is thus already at this early date
viewing both the Hebrew Scriptures and the apostolic writings as a unity, with our Lord and
Savior as their basis and focus. (N. Hillyer)