1:1 Making the Calling and Election Sure

SUMMARY OF II PETER 1:

Greetings. Adding to Faith the Christian Graces. Not Followed Fables. The Transfiguration.

Simon Peter. To his first epistle he only prefixed the name given him by the Lord. Here he calls himself by both names, as found in Lu 5:8 Joh 13:6 20:02 Ac 10:5 and many other places.

A servant. Of Jesus as the Lord.

And an apostle of Jesus Christ. Of Jesus as the Messiah.

To them that have obtained like precious faith. Who are also saints enjoying the precious promises.

1:2 Grace and peace. The usual apostolic benediction. These come

through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Those who have learned to know God and his Son have eternal life (Joh 17:3). This knowledge is one that comes from fellowship with Christ.

1:3 According as his divine power. Seeing that his divine power (Revised Version).

Hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. It has granted us all things needful to live godly lives.

Through the knowledge of him that hath called us. These all come through the knowledge of God.

To glory and virtue. By his own glory and virtue (Revised Version). God's power is manifested in his glory and virtue. It is his moral excellency and glory that move upon men, not physical power.

1:4 Whereby. By his glory and virtue (2Pe 1:3).

Exceeding great and precious promises. The splendid promises of the gospel.

That by these. The offers of the gospel.

Ye might be partakers of the divine nature. One of the promises was communion with God and fellowship with Christ. See Joh 14:23.

Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. All who come to Christ and are in him have escaped from sin and corruption.

1:5 And beside this. Yea, and for this very cause (Revised Version). Because God has called you with precious promises. What God has done calls on us to do our part.

Giving all diligence. Adding on your part all diligence (Revised Version). No exertion must be spared. There must be the fullest co-operation with God.

Add to your faith virtue. In your faith supply virtue (Revised Version). The Common Version is wrong. Faith is the basis of the Christian life and all are expected to possess it, but out of it must grow other excellencies.

And to virtue. And in your virtue (Revised Version). Moral courage, the natural fruit of a trusting faith in God.

Knowledge. The moral heroism must be guided by knowledge or it will run into a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge (Ro 10:2).

1:6 And to knowledge temperance. Self-control.

And to temperance patience. Unflinching, patient endurance.

And to patience godliness. A reverence for things divine shown by growing more and more into the divine likeness.

1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness. An active good will toward the saints.

And to brotherly kindness charity. The heart element which gives brotherly kindness its power and sweetness.

1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound. If these qualities abound they will be fruitful, showing that they have knowledge of Christ in reality.

1:9 He that lacketh these things. The qualities named in 2Pe 1:5-7.

Is blind. Shows that he has a defective moral vision.

And cannot see afar off. Is short sighted; does not see what his future good requires.

And hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. If he could remember how he was cleansed from his own sinful state, he would show greater diligence lest he should again fall into sin.

1:10 Wherefore... give diligence. The more diligence (Revised Version). Diligence to the end is needful in order to salvation.

Your calling and election. The calling is first in order; the election comes when we accept the call.

Sure. Our own efforts are needed to make them sure.

For if ye do these things. Those named above. Thus we will make the calling and election sure. For then we shall never fail.

1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly. We will be richly prepared for entrance.

Into the everlasting kingdom. The heavenly kingdom.

1:12 Wherefore. The language that follows anticipates his speedy decease (2Pe 1:15).

1:13 As long as I am in this tabernacle. In the body, the present home of his spirit.

1:14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle. Must die very soon.

Even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me. Christ had predicted his death as a martyr (Joh 21:18,19). It is to this prediction that Peter refers.

1:15 Moreover I will endeavour. I will give diligence (Revised Version). He will so diligently admonish them that after his death they will remember his words.

1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables. There was no mistake or doubt about the gospel, no such fables as the myths of the Gentiles.

When we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord. Preached the coming into the world and the divine power of Christ.

But were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Since the apostles were personal witnesses of Christ's glory, they knew whereof they spoke.

1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory. He cites one scene that had witnesses where the divine glory rested upon Christ. The glory of the Transfiguration is the prophecy of the glory which will be revealed when Christ comes.

There came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. God honored the Son by the Divine declaration.

This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. See Mt 17:5.

1:18 And this voice... we heard. Peter and James and John, his companions on the holy mount (Mt 17:1-6). James was now dead (Ac 12:2), but John was still alive.

1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy. Prophecy was a sure word, but when fulfilled in Christ and the gospel it seemed more sure. No class of evidence had more power with Jews than to show them that Jesus was the Christ of whom the prophets spoke.

Whereunto. To prophecy.

Ye do well that ye take heed. Heed its predictions and statements concerning Christ.

As unto a light that shineth in a dark place. It was a lamp shining in the darkness of the past and giving some light before the day star arose.

Until the day dawn. The full light of the New Testament.

And the day-star arise. Christ. See Re 22:16.

1:20 Knowing this first. This is a reason for giving heed to the word of prophecy.

That no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Is not an interpretation of the knowledge and feelings of the prophet, but of the will of God. The next verse shows that this is the meaning.

1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man. No scriptural prophecy is due to the will of man,

But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. But all came from men speaking from God when moved by the Holy Spirit. Prophecy is God's word, not the words of man.