Simon Peter, a servant, and an apostle of Jesus
Christ
The writer of this epistle is described first by his names, Simon
Peter; the first of these was the name by which he was called
from his infancy by his parents, and by which he was known when
Christ called him to be a disciple and follower of him, and is
the same with Simeon; and so it is read in most copies; see (
Acts 15:14 ) a
name common with the Jews; the latter is what was given him by
Christ at his conversion, ( John 1:4 ) , and answers
to Cephas in the Syriac language; and both signify a rock or
stone, because he was built upon Christ, the rock and foundation,
and chief corner stone, and with a view to his future solidity,
firmness, and constancy: and he is next described by his
character as a servant, not of sin, nor Satan, nor man, but Jesus
Christ, whose servant he was, not only by creation, but by
redemption and grace; and not merely a servant of his, in common
with other believers, but in a ministerial way, as a preacher of
the Gospel, which this phrase sometimes designs. The use of it
shows the apostle's humility, his sense of obligation to Christ,
and acknowledgment of him as his Lord, and that he esteemed it an
honour to stand in such a relation to him: but to distinguish him
from a common servant of Christ, and an ordinary minister of the
word, it is added, "an apostle of Jesus Christ": one that was
immediately sent by Christ, had his commission and doctrine
directly from him, and a power of working miracles, in
confirmation of his mission and ministry being divine, and an
authority at large to go everywhere and preach the Gospel, plant
churches, and put them in due order, and place proper persons
over them. This is said to give weight and authority to his
epistle: and further, in this inscription of the epistle, the
persons are described to whom it is written, as follows,
to them that have obtained like precious faith with
us;
they were believers in Christ, who had a faith of the right kind;
not a faith of doing miracles, which was not common to all, nor
was it saving; nor an historical faith, or a mere assent to
truths, nor a temporary one, or a bare profession of faith; but
that faith which is the faith of God's elect, the gift of his
grace, and the operation of his power; which sees the Son, goes
to him, ventures on him, trusts in him, lives upon him, and works
by love to him. This is said to be "precious", as it is in its
own nature, being a rich and enriching grace, of more worth and
value than gold that perisheth, or than thousands of gold and
silver; it is not to be equalled by, nor purchased with the
riches of the whole world; it is precious in its object, it being
conversant with the precious person, precious blood, and precious
righteousness and sacrifice of Christ, and is that grace which
makes Christ, and all that is his, precious to souls; it is
precious in its acts and usefulness; it is that grace by which
men go to God and Christ, receive from them, and give all glory
to them, and without which it is not possible to please God: to
which add the durableness of it; it is an abiding grace, and will
never fail, when the most precious things in nature do: and it is
"like precious" with that the apostles had; for there is but one
faith, and which is called a common faith, even common to all the
elect; and which is the same in all, not as to degrees, for in
some it is strong, and in others weak; or as to the actings of
it, which are not in all alike, nor in the same persons at all
times; in some it is only a seeing of the Son, his glory,
fulness, and suitableness, and longing for views of an interest
in him; in others a reliance on him, and trusting in him; and in
others a holy confidence, and full assurance of being his: but
then it is alike with respect to its nature, as it is the
substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not
seen; and as it works by love to Christ and his people; it
springs from the same cause, the love and favour of God, and has
the same object, Jesus Christ, and is followed with the
salvation; for though it is but as a grain of mustard seed, yet,
being genuine, the person that has it shall certainly be saved:
wherefore, for the comfort and encouragement of these scattered
believers, the apostle assures them, that their faith was the
same as their brethren that dwelt at Jerusalem and in Judea, who
believed in Christ, and even with them that were the apostles of
Christ; and this he says they had obtained, not by their own
merits or industry, but by the grace of God; for faith is not of
a man's self, it is the gift of God, and the produce of his grace
and power. Some have rendered it, "obtained by lot"; not by
chance, but by the all wise, good, and powerful providence of
God, ordering, directing, assigning, and giving this grace unto
them. And which came to them
through the righteousness of God, and our Saviour Jesus
Christ;
or "of our God, and Saviour Jesus Christ", as the Vulgate Latin
and Ethiopic versions read; that is, of Christ Jesus, who is our
God and Saviour: so that here is a testimony of the deity of
Christ, as well as of his character as a Saviour, who is an able
and a willing one, a full, complete, suitable, and only Saviour:
and the reason why he is so is because he is truly and properly
"God"; and why he is so to us, because he is "our" God: wherefore
by "righteousness" here, cannot be meant the goodness and mercy
of God, as some think, though faith undoubtedly comes through
that; nor the faithfulness of God making good his purpose and
promise of giving faith to his elect, as others think: but the
righteousness of Christ, which is not the righteousness of a
creature, but of God; that is wrought out by one that is God, as
well as man, and so answerable to all the purposes for which it
is brought in. Now faith comes "in", or "with" this
righteousness, as the phrase may be rendered; when the Spirit of
God reveals and brings near this righteousness to a poor sensible
sinner, he at the same time works faith in him to look to it, lay
hold upon it, and plead it as his justifying righteousness with
God: or it comes "through" it; hence it appears that faith and
righteousness are two distinct things; and that faith is not a
man's righteousness before God, for it comes to him through it;
as also that righteousness is before faith, or otherwise faith
could not come by it; and, moreover, is the cause and reason of
it; faith has no causal influence upon righteousness, but
righteousness has upon faith: the reason why a man has a
justifying righteousness is not because he has faith; but the
reason why he has faith given him is because he has a justifying
righteousness provided for him, and imputed to him.