2 Peter Chapter 1 Part One
In verses 1-2, Peter identifies himself using the Aramaic Sumeon rather than the more familiar Greek Simon. He describes himself as “a servant” (Greek doulos, literally “slave”) and as “an apostle”, one sent with a commission.
Greeting
Simon Peter, a... Peter identifies himself with a balance of humility and dignity. As a servant, he was on equal basis with other Christians – an obedient slave of Jesus Christ. As an apostle, he was unique, divinely called, and commissioned as an eyewitness to the resurrection of Christ.
Simon was the name he had been known by, before he met and followed Jesus. The name Peter had been given him by Jesus. "Peter" means a rock. This is a general letter to Jew and Gentile who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Peter was very well aware of the great price the Lord Jesus paid to purchase his salvation.
Peter thought of himself as a slave, because Jesus bought and paid for him with His precious blood. "Apostle", as we have said before, means ambassador. Salvation is a free gift from God and Peter makes that statement here, when he says "obtained like precious faith". We receive the righteousness of Christ, when we receive Jesus as our Savior.
to them that... The recipients of this letter are the same as those who received Peter’s first letter (3:1; 1Pet. 1:1).
obtained like precious... An uncommon word often referring to obtaining something by lot (Acts 1:17). It can mean “attaining by divine will.” Here, Peter was emphasizing that salvation was not attained by personal effort, skill, or worthiness, but came purely from God’s grace.
faith with us... Peter is speaking of a subjective faith, i.e., the Christian’s power to believe for his salvation. Faith is the capacity to believe (Eph. 2:8-9). Even though faith and belief express the human side of salvation, God still must grant that faith. God initiates faith when the Holy Spirit awakens the dead soul in response to hearing the Word of God. (Acts 11:21; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 1:2). Generally the Greek word which is translated “of the same kind” was used to designate equal in rank, position, honor, standing, price, or value. It was used in the ancient world with strangers and foreigners who were given equal citizenship in a city. Here, Peter was emphasizing that Christians have all received the same priceless saving faith.
There are no first and second class Christians in spiritual, racial, or gender distinctions (Galatians 3:28). Since Peter was writing to mostly Gentiles, he may have been emphasizing that they have received the same faith as the Jews (Acts 10:44-48; 11:17-18).
through the righteousness... Peter’s point is that believers share the equal gift of salvation because God’s righteousness is imputed to them. That righteousness recognizes no distinction between people except that the sins of some are more heinous than others. So, not only do they have faith because God gives it to them, they are saved only because God imputes righteousness to them (Rom. 3:26; 4:5; 2Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:8-9).
of God and... The Greek construction has only one article before this phrase, making the entire phrase refer to the same person. Thus, Peter is identifying Jesus Christ as both Savior and God (Isa. 43:3, 11; 45:15, 21; 60:16; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9; Tit. 2:13; Heb. 1:8).
We give our sin to Jesus, and He gives us His righteousness. The only way that faith comes after righteousness is when we receive the gift of faith. It takes faith to receive the righteousness of Christ. This is the faith that is activated within ourselves. The faith, here, is the abundance of faith that we receive as a gift of the Spirit.
The salutation
The Author
The author is identified as Simon Peter. It is ironic that this letter, whose authorship has been so disputed, begins with a textual problem concerning the spelling of its author’s name. Some manuscripts have the common Greek spelling (Simōn), whereas others have the direct transliteration of the Hebrew (Symeōn). The best textual evidence supports the more unusual Hebrew spelling, used elsewhere only in Acts 15:14. This detail provides support for the authenticity of Petrine authorship, for an impostor probably would have used the more widely accepted spelling.
Peter, the Greek translation of “Cephas” and the name given to Simon by Jesus, is discussed in the Introduction of 1 Peter (see also 1Pet. 1:1).
Peter’s combining these distinctly Hebrew and Greek names may be an indication of the mixed audience (Hebrew and Greek Christians) he addressed.
Peter adds the term servant (doulos, lit., “slave”; cf. Mat. 23:11) to his title apostle of Jesus Christ (cf. Rom. 1:1; Tit. 1:1). Near the close of his life, at the apex of his apostolic authority, he was Christ’s servant first, and His apostle second.
