| Growing in Christ
Our personal and experiential knowledge of Christ becomes a pathway to be "partakers of the divine nature." Christ within us becomes our limitless resource for "life and godliness." God's divine life in its multi-faceted expression becomes a life-transforming force as we by faith embrace God's "exceeding great and precious promises." As we take personal responsibility to act upon these promises, we are capable of adding to our faith a deepening and practical list of life's virtues. To make what is promised to us our own provides a limitless resource of divine blessings that assures us that our faith will not be barren. Instead, it can and will produce abundant fruit. In fact, any of us who claims to be born of God and partakers of His new life yet do not produce new and abundant spiritual fruit prove we really do not know who we are. We are like a person who cannot remember what they look like after just looking at themselves in the mirror (v. 5-9). It is vital that we not only discover who we really are in Christ as partakers of this divine life, but we must build our personal experience with Christ upon unshakable, verifiable facts. Peter gives two such facts here. First, he refers to the voice he and two other apostles literally heard from heaven that validated who Jesus is (v. 16-18). Secondly, he refers us to the objective proof of the scriptures. Peter points to the prophecies within the scriptures that Jesus Christ fulfilled in ways that cannot be denied (v. 19-21). Both our personal spiritual transformation and the facts prove Christ fulfilled a long list of prophecies are the best defense to "cunningly devised fables" (v. 16). Conversely, where these two facets of our faith are not secure, we become prey to false teaching that promises a counterfeit solution to the emptiness of our lives. As Jesus said, it is Truth that sets us free. But the tragic opposite is also true. Lies bring us into deception and bondage. Therefore, be sure to give yourself fully to personal growth in your relationship with Christ and His Word. | |
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2 Peter 1:1-21 Greeting the Faithful 1 Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. Fruitful Growth in the Faith5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter's Approaching Death12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth. 13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. The Trustworthy Prophetic Word16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. | |
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| 2 Peter 1:1-21 2 Peter is the second letter written to this group of Christians living in Asia Minor, approx 66 AD. Peter's primary purpose for writing was to encourage the believers in their time of trials. v. 1 Simon Peter – In biblical times it was customary to identify yourself in the beginning of your letter. Peter's birth name was Simon. Later, Jesus surnamed him Peter. Simon is a Hebrew name after one of the tribes of Israel (Gen 35:23, Num 1:22,23). Simone means harken. Peter is a Greek name meaning rock or stone. Bondservant – doulos (Gk.) A slave, bondman, man of servile condition. In his first letter Peter identified himself as an apostle in his opening address. But now he also introduces himself with the much more humble title of bondservant, which means a willing slave. With maturity comes humility. Apostle – apostolos (Gk.) A delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders. Peter is an authoritative messenger commissioned and sent by the King of kings and Lord of lords. Righteousness – dikaiosune (Gk.) The state of one who is as he ought to be, the condition acceptable to God. One of the great truths of scripture is that Christianity shows us how to approach God by the righteousness of our God and not by our own righteousness (Rom. 1:17; 3:21-26; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21; Phil. 3:9). We can never approach God by our own righteousness because our righteousness is filthy and unacceptable in His eyes (Is. 64:6). The only way to be right before God is if He makes us right by His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). Of Our God and Savior Jesus Christ – Here is another of many very strong cases for the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only the Son of God, but He is also God the Son. According the scripture, the phrase God and Savior should only properly be applied to God alone (Is. 43:3, 45:21; Hosea 13:4; Titus 2:13). Savior – soter (Gk.) savior, deliverer, preserver v. 2 Grace – the undeserved kindness and blessing of God given freely to those in Christ Peace – eirene (Gk.) Undisturbed rest and quietness. A state of mind fearing nothing from God and content with its earthly lot, of whatsoever sort that is (Phil. 4:7). In New