2 Peter 1:1-21
1 Simona 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 tob 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 barrenc 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 timed by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Contents: The great Christian virtues. God's Word exalted.
Characters: God, Christ, Peter.
Conclusion: The Christian should be diligent to add one Christian grace to another that he may bring glory to God by abounding in much fruit among men and that his own calling and election may be thereby thoroughly tested out. He should the more seek to obey God's Word because it is God-inspired, of undoubted truth, and therefore of vast concern.
Key Word: Fruitful life, 2 Peter 1:8.
Strong Verses: 2 Peter 1:4; 2 Peter 1:5; 2 Peter 1:6; 2 Peter 1:7; 2 Peter 1:10; 2 Peter 1:19; 2 Peter 1:21.
Striking Facts: 2 Peter 1:16. The plan of salvation by Jesus Christ is eminently the council of the infinitely wise Jehovah, for certainly man could not have invented it. He is the Messiah promised by the prophecies and publicly owned by the Father from the opened heavens.