The Audience
The recipients of the letter are described only in general terms (cf. 2Pet. 3:1). They are those who… have received a faith as precious as ours. Received is from the unusual verb lanchanō, “to obtain by lot” (cf. Luke 1:9; John 19:24). This implies God’s sovereign choice rather than anything they might have done to deserve such a gift. The words “as precious” translate the compound word isotimon, used only here in the New Testament. It comes from isos (“equal”) and timē (“honor, value”). The word isotimon was used for foreigners who had been granted the privileges of citizenship which were equal to those of the native born. The faith given them by God was of equal honor or privilege with that of the apostles’ faith. Here Peter foreshadowed his purpose by stressing that the faith of the apostles was no different from the faith of any believer. This contrasted with the pre-Gnostic doctrines of the false teachers who spoke of an inner circle of special knowledge attainable by and available only to a privileged few.
The word “faith” (pistin) is used without the article; thus it could refer to the objective content of faith (cf. Jude 1:3) or, more likely, to the subjective ability to believe. This faith is given through (or, on the basis of) the righteousness (dikaiosynē, “justice” or “uprightness”; cf. Rom. 1:17; Rom. 3:22) of our God and Savior (Peter called Jesus Savior [Acts 5:31]) Jesus Christ. The grammar here clearly indicates that “God and Savior” are one Person, not two (i.e., there is one Gr. article with two substantives). This passage ranks with the great Christological passages of the New Testament which plainly teach that Jesus Christ is coequal in nature with God the Father (cf. Mat. 16:16; John 1:1; 20:28; Tit. 2:13). Savior is used of Christ five times in this short epistle (2Pet. 1:1, 1:11; 2:20; 3:2, 3:18).
This is a blessing Peter speaks on those who believe. The more you know of Jesus, the more peace and grace you have. Jesus is King of Peace. When we are full of Jesus, we are full of peace. Knowledge is accumulated learning.
Jesus our Lord... Ten Things About Jesus Christ:
1. Peter’s Master—servant of Christ (2Pet. 1:2)
2. Made Peter an apostle (Mark 3:14-19)
3. Source of precious faith (Acts 3:16)
4. Source of righteousness (1Cor. 1:30)
5. He is God (John 1:1-2)
6. He is Savior (John 4:42; Acts 5:31)
7. Source of grace (John 1:16-17)
8. Source of peace (Rom. 5:1; Eph. 2:14)
9. Associated with God the Father as the source of knowledge (Eph. 1:1-23;17; 4:13)
10. A separate person from God the Father (2Pet. 1:2; 1Jhn. 5:7.
The blessing
The first half of this verse corresponds exactly with 1Pet. 1:2: Grace and peace (charis… kai eirēne4; cf. Pauline usage in Rom. 1:7; 1Cor. 1:3; 2Cor. 1:2; etc.) were the characteristic Greek and Hebrew greetings (eirēnē being the Gr. trans. of the Heb. šālôm). The verb translated be… in abundance (plēthyntheiē; also used in 1Pet. 1:2; Jude 1:2) is in the optative mood, thus stressing a sincere, prayerful wish for his readers.
This blessing of grace and peace is more than a mere formula of greeting. These virtues come through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. In each of his first two verses Peter mentioned God and Jesus as equal. “Knowledge” (epignōsei, “full [epi, additional] knowledge”) implies an intimate and personal relationship. It is the means by which God’s grace and peace may be received and experienced. Peter used this term epignōsis again in 2Pet. 1:3, 1:8; and 2Pet. 2:20. The shorter form (gnōsis) is found in 2Pet. 1:5-6 and 2Pet. 3:18. Christians are urged to take advantage of the “full knowledge” available to them through Christ Jesus (each occurrence of epignōsis in 2 Peter is related to Christ). In this way they could combat false teachers who claimed to have special knowledge (gnōsis) but who openly practiced immorality (cf. Paul’s usage of epignōsis to combat incipient Gnosticism: Col. 1:9-10; 2:2; 3:10).
Confirm Your Calling and Election
that pertain unto... The genuine Christian is eternally secure in his salvation and will preserve and grow because he has received everything necessary to sustain eternal life through Christ’s power.
There is no need for a Christian to fear. The things of this world are for our benefit, not for our harm. He thought so much of us that He made the world and all that is in it, and on it, for the benefit of man. He prepared the earth for man to habitat. Then He made man.
