The Second Epistle General of Peter
1 3 Having spoken of the bountifulness of God, 5 and of the virtues of faith. 6 He exhorteth them to holiness of life. 12 And that his counsel may be the more effectual. 14 He showeth that his death is at hand, 16 and that himself did see the power of Christ, which he opened unto them.
1 Simon [a]Peter a servant and an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to you which have obtained like precious faith with us by the [b]righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you, [c]through the acknowledging of God, and of Jesus Christ our Lord,
3 [d]According as his [e]divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto [f]life and godliness, through the [g]acknowledging of him that hath called us unto glory and virtue.
4 [h]Whereby most great and precious promises are given unto us, that by them ye should be partakers of the [i]divine nature, in that ye flee the corruption, which is in the [j]world through [k]lust.
5 [l]Therefore give even all diligence thereunto: [m]join moreover virtue with your faith: and with virtue, knowledge:
6 [n]And with knowledge, temperance: and with temperance, patience: and with patience, godliness:
7 And with godliness, brotherly kindness: and with brotherly kindness, love.
8 [o]For if these things be among you, and abound, they will make you that ye neither shall be idle, nor unfruitful in the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 For he that hath not these things, is blind, and [p]cannot see far off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
10 [q]Wherefore, brethren, give rather diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.
11 For by this means an entering shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 [r]Wherefore, I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though that ye have knowledge, and be established in the present truth.
13 For I think it meet as long as I am in this [s]tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance,
14 Seeing I know that the time is at hand that I must lay down this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath (A)showed me.
15 (B)I will endeavor therefore always, that ye also may be able to have remembrance of these things after my departing.
16 (C)[t]For we followed not deceivable fables, when we opened unto you the power, and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but with our eyes we saw his majesty:
17 For he received of God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from that excellent Glory, (D)This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice we heard when it came from heaven being with him in the holy mount.
19 [u]We have also a most sure word of the Prophets, [v]to the which ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the [w]day dawns, and the [x]day star arise in your hearts.
20 (E)[y]So that ye first know this, that no prophecy of the [z]Scripture is of any [aa]private interpretation:
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but [ab]holy men of God spake as they were [ac]moved by the holy Ghost.
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 1:1 A salutation wherein he giveth them to understand that he dealeth with them as Christ’s ambassador, and otherwise agreeth with them in one selfsame faith which is grounded upon the righteousness of Jesus Christ our God and Savior.
- 2 Peter 1:1 In that God standing to his promises, showed himself faithful, and therefore just unto us.
- 2 Peter 1:2 Faith is the acknowledging of God and Christ, from whence all our blessedness issueth and showed.
- 2 Peter 1:3 Christ setteth forth himself to us plainly in the Gospel, and that by his only power, and giveth us all things which are requisite both to eternal life, wherein he hath appointed to glorify us, and also to godliness, in that he doth furnish us with true virtue.
- 2 Peter 1:3 He speaketh of Christ, whom he maketh God, and the only Savior.
- 2 Peter 1:3 Unto salvation.
- 2 Peter 1:3 This is the sum of true Religion, to be led by Christ to the Father, as it were by the hand.
- 2 Peter 1:4 An explication of the former sentence, declaring the causes of so great benefits, to wit, God and his free promise, from whence all these benefits proceed, I say, these most excellent benefits, whereby we are delivered from the corruption of the world, (that is, from the wicked lusts which we carry about us) and are made, after a sort, like unto God himself.
- 2 Peter 1:4 By the divine nature, he meaneth not the substance of the Godhead, but the partaking of these qualities whereby the image of God is restored in us.
- 2 Peter 1:4 In men.
- 2 Peter 1:4 For lust is the fear of corruption, and hath his fear even in our very bowels and inmost parts.
- 2 Peter 1:5 Having laid the foundation (that is, having declared the causes of our salvation and especially of our sanctification) now he beginneth to exhort us to give our minds wholly to the true use of this grace. And he beginneth with faith without which nothing can please God, and he warneth us to have it full fraught with virtue (that is to say) with good and godly manners, being joined with the knowledge of God’s will, without which there is neither faith neither any true virtue.
- 2 Peter 1:5 Supply also, and support or aid.
- 2 Peter 1:6 He reckoneth up certain and other principal virtues, whereof some pertain to the first Table of the Law, others to the last.
- 2 Peter 1:8 As those fruits do spring from the true knowledge of Christ, so in like sort the knowledge itself is fostered, and groweth by bringing forth such fruits, insomuch that he that is unfruitful did either never know the true light, or hath forgotten the gift of sanctification which he hath received.
- 2 Peter 1:9 He that hath not an effectual knowledge of God in him, is blind as touching the kingdom of God, for he cannot see things that are afar off, that is to say, heavenly things.
- 2 Peter 1:10 The conclusion: Therefore seeing our calling and election is approved by those fruits, and is confirmed in us, and moreover seeing this is the only way to the everlasting kingdom of Christ, it remaineth that we cast our minds wholly that way.
- 2 Peter 1:12 An amplifying of the conclusion joined with a modest excuse, wherein he declareth his love towards them, and foretelleth them of his death, which is at hand.
- 2 Peter 1:13 In this body.
- 2 Peter 1:16 Another amplification taken both of the great certainty and also excellency of this doctrine, as whereof our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God is author, whose glory the Apostle himself both saw and heard.
- 2 Peter 1:19 The truth of the Gospel is hereby also manifest, in that it agreeth wholly with the foretellings of the Prophets.
- 2 Peter 1:19 The doctrine of the Apostles doth not shut out the doctrine of the Prophets, for they confirm each other by each other’s testimonies, but the Prophets were as candles which gave light unto the blind, until the brightness of the Gospel began to shine.
- 2 Peter 1:19 A more full and open knowledge than was under the shadows of the Law.
- 2 Peter 1:19 That clearer doctrine of the Gospel.
- 2 Peter 1:20 The Prophets are to be read, but so that we ask of God the gift of interpretation: for he that is the author of the writings of the Prophets, is also the interpreter of them.
- 2 Peter 1:20 He joineth the Scripture and prophecy together to distinguish true prophecies from false.
- 2 Peter 1:20 For all interpretation cometh from God.
- 2 Peter 1:21 The godly interpreters and messengers.
- 2 Peter 1:21 Inspired of God: and these their motions were in very good order, and not such as were the motions of the profane soothsayers, and foretellers of things to come.