John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. Whereby are given unto us , etc.] Or by which, that is, glory and virtue; by the glorious power of Christ, or by the glorious and powerful Gospel of Christ; and so the Arabic version renders it, by both of which; or by whom, as the Vulgate Latin version reads; that is, by Christ; for as in him are all the promises of God, so they are at his dispose, and by him are given unto the saints: exceeding great and precious promises ; meaning the promises of the new and everlasting covenant, of which Christ is the Mediator, surety, and messenger; and which are exceeding great, if we consider the author of them, who is the great God of heaven and earth, and who was under no obligation to make promises of anything to his creatures; and therefore must arise from great grace and favour, of which they are largely expressive, and are like himself; are such as become his greatness and goodness, and are confirmed by his oath, and made good by his power and faithfulness: and they are also great, as to the nature and matter of them; they are better promises than those of the covenant of works; they are not merely temporal ones, nor are they conditional and legal; but as they relate to things spiritual and eternal, to grace here and glory hereafter, so they are absolute, free, and unconditional, and are irreversible and unchangeable; and they answer great ends and purposes, the glory of God, and the everlasting good and happiness of his people; and therefore must be precious, of more value and worth than thousands of gold and silver, and to be rejoiced at more than at the finding of a great spoil, being every way suited to the cases of God's people, and which never fail. The end of giving them is, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature ; not essentially, or of the essence of God, so as to be deified, this is impossible, for the nature, perfections, and glory of God, are incommunicable to creatures; nor, hypostatically and personally, so as the human nature of Christ, in union with the Son of God, is a partaker of the divine nature in him; but by way of resemblance and likeness, the new man or principle of grace, being formed in the heart in regeneration, after the image of God, and bearing a likeness to the image of his Son, and this is styled, Christ formed in the heart, into which image and likeness the saints are more and more changed, from glory to glory, through the application of the Gospel, and the promises of it, by which they have such sights of Christ as do transform them, and assimilate them to him; and which resemblance will be perfected hereafter, when they shall be entirely like him, and see him as he is: having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust ; not the corruption and depravity of nature, which is never escaped by any, nor got rid of so long as the saints are in the world; but the corrupt manners of the world, or those corruptions and vices which, are prevalent in the world, and under the power and dominion of which the world lies; and particularly the sins of uncleanness, adultery, incest, sodomy, and such like filthy and unnatural lusts, which abounded in the world, and among some that called themselves Christians, and especially the followers of Simon Magus. Now the Gospel, and the precious promises, being graciously bestowed and powerfully applied, have an influence on purity of heart and conversation, and teach men to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly; such are the powerful effects of Gospel promises, under divine influence, as to make men inwardly partakers of the divine nature, and outwardly to abstain from and avoid the prevailing corruptions and vices of the times.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Faith unites the weak believer to Christ, as really as it does the strong one, and purifies the heart of one as truly as of another; an every sincere believer is by his faith justified in the sight of God Faith worketh godliness, and produces effects which no other grace in the soul can do. In Christ all fulness dwells, and pardon, peace grace, and knowledge, and new principles, are thus given through the Holy Spirit. The promises to those who are partakers of a Divin nature, will cause us to inquire whether we are really renewed in the spirit of our minds; let us turn all these promises into prayers for the transforming and purifying grace of the Holy Spirit. The believe must add knowledge to his virtue, increasing acquaintance with the whole truth and will of God. We must add temperance to knowledge moderation about worldly things; and add to temperance, patience, or cheerful submission to the will of God. Tribulation worketh patience whereby we bear all calamities and crosses with silence and submission To patience we must add godliness: this includes the holy affection and dispositions found in the true worshipper of God; with tende affection to all fellow Christians, who are children of the sam Father, servants of the same Master, members of the same family travellers to the same country, heirs of the same inheritance Wherefore let Christians labour to attain assurance of their calling and of their election, by believing and well-doing; and thus carefull to endeavour, is a firm argument of the grace and mercy of God upholding them so that they shall not utterly fall. Those who ar diligent in the work of religion, shall have a triumphant entrance int that everlasting kingdom where Christ reigns, and they shall reign with him for ever and ever; and it is in the practice of every good wor that we are to expect entrance to heaven.
Greek Textus Receptus
δι 1223 PREP ων 3739 R-GPF τα 3588 T-NPN μεγιστα 3176 A-NPN-S ημιν 2254 P-1DP και 2532 CONJ τιμια 5093 A-NPN επαγγελματα 1862 N-NPN δεδωρηται 1433 5769 V-RPI-3S ινα 2443 CONJ δια 1223 PREP τουτων 5130 D-GPN γενησθε 1096 5638 V-2ADS-2P θειας 2304 A-GSF κοινωνοι 2844 A-NPM φυσεως 5449 N-GSF αποφυγοντες 668 5631 V-2AAP-NPM της 3588 T-GSF εν 1722 PREP κοσμω 2889 N-DSM εν 1722 PREP επιθυμια 1939 N-DSF φθορας 5356 N-GSF
Vincent's NT Word Studies
4. Whereby (di wn). Lit., through which; viz., his glory and virtue. Note the three occurrences of dia, through, in vv. 3, 4.Are given (dedwrhtai). Middle voice; not passive, as A.V. Hence Rev., correctly, he hath granted. See on ver. 3.
Exceeding great and precious promises. Rev., his exceeding great, etc., by way of rendering the definite article, ta.
Precious (timia). The word occurs fourteen times in the New Testament. In eight instances it is used of material things, as stones, fruit, wood. In Peter it occurs three times: 1 Pet. i. 7, of tried faith; 1 Pet. i. 19, of the blood of Christ; and here, of God's promises.
Promises (epaggelmata). Only in this epistle. In classical Greek the distinction is made between ejpaggelmata, promises voluntarily or spontaneously made, and uJposceseiv, promises made in response to a petition.
Might be partakers (genhsqe koinwnoi). Rev., more correctly, may become, conveying the idea of a growth. See note on koinwnov, partaker, 1 Pet. v. 1; and compare Heb. xii. 10.
Having escaped (apofugontev). Only in this epistle. To escape by flight. Through lust (en epiqumia). Rev. renders by lust, as the instrument of the corruption. Others, in lust, as the sphere of the corruption, or as that in which it is grounded.