We have all the goodness of the earth to draw from, if we receive the knowledge of God and use it according to His will. The power to use the blessings comes from us knowing the power in the name of Jesus. He gave us the earth to use, not to abuse. Jesus called us to receive His glory and virtue.
godliness, through the... To be godly is to live reverently, loyally and obediently toward God. Peter means that the genuine believer ought not to ask God for something more (as if something necessary to sustain his growth, strength and perseverance was missing) to become godly, because he already has every spiritual resource to manifest, sustain, and perfect godly living.
knowledge of him... Knowledge is a key word in 2 Peter (verses 2, 5, 6, 8; 2:20; 3:18). Throughout Scripture, it implies an intimate knowledge (Amos 3:2). The knowledge of Christ emphasized here is not a superficial knowledge, or a mere surface awareness of the facts about Christ, but a genuine, personal sharing of life with Christ, based on repentance from sin and personal faith in Him (Mat. 7:21).
When we come to the knowledge of God, we receive Jesus as Savior and all the earth is subject to the name of Jesus. We have been given power to use that name on the earth. The part in this that we play, other than accepting Jesus as our Savior, is to walk in the salvation He has provided for us. "Virtuous" means we are faithful to Jesus and His teachings.
called us to... This call, as always when mentioned in the New Testament epistles; is the effectual call to salvation (1Pet. 1:15; 2:21; 5:10). This saving call is based on the sinner’s understanding of Christ’s revealed majesty and moral excellence evidencing that He is Lord and Savior. This implies that there must be a clear presentation of Christ’s person and work as the God-Man in evangelism, which attracts men to salvation (1Cor. 2:1-2). The cross and resurrection most clearly reveal His glory and excellence.
The Christian’s Nature: The Work of God
Peter challenged believers to take full advantage of the divine power and promise of God which made it possible to participate in the divine nature and thus overcome the corruption caused by evil desires (2Pet. 1:3-4). Based on this promised power, Peter further challenged Christians to practice the characteristics of the divine nature so that they would experience the assurance of eternal rewards (2Pet. 1:5-11).
The fact of the divine nature
Divine Power
Christ’s divine power has provided everything believers need for life and godliness. “Divine” translates theias, which is from theos (“God”) and is used only three times in the New Testament (here and in Acts 17:29; 2Pet. 1:4). Power (dynameōs) is one of Peter’s favorite words (cf. 1Pet. 1:5; 3:22; 2Pet. 1:16; 2:11). All that believers need for spiritual vitality (life) and godly living (eusebeian, godliness, piety; cf. See 1:6; 3:11) is attainable through our knowledge of Him (Christ). An intimate “full knowledge” (epignōseōs; cf. 2Pet. 1:2) of Christ is the source of spiritual power and growth (cf. Phlp. 1:9; Col. 1:9-10; 2:2).
Christ called (cf. 1Pet. 1:15) us to this life of godliness by His own glory and goodness (aretē, “moral excellence”; trans. praises in 1Pet. 2:9 and goodness in 2Pet. 1:5). Christ attracts people enslaved by sin (cf. 2Pet. 2:19) by His own moral excellence and the total impact of His glorious Person.
Whereby are given... By His glorious power (2Pet. 1:3).
great and precious... That is, the promises of abundant and eternal life.
by these ye... Seven blessings of the promises:
1. Like precious faith (2Pet. 1:1; Rom. 10:17)
2. Righteousness (2Pet. 1:1; 1Cor. 1:30)
3. Grace and peace (2Pet. 1:2)
4. All things that pertain to life and godliness (2Pet. 1:3; Tit. 2:11-12)
5. Glory and virtue (2Pet. 1:3)
6. The divine nature (2Pet. 1:4)
7. Escape from corruption and lust (2Pet. 1:4)
partakers of the... This expression is not different from the concepts of being born again, born from above (John 3:3; Jas. 1:18; 1Pet. 1:23), being in Christ (Rom. 8:1), or being the home of the Trinity (John 14:17-23). The precious promises of salvation result in becoming God’s children in the present age (John 1:2; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 2:20; Col. 1:27), and thereby sharing in God’s nature by the possession of His eternal life.
Christians do not become little gods, but they are “new creatures” (2Cor. 5:17) and have the Holy Spirit living in them (1 Cor. 6: 19-20). Moreover, believers will partake of the divine nature in a greater way when they bear a glorified body like Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-3).
escaped the corruption... The word corruption has the idea of something decomposing or decaying. Escaped depicts a successful flight from danger. At the time of salvation, the believer escapes from the power which the rottenness in the world has over him through his fallen, sinful nature.
The promises God made to Abraham are for all who believe in Jesus.
