2 Peter, Chapter 1, verses 10-19
5 he exhorteth them, by faith, and good works, to make their calling sure, 12 whereof he is careful to remember them, knowing that his death is at hand, 16 and warneth them to be constant in the faith of Christ, who is the true Son of God, by the eyewitness of the apostles beholding his majesty, and by the testimony of the Father and the prophets17
17:1 A high mountain - Probably Mount Tabor. Mar 9:2; Luk 9:28.
17:2 And was transfigured - Or transformed. The indwelling Deity darted out its rays through the veil of the flesh; and that with such transcendent splendour, that he no longer bore the form of a servant. His face shone with Divine majesty, like the sun in its strength; and all his body was so irradiated by it, that his clothes could not conceal its glory, but became white and glittering as the very light, with which he covered himself as with a garment.
17:3 There appeared Moses and Elijah - Here for the full confirmation of their faith in Jesus, Moses, the giver of the law, Elijah, the most zealous of all the prophets, and God speaking from heaven, all bore witness to him.
17:4 Let us make three tents - The words of rapturous surprise.He says three, not six: because the apostles desired to be with their Master.
17:5 Hear ye him - As superior even to Moses and the prophets.See Deu 18:17.
17:7 Be not afraid - And doubtless the same moment he gave them courage and strength.
17:9 Tell the vision to no man - Not to the rest of the disciples, lest they should be grieved and discouraged because they were not admitted to the sight: nor to any other persons, lest it should enrage some the more, and his approaching sufferings shall make others disbelieve it; till the Son of man be risen again - Till the resurrection should make it credible, and confirm their testimony about it.
2 Corinthians, Chapter 1, verses 12-20
12 And calling both his own conscience and theirs to witness of his sincere manner of preaching the immutable truth of the gospel, 15 he excuseth his not coming to them, as proceeding not of lightness, but of his lenity towards them1
1:12 For I am the more emboldened to look for this, because I am conscious of my integrity; seeing this is our rejoicing - Even in the deepest adversity. The testimony of our conscience - Whatever others think of us. That in simplicity - Having one end in view, aiming singly at the glory of God. And godly sincerity - Without any tincture of guile, dissimulation, or disguise. Not with carnal wisdom, but by the grace of God - Not by natural, but divine, wisdom. We have had our conversation in the world - In the whole world; in every circumstance.
1:14 Ye have acknowledged us in part - Though not so fully as ye will do. That we are you rejoicing - That ye rejoice in having known us. As ye also are ours - As we also rejoice in the success of our labours among you; and we trust shall rejoice therein in the day of the Lord Jesus.
1:15 In this confidence - That is, being confident of this.
1:17 Did I use levity - Did I lightly change my purpose?Do I purpose according to the flesh - Are my purposes grounded on carnal or worldly considerations? So that there should be with me yea and nay - Sometimes one, sometimes the other; that is, variableness and inconstancy.
1:18 Our word to you - The whole tenor of our doctrine.Hath not been yea and nay - Wavering and uncertain.
1:19 For Jesus Christ, who was preached by us - That is, our preaching concerning him. Was not yea and nay - Was not variable and inconsistent with itself. But was yea in him - Always one and the same, centering in him.
1:20 For all the promises of God are yea and amen in him - Are surely established in and through him. They are yea with respect to God promising; amen, with respect to men believing; yea, with respect to the apostles; amen, with respect to their hearers.
Matthew, Chapter 22, verses 23-33
23 Christ confuteth the Sadducees for the resurrection22
22:23 Mar 12:18.
22:24 Deu 25:5.
22:25 Now there were with us seven brethren - This story seems to have been a kind of common - place objection, which no doubt they brought upon all occasions.
22:29 Ye err, not knowing the Scriptures - Which plainly assert a resurrection. Nor the power of God - Which is well able to effect it. How many errors flow from the same source?
22:30 They are as the angels - Incorruptible and immortal.So is the power of God shown in them! So little need had they of marriage!
22:31 Have ye not read - The Sadducees had a peculiar value for the books of Moses. Out of these therefore our Lord argues with them.
22:32 I am the God of Abraham - The argument runs thus: God is not the God of the dead, but of the living: (for that expression, Thy God, implies both benefit from God to man, and duty from man to God) but he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: therefore, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not dead, but living.Therefore, the soul does not die with the body. So indeed the Sadducees supposed, and it was on this ground that they denied the resurrection. Exo 3:6.
22:33 At his doctrine - At the clearness and solidity of his answers.
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1:10 Wherefore - Considering the miserable state of these apostates. Brethren - St. Peter nowhere uses this appellation in either of his epistles, but in this important exhortation.Be the more diligent - By courage, knowledge, temperance, etc To make your calling and election firm - God hath called you by his word and his Spirit; he hath elected you, separated you from the world, through sanctification of the Spirit. O cast not away these inestimable benefits! If ye are thus diligent to make your election firm, ye shall never finally fall.
1:11 For if ye do so, an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom - Ye shall go in full triumph to glory.
1:12 Wherefore - Since everlasting destruction attends your sloth, everlasting glory your diligence, I will not neglect always to remind you of these things - Therefore he wrote another, so soon after the former, epistle. Though ye are established in the present truth - That truth which I am now declaring.
1:13 In this tabernacle - Or tent. How short is our abode in the body! How easily does a believer pass out of it!
1:14 Even as the Lord Jesus showed me - In the manner which had foretold, Joh 21:18, etc It is not improbable, he had also showed him that the time was now drawing nigh.
1:15 That ye may be able - By having this epistle among you.
1:16 These things are worthy to be always had in remembrance For they are not cunningly devised fables - Like those common among the heathens. While we made known to you the power and coming - That is, the powerful coming of Christ in glory. But if whatthey advanced of Christ was not true, if it was of their own invention, then to impose such a lie on the world as it was, in the very nature of things, above all human power to defend, and to do this at the expense of life and all things only to enrage the whole world, Jews and gentiles, against them, was no cunning, but was the greatest folly that men could have been guilty of.But were eyewitnesses of his majesty - At his transfiguration, which was a specimen of his glory at the last day.
1:17 For he received divine honour and inexpressible glory - Shining from heaven above the brightness of the sun.When there came such a voice from the excellent glory - That is, from God the Father. Mat 17:5.
1:18 And we - Peter, James, and John. St. John was still alive. Being with him in the holy mount - Made so by that glorious manifestation, as mount Horeb was of old, Exo 3:4-5.
1:19 And we - St. Peter here speaks in the name of allChristians. Have the word of prophecy - The words of Moses, Isaiah, and all the prophets, are one and the same word, every way consistent with itself. St. Peter does not cite any particular passage, but speaks of their entire testimony. More confirmed - By that display of his glorious majesty. To which word ye do well that ye take heed, as to a lamp which shone in a dark place - Wherein there was neither light nor window. Such anciently was the whole world, except that little spot where this lamp shone. Till the day should dawn - Till the full light of the gospel should break through the darkness. As is the difference between the light of a lamp and that of the day, such is that between the light of the Old Testament and of the New. And the morning star - Jesus Christ, Rev 22:16.Arise in your hearts - Be revealed in you.