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2 Peter, 1

1. Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as precious as our own, given through the saving justice of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

1. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

2. Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of our Lord.

2. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

3. By his divine power, he has lavished on us all the things we need for life and for true devotion, through the knowledge of him who has called us by his own glory and goodness.

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:

4. Through these, the greatest and priceless promises have been lavished on us, that through them you should share the divine nature and escape the corruption rife in the world through disordered passion.

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.

5. With this in view, do your utmost to support your faith with goodness, goodness with understanding,

5. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6. understanding with self-control, self-control with perseverance, perseverance with devotion,

6. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7. devotion with kindness to the brothers, and kindness to the brothers with love.

7. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8. The possession and growth of these qualities will prevent your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffectual or unproductive.

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.

9. But without them, a person is blind or short-sighted, forgetting how the sins of the past were washed away.

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.

10. Instead of this, brothers, never allow your choice or calling to waver; then there will be no danger of your stumbling,

10. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

11. for in this way you will be given the generous gift of entry to the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

11. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

12. That is why I will always go on recalling the same truths to you, even though you already know them and are firmly fixed in these truths.

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.

13. I am sure it is my duty, as long as I am in this tent, to keep stirring you up with reminders,

13. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting [you] in remembrance;

14. since I know the time for me to lay aside this tent is coming soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

14. Knowing that shortly I must put off [this] my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

15. And I shall take great care that after my own departure you will still have a means to recall these things to mind.

15. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

16. When we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not slavishly repeating cleverly invented myths; no, we had seen his majesty with our own eyes.

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.

17. He was honoured and glorified by God the Father, when a voice came to him from the transcendent Glory, This is my Son, the Beloved; he enjoys my favour.

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.

18. We ourselves heard this voice from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

18. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19. So we have confirmation of the words of the prophets; and you will be right to pay attention to it as to a lamp for lighting a way through the dark, until the dawn comes and the morning star rises in your minds.

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:

20. At the same time, we must recognise that the interpretation of scriptural prophecy is never a matter for the individual.

20. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21. For no prophecy ever came from human initiative. When people spoke for God it was the Holy Spirit that moved them.

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.



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Footnotes:

1:3-4 - God's grace has been given to us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which provides us with everything we need to live a godly life. The Christian is called to partake of the divine nature, reflecting God's attributes (see also John 17:3 and 2 Corinthians 1:20).

1:5-7 - Peter emphasizes the importance of adding virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love to faith. These attributes form the basis for continued spiritual growth (see also Colossians 3:12-14 and Galatians 5:22-23).

1:8-9 - Practicing virtue increases our effectiveness and productivity in knowing Jesus. Failing to grow spiritually leads to forgetting God's promises and a lack of clarity about our salvation (see also 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 and Hebrews 6:11-12).

1:10-11 - The call to diligence in faithful living is a guarantee of entry into Christ's eternal Kingdom. Perseverance in good works confirms our calling and election (see also Philippians 3:14 and 1 Corinthians 9:27).

1:16-18 - Peter personally witnessed Jesus' transfiguration, an event of great divine revelation. This serves as a solid foundation for the Christian faith, as it confirms Christ's divinity (see also Matthew 17:1-9 and Luke 9:28-36).

Verses related to 2 Peter, 1:

2 Peter chapter 1 focuses on growth in grace and knowledge. How can we be sure of our salvation? This enriching text reminds believers of God's precious promises and encourages them to develop Christian virtues. Peter reaffirms the veracity of the gospel, based on his personal experience and fulfilled prophecies. The chapter emphasizes the importance of continued spiritual growth and faithfulness to revealed truth. Consider with us five biblical passages that illuminate the fundamental principles of this uplifting chapter.

Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against these things there is no law." - This verse relates to the list of virtues in 2 Peter 1:5-7, showing similar characteristics that believers should develop.

2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be equipped and fully prepared for every good work." - This passage echoes Peter's statement about the divine origin of Scripture in 2 Peter 1:20-21.

Matthew 17:1-2: "Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, James' brother, and led them privately to a high mountain. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white like light." - This event is mentioned by Peter in 2 Peter 1:16-18, serving as an eyewitness account of the majesty of Christ.

Romans 8:13: "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit they put to death the deeds of the body, they will live." - This passage relates to Peter's exhortation in 2 Peter 1:4 about participating in the divine nature and escaping the corruption of the world.

John 21:18-19: "I tell you the truth: When you were younger, you dressed up and went wherever you wanted; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and take you where you don't want to go. Jesus said this to indicate the type of death with which Peter would glorify God. And then I said to him: "Follow me!""" - This prophecy of Jesus about Peter's death is linked to Peter's mention in 2 Peter 1:14 of his imminent departure.

FAQ:

What does the "heavenly calling" mentioned in 2 Peter 1 mean?

The "heavenly calling" refers to God's invitation to salvation, which brings with it a life of holiness and perseverance in faith. (2 Peter 1:10)

How can we partake of the divine nature, as stated in 2 Peter 1:4?

By accepting God’s promises and living by faith, we can escape the corruption of the world and partake of His divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4)

What is needed to strengthen faith, according to 2 Peter 1:5-7?

We need to add virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love to our faith, so that it may grow and be fruitful. (2 Peter 1:5-7)

How is assurance of salvation guaranteed, according to 2 Peter 1:10?

The assurance of salvation is guaranteed by the practice of faith, growth in Christian virtues, and the confirmation of one's calling and election through obedience. (2 Peter 1:10)

Why does Peter emphasize reminding believers of the truths they already know?

Peter emphasizes the importance of remembering truths to strengthen faith and avoid temptation, as active memory is essential for persevering in the Christian walk. (2 Peter 1:12-15)


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