Gal. 3:29 "And if ye [be] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
It is our faith in Christ that makes us heirs along with faithful Abraham. Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto Him as righteousness. We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are clothed in His righteousness. The entire New Testament is a list of the promises made to the believer. To inherit the promises, we must prove we are sons of God.
Christians are followers of, and believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to become Christ-like. We, in fact, must let Christ live in us and through us. We are His hands upon this earth. When we get to heaven, we will be like Him.
1Jhn. 3:2 "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
This Scripture just means that we will take on His nature {in our spiritual body}. We have crucified our flesh and the lusts of the flesh, and have taken on Christ.
Gal. 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
Divine Promises
Through these, that is, Christ’s “glory and goodness” (2Pet. 1:3), He has given believers His very great and precious promises. The Greek verb translated “has given” (dedōrētai) means “to bestow, to endow.” Not the usual word for “give,” it carries with it the idea of the worth of the gift. Peter used the same verb in 2Pet. 1:3. In Mark 15:45 the word is used to describe Pilate’s “giving” of Jesus’ body to Joseph of Arimathea.
The word for “promises” (epangelmata, from epangellō; used only in 2Pet. 1:4 and 2Pet. 3:13) implies an emphatic public announcement. The promises are appropriately described as “very great and precious” (timia, from timē, “value”). Peter used “precious” to describe a Christian’s faith (1Pet. 2:7; 2Pet. 1:1), Christ’s blood (1Pet. 1:19), and here, Christ’s promises. The promises Peter had previously written about related to a believer’s inheritance (1Pet. 1:3-5) and the return of Christ (1Pet. 1:9, 1:13).
Divine Participation
These promises enable Christians to participate in the divine nature. Participate is literally become partners (genēsthe… koinōnoi). Participate in 1Pet. 4:13 and share in 1Pet. 5:1 are from the same word koinōnoi (partners or sharers). Divine is theias, also used in 2Pet. 1:3. Believers take on God’s very nature; each one is a new creation (2Cor. 5:17).
Because they are partakers (KJV) of God’s nature, Christians can share in His moral victory over sin in this life and share in His glorious victory over death in eternal life. Because of the promise of the new birth (1Pet. 1:3), the promise of God’s protecting power (1Pet. 1:5), and the promise of God’s enabling power (2Pet. 1:3), believers can participate in the divine nature, that is, become more like Christ (cf. Rom. 8:9; Gal. 2:20). In addition they can escape the corruption (phthoras, moral decay) in the world (cf. 2Pet. 2:20; 1Jhn. 2:15-17) caused by evil desires (epithymia, lit., lust).
In 2Pet. 1:3-4 Peter employed graphic vocabulary borrowed from the false teachers he warned against. His language must have arrested his readers’ attention as he invested words from the pagan and philosophic worlds with new Christian meaning: godliness (eusebeia), virtue (aretē), nature (physis), and corruption (phthoras).
And beside this... Along with this, or by the side of your obtaining precious faith (2Pet. 1:1).
giving all diligence... That is, making maximum effort. The Christian life is not lived to the honor of God without effort. Even though God has poured His divine power into the believer, the Christian himself is required to make every disciplined effort alongside of what God has done (Phil. 2:12-13; Col. 1:28-29).add to your... Seven Steps in Spiritual Arithmetic:
1.
Add to faith virtue (Christian Virtues)
2. Add to virtue knowledge (2Pet. 1:5)
3. Add to knowledge temperance. Temperance. Greek: engkrateia, self-control; a moderation in the indulgence of the appetites and passions (Pro. 23:1-3; 25:16; Dan. 1:8-16; Rom. 13:14; 2Cor. 9:1-15:25-27; Phlp. 4:5; 1Thes. 5:6-8; Tit. 2:2-3, 2:11-12; 2Pet. 1:5-10).
4. Add to temperance patience
5. Add to patience godliness: Seven Facts of the Mystery of Godliness
1. Great—divine fullness (1Tim. 3:16; John 1:16-17; Eph. 3:19; Col. 1:19; 2:9)
2. God was manifest in the flesh—the incarnation (1Tim. 3:16; Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; Mat. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-56; 2:1-39; John 1:14; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 1:5-6; 2:6-18)
3. Justified in the Spirit—divine vindication (1Tim. 3:16; Acts 2:22-28, 2:36; 3:14-18; Rom. 1:3-4; Eph. 1:20-23; Phlp. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-24; 2:14-17; Heb. 1:3-9; 2:5-18; 1Pe_t. :22)
4. Seen of angels—divine revelation (1Tim. 3:16; 2Cor. 4:9; Eph. 3:9-10; 1Pet. 1:10-12). Greek: optanomai, to discern clearly; to gaze upon with wide open eyes as something remarkable. Previous to this angels had little knowledge of the necessity or reasons for and nature of human salvation (1Pet. 1:10-12). Now it is no longer a mystery to them or to men.
