Salutation
Chapter 1
Address. 1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith as precious as ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2 may grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Exhortation to Growth in Christian Virtues
Strengthen Your Vocation. 3 His divine power has bestowed on us everything that is necessary for life and for devotion through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue. 4 By these he has given us his precious promises, great beyond all price, so that through them you may escape from the corruption with which evil desires have infected the world and thereby may come to share in the divine nature.
5 In view of all this, you should make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with piety, 7 and piety with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.
8 If you possess these qualities and they increase in abundance, they will prevent your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ from being ineffective and unfruitful. 9 For anyone who lacks them is near-sighted or blind, since he has forgotten how his past sins were washed away.
10 Therefore, brethren, be diligent in providing a firm foundation for your call and election. If you do this, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a glorious welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 The Witness of an Apostle. Therefore, I will continue to emphasize these things repeatedly, even though you already know them and are well grounded in the truth you possess. 13 For I think it is right, to refresh your memory as long as I remain in this body, 14 since I know that my death will come soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I shall also make every effort to ensure that you will always recall these things after my departure.
16 We did not rely upon cleverly concocted myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rather, we had beheld his majesty with our own eyes. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice came to him from the transcendent Majesty, saying, “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came down from heaven, when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 Pay Close Attention to the Message of the Prophets. This confirms the message of the Prophets more fully for us. You would do well to pay close attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 First of all, however, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private interpretation. 21 No prophecy ever came from human initiative. Rather, when people spoke as messengers of God, they did so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Footnotes
- 2 Peter 1:1
- 2 Peter 1:1
- 2 Peter 1:2
- 2 Peter 1:3
- 2 Peter 1:4
- 2 Peter 1:5
- 2 Peter 1:9
- 2 Peter 1:11
- 2 Peter 1:12
- 2 Peter 1:13
- 2 Peter 1:14
- 2 Peter 1:19
- 2 Peter 1:21
