2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

life. There must be a great deal of self-denial and suspicion of ourselves, and submitting
to the authority of Christ Jesus our great prophet, before we can heartily receive all the
truths of the gospel, and therefore we are in great danger of rejecting the truth. (M.
Henry) The fact is that faith without knowledge degenerates into pietism; purely
emotional religion leads, often enough, to immorality, which militates against stability as
almost nothing else does. (M. Green) The great weakness of the backslider is his lack of
steadfastness. The true nature of steadfastness is first, a full purpose of cleaving to God;
second, a daily renewal and quickening of heart to discharge each duty; and third, a
resolution not to neglect such duties. (J. Owen)
True Christians cannot fall from salvation and be lost, but they can fall from their own
“steadfastness.” What was this steadfastness? Being “established in the present truth”
(1:12). The stability of the Christian comes from his faith in the Word of God, his
knowledge of that Word, and his ability to use that Word in the practical decisions of life.
(W. Wiersbe) One might ask the question how far astray the people of God may go, and
still actually belong to the flock of Christ. The answer to that you will find in Simon
Peter himself. How grievously he sinned by denying all knowledge of the Lord, and by
denying with oaths and curses that he was one of his followers. This is the depth of
degradation of sin and failure into which Simon had gone. How well he knew that
Christian people can fall from their steadfastness! Steadfastness means standing for that
which is true with firmness. (T. Westwood) It is vitally important that the believers not
give up the steadfastness which they acquired through instruction and experience in the
faith and which sets them apart from the seducers in so far as these are “unlearned and
unstable.” (B. Reicke) Their own security lie in their firm commitment to God’s revealed
truth. (D. Hiebert)
2 Peter 3:17 Therefore (inferential), you (Subj. Nom.),
beloved (Voc. Address; members of the royal family), knowing
beforehand (proginw,skw, PAPtc.NMP, Descriptive, Attributive &
Causal; having an advanced warning, knowledge beforehand),
be constantly on guard (fula,ssw, PMImp.2P, Durative,
Command), so that (purpose) if you happen to be carried away
(sunapa,gw, APPtc.NMP, Ingressive, Conditional; associate
with) by the error (Instr. Means; delusion, deception) of
unprincipled men (Abl. Source; lawless, without virtue), you
do not (neg. particle) drift off course from (evkpi,ptw,
AASubj.2P, Culminative, Prohibition, Potential Result; run
aground, fall) your own (Poss. Gen.) steadfastness (Abl.
Separation; firm, residence and function inside the divine
system),
BGT 2 Peter 3:17 u`mei/j ou=n( avgaphtoi,( proginw,skontej fula,ssesqe( i[na mh. th/| tw/n
avqe,smwn pla,nh| sunapacqe,ntej evkpe,shte tou/ ivdi,ou sthrigmou/(
VUL
2 Peter 3:17 vos igitur fratres praescientes custodite ne insipientium errore transducti
excidatis a propria firmitate