5. Preached unto the Gentiles—divine inclusion (1Tim. 3:16; 1Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:11-18; 3:1-6; Col. 3:11)
6. Believed on in the world—divine propagation (1Tim. 3:16; Mat. 4:23-24; 9:35; Luke 4:16-19; Eph. 2:17)
7. Received up into glory—divine ascension and exaltation (1Tim. 3:16; Luke 24:51; Eph. 1:20-23; Phlp. 2:9-11). The Greek: analambano is translated "received up" (1Tim. 3:16; Mark 16:19; Luke 9:51; Acts 10:16); "taken up" (Acts 1:2, 1:11, 1:22; 7:43); and "take" (Acts 20:13-14; 23:31; Eph. 6:13, 6:16; 2Tim. 4:11). The same human body and nature God was manifest in was resurrected and received up to glory (John 21:14).
6. Add to godliness brotherly kindness
7. Add to brotherly kindness love: Charity, Greek: agape, spontaneous and divine love. It is more eternal than gifts.Nine Ingredients of Divine Love:
1. Patience—love passive: no hurry; suffers long; bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things (1Cor. 13:4, 13:7)
2. Kindness—love in action: never acts rashly or insolently; not inconsistent, puffed up, or proud (1Cor. 13:4)
3. Generosity—love in competition: not envious or jealous (1Cor. 13:4)
4. Humility—love in hiding: no parade; no airs; works then retires (1Cor. 13:4)
5. Courtesy—love in society: does not behave unseemly; always polite; at home with all classes; never rude or discourteous (1Cor. 13:5)
6. Unselfishness—love in essence: never selfish, sour, or bitter; seeks only good of others; does not retaliate or seek revenge (1Cor. 13:5)
7. Good temper—love in disposition: never irritated; never resentful (1Cor. 13:5)
8. Righteousness—love in conduct: hates sin; never glad when others go wrong; always gladdened by goodness to others; always slow to expose; always eager to believe the best; always hopeful, always enduring (1Cor. 13:6-7)
9. Sincerity—love in profession: never boastful and conceited; not a hypocrite; always honest; leaves no impression but what is strictly true; never self-assertive; does not blaze out in passionate anger, nor brood over wrongs; always just, joyful, and truthful; knows how to be silent; full of trust; always present.
Because of the entire God given blessings in verses 3-4, the believer cannot be indifferent or self-satisfied. Such an abundance of divine grace calls for total dedication.
God has given us faith and all the graces necessary for godliness (verses 3-4). We add to those by our diligent devotion to personal righteousness.
First in Peter’s list of virtues is a word that, in classical Greek, meant the God-given ability to perform heroic deeds. It also came to mean that quality of life which made someone stand out as excellent. It never meant cloistered excellence, or excellence of attitude, but excellence which is demonstrated in life. Peter is here writing of moral energy, the power that performs deeds of excellence.
to virtue knowledge... This means understanding, correct insight, truth properly comprehended and applied. This virtue involves a diligent study and pursuit of truth in the Word of God.
We should earnestly try to please God in all that we do. To be diligent in our work would mean that we are totally dedicated to the task at hand. We should not only be hearers of the Word, but doers of the Word, as well. The walk of a Christian must be virtuous. We must walk holy before our Lord.
To walk virtuous would mean that we had determined in our heart to do right before our God. To be virtuous, without the knowledge of what God's will is, is impossible. To walk in the will of God, we must know what His will is. We learn what His will is by studying His Word. Knowledge of the Word of God gives us the ability to know what His will is.
Another way of putting this is In your faith supply. Supply is to give lavishly and generously. In Greek culture, the word was used for a choirmaster who was responsible for supplying everything that was needed for his choir. The word never meant to equip sparingly, but to supply lavishly for a noble performance.
