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letter was sent, is, as Oecumenius supposes, the person of that name, who joined Paul in writing the epistles to the Thessalonians, he is the Silas who is called, Acts xv. 22. A chief man among the brethren, and ver. 32. a propbet; and being Paul's constant companion in travel, after the defection of John Mark, he no doubt assisted in planting churches in Galatia and the other countries of the lesser Asia mentioned in the inscription. So being well known to the brethren in these parts, he was a fit person to carry this letter. He is called here by Peter a faithful brother. And without doubt he must have been an excellent person, and very zealous in the cause of the gospel, who attended Paul in so many painful journeys, undertaken for the service of Christ and who on this occasion was willing to go into Pontus, Galatia, &c. with Peter's epistle to the churches in these widely extended countries. Probably after Paul's death, Silas attached himself to Peter as his assistant, and reckoned himself much honoured by this commission to carry the apostles's letter into the lesser Asia, which he executed faithfully.

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2. A faithful brother as I conclude. Peter having become intimately acquainted with Silvanus only since Paul's death, he concluded him to be a faithful brother from his having so long jointly laboured with Paul in the work of the gospel.

3. And strongly testifying. According to Bengelius the preposition in the word soupTupouμevos, is used to signify that Peter added his testimony to that of Paul and Silas, concerning the truth of the gospel which they preached to the Galatians, &c. But I think the meaning is simply, that Peter testified concerning the gospel which had been preached to the Galatians, that it is the true gospel: consequently, that the rites of the law were not necessary to salvation.

Ver. 13.-1. The church which is in Babylon. (Sec pref. sect. 5.) The word church is not in the original. But it is supplied in the Syriac, Vulgate, and other ancient versions, and by Oecumenius. Grotius approves of the addition : and Beza observes very well that Peter omitted the word church, as is often done with regard to words of common use. But Mill and Wall think the translation should be, She who is in Babylon; and that the apostle meant his own wife; or some honourable woman in that city. Lardner says, it is not probable that Peter would send a salutation to the Christians of so many countries, from a woman not named.

13 The CHURCH1 WHICH Is at Babylon elected jointly 2 2 with you, and Mark3 my son salute you.

14 Salute one another with a kiss of love. (See Rom. xvi. 16. note 1.) Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

13 The members of the church which is in Babylon who are elected jointly with you to be the people of God, and Mark, whom I love as my own son, salute you.

14 Salute one another with a kiss in testimony of your mutual love. Happiness be to all among you who are stedfast in the belief and profession of the gospel. Amen.

2. Elected jointly with you. The apostle in the beginning of his letter, had called the strangers of the dispersion, elected according to the fore-knowledge of God: Here he tells them; that the church at Babylon, was elected jointly with them, to be the people of God.

3. And Mark my son. Heuman, following the opinion of some of the ancients mentioned by Oecumenius, supposes this Mark to be Peter's own son by his wife. But others are of opinion, that he calls him his son because he had converted him: So that he was his son according to the spirit, and not according to the flesh. This opinion is probable because Peter was well acquainted with the family of which Mark was a member, as may be gathered from his going immediately to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark, after he was miraculously brought out of prison by the angel, Acts xii. 12. This John Mark, was Barnabas's sister's son, Col. iv. 20. and the person who accompanied Paul and Barnabas as their minister in their first journey among the idolatrous Gentiles, Acts xiii. 5. But he deserted them in Pamphylia, ver. 13. Afterwards, however, he accompanied Paul in some of his journeys, Col. iv. 10. And during his second imprisonment at Rome the apostle ordered Timothy to bring Mark to Rome because he was useful to him in the ministry, 2 Tim. iv. 11. See the note on that verse. It is generally believed that John Mark was the author of the gospel called, according to Mark.

A NEW

LITERAL TRANSLATION

OF THE SECOND

EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLE PETER.

PREFACE.

SECTION 1.

Of the Authenticity of the Second Epistle of Peter.

In the preface to the epistle of James, (Sect. 2. initio.) and in that to 1 Peter, (Sect. 2. initio.) the doubts which the ancients entertained, concerning the authenticity of five of the seven Catholic epistles, are faithfully declared. But at the same time it is proved, that the doubted epistles were very early known, and well received by many. On this subject, it is proper to put the reader in mind, that these epistles were rendered doubtful by a circumstance mentioned in the Gen. Pref. p. 2. namely, that the doubted epistles are omitted in the first Syriac translation of the New Testament, which is supposed to have been made in the second century. But the only conclusion that can be drawn from the omission is, that the author had not seen these epistles, or rather that they were not generally known, when he made his version. Now this might easily happen, if, as it is probable, he was a Syrian Jew. For Syria being at a great distance from Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the proconsular Asia and Bithynia, to whose inhabitants the epistles under consideration were originally sent, it would be a considerable time before copies of them were dispersed among the people for whom the Syriac version of the New Testament was made, so that the author might think it useless to translate them.