Testament thought this would translate to a tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ. Multiplied to You in the Knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord – In scripture, we consistently see an inseparable link between God and Jesus. It would be pure heresy to associate any other person, angel or prophet to God in this way. The only way to have Grace and peace multiplied to us is in the knowledge of God and Jesus. Knowledge – epignosis (Gk.) Precise and correct knowledge. v. 3 Life – zoe (Gk.) Of the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical. There are many Greek words Peter could have used for the word life here, such as psuche which merely means breath of life, to be alive. Peter could have used the word bios, which means the course or sum of a life. But Peter uses the Greek word zoe, which means absolute fullness of life, which comes from God. This is the same Greek word Jesus used for life in John 10:10. Godliness – eusebeia (Gk.) Reverence, respect, and holiness. The quality of life God intends for His children. Knowledge of Him – This word knowledge in the Greek (epignosis) means precise and correct knowledge. In context Peter is telling us that the way to receive all things that pertain to life and godliness is through the knowledge of Jesus (John 17:3). Who Called you – This is how every Christian came to God (2 Tim 1:9; 1 Peter 5:10). It was God who called us to His eternal glory. And He called us through the person and work of the Holy Spirit. By Glory and Virtue – The scriptures clearly teach that we have no righteousness in ourselves (Rom 3:10). v. 4 Exceedingly Great – These two English words actually come from one Greek word megistos, which means the greatest. We get our words mega and magnificent from this word. Precious Promises – These promises, which are too numerous to mention here, refer to all the wonderful promises to God's people found in God's Word (2 Cor 1:20; 6:18; 7:1; Gal 3:16; Heb 8:6). Through These You may be Partakers of the Divine Nature – Peter is actually saying that it is through believing the precious promises found in God's Word that we are changed into the image of Jesus and given His divine nature through the power of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:18; 1Thess. 2:13). Corruption – phthora (Gk.) Destruction, perishing; in the NT, corruption in an ethical sense, i.e. moral decay. The reason Jesus came was to deliver us from the power and consequences of sin (John 10:10, 1 John 3:5). It is God's will that we not only escape sin's consequences (punishment), but also to escape its lifestyle (corruption). v. 5 Giving – pareisphero (Gk.) To contribute to something. This word implies a conscious act of willing contribution. Diligence – spoude (Gk.) earnestness in accomplishing, promoting, or striving after anything. Add to Your Faith – Faith is the conviction of God's truth (Heb 11:1). Peter is telling us to not just be content to have a conviction of the truth, but to add certain things to that conviction. Some of these things are actions and others are character traits. Virtue – arete (Gk.) moral excellence, purity and modesty Knowledge – gnosis (Gk.) Having moral and or intellectual understanding. We can only possess this moral quality through the knowledge of God's Word. From a purely intellectual context, this same Greek word is translated science in 1 Timothy 6:20. v. 6 Self-Control – egkrateia (Gk.) one who masters his desires and passions, esp. his sensual appetites Perseverance – hupomone (Gk.) A patient enduring, sustaining, steadfastness. To bear up under pressure. Godliness – eusebeia (Gk.) A reverence and respect toward God and the things of God. v. 7 Brotherly Kindness – These two English words are translated from one Greek word, philadelphia, which means brotherly love. This simply means to have a close knit family type love for all members of the body of Christ. Love – agape (Gk.) Affection, benevolence, charity. The major difference between brotherly kindness and agape is that brotherly kindness implies a mutual family love in which love is shared between both parties, while agape does not imply being loved in return. Agape loves and gives regardless of circumstances, just as God loves us not because we love Him or are lovable or because we deserve His love. God loves because God is love (1 John 4:8,16). Agape requires no reward or reason. Agape loves by its very nature. v. 8 Abound – pleonazo (Gk.) to exist in abundance Barren – argos (Gk.) inactive, idle, useless or lazy Unfruitful – akarpos (Gk.) unproductive v. 9 Shortsighted – muopazo (Gk.) To see dimly, to see only what is near. Peter is describing one who is exceedingly limited in his spiritual vision. There are various levels of blindness. This context reveals that the kind of person Peter is describing