Characteristics Of The Function
Peter referred back to the divine nature by beginning this new paragraph with the words for this very reason. The words make every effort translate a participle (pareisenenkantes, applying, bringing to bear alongside of; used only here in the NT) and spoudēn pasan (all diligence or all zeal; spoudē in Rom. 12:11 is rendered zeal). It takes every bit of diligence and effort a Christian can muster, along with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, to escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires (2Pet. 1:4) and to bring in alongside of his faith a complement of virtue. He should work hard at cultivating the seven qualities Peter listed in 2Pet. 1:5-7. As a Christian does so, he becomes more like Christ, participating more fully in God’s divine nature.
Faith in Jesus Christ is what separates Christians from all other people. Pistis, trust in the Savior which brings one into the family of God, is the foundation of all other qualities in the Christian life.
To his faith each believer should add goodness (lit., moral excellency, or virtue). In Greek the word is aretēn, which Peter also used at the end of 2Pet. 1:3 and in 1Pet. 2:9 (praises in the NIV).
Knowledge (gnōsin; cf. 2Pet. 1:2; 3:18) comes not from intellectual pursuits, but is spiritual knowledge which comes through the Holy Spirit and is focused on the person and Word of God.
and to temperance... Self-control: Literally holding oneself in. In Peter’s day, self-control was used of athletes who were to be self-restrained and self-disciplined. Thus a Christian is to control the flesh, the passions, and the bodily desires, rather than allowing himself to be controlled by them (1Cor. 9:27; Gal. 5:23). Moral excellence, guided by knowledge, disciplines desire and makes it the servant, not the master, of one’s life.
and to patience... That is, patience or endurance in doing what is right, never giving in to temptation or trial. Perseverance is that spiritual staying power that will die before it gives in. It is the virtue which can endure, not simply with resignation, but with a vibrant hope.
Turning your will over to God and allowing Him to have control of your life, leads to godliness.
Believers living in the latter days, especially when surrounded by scoffers and false teachers, also need perseverance. This word hypomenēn means staying under. It is frequently used in the New Testament to refer to constancy or steadfast endurance under adversity, without giving in or giving up (cf. Rom. 5:3-4; 15:4-5; 2Cor. 1:6; 6:4; Col. 1:11; 1Thes. 1:3; 2Thes. 1:4; Jas. 1:3).
Godliness (eusebian, also used in 2Pet. 1:3 and 2Pet. 3:11 and 10 times [in the Gr.] in the Pastoral Epistles) refers to piety, man’s obligation of reverence toward God. The fourth-century church historian Eusebius was named for this lovely Greek word. How unfortunate that the words piety and pious have fallen on hard times in current usage.
2 Peter 1:7 "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity."In 2Pet. 1:5-7, a choir with linked hands passes before us, each member of which leads another; or we may use another similitude, and say that each grace, here mentioned, is contained in the next, as a series of Chinese boxes.
Brotherly kindness; and... Literally brotherly affection, mutual sacrifice for one another (1Jhn. 4:20). Charity is love (see 1Cor. 13 which is the love chapter).
All of this is explaining the growing in grace that a Christian must do.
Jesus said in 1Jhn. 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Charity here, was translated from the word agape, which means a special love. It is like the love of God. It is love not because of what you can do for me, but love wanting nothing in return.
The first five virtues pertain to one’s inner life and his relationship to God. The last two relate to others. Brotherly kindness translates the Greek philadelphian, a fervent practical caring for others (1Jhn. 4:20). Peter already urged this attitude on his readers in his first epistle (1Pet. 1:22; cf. Rom. 12:10; 1Thes. 4:9; Heb. 13:1).
Whereas brotherly kindness is concern for others’ needs, love (agapēn) is desiring the highest good for others. This is the kind of love God exhibits toward sinners (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8; 1Jhn. 4:9-11).
Interestingly this symphony begins with faith and ends with love. Building on the foundation of faith in Christ, believers are to exhibit Christ-likeness by supplying these seven qualities that climax in love toward others (cf. faith and love in Col. 1:4-5; 1Thes. 1:3; 2Thes. 1:3; Phlm. 1:5).
2 Peter 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."if these things... A guarantee against backsliding (2Pet. 1:8-10).
Neither be barren meaning to be inactive, indolent, and empty (Tit. 1:12; Jas. 2:20-22). With these virtues increasing in one’s life (verses 5-7), a Christian will not be useless of ineffective.
nor unfruitful in... Meaning unproductive (Mat. 13:22; Eph. 5:11; 2Thes. 3:14; Jude 12). When these Christian qualities are not present in a believer’s life (verses 5-7), he will be indistinguishable from an evildoer or a superficial believer. But when these qualities are increasing in a Christian’s life, there is the manifestation of the divine nature within the believer.
