2 Peter 1

Simon Peter greets believers, emphasizing their precious faith and the divine power that provides all things for life and godliness, enabling them to partake in the divine nature. He exhorts them to diligently add a series of virtues to their faith, such as knowledge, patience, and charity, to ensure fruitfulness and a sure entrance into God's kingdom. Peter affirms that his message is based on eyewitness testimony of Christ's majesty, not fables, and highlights the divine origin of prophecy as a reliable guide.

Simon Peter addresses those who share a precious faith, reminding them that God's divine power has granted all things necessary for life and godliness, enabling them to partake in the divine nature and escape worldly corruption through exceeding great promises. He exhorts believers to diligently cultivate a series of virtues, beginning with faith and progressing through virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. Possessing these qualities ensures fruitfulness in the knowledge of Christ and makes their calling and election sure, preventing them from falling and guaranteeing an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom. Peter declares his intention to continually remind them of these truths before his impending death. He asserts that their message concerning Christ's power and coming is not based on fables but on his personal eyewitness account of Christ's majesty, specifically recalling the voice from heaven at the holy mount. Furthermore, he points to the "more sure word of prophecy" as a reliable guide, stressing that scripture's prophecy originates from holy men moved by the Holy Ghost, not from private interpretation.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, addresses those who have obtained a precious faith through the righteousness of God and Jesus Christ. He prays for grace and peace to be multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus, our Lord. Peter explains that God's divine power has bestowed upon believers all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called them to glory and virtue. Through exceeding great and precious promises, believers are enabled to become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption prevalent in the world through lust. Therefore, Peter earnestly exhorts them to apply all diligence in adding a series of virtues to their faith: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. He emphasizes that the presence and abundance of these qualities will prevent them from being barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Conversely, those lacking these virtues are described as blind, shortsighted, and having forgotten their cleansing from old sins. Peter urges them to diligently make their calling and election sure, promising that by doing these things, they shall never fall, but will receive an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom. Recognizing his approaching death, Peter affirms his commitment to continually remind them of these essential truths, ensuring they remain established in the present truth. He clarifies that their proclamation of the power and coming of Jesus Christ was not founded upon cleverly devised fables. Instead, Peter and his companions were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty, specifically recalling the Transfiguration where Christ received honor and glory from God the Father, accompanied by a divine voice from heaven declaring Him as the beloved Son. This heavenly voice was heard by them on the holy mount. Finally, Peter directs attention to the "more sure word of prophecy," urging believers to heed it as a guiding light in a dark place until Christ's return. He underscores the crucial understanding that no prophecy of scripture originates from private interpretation, but rather, holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.