Greeting and Precious Promises
Study note
Peter writes to those who share the same precious faith, greeting them with grace and peace multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus. God's divine power has granted everything needed for life and godliness through knowing the One who called us. Through his great and precious promises, believers may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by sinful desire.
1 From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to those who have received a faith just as valuable as ours, given through the goodness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. 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 May you experience more and more of God's grace and peace as you grow in knowing God and Jesus our Lord. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
3 Through his divine power, God has already given us everything we need to live a life that honors him. All of this comes through knowing the one who invited us by his own glory and goodness. 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 his glory and goodness, he gave us great and wonderful promises. By holding on to these promises, you can share in God's own nature. You can leave behind the rotten ways of this world that come from sinful desires. 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.
The Ladder of Christian Virtues
Study note
Peter outlines a progressive chain of spiritual growth: add to faith virtue, then knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. If these qualities are growing in believers, they will be neither idle nor unfruitful. Without them, a person is spiritually blind, having forgotten the cleansing from past sins. Peter urges them to confirm their calling and election through these virtues, promising that they will never fall and will receive a rich welcome into Christ's eternal kingdom.
5 Because of all this, work hard to add goodness to your faith. Then add knowledge to your goodness. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 Then add self-control to your knowledge. Then add endurance to your self-control. Then add godliness to your endurance. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 Then add genuine affection for your fellow believers. And then add love for everyone. And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 You may have these good traits and keep growing in them. If so, they will keep you useful in your walk with our Lord Jesus Christ. 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 if someone is missing these things, they are practically blind. They have forgotten that God washed away their old sins. 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 So, brothers and sisters, try even harder to make sure of your calling and the fact that God chose you. If you live this way, you will never stumble and fall. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11 And God will open the doors wide for you to enter the forever kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Peter's Farewell Reminder
Study note
Knowing that he will soon lay aside his earthly body, as the Lord Jesus has shown him, Peter commits to continually reminding believers of these truths. He wants to ensure that even after his departure, they will always be able to remember his teaching. This passage reveals the pastoral urgency of an aging apostle investing his final days in the spiritual formation of the next generation.
12 Therefore I plan to keep reminding you of these things, even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth. 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 think it is the right thing to do to keep stirring you up with these reminders for as long as I am alive. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
14 I know I will be leaving this body soon. Our Lord Jesus Christ made that clear to me. Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
15 And I will do everything I can to make sure you remember these things even after I am gone. Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
Eyewitness of Christ's Majesty
Study note
Peter insists that the apostolic message was not based on cleverly invented myths. He and other apostles were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty on the holy mountain, where Jesus received honor and glory from God the Father and a voice declared, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' This firsthand testimony grounds the Christian faith in historical reality.
16 When we told you about the power and the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were not making up clever fairy tales. We saw his greatness with our own eyes. 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 God the Father gave him honor and glory. A voice came from the Greatest Glory and said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 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 were there on that holy mountain, and we heard that voice come from heaven with our own ears. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
The Reliability of Prophetic Scripture
Study note
The Transfiguration experience confirms the prophetic word, which Peter describes as a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in believers' hearts. He makes a foundational statement about Scripture: no prophecy comes from personal interpretation, because prophecy never originated from human will. Instead, holy men of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
19 All of this makes us even more certain about the prophets' message. Pay close attention to what they said. Their words are like a lamp shining in a dark room, until the day breaks and the morning star lights up your heart. 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 First of all, you need to understand this: no prophecy in Scripture is something the prophet just made up on his own. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 Prophecy never came because some person decided to say it. Instead, people spoke from God as the Holy Spirit guided them along. 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.