*2 Peter 1:2-21
Peter encourages believers to grow in their faith by adding moral qualities to their knowledge of Christ and emphasizes the divine inspiration of scripture.
- Grace and Peace Through Knowledge:
- Peter opens by wishing grace and peace to the readers through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
- He emphasizes that God’s divine power has given believers everything they need for a godly life through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
- Participation in the Divine Nature:
- By these promises, believers can participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
- Call to Spiritual Growth:
- Peter urges believers to make every effort to add to their faith goodness, and to goodness, knowledge.
- Further, they should add self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and love to their lives.
- These qualities, if increasing, will keep believers from being ineffective and unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus Christ.
- Warning Against Spiritual Stagnation:
- A lack of these qualities makes one nearsighted and blind, forgetting they have been cleansed from their past sins.
- Believers are encouraged to be diligent in confirming their calling and election, as doing these things will prevent them from falling.
- Entrance into the Eternal Kingdom:
- Practicing these qualities will ensure an abundant provision for believers into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
- The Trustworthiness of the Apostolic Witness:
- Peter asserts that he and the other apostles did not follow cleverly devised stories when they told of the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
- He refers to the event of the Transfiguration where God the Father honored and glorified Jesus, affirming His sonship with the words, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.”
- The Role of Prophecy:
- Peter emphasizes that the prophetic message is something to be taken very seriously, shining as a light in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in believers’ hearts.
- He clarifies that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation.
- Prophecy was not produced by human will, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
1:12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
1:13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; 1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
1:15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.