If these things be in you, you are full of Christ. In the process, you have taken on the nature of Christ. When you take Christ on in His fullness like is spoken of here, you have taken on the mind of Christ. You are allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you all things.
Your knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ will be full, because He dwells within you. The name Lord Jesus Christ means that you have accepted Him as your Savior and your Lord. You, also, realize He is the Anointed One of God, the Messiah.
The keynote of this paragraph is these things, 2Pet. 1:8-10.
To be deficient in these things is to be barren and unfruitful, 2Pet. 1:8, and to be shortsighted, 2Pet. 1:9.Consequences Of The Function
Christian growth (2Pet. 1:5-7) results in spiritual effectiveness and productivity. The word possess (hyparchōnta, lit. possessing) emphasizes that these spiritual qualities belong to Christians. However, Christians are to do more than merely possess these virtues. Effective and productive spirituality comes as these qualities are held in increasing measure. There is to be a growth in grace. A believer who does not progress in these seven areas is ineffective (argous, idle or useless) and unproductive (lit., unfruitful) in his knowledge (epignōsin, full personal knowledge; cf. 2Pet. 1:2-3; 2:20) of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unfortunately many Christians know the Lord in salvation but lack the fruit of the Spirit and are not advancing spiritually. They remain infants in Christ (1Cor. 3:1), still in need of spiritual milk (Heb. 5:12-13). But as Peter urged, believers should grow in the grace and knowledge (gnōsei) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2Pet. 3:18).
he that lacketh... This proves that one can have the graces and experiences of 2Pet. 1:3-7 and then lose them even to the point of actually forgetting he was purged from his old sins (2Pet. 1:8-9). Peter exhorts everyone to be diligent, making his calling and election sure, declaring that they who do the things of 2Pet. 1:4-7 will never fall (2Pet. 1:10). Why this warning if there is no possibility of one failing to make his calling and election sure?
These things are those mentioned in verses 5-7.
Blind and cannot... A professing Christian who is missing the virtues mentioned above is, therefore, unable to discern his true spiritual condition, and thus can have no assurance of his salvation.
and hath forgotten... The failure to diligently pursue spiritual virtues produces spiritual amnesia. Such a person, unable to discern his spiritual condition, will have no confidence about his profession of faith. He may be saved and possess all the blessing of verses 3-4, but without the excellence's of verses 5-7, he will live in doubt and fear.
It is a very dangerous thing not to grow in God. The one-time experience of salvation is not enough. We are either growing in Christ, or we are going backwards. We will never stand still. Notice, the word old connected to sins. To live as the world lives after you are saved, will draw you away from your salvation.
Contrasts Of The Function
In contrast with a growing Christian, a carnal believer is blind (typhlos) and nearsighted (myōpazōn). (The NIV reverses these two words; in Gr. the word “blind” comes first.) Myōpazōn (from which comes the word “myopia”), occurs only here in the New Testament. A believer with spiritual myopia is not magnifying the grace of Christ. Since his life is not evidencing the qualities cited in 2Pet. 1:5-7, he seems to be just like a spiritually blind (or unsaved) person (2Cor. 4:4; cf. John 9:39). Such a person has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past (preconversion) sins. Some commentators say this refers to unbelievers. But it seems preferable to say that Peter wrote of Christians who are spiritually immature. After all, they had been cleansed from their sins (cf. Tit. 3:5), but had not grown spiritually.
Verses 10-11: Ye shall never fall. The author is not referring to falling from salvation, but to failure in Christian living.
The everlasting kingdom refers to the eternal realm of God where Jesus is the undisputed Ruler. It is synonymous with heaven. Thus, the one who acquires the virtues of verses 5-7 will have a rich inheritance in heaven.
2 Peter 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:"
if ye do... If you do these things you will never fall. Does this not clearly show that if you do not do these things you will fall? If one falls what will happen? Will his calling and election still be sure?
In other words, the believer who pursues the spiritual qualities mentioned above guarantees to himself by spiritual fruit that he was called (Rom. 8:30; 1Pet. 2:21) and chosen (1Pet. 1:2) by God to salvation.
Shall never fall... As the Christian pursues the qualities enumerated by Peter (verses 5-7) and sees that his life is useful and fruitful (verse 8), he will not stumble into doubt, despair, fear, or questioning, but enjoy assurance that he is saved. See, Rom. 11:11.
