Analytical Exposition of Peters Epistles, Letter 2 · Chapter 1 · Verse 16-18
Verse 16. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made knowne unto you the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his Maj…sty.
Verse 17. For he received from God the Father, honour, and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleased.
Verse 18. And this voice which came from heaven, we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
The Analysis.
IN these verses is contained the reason and cause of those things, which he had spoken of before, as it is manifest by the causall particle For. Now he had said before, 1. That all the faithfull must adde vertue unto faith. 2. That he had a just reason why he should so seriously stirre them up unto this duty; and in these words he shewes the reason and cause of both, which is taken from the certainty that is in the things themselves, and the assurance that all the faithfull may have of those things that were proposed unto them to beleeve. The certainty is set forth first by something unlike it, that is, by cunningly devised fables. Secondly, by the testimonies of the Apostles, who were both eye-witnesses, and care-witnesses of these things. Eye-witnesses, in these words, we were eye-witnesses of his Majesty. Eare-witnesses in these words, and this voice we have heard. The sight and hearing of the Apostles, wherein lies the foundation of the testimony, are set forth first by their objects: The object of their sight was the majestie of Christ, the object of their hearing was a voice which came from Heaven concerning Christ. Secondly by the cause, which was God the Father, communicating glory unto Christ both by word and deed, Verse 17. Thirdly, by the circumstances of time and place, When we were with him, &c.
The Doctrines arising herehence.
Doct. 1. Cunningly devised fables are sometimes proposed in the Church in steed of the truth of God.
For this is the reason why the Apostle cleares himselfe from all suspicion of such like fables, because there were many at that time, and many would come afterwards, that would deceive the Church with such like fables, 1 Cor. 2. 1. Where Paul saith that he came not with excellency of speech, thereby closely rebuking some false Apostles and Preachers, who did affect nothing else but a shew of eloquence. So in this place Peter makes mention of fables, by reason of such impostors, 1 Tim. 1. 4. & …. 4. Tit. 1. 14. Such were the fables in the Church of Rome▪ that are contained in their golden Legends of S. Francis, Dominick, and innumerable Saints and Virgins, with the miracles that were done by them. For such like fables were wont to be heretofore, and yet to this day also in many places are proposed unto the people in stead of the word of God.
Vse 1. This may serve to admonish us, not to receive all things that are proposed, without triall and examination: for so we may imbrace fables in steed of the Gospell.
2. To exhort us, to give God thanks, that we live in those Churches, out of which all such old wives fables are wholly removed, and wherein nothing is proposed but the sincere word of God.
Doct. 2. All those professors of the faith that do not adde vertue unto faith; and all those Preachers that do not with zeale and constancy stirre up the faithfull to labour for vertue, do greatly dishonour the Gospell, as if it were of the same nature with cunningly devised fables.
This is gathered from the connexion of these words with the words foregoing, which were explained in the Analysis. For this is the force of the Apostles reason; If I did account the truth of the Gospell like unto a cunningly devised fable, I could not so earnestly, and with such constancy stir you up to imbrace and adorne it; nor could ye receive those things that we have spoken of, without an endeavour to abound in vertue, if ye did not account them like unto cunningly devised fables.
Vse 1. This may serve to admonish, 1. All Preachers to beware of carelessenesse and negligence in stirring up the people unto piety. And 2, All the faithfull also to beware of luke-warme and unfruitfull profession of the faith. For neither of …hem can be without an implicit and vertuall blasphemy, And they that so carry themselves, although they do not in words▪ yet they do in their deeds confesse, and make it to appeare, that they make no more account of the Gospell, then of an old wives fable.
2. To exhort us, to give all diligence to sanctify, as it were, the Gospell of Christ which we professe, and to shew it in our lives, that we think farre otherwise of the nature of it, then the profane multitude doth.
Doct. 3. The summe of the Gospell consists in declaring the power and comming of Christ.
This is gathered from these words, We made knowne unto you the power and comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. For his power hath respect unto his divine nature, together with the effects thereof, Rom. 1. 4. And his comming hath respect unto his humane nature, together with the end and benefit of his incarnation. Now if these two be joyned together, namely, that Christ came to save us, and that he came with power, so that he had all sufficiency & efficacy at his comming, nothing more can be desired to comfort the faithfull.
Vse 1. This may serve to admonish, 1 Preachers, to make the power and comming of Christ the center as it were of all their Sermons. The Apostle, 1 Cor. 2. 2. Determined to know nothing save Iesus Christ and him crucified, & then also, 2. the hearers, to have a speciall eye unto that in the hearing of Sermons, how they may profit in the understanding of this mystery.
2. To exhort us, to fetch all the obedience which we performe unto God, from him as from the fountaine. For whatsoever duties flow not from the power and comming of Christ, are not Evangelicall, but are infected with hypocrisie, or consist in civility.
Doct. 4. The certainty of this Gospell, even as it may be had after the manner of men, is as great as any we can have of any things that are done and past.
