Greetings 1
Power to escape evil 3
Progressive growth for making election sure 5
Prophecy and prophets 12
The sure word by the Spirit 19
| Text | Comments |
| .1
¶ Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that
have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of
God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, |
1 - Like precious faith We can grow best with a group that holds the Bible to be the sacred and inspired word of God and where we can freely witness to our faith. See note below. |
| .3
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain
unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called
us to glory and virtue:
.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. |
3 -
All
things [for] life We need not doubt that we can be saved. All
we need has been provided!
4 - Partakers of the divine nature Many people believe that, because they are human and Jesus had was divine, we cannot or need not live holy lives ourselves. They need to read this verse. Christ lifts us up and gives us a portion of His own nature. No excuse to claim that we need to live in sin – in bondage to evil habits. Those who say that we can keep on in sin have no foundation for this in the Scriptures. We do not become divine but are given the power to overcome. |
| .5
¶ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue;
and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. .10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: .11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. |
5 - Add to your faith Peter must have been confronted with some who read and misunderstood Paul's statements about living by faith. Peter seems to say, yes, you need faith. And you need to continue to grow. Here is a ladder of character development. |
| .12
¶ Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance
of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present
truth.
13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; .14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. .15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. .16 ¶ For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. .17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. |
16
- Not ... fables Peter shares his own testimony about the
certainty of the word.
Image © Corel |
| .19
¶ We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until
the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
.20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. .21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. |
19
- More sure word of prophecy Perhaps better translated, "Word
of prophecy made more certain." Many feel that we cannot entirely trust
the Bible. Peter says we can.
19 - Star arise in your hearts The purpose of prophecy. 20 - Private interpretation We cannot make up our own interpretations. We must let the Bible interpret itself. Others should be able to compare what we say by the Scriptures themselves for verification. See brief article on futurism. 21 - Holy men ... spake as they were moved The men, not the words, are in focus here. John wrote about what he had seen and heard 1jo0103. Compare lu0102 and Peter's own comment in v16. Of course the Holy Spirit helps in the writing, too. |
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