We must take up our cross daily and follow Jesus.
John 8:12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
1Jhn. 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."
This is just saying, make up your mind to walk with Jesus and never wander away from that walk. If I am in Jesus, and He is in me, I cannot fall.
The finality of the divine nature
Experiential Finality
Being eager (spoudasate, also used in 2Pet. 1:1, 1:15; 3:14 [make every effort]; cf. spoudēn in 2Pet. 1:5) to make one’s calling and election sure focuses on the confidence a Christian has about his standing with God. A believer hardly has the authority to assure God of his status; actually the reverse is true. The Greek word for sure (bebaian) was used in classical Greek to refer to a warranty deed somewhat like those people use today on houses and other pieces of property. One’s godly behavior is a warranty deed for himself that Jesus Christ has cleansed him from his past sins and therefore that he was in fact called and elected by God. Bebaian is rendered secure (Heb. 6:19), guaranteed (Rom. 4:16), firm (2Cor. 1:7), courage (Heb. 3:6), confidence (Heb. 3:14), and in force (Heb. 9:17).
Calling refers to God’s efficacious work in salvation (cf. Rom. 1:7; Rom. 8:30; 1Cor. 1:9), and election is God’s work of choosing some sinners (by His grace, not their merits) to be saved (Rom. 8:33; 11:5; Eph. 1:4; Col. 3:12; 1Pet. 1:1). Election, of course, precedes calling. A believer shows by his godly life and his growth in the virtues mentioned in 2Pet. 1:5-7 that he is one of God’s chosen. Such a believer will not fall (or stumble, ptaisēte). This word stumble does not suggest that a believer loses his salvation, for salvation does not depend on one’s spiritual growth. The Greek word for stumble means to trip up or to experience a reversal. Certainly one who is maturing in Christ will not trip up in his spiritual life as readily as one who is immature and nearsighted.
1. Obtain like precious faith (2Pe. 1:1).
2. Increase in grace and peace (2Pet. 1:2).
3. Live a godly life by God’s power (2Pet. 1:3; 1Pet. 1:5-13).
4. Partake of the divine nature (2Pet. 1:4).
5. Escape the corruption of the world and the lust of the flesh (2Pet. 1:4).
6. Add the graces of 2Pet. 1:5-7.
7. Let these graces abound (2Pet. 1:8).
8. Be fruitful in knowledge (2Pet. 1:8).
9. Live free from past sins (2Pet. 1:9).
10. Give diligence to make personal calling and election sure (2Pet. 1:10).
An allusion is made here to Roman generals who were given triumphal parades as a reward for some signal victory or conquest (see, 2Cor. 2:14).
Dedicated Christians, who grow and become fruitful, cultivating through God’s provision and power the prime qualities of faith – virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and brotherly love – will never stumble or fall.everlasting kingdom of... The 1st New Testament prophecy in 2 Peter (2Pet. 1:11, unfulfilled). Next, 2Pet. 1:19. Scripture is clear that Christ’s kingdom will be eternal (Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:13-14, 7:27; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11:15; 22:4-5). He will reign 1,000 years for the purpose of ridding the earth of all rebellion, and then continue reigning over the restored and perfect earth forever (1Cor. 15:24-28; Eph. 1:10; Rev. 5:10; 20:1-10).
Peter piles up the words to bring joy to the weary Christian’s heart. An abundant entrance into eternal heaven is the hope and reality for a Christian who lives a faithful, fruitful life here on earth. Peter’s point is that a Christian who pursues the list virtues (verses 5-7) will not only enjoy assurance in the present, but a full, rich reward in the future life (1 Cor. 4:5; Rev. 22:12). A full reward awaits the faithful, godly believer in Christ’s ever-lasting kingdom (see Eph. 2:6-7).There is only one way to heaven. It is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
Dan. 7:27 "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom [is] an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."
Jesus opened the way for all who would believe, when He gave His body on the cross. The door to heaven and the throne of God was opened, when the veil of the temple was torn from the top to the bottom. Jesus opened that door for us.
Mat. 27:51 "And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;"
There is only one thing that will get you to heaven. Look, with me, at the next verses which explain it so well.
Rom. 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Dedicated Christians, who grow and become fruitful, cultivating through God’s provision and power the prime qualities of faith – virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and brotherly love – will never stumble or fall.
Eternal Finality
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