is shortsighted because he can't see into the past. He has forgotten what God has done, as the next phrase indicates. Forgotten That He was Cleansed from His Old Sins – This is a description of a backslidden Christian. It is a blindness of the mind that has forgotten the joy and power of receiving forgiveness of sins and new life. This person has lost sight of God's priorities and plans for his life. He has lost his way because he can only see what is immediately in front of him. This is the person who finds his life spiritually barren and unfruitful. In this state of mind one can easily become obsessed and overcome with all kinds of sin and vice since he has forgotten the joy of being cleansed from sin. And since he has also lost sight of God's abundant life, he likely looks for other means of satisfaction in life. v. 10 Make Your Call and Election Sure – Both calling (God's invitation and call) and election (God's choosing you) are from God alone. Yet, the Christian is exhorted to action here. Sure – bebaios (Gk.) certain, secure, stable, fast, firm. if You Do – These three English words are translated from one Greek word, poieo, which means to make one do something. A picture of a condition based upon our choices. Will Never Stumble – To stumble here pote (Gk.) means to fall. This verse implies that if we don't do these things we shall fall (2 Peter 3:17-18). This is certainly a warning against a Christian backsliding or falling away from the path of God's righteousness. v. 11 abundantly – plousios (Gk.) richly, plentifully Everlasting Kingdom – Peter points us to God's promise of eternal life, which will be abundantly provided to those who heed Peter's instructions (Ps 145:13; Dan 4:3; 7:27). v. 12 negligent – ameleo (Gk.) careless, be negligent, no regard Remind – hupomimnesko (Gk.) To remind quietly, put in remembrance. The scriptures are filled with examples of times when God's people forgot God's promises or truths and as a result suffered grave consequences. Therefore, the New Testament writers felt the need to continually remind us of truths that we should already know but may tend to forget (Rom. 15:15; Phil. 3:1; 1 Tim. 4:6; 2 Tim. 1:6; Heb. 10:32; Jude 1:17). Peter felt so strongly about this that he states that he would be negligent or careless not to remind us of these things. Though You Know and are Established in the Present Truth – Just because a person already knows the truth and may even be presently established or standing in that truth, that does not guarantee that he or she will never lose sight of or turn from the truth. Much of the Bible is written as a continual reminder to the believer of already known truths. That is why Peter says in the first part of this verse that he intends to remind you always. Established – sterizo (Gk.) to make stable, to turn resolutely in a certain direction, or to confirm v. 13 Tent – skenoma (Gk.) A tabernacle, encampment, dwelling place. Peter is speaking of his body as a tent. Stir – diegeiro (Gk.) to arouse completely to awaken (Heb. 10:23-25) Reminding – hupomnesis (Gk.) mindful v. 14 put off my Tent – Peter is referring to moving out of the temporary dwelling of his body. It seems that Peter knew that his life was almost over. He even indicates here that Jesus Christ showed him this fact through revelation. v. 15 that You Always have a Reminder – Peter knew that when you write things down and pass them along that your writings can live on after your death. Peter was so concerned that these truths continue being taught that he wrote them down to be passed along. We see now that because of this wisdom God gave him, his teachings have not only outlived him, but have also gone on to instruct us today, over 2,000 years later. v. 16 Cunningly Devised Fables – Peter is assuring his readers that the things he writes about are facts rather than fables. A fable is a fictional story that is make-believe. Unlike the stories and beliefs of other many of the world's religions, the Gospel of Jesus Christ contains accurate history and trustworthy facts. Eyewitnesses of His Majesty – Peter was not the only witness of these things (1 Cor. 15:1-8). Not only did they see Jesus, they were also witnesses of His majesty. The Greek word used for majesty here, megaleiotes, is found only three times in the Bible (Luke 9:43; Acts 19:27; 2 Peter 1:16) and is only used in reference to a divinity. It means divine majesty. v. 17 God the Father – This phrase is found 16 times in the NJKV bible. And in every instance this phrase is used in direct relationship with Jesus Christ. It is clearly making a distinction of God the Father from God the Son. Peter also uses the phrase God the Father when discussing the life of Jesus. Jesus is God the Son and He receives honor and glory from God the Father. Honor and Glory – To honor means to place