With respect to the doubts, which some entertained of these epistles, after they came to be known, they serve to prove that

the ancient Christians were very cautious of receiving any books as canonical, whose authority they were not perfectly assured of. For as Wall, Crit. Notes, vol. iii. p. 358. very well observes, "They not only rejected all the writings forged by heretics un❝der the names of the apostles.-But if any good book, affirmed "by some man or by some church, to have been written and sent "by some apostle,-was offered to them, they would not, till "fully satisfied of the fact, receive it into their canon." Wherefore, though the five epistles above mentioned, were not immediately acknowledged as inspired writings, in the countries at a distance from the churches or persons, to whom they were originally sent, it is no proof that they were looked on as forge. ries. It only shews, that the persons who doubted of them, had not received complete and incontestible evidence of their authenticity: Just as their being afterwards universally received, is a demonstration that, upon the strictest enquiry they found them the genuine productions of the apostles of Christ, whose names they bear. For the churches to whom these letters were sent, hearing that doubts were entertained concerning them, would no doubt of their own accord, as well as when asked concerning them, declare them to be genuine. And their attestation made public, joined with the marks of authenticity found in the epistles themselves, in time established their authority beyond all possibility of doubt. The truth is, such good opportunity the ancient Christians had to know the truth in this matter, and so well founded their judgment concerning the books of the New Testament was, that as Lardner observes, no writing which was by them pronounced genuine, hath since their time been found spurious; neither have we at this day, the least reason to think any book genuine, which they rejected.

Thus much was necessary to be said concerning the five doubted of epistles in general. With respect to the second epistle of Peter in particular, it remains to point out the marks of authenticity, contained in the epistle itself, which, with the attestations of the churches to which it was sent, have fully established its authority.

I. And first, it is observable that the writer styles himself Symeon Peter; from which we conclude that this epistle is the work of the apostle Peter.-If it be objected, that the apostle's name was Simon not Symeon, the answer is, that although in Greek, this apostle's name was commonly written Simon, the

Hebrew form of it was Symeon. For in the history of Jacob's sons it is so written. Besides, this very apostle is called (EvRear) Symeon, Acts xv. 14.-Next, it is objected, that in the first epistle, which is undoubtedly the apostle Peter's, he styles himself, not Simon Peter, but Peter simply. But I observe, that Luke hath called this apostle Simon Peter: Chap. v. 8. And that John hath given him that name no less than seventeen times in his gospel; perhaps to shew that he was the author of the epistle which begins, Symeon Peter, a servant, and an apostle, &c.— Farther, though in the inscription of the first letter, Peter's sirname only is mentioned, because by it he was sufficiently known, he might in the inscription of the second, for the greater digni. ty, insert his name complete; because he intended authoritatively to rebuke the false teachers, who had already arisen, or were to arise. Upon the whole, Symeon Peter, being the same with Simon Peter, no objection can be raised against the authenticity of this epistle, on account of the name.

2. The writer of this epistle, expressly calls himself in the inscription, an apostle. He does the same, chap. iii. 2. And in other places, he ascribes to himself things which agree to none but to Peter the apostle. For example, chap. i. 14. Knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle is soon to happen, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me: alluding to John xxi. 19. where we are told, that Jesus signified to Peter, by what death when old he should glorify God.-Chap. i. 16. This writer affirms, that he was one of the three apostles, who were with Jesus at his transfiguration, when by a voice from God he was declared to be his Son the beloved.-Chap. iii. 15. This writer calls Paul his beloved brother, in allusion no doubt to his having given Paul the right hand of fellowship: withal he commends his epistles as scriptures, that is, divinely inspired writings. The writer therefore, having thus repeatedly taken to himself the name and character of an inspired apostle, if he was an impostor, he must have been the most profligate of men. See 1 Pet. Preface, Sect. 2. paragr. 2.

3. By calling this, his Second Epistle, chap. iii. 1. the writer intimates that he had written to them formerly. He insinuates the same thing, chap. i. 12.-15. and by so doing, shews himself to be the same Peter who wrote the first epistle. The method which Grotius has taken to elude the force of this presumption, shall be considered afterwards.

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