This is gathered from these words; We have seene, we have heard. For it is confirmed by the testimony of those, that sensibly perceived it; who by the confession of all were men at least worthy to be believed, having no reason to witnesse any otherwise then the thing it selfe was; in regard that they could not expect to receive any profit thereby from men; and being such as confirmed it unto us, not by the bare testimony of their words, but also with their life and blood: so that even after the manner of men we may be as certaine of the Gospell as we are, that there was sometimes a Monarchy of the Assyrians, Grecians, Romans: that there were Captaines, and Knights, of such and such a countrey, or the like.
Vse 1. This may serve to reprove and condemne the perversnesse of men, who easily believe all other things, though there be but weak arguments to confirme it; but they can scarce be brought to receive the Gospell of salvation.
2. To exhort us to strengthen our faith with such like reasons, even to the full assurance thereof, 1 Iohn 1. 3, 4. For although we our selves have not seene these things, yet we must as strongly and firmely believe them, as if we our selves had seene them with our eyes, Iohn 20. 29. This pertaines unto the thankfulnesse which we owe u…to God, that he would not barely declare unto us his will, but also confirme it by testimonies, Luke 1. 2. For this was one of the speciall offices of the Apostles, to witnesse those things which they had seene of Christ, Acts 1. 22. & 2 32.
Doct. 5. A great Majesty was sensibly perceived by the Apostles.
This is gathered from these words, We have seene his Majestie. So great was this Majestie, that the Disciples could not beare it, Matth. 17. 6. It astonished and amazed Peter, Marke 9. 6.
Vse 1. This may serve to instruct us, to conceive by this proofe, how great the glory and Majestie of Christ is now in Heaven, how great it shall be at the last day, and how great we also shall be made in the life to come.
2. To exhort us, to have Christ in high estimation: We have no cause to be ashamed of so great a Majestie; according to that of our Saviour; If any one be ashamed of me in this adulterous generation, him will I be ashamed of before God and his Angels.
Doct. 6. This majestie was expressed in those words of God, This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased.
In these words is contained both the power and comming of Christ, whereof the Apostles witnessed, and wherein is contained the summe of the Gospell, as we said before. This is gathered from the connexion of the words, which these have with the former, We made knowne, &c. For in the title of Sonne is declared the honour and glory of Christ, where he is called this my Sonne: in the title of beloved is shewed the comming of Christ, and the end thereof, namely, to reconcile us unto God, and make us beloved of him: whence he is called, My beloved in whom I am well pleased. By the title of Sonne is chiefly signified the kingdome of Christ, by the title of beloved in whom I am well pleased, is signified the Priesthood of Christ; and by the third thing which is added, Mat. 17. 5. is signified his Propheticall office: heare ye him. And that which is there expressed, is here understood; so that there is nothing in Christ and the Gospell which may not fitly be reduced to these few words.
Vse 1. This may serve to instruct us, for the building up of our faith, to have alwayes in our mindes that divine voice; for therefore came it twice from Heaven, once in the Baptisme of Christ, and once in this transfiguration which Peter hath reference unto in this place: All the word of God indeed comes from him, but there are some parts of it which come from him unto men in a more speciall manner, that is, immediately. Such was the Decalogue in the Old Testament: such was the voice, Iohn 12. 28. and such was this voice that was twice repeated: Now as we should magnifie every word of God, so in a speciall manner should we observe and take notice of such words as these.
2. To admonish us, to depend upon Christ alone, and to have recourse unto him only, in those things which pertaine unto our salvation. 1. Because such a testimony was never given of any one besides Christ. 2. In this testimony, power, honour, and glory is so given unto Christ, that it is denied unto all others: for the demonstrative particle that, as it is in the originall, foreign, hath an exclusive vertue, as touching all others, excluding all others from being partakers of it.
Doct. 7. This voice of God did effectually bring honour and glory unto Christ.
This is gathered from these words, He received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice unto him.
Reason 1. Because the testimony of God is infallibly true.
… 2. There is joyned with it omnipotent power, when it is said to come from the excellent glory.
Vse 1. This may serve to instruct us, by faith to relye upon every testimony of God. For that which God promiseth or any way witnesseth, is as sure as that which we have already received or do see brought to passe. We may oftentimes doubt of mens words, because they have neither perfect truth, nor perfect power: but the excellent glory of God, whereof mention is here made, requires far otherwise of us.
2. To exhort us, for the confirmation of our faith, to have alwayes in our eyes the excellent glory of God, whereby he can and also will do whatsoever he hath said.
Doct. 8. Those things which pertaine unto the kingdome of Christ, are so holy, that they make the place it selfe, wherein they are declared, in some sort holy.
This is gathered from these words: in the holy Mount. For this Mount was not holy, but by this transfiguration, and this voice that came from heaven, Exod. 3. 5. Iohn 6. 3.
Vse 1. This may serve to reprove the stupidity of those, that are nothing taken with such things as these that are so holy.
2. To exhort us, reverently and religiously to prepare our selves, and apply our mindes unto holy exercises, Eccles. 5. 1.