Growth in Christian Virtue

[a]Simon Peter, a (A)bond-servant and (B)apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received (C)a faith of the same [b]kind 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 knowledge of God and of Jesus [d]our Lord, for His (H)divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true (I)knowledge of Him who (J)called us [e]by His own glory and [f]excellence. Through [g]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 on account of lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith (P)supply (Q)moral [h]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, (V)brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor (W)unproductive in the true (X)knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the one who lacks these qualities is (Y)blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his (Z)purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His (AA)calling and (AB)choice of you; for as long as you practice 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 established in (AI)the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it (AJ)right, as long as I am in (AK)this earthly [i]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 made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my (AO)departure you will be able to call these things to mind.

Eyewitnesses

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

19 And so we have (AV)the prophetic word made more (AW)sure, 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 But (BB)know this first of all, that (BC)no prophecy of Scripture [m]becomes a matter of [n]someone’s own interpretation, 21 for (BD)no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men (BE)moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:1 One early ms Simeon
  2. 2 Peter 1:1 Or value
  3. 2 Peter 1:1 Or in
  4. 2 Peter 1:2 Or our Lord. Since His...excellence, through these (vv 3-4)
  5. 2 Peter 1:3 Or to
  6. 2 Peter 1:3 Or virtue
  7. 2 Peter 1:4 Lit which
  8. 2 Peter 1:5 Or virtue
  9. 2 Peter 1:13 I.e., human body
  10. 2 Peter 1:17 Lit voice
  11. 2 Peter 1:17 Or My Son, My beloved, with
  12. 2 Peter 1:18 Lit voice
  13. 2 Peter 1:20 Or comes from someone’s
  14. 2 Peter 1:20 Or the prophet’s own

Greeting

Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith equal in value to ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, because his divine power has bestowed on us all things that are necessary for life and godliness, through the knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence of character, through which things he has bestowed on us his precious and very great promises, so that through these you may become sharers of the divine nature after[a] escaping from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire, and for this same reason, and by[b] applying all diligence, supply with your faith excellence of character, and with excellence of character, knowledge, and with knowledge, self-control, and with self-control, patient endurance, and with patient endurance, godliness, and with godliness, brotherly love, and with brotherly love, love.

Make Your Calling and Election Secure

For if[c] these things are yours and are increasing, this does not make you useless or unproductive in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the one for whom these things are not present is blind, being nearsighted, having forgotten the cleansing[d] of his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be zealous even more to make your calling and election secure, because if you[e] do these things, you will never ever stumble. 11 For in this way entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied for you.

12 Therefore I intend to remind you continually concerning these things, although you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 But I consider it right, for as long as I am in this habitation, to stir you up by a reminder, 14 because I[f] know that the removal of my habitation is imminent, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will also make every effort that you are able at any time, after my departure, to recall these things to mind[g].

The Reliable Prophetic Word of Testimony

16 For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ by[h] following ingeniously concocted myths, but by[i] being eyewitnesses of that one’s majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when[j] a voice such as this was brought to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18 And we ourselves heard this voice brought from heaven when we[k] were with him on the holy mountain, 19 and we possess as more reliable the prophetic word, to which you do well if you[l] pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 recognizing this above all, that every prophecy of scripture does not come about from one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men carried along by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:4 Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“escaping from”) which is understood as temporal
  2. 2 Peter 1:5 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“applying”) which is understood as means
  3. 2 Peter 1:8 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“are”) which is understood as conditional
  4. 2 Peter 1:9 Literally “receiving forgetfulness of the cleansing”
  5. 2 Peter 1:10 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“do”) which is understood as conditional
  6. 2 Peter 1:14 Here “because” is supplied as a component of the participle (“know”) which is understood as causal
  7. 2 Peter 1:15 Literally “to make recollection of these”
  8. 2 Peter 1:16 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“following”) which is understood as means
  9. 2 Peter 1:16 Here “by” is supplied as a component of the participle (“being”) which is understood as means
  10. 2 Peter 1:17 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“was brought”)
  11. 2 Peter 1:18 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“were”) which is understood as temporal
  12. 2 Peter 1:19 Here “if” is supplied as a component of the participle (“pay attention to”) which is understood as conditional