Archive for the ‘2 Peter 3:9’ Category

10
Dec

John Arrowsmith (Westminster Divine) on 2 Peter 3:9

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

Arrowsmith

5. A third branch of divine goodness is long-suffering; whereby God hath been pleased to put a notable difference between angels that fell, and the fallen sons of Adam. Of them Peter saith, “God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.” This was quick and speedy work. But the Lord (saith the same apostle,) “is long-suffering to us-ward.” He exercises much patience, very much, even towards all, though vessels of wrath. For so Paul, “What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering, the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction?” How profane was the old world? How wicked a place was Jericho? yet was he one hundred and twenty years in warning those of that age, before he brought the deluge upon them: and he that made the world in six, was seven days in destroying that one city. The great doctor of the Gentiles was not much more than thirty years old, when God converted him; yet we find him looking at this as infinite patience, as all long-suffering, that he was borne with so long. “I obtained mercy (saith he) that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering.” How sensible then ought they to be of this attribute, with whom God hath born forty, fifty, sixty years, and still continues to cry unto, as it is in Habakkuk, “Woe unto him that increases that which is not his: How long?” as in Jeremiah, “O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved: How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?” And again, “Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem, wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be.” All which places declare sufficiently that the long-suffering God doth in a manner long to see our conversion to him.

6. And that indeed is the most proper use we can make hereof according to Paul’s expostulation, “Despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Verily, we cannot meet on this side of hell, with a worse temper of spirit than that which inclines a sinner to despise the forbearance of God, and to kick against the bowels of his goodness…”

John Arrowsmith, Armilla Catechetica: A Chain of Principles; or, An Orderly Concatenation of Theological Principles and Excercitations, Wherein the Chief Heads of Christian Religion are Asserted and Improved (Edinburgh: Thomas Turnbull, 1822), 130-132.

Credit to Tony for the find.

5
Nov

Richard Fuller Referencing Ezekial 33:11 and 2 Peter 3:9

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

Richard Fuller:

And your reason seconds your conscience; for, after all your syllogisms to prove that the divine purposes hold and control man, nobody could induce you to leap into the sea, or to throw yourself from the summit of a precipice.

Apply this reasoning to the concerns of your soul. Lost and ruined as we are, a great salvation has been provided for us, and it is yours by faith in Jesus. God repels no imputation with such intense abhorrence as that which charges him with desiring the death of any sinner. “Oh, Israel,” he exclaims, “thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thy help.” “As I live, saith the Lord God 1 have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye, for why will ye die?” Having-at such expense wrought out a wonderful atonement, Jesus now calls you to turn to him and accept a full deliverance; he assures you he is not willing that “any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” “Come unto me,” he cries, “and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out.”

Richard Fuller, “Predestination,” in Southern Baptist Sermons on Sovereignty and Responsibility (Harrisonburg, VA: Sprinkle Publications, 1984), 122. [Note: This brief comment from the third president of the SBC once again speaks to the strong tradition of reading the intent of 2 Peter 3:9 as expressive of God’s revealed will and desire that all men be saved.]

3
Nov

Augustine Marlorate on Ezekiel 18:23 and 2 Peter 3:9

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

Marlorate:

1) {Least at any time they should see with}

C. [Calvin] here the Lord might seem to be unwilling to have the reprobate converted which is contrary to this sentence, “I will not the death of the sinner, but rather that he turne from his wickednes and lyue,” [Ezek. 18.]. A [Marlorate] Also Peter says, “The Lorde is paciente to us warde, for so muche as he wolde haue no man loste, but wolde receiuve all men to repentance,” [2 Peter. 3.]. But Peter and Ezekiel dispute not in those places, as concerning the secret purpose of God, but only they do show how God shows himself towards us, calling us by the preaching of the Gospel, to everlasting life. So that it is not contrary to the place of Esaiah: for he calls all by his word, even the reprobate: But the reprobate are so destitute of grace, that they are nothing at all moved by the gentle invitation of God, no, they do not molify their hearts.     Augustine Marlorate, A Catholike and Ecclesiastical Exposition of the Holy Gospel after S. Mathew, gathered out of all the singular and approued Deuines (which the Lorde hath geuen to his Churche) by Augustine Marlorate. And translated out of Latine into Englishe, by Thomas Tymme, Minister, Sene and allowed according to the order appointed (Imprinted at London in Fletestreate near vnto S. Dunstones churche, by Thomas Marshe, 1570), Matt. 13:15; pp., 282-283. [Some spelling modernized.]

2) 3:21. “And I gaue hir time to repent hir of hir whoredome, but she repented not.”

God’s long
sufferance and
gentleness, and also his
rigor.

“And I gaue hir time.” &c. G. [Caspar Megander] The Scripture every where sets out the gentleness and long sufferance of God, where through being forward unto mercy and slow to wrath, he calls sinners to repentance, that they may receive forgiveness of their sins and walk in newness of life. For he would not that the sinner should die, but rather that he should convert and live. Ezek. 18.23. & 2 Peter 3.9. S. [Seb. Meyer] But if they despise his wholesome counsel of amendment, he executes sore punishment upon them, like as a man may see in the world that was before the flood: in the Sodomites: in Dathan, Korah, Abiram: and in the Prophets of Baal: all which perished miserably for taking scorn to amend.

