2 Peter 1
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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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Commentary
Peter’s second letter “to those who have obtained like precious faith” contains inspired counsel from the aged apostle. Here in chapter 1 he reminds us that growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the work of a lifetime. On this journey we should always remember that His power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.
A precious resource on our Christian journey is the Word of God. We are not following cunningly devised fables. Peter gives his personal testimony of his time with Jesus, the living Word of God. As a young follower of Jesus, Peter was an eyewitness of His majesty on the Mount of Transfiguration when the Father declared “This is My beloved Son. Hear him” (Mark 9:7).
Peter also points us to the written Word of God. We have a more sure word of prophecy that comes to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. These are not merely human words about God but the Word of God through the inspired prophets to the human family. The written Word contains “exceedingly great and precious promises” which are ours to claim.
What are some of the precious promises in God’s Word that have blessed you on your Christian journey?
Derek J. Morris
President, Hope Channel
General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
