1 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:

² 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

³ 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. ⁴ 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)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;^{(M) 6} and to knowledge, self-control;^(N) and to self-control, perseverance;^(O) and to perseverance, godliness;^{(P) 7} and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.^{(Q) 8} 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) 9} 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)

⁴ My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,^(A) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,^{(B) 5} so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.^(C)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

⁶ We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,^(D) but not the wisdom of this age^(E) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.^{(F) 7} No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery^(G) that has been hidden^(H) and that God destined for our glory before time began. ⁸ None of the rulers of this age^(I) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^{(J) 9} However, as it is written:

¹⁰ these are the things God has revealed^(L) to us by his Spirit.^(M)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts^(N) except their own spirit^(O) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit^(P) of the world,^(Q) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom^(R) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.^{[b] 14} The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God^(S) but considers them foolishness,^(T) and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit^(U) makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for,

But we have the mind of Christ.^(W)