a high value on someone. Glory is praise and worship. Here we gain insight into the great value God the Father places upon His Son. The scriptures declare that Glory and honor together belongs to God alone (1 Tim 1:17). In addition to this, Revelation 5:13 reveals the value all of creation places upon the Father and the Son together as we see of a time when God the Father and God the Son will receive glory and honor jointly as all of creation offers their praises up to them both simultaneously. This is yet another glimpse of the deity of Christ. Excellent Glory –The Excellent Glory here is referring to God the Father. Peter is now recounting his eyewitness account of the time when he personally heard the voice of God the Father speaking from heaven, honoring His Son (Matt 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35). My Beloved Son, in Whom I am Well Pleased – This is what God the Father has said about Jesus (Matt 3:17; 17:5). Compare this with some of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah (Is. 42:1, 53:10). The Father calls Jesus, My beloved Son (Mark 1:11). The writer of Hebrews also uses this point to prove the Deity of Christ (Heb 1:5-13). v. 18 we – Peter was not alone in this experience of God (Matt. 17:1-6). Some try to explain away the spiritual experiences of God found in scripture by claiming them to be mere hallucinations or delusions. But hallucinations don't happen to masses of people all at the same time. It is important to keep in mind that the events recorded by the New Testament writers were attested to by many witnesses. v. 19 Prophetic Word Confirmed – According to the scriptures, we are not to accept a testimony to be true without the confirmation of two or three witnesses (2 Cor. 13:1). But not only is Peter bringing in the witnesses of James and John to testify about Jesus (Matt. 17:1-6), but we also have the very voice of God confirming who Jesus is (Matt 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35). You do Well to Heed – In light of these clear confirmations from God, It is reasonable and wise to embrace and obey God's word concerning Jesus Christ. There are at least 332 distinct Old Testament predictions regarding the Messiah that Jesus fulfilled perfectly. The percentage of the possibility of the combinations of all this evidence together, from a simple statistical perspective, is absolutely overwhelming. Light that Shines in a Dark Place – This is illustrative of what God's Word is like (Ps 119:105). Just as a bright light shinning into a dark place reveals the truth about that place, so when God speaks, He shines light into the darkness of our hearts and reveals the truth about our lives and our environment (John 3:19-21). Until the Day Dawns and the Morning Star Rises in Your Hearts – Peter uses more metaphorical language here. When the day dawns you no longer need to shine any more light, because the daylight has overpowered the darkness. Jesus Christ is called the morning star in Revelation 22:16. There will come a day when Jesus returns and all things hidden shall be revealed by the dawn of the Morning Star and we shall know as we are known (Luke 12:2; 1 Cor. 13:10-12). v. 20 First – proton (Gk.) First in time or place. Peter isn't speaking of knowing first chronologically, but in knowing first as in priority. Prophecy – propheteia (Gk.) The utterance of prophets; prediction or foretelling of the future. Or in general, the Word of God. Scripture – graphe (Gk.) The holy writings. Private Interpretation – Personal opinion. We must always be careful not to twist, manipulate, add or subtract from God's Word. v. 21 Prophecy Never Came by the Will of Man – A prophecy is God speaking to man through man (1 Cor. 14:3). Peter is plainly stating here that the writings of scripture are not simply revealing the opinions of men but the mind of God (2 Tim 3:16). Holy – hagios (Gk.) pure, morally blameless; a saint Men of God – godly men submitted to God's will and instruments of His using Moved by the Holy Spirit – Peter clarifies that the writing of scripture has recorded the prophecy of holy men who were being led to speak by the very Spirit of God. Peter is specifically speaking of the writings of the Old Testament because the New Testament was not written yet. But we can most certainly apply this principle today to the New Testament writings (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 3:15, 16). | |
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| Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue –2 Peter 1:2-3 Lord, we know that it is only through reading Your Word that we can grow to know You better and grow in our relationship to You and with You. We pray today for hearts that seek a thirst for the words of the Bible. | |
1:2-3 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue
