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Greetings from Peter

This letter is from Simon[a] Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.

I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness[b] of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

Growing in Faith

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10 So, dear brothers and sisters,[c] work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Paying Attention to Scripture

12 Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 13 And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.[d] 14 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life,[e] 15 so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

16 For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes 17 when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”[f] 18 We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines[g] in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,[h] 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

Footnotes

  1. 1:1a Greek Simeon.
  2. 1:1b Or to you in the righteousness.
  3. 1:10 Greek brothers.
  4. 1:13 Greek as long as I am in this tent [or tabernacle].
  5. 1:14 Greek I must soon put off my tent [or tabernacle].
  6. 1:17 Matt 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35.
  7. 1:19 Or rises.
  8. 1:20 Or is a matter of one’s own interpretation.

Simon Symeōn Peter Petros, a servant and kai apostle apostolos of Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos, to those ho who have received lanchanō a faith pistis that through en the justice dikaiosynē of ho our hēmeis God theos and kai Savior sōtēr Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos is of equal privilege isotimos with ours hēmeis: May grace charis and kai peace eirēnē be yours hymeis in ever increasing measure plēthunō through en knowledge epignōsis of ho God theos and kai of Jesus Iēsous · ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios.

His autos divine theios power dynamis has freely given dōreomai to us hēmeis everything pas · ho we need · ho for pros a life zōē of kai godliness eusebeia, through dia the ho knowledge epignōsis of ho him who called kaleō us hēmeis by his own idios glory doxa and kai might aretē, by means dia of which hos he has freely given dōreomai to us hēmeis his ho precious timios and kai splendid promises epangelma, so that hina through dia them houtos you may ginomai escape apopheugō the ho corruption phthora that is in en the ho world kosmos caused by en sinful desire epithumia and become ginomai partakers koinōnos of theios the divine theios nature physis.

· kai For this very autos reason houtos, · de make pareispherō every pas effort spoudē by en · ho your hymeis faith pistis to produce epichorēgeō · ho virtue aretē, by en · de · ho virtue aretē · ho knowledge gnōsis, by en · de · ho knowledge gnōsis · ho self-control enkrateia, by en · de · ho self-control enkrateia · ho steadfastness hypomonē, by en · de · ho steadfastness hypomonē · ho godliness eusebeia, by en · de · ho godliness eusebeia · ho brotherly philadelphia affection , and de by en · ho brotherly affection philadelphia · ho love agapē. For gar if hyparchō you hymeis possess hyparchō these qualities houtos · kai in increasing measure pleonazō, they will make kathistēmi you effective ou argos and productive oude in eis your ho knowledge epignōsis of ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos. For gar the one who hos does not have pareimi these qualities houtos is eimi blind typhlos; he is nearsighted myōpazō, having lambanō forgotten lēthē that ho he was cleansed katharismos from ho his autos past palai sins hamartia. 10 Therefore dio, my brothers adelphos, be all the more mallon eager spoudazō to confirm bebaios your hymeis · ho call klēsis and kai election eklogē. For gar by doing poieō these things houtos you will never ou mē come to ruin ptaiō. 11 For gar in this way houtōs · ho entry eisodos into eis the ho eternal aiōnios kingdom basileia of ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios and kai Savior sōtēr Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos will be epichorēgeō richly plousiōs provided epichorēgeō for you hymeis.

12 Therefore dio I intend mellō to keep on aei reminding hypomimnēskō you hymeis of peri these things houtos, even though kaiper you know oida them and kai are established stērizō in en the ho truth alētheia that you now have pareimi. 13 Indeed de, I consider hēgeomai it the right thing dikaios to do, as epi long as hosos I am eimi in en this houtos · ho body skēnōma, to keep refreshing diegeirō your hymeis memory hypomnēsis, 14 since I know oida that hoti my egō body skēnōma will soon tachinos be eimi · ho put aside apothesis · ho as kathōs · kai · ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos made clear dēloō to me egō. 15 And de I will also kai do my best spoudazō to see that you hymeis will always hekastote be able echō to recall mnēmē these things houtos after meta · ho my emos decease exodos. · ho

16 For gar we did exakoloutheō not ou follow exakoloutheō cunningly crafted sophizō stories mythos when we made known gnōrizō to you hymeis the ho coming parousia of ho our hēmeis Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos in power dynamis, · kai but alla we were ginomai eyewitnesses epoptēs of ho his ekeinos majesty megaleiotēs. 17 For gar he received lambanō honor timē and kai glory doxa from para God theos the Father patēr when a voice phōnē borne pherō to him autos by hypo the ho Majestic megaloprepēs Glory doxa proclaimed: “ This houtos is eimi · ho my egō Son hyios, · ho my egō Beloved agapētos, on eis whom hos my egō favor rests eudokeō.” 18 · kai We akouō ourselves hēmeis heard akouō this houtos · ho voice phōnē borne pherō from ek heaven ouranos, for we were eimi with syn him autos on en the ho holy hagios mountain oros. 19 Moreover kai, we hold echō the ho prophetic prophētikos word logos to be reliable bebaios, and you will do poieō well kalōs to pay attention prosechō to it hos as hōs you would to a lamp lychnos shining phainō in en a gloomy auchmēros place topos, until heōs hos the day hēmera dawns diaugazō and kai the morning star phōsphoros arises anatellō in en · ho your hymeis hearts kardia. 20 Above all prōton, you must understand ginōskō that hoti no ou prophecy prophēteia of scripture graphē arises ginomai from the prophet’s own idios interpretation epilysis, 21 for gar prophecy prophēteia never ou had its origin pherō in the will thelēma of man anthrōpos, but alla men anthrōpos borne along pherō by hypo the Holy hagios Spirit pneuma spoke laleō from apo God theos.