Add parallel Print Page Options

Precious and Magnificent Promises

[a]Simeon Peter, a (A)slave and (B)apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received (C)the same [b]kind of faith as ours, [c]by (D)the righteousness of (E)our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: (F)Grace and peace be multiplied to you in (G)the full knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His (H)divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the (I)full knowledge of Him who (J)called us [d]by His own glory and [e]excellence. [f]For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent (K)promises, so that by them you may become (L)partakers of the divine nature, having (M)escaped the (N)corruption that is in (O)the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith (P)supply (Q)moral [g]excellence, and in your moral excellence, (R)knowledge, and in your knowledge, (S)self-control, and in your self-control, (T)perseverance, and in your perseverance, (U)godliness, and in your godliness, [h](V)brotherly kindness, and in your [i]brotherly kindness, [j]love. For if these things are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor (W)unfruitful in the (X)full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For in whom these things are not present, that one is (Y)blind, being nearsighted, having [k]forgotten the (Z)purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your (AA)calling and (AB)choosing sure; for in doing these things, you will never (AC)stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into (AD)the eternal kingdom of our (AE)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be (AF)abundantly (AG)supplied to you.

12 Therefore, (AH)I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been strengthened in (AI)the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it (AJ)right, as long as I am in (AK)this earthly dwelling, to (AL)stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that (AM)the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, (AN)as also our Lord Jesus Christ has indicated to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my [l](AO)departure you will be able to call these things to mind.

Eyewitnesses of Jesus

16 For we did not make known to you the (AP)power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised (AQ)myths, but being (AR)eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an [m](AS)utterance as this was [n]made to Him by the (AT)Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this [o]utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the (AU)holy mountain.

19 [p]And we have as more (AV)sure (AW)the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to (AX)a lamp shining in a dark place, until the (AY)day dawns and the (AZ)morning star arises (BA)in your hearts. 20 (BB)Know this first of all, that (BC)no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation. 21 For (BD)no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being (BE)moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:1 Cf. Acts 15:14
  2. 2 Peter 1:1 Or value
  3. 2 Peter 1:1 Or in
  4. 2 Peter 1:3 Or to
  5. 2 Peter 1:3 Or virtue
  6. 2 Peter 1:4 Lit Through which (things)
  7. 2 Peter 1:5 Or virtue
  8. 2 Peter 1:7 Gr philadelphia
  9. 2 Peter 1:7 Gr philadelphia
  10. 2 Peter 1:7 Gr agape
  11. 2 Peter 1:9 Or escaped their notice, cf. 3:5, 8
  12. 2 Peter 1:15 Or exodus, cf. Luke 9:31
  13. 2 Peter 1:17 Lit voice
  14. 2 Peter 1:17 Lit brought
  15. 2 Peter 1:18 Lit voice brought
  16. 2 Peter 1:19 Or We have the prophetic word made more sure

From: Simon Peter, a servant and missionary of Jesus Christ.

To: All of you who have our kind of faith. The faith I speak of is the kind that Jesus Christ our God and Savior gives to us. How precious it is, and how just and good he is to give this same faith to each of us.

Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know him better and better. For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us! And by that same mighty power he has given us all the other rich and wonderful blessings he promised; for instance, the promise to save us from the lust and rottenness all around us, and to give us his own character.

But to obtain these gifts, you need more than faith; you must also work hard to be good, and even that is not enough. For then you must learn to know God better and discover what he wants you to do. Next, learn to put aside your own desires so that you will become patient and godly, gladly letting God have his way with you. This will make possible the next step, which is for you to enjoy other people and to like them, and finally you will grow to love them deeply. The more you go on in this way, the more you will grow strong spiritually and become fruitful and useful to our Lord Jesus Christ. But anyone who fails to go after these additions to faith is blind indeed, or at least very shortsighted and has forgotten that God delivered him from the old life of sin so that now he can live a strong, good life for the Lord.

10 So, dear brothers, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen, and then you will never stumble or fall away. 11 And God will open wide the gates of heaven for you to enter into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 I plan to keep on reminding you of these things even though you already know them and are really getting along quite well! 13-14 But the Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that my days here on earth are numbered, and I am soon to die. As long as I am still here I intend to keep sending these reminders to you, 15 hoping to impress them so clearly upon you that you will remember them long after I have gone.

16 For we have not been telling you fairy tales when we explained to you the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. My own eyes have seen his splendor and his glory: 17-18 I was there on the holy mountain when he shone out with honor given him by God his Father; I heard that glorious, majestic voice calling down from heaven, saying, “This is my much-loved Son; I am well pleased with him.”

19 So we have seen and proved that what the prophets said came true. You will do well to pay close attention to everything they have written, for, like lights shining into dark corners, their words help us to understand many things that otherwise would be dark and difficult. But when you consider the wonderful truth of the prophets’ words, then the light will dawn in your souls and Christ the Morning Star will shine in your hearts. 20-21 For no prophecy recorded in Scripture was ever thought up by the prophet himself. It was the Holy Spirit within these godly men who gave them true messages from God.

Simon Peter, a servant(A) and apostle of Jesus Christ,(B)

To those who through the righteousness(C) of our God and Savior Jesus Christ(D) have received a faith as precious as ours:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance(E) through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.(F)

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

His divine power(G) has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him(H) who called us(I) by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,(J) so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,(K) having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.(L)

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;(M) and to knowledge, self-control;(N) and to self-control, perseverance;(O) and to perseverance, godliness;(P) and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.(Q) For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive(R) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.(S) But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,(T) forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.(U)

10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters,[a] make every effort to confirm your calling(V) and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,(W) 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom(X) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.(Y)

Prophecy of Scripture

12 So I will always remind you of these things,(Z) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth(AA) you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory(AB) as long as I live in the tent of this body,(AC) 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside,(AD) as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.(AE) 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure(AF) you will always be able to remember these things.

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,(AG) but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.(AH) 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”[b](AI) 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.(AJ)

19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,(AK) and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light(AL) shining in a dark place, until the day dawns(AM) and the morning star(AN) rises in your hearts.(AO) 20 Above all, you must understand(AP) that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God(AQ) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.(AR)

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:10 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.
  2. 2 Peter 1:17 Matt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35