The Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. PeterLumby, J. Rawson (Joseph Rawson)
Religion
The Expositor's Bible: The Epistles of St. Peter
Lumby, J. Rawson (Joseph Rawson)
Bible. Peter -- Commentaries
_Revelling in their lovefeasts while they feast with you._ Here also
the Revised Version accepts a text different from that rendered by the
Authorised, which for the first clause has "sporting themselves with
their own deceivings" (ἀπάταις). This refers to "the
feigned words" with which they have been pictured as making a gain of
the unstable souls whom they lead astray. They find a sport in their
delusion, a pleasure, which is devilish, in the evil they are working.
The other reading, ἀγάπαις, which is also found in Jude 12,
refers to those gatherings of the faithful in the earliest period of
the Church's history where the brethren by partaking in common of a
simple meal gave a symbol of Christian equality and love. It may be
that this in its origin was the assembling of the congregation for
"the breaking of bread," but we soon find the social meal had become a
distinct observance. And we know from St. Paul's letter to the Church
of Corinth that disorder was introduced into these meetings, and that
luxury and disparity ofttimes took the place of simplicity and
equality. "In your eating," says the Apostle, "each one taketh before
other his own supper, and one is hungry, and another is drunken....
When ye come together tarry one for another" (1 Cor. xi. 21). In these
Asian congregations the evil had gone to a greater length. Instead of
a sober assembly, where friendly converse might form a fitting
accompaniment to the more solemn breaking of bread in remembrance of
their Lord, these lovefeasts were converted into a revel by the
luxurious additions which the false teachers took care to have
supplied. The Apostle calls them _their_ lovefeasts, because it was
from their conduct that the gathering took its character. The members
of the Church were indeed invited, but these men made themselves
leaders of the meal, and turned what was meant to be a simple repast
into a scene of riot and indulgence. But such excess only opens the
floodgates for more.
_Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin._ These
preachers of freedom from the restraints of the Law must make their
evil liberty known, and so they shamelessly parade it even in the
meetings of the brethren. They cast about them their licentious
glances, and their lustful gaze is unchecked. Nay, they have so given
it rein that now it is beyond their control. Their eyes _cannot_ cease
from sin. The original speaks of "eyes full of an adulteress." By this
unusual expression the Apostle seems to point to the danger that such
conduct would meet with a response, that the sisters in the Church
would be beguiled and led to join hands with these teachers of
licence. With this we may compare the language addressed to the Church
of Thyatira concerning "the woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a
prophetess, and teacheth and seduceth My servants to commit
fornication" (Rev. ii. 20).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account