Growth in the Faith

³ His^[a] divine power^(A) has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge^(B) of him who called^(C) us by^[b] his own glory and goodness. ⁴ By these he has given us very great and precious promises,^(D) so that through them you may share in the divine nature,^(E) escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. ⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, ⁶ knowledge with self-control,^(F) self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, ⁷ godliness with brotherly affection,^(G) and brotherly affection with love. ⁸ For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless^(H) or unfruitful^(I) in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. ¹⁰ Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election,^(J) because if you do these things you will never stumble. ¹¹ For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom^(K) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

¹² Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth^(L) you now have. ¹³ I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent,^(M) to wake you up with a reminder, ¹⁴ since I know that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made clear to me.^{(N) 15} And I will also make every effort so that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure.^[c]

The Trustworthy Prophetic Word

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ;^(O) instead, we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.^{(P) 17} For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying “This is my beloved Son,^[d] with whom I am well-pleased!” ^{(Q) 18} We ourselves heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain.^{(R) 19} We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place,^(S) until the day dawns^(T) and the morning star^(U) rises in your hearts. ²⁰ Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, ²¹ because no prophecy ever came by the will of man;^(V) instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.^(W)

Warning against Falling Away

6 Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God,^{(A) 2} teaching about ritual washings,^[a] laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.^{(B) 3} And we will do this if God permits.

⁴ For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit,^{(C) 5} who tasted God’s good word and the powers of the coming age, ⁶ and who have fallen away. This is because,^[b] to their own harm, they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.^{(D) 7} For the ground that drinks the rain that often falls on it and that produces vegetation useful to those for whom it is cultivated receives a blessing from God.

Faith and Works

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can such faith save him?

¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?^{(A) 17} In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.

¹⁸ But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.”^[a] Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works.^{(B) 19} You believe that God is one. Good! Even the demons believe—and they shudder.^(C)

²⁰ Senseless person! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless? ²¹ Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works in offering Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith was active together with his works, and by works, faith was made complete,^{(D) 23} and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,^[b](E) and he was called God’s friend.^{(F) 24} You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵ In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works in receiving the messengers and sending them out by a different route?^{(G) 26} For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.