“But she repented not.”

Unrepentantness.

Here is fault found with the wilfulness of all such as having space to repent them of their sins, do utterly neglect it: yea and rather heap sin upon sin, and so hoard up God’s wrath against themselves, according as it is said, Rom. 2.5.     Augustine Marlorate, A Catholike exposition vpon the Reuelation of Sainct Iohn, (Printed by H. Binneman, for L. Harison, and G. Bishop, 1574),) Rev. 3:21, p., 49b. [Some spelling modernized and formatting modified.]

3) In respect whereof, here is added by and by, “And it was said unto them that they should rest.” That is to wit, by waiting patiently for the day of the resurrection. “Yet a little while.” This is spoken after the manner of Scripture, which promises in many places, that the time of misery and trouble shall be shortened to the elect, Isai. 54.7,8, and Dan. 11.33, and Math. 24.22, and 2 Cor. 4.17, and Hebr. 10.37, and 1 Peter. 1.6, and 5.10. Until their fellow servants were filled up. Ergo, then the delay of vengeance, is made for the elect’s sake also. Hereupon Peter says, “The Lord forstows[?] not his promise as some suppose: but he deals patiently for our sakes, willing that none should perish, but that all should come to repentance, 2 Peter. 3.9.     Augustine Marlorate, A Catholike exposition vpon the Reuelation of Sainct Iohn, (Printed by H. Binneman, for L. Harison, and G. Bishop, 1574),) Rev. 6:11, p., 98a.

9
Oct

O. Palmer Robertson’s Footnote Comment on 2 Peter 3:9

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

[Note: the footnote value and content is reproduced here exactly as found in the original]

Robertson:

God’s commitment to maintain a universal witness to the whole of humanity through the ordering of creation later plays a significant role in the missionary mandate of the apostle Paul. In establishing that the gospel should be proclaimed among all nations, he appeals to the universal witness borne by God through creation (cf. Rom. 10:18 in its reference to Ps. 19:4). The world-wide scope of the testimony of creation provides the foundation for the universal proclamation of the gospel. The God who has commissioned the witness of himself to the ends of the earth through creation also has shown himself to be “Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon him” (Rom. 10:12).

This universal witness of the ordering of creation roots deeply in the covenanting word to Noah. By the provisions of the Noahic covenant God committed himself to a course of universal testimony. Creation’s witness of grace toward sinful man still provides the platform from which the universal proclamation of the gospel should be launched.18

______________________________

18 II Pet. 3:3-10 also appears to establish its base for the universal proclamation of the gospel on the covenant with Noah. Sinners may mock the word of new covenant prophecy concerning a consummating judgment (vv. 3, 4). But Noah’s flood indicates the certainty of God’s ultimate intentions (vv. 5, 6). As “by the word of God” (to tou theou logo) the world first came into being, so “by the same word” (to auto logo) the present universe is being sustained for the judgment of fire (vv. 5, 7). The reference to the “same word” refers broadly to the word of God which had been manifested so powerfully at creation. But it also appears to refer more specifically to the covenanting word spoken to Noah. On the basis of this post-diluvian word, the earth continues to be maintained to the present.

The longsuffering of God, who does not wish any to perish (v. 9), manifests itself in the context of this covenanting word that God will maintain the whole of creation until the judgment of fire (vv. 7, 10). In the cosmic context of these verses, describing the purposes of God respecting the whole of creation (vv. 6, 7), the “desire” of God that “all” should come to repentance should be interpreted universally. The fact that God may “desire” what he has not explicitly “decreed” simply must be taken as one of those areas of God’s purposes that cannot be comprehended by the finite mind. The context would not favor the limitation of this desire to the “elect,” despite the possibility that “longsuffering to you” could be interpreted as meaning longsuffering to the believing recipients of Peter’s letter. The point of the text is not that God is longsuffering toward the elect, not willing that any of the elect should perish. The present delay of judgment on the world indicates his longsuffering to the whole of humanity, despite the fact that ultimately not all shall be saved. Cf. John Murray and N. B. Stonehouse, The Free Offer of the Gospel (Phillipsburg, n.d.) pp. 21-26.

Source: O. Palmer Roberson, The Christ of the Covenants (Phillipsburg: NJ.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 1980), 122-123

Credit to Tony for the find.

2
Jun

The Geneva Bible and 2 Peter 3:9

   Posted by: CalvinandCalvinism

The Geneva Bible:

The Lord is not slacke concerning his promes (as some men count slackeness) but is pacient towarde vs, and wolde haue no man to perish, but wold all men to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9; The Geneva Bible (1560 Edition).

Marginal Note:

Eze. 33.32. 1. Tim. 2.4. He speaketh not here of the secret & eternal counsel of God, whereby he electeth whom it pleases him, but of the preaching of the Gospel all are called and bidden to the banket. Matt. 24:44. I Thess. 5.2. & Revel. 3.3. & 16.15.1


1By 1576, The Lawrence Tomson edition, included many of Beza’s marginal notes, and so the revised note reads: “A reason why the latter day cometh not out of hand, because God does patiently wait to the elect are brought to repentance, that none of them may perish.”