A Greeting from Peter
1Simon 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:
2Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Partakers of the Divine Nature
An explanation of all that God has given...
An explanation of all that God has given us in Christ (1:3–4) forms the basis for an urgent exhortation to grow in the knowledge of Christ (1:5–11).
3His 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. 4Through 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.
The stair-step structure of these verses, with each...
The stair-step structure of these verses, with each virtue leading to another, is a common literary device called a sorites. The sequence in such passages is not stressed—e.g., Peter does not imply that moral excellence must come before knowledge. Yet love is the pinnacle of the virtues (1:7).
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For 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. 9But whoever lacks these traits is nearsighted to the point of blindness, having forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a lavish reception into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter was writing at the end of his...
Peter was writing at the end of his life, and 2 Peter is similar to works that belong to a popular Jewish genre called the testament, in which an old and respected leader gives final instructions to his children or others on his deathbed (cp. Deut 31–33; Josh 24). This genre is especially well known from a Jewish work called The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
12Therefore I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. 13I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of my body,† 14because I know that this tent will soon be laid aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort to ensure that after my departure, you will be able to recall these things at all times.
Eyewitnesses of His Majesty
(Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:1–13; Luke 9:28–36)
clever stories (literally cleverly invented myths): The false...
- clever stories (literally cleverly invented myths): The false teachers were probably charging that the message of Christ’s return was just an edifying fable with no factual truth.
- We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes: At Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt 17:1–9; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36), which prefigured Christ’s return by revealing Jesus as the glorious King. Peter’s confidence was not based on human speculation but on eyewitness experience.
Peter’s denunciation of the false teachers (ch 2)...
Peter’s denunciation of the false teachers (ch 2) is framed by this teaching about the certainty of Jesus’ return (see also 3:1–13). The false teachers were probably denying the reality of Christ’s return and judgment. Peter’s eyewitness experience (1:16–18) and the intrinsic reliability of scriptural prophecy (1:19–21) make Christ’s return a certainty.
16For 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. 17For 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.”† 18And we ourselves heard this voice from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
19We 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.
came from the prophet’s own understanding (or is...
came from the prophet’s own understanding (or is a matter of one’s own interpretation): The point is probably that the prophets were not left on their own to interpret the visions that God gave them. God made the meaning clear to the prophets, so that they could prophesy clearly and reliably.
20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. 21For 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.