A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
2 Peter 1
2 Peter 1 is the opening chapter of the sixty-first book of the Bible. The 21-verse chapter opens Peter's second letter with a call to grow in Christian virtues and an emphasis on the reliability of the gospel against the false teachers Peter will warn against later.
The chapter opens with Peter identifying himself as a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. He addresses those who have received a faith as precious as his own through the righteousness of God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter then writes that God's divine power has given believers everything they need for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called them by his own glory and goodness. Through these, God has given very great and precious promises, so that through them believers may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
The chapter then issues a call to growth. Believers should make every effort to add to their faith, listing the virtues in a ladder: to faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, mutual affection; to mutual affection, love. If these qualities are present and growing, they will keep believers from being ineffective in their knowledge of Jesus Christ. Anyone who lacks them is nearsighted and has forgotten that they have been cleansed from past sins.
Peter then explains why he is writing. He plans to keep reminding them of these things even though they already know them and are firmly established in the truth. He considers it right to refresh their memory as long as he lives in the tent of his body, which he knows he will soon put aside, as the Lord Jesus has made clear to him.
The chapter closes with Peter's appeal to eyewitness testimony. He and his coworkers did not follow cleverly devised stories. They were eyewitnesses of Christ's majesty, and Peter recalls hearing the voice from heaven at the transfiguration. The prophetic word is even more certain, he writes, like a light shining in a dark place until the day dawns.
Verse 1. Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
Verse 2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Verse 3. His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Verse 4. Through these He has given us His precious and magnificent promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, now that you have escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Verse 5. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;
Verse 6. and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
Verse 7. and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
Verse 8. For if you possess these qualities and continue to grow in them, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Verse 9. But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Verse 10. Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
Verse 11. and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Verse 12. Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.
Verse 13. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,
Verse 14. because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.
Verse 15. And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.
Verse 16. For we did not follow cleverly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Verse 17. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Verse 18. And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
Verse 19. We also have the word of the prophets as confirmed beyond doubt. And you will do well to 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.
Verse 20. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.
Verse 21. For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
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