Summary
We find Nisbet’s 1 and 2 Peter in the Geneva Commentaries a clear, pastoral, and text led exposition of two letters shaped by suffering and hope. He helps us feel the steady courage Peter aims to form in believers under pressure.
The commentary is verse by verse, yet it is not fragmented. Nisbet regularly draws threads together, especially holiness, assurance, endurance, and the reality of Christ’s return.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
We should own this commentary when we want help preaching Peter with both comfort and backbone. Nisbet strengthens our handling of passages on suffering, submission, and holiness, keeping the gospel motives in view rather than settling for bare instruction.
We also benefit from his clarity on false teaching and spiritual drift in 2 Peter. He helps us warn without panic, and he keeps the church’s hope fixed on Christ’s promises and coming judgement.
For regular ministry use, this is a helpful mid level volume that can be paired with a more technical commentary when we need deeper work on particular questions.
Closing Recommendation
We recommend this as a strong mid level expositional resource for preaching 1 and 2 Peter. It serves especially well when we want steady pastoral application, clear encouragement for suffering believers, and sober warning against error.
As pastoral next steps, we can visit the Bible Book Overview, browse Top Recommendations, and use the Reformed Commentary Index to build a wiser working library.
Alexander Nisbet
Alexander Nisbet was a Scottish minister of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century, serving in a Presbyterian and Reformed tradition with careful attention to the text.
He is remembered chiefly for compact, verse by verse commentary that aims to help ordinary Christians and working preachers read Scripture with understanding. Nisbet’s strength is steady explanation, doctrinal clarity, and a practical instinct that keeps interpretation close to the purpose of each passage.
He remains valued because he is rarely flashy, but often spiritually useful, helping readers trace the flow of an argument and draw sober applications without forcing the text. Recommended titles include his Exposition of the Epistles to the Thessalonians, his Exposition of Philippians, and his Exposition of 1 and 2 Peter.
Theological Perspective: Reformed