The Christian Progression
2 Peter 1:1-15
1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirm Your Calling and Election
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[c] his own glory and excellence,[d]4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[h] to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
1 Simeon[a] Peter, a servant[b] and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
In this introduction, Peter tells us who this letter is being addressed to and who is the source of this message. He addresses the audience as those who have obtained faith through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. The only faith that can come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. A level of faith equal to his own. His pray is that we are to be built up in the knowledge of the Father and the Son through His grace.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[c] his own glory and excellence,[d]4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
This is an extremely important concept to understand. Meditate on this statement. Search scripture for additional supporting evidence and see how this gift from God holds the key to understanding who we are and God’s design for the creation of man.
God’s choice of words are very intentional. Take each word or phrase and make them your own.
- His Devine power
- Has already gifted us
- With all things
- That apply to life
- As well as Godliness
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
Here, Peter is telling believers that they must with (spoudē) earnestness, earnest application, diligence, and enthusiasm add to your faith the following gifts from the Lord.
- Virtue
- Knowledge
- Self-control
- Steadfastness
- Godliness
- Brotherly affection
- Love
With this command in mind, let’s dig deeper into each of these 8 gifts and see how the spirit tells us to apply these to our lives. Let’s examine the original (Greek) language and see what these words mean and how they are applied in scripture.
Faith : πίστις (pistis)
Strong: G4102
GK: G4411
faith, belief, firm persuasion, 2 Cor. 5:7; Heb. 11:1; assurance, firm conviction, Rom. 14:23; ground of belief, guarantee, assurance, Acts 17:31; good faith, honesty, integrity, Mt. 23:23; Gal. 5:22; Tit. 2:10; faithfulness, truthfulness, Rom. 3:3; in NT faith in God and Christ, Mt. 8:10; Acts 3:16, et al. freq.; ἡ πίστις, the matter of Gospel faith, Acts 6:7; Jude 3
2 Cor 5:6-7 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
Rom 14:23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
Acts 17:31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.
Matt 23:23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Titus 2:9-10 Bondservants[a] are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
Romans 3:3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?
Matt 8:10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith.
Acts 3:16 And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus[a] has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.
Acts 6:7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Jude 1:3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.
Virtue : ἀρετή (aretē)
Strong: G703
GK: G746
goodness, good quality of any kind; a gracious act of God, 1 Pet. 2:9; 2 Pet. 1:3; virtue, uprightness, Phil. 4:8; 2 Pet. 1:5
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
2 Peter 1:3-4 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[a] his own glory and excellence,[b]4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Knowledge : γνῶσις (gnōsis)
Strong: G1108
GK: G1194
knowledge, Lk. 1:77; knowledge of an especial kind and relatively high character, Lk. 11:52; Rom. 2:20; 1 Tim. 6:20; more particularly in respect of Christian enlightenment, Rom. 15:14; 1 Cor. 8:10; 12:8; 2 Cor. 11:6, et al.
Luke 1:76-78 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,77 to give knowledge of salvation to his peoplein the forgiveness of their sins,78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
Luke 11:52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.
Romans 2:19-21 if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself?
1 Tim 6:20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,”
Romans 15:14 I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers,[a] that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.
1 Cor 8:10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating[a] in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged,[b] if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols?
1 Cor 12:8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit,
2 Cor 11:6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Self-control : ἐγκράτεια (enkrateia)
Strong: G1466
GK: G1602
self-control, continence, temperance, Acts 24:25; Gal. 4:23; 2 Pet. 1:6
Acts 24:25 And as he reasoned about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix was alarmed and said, “Go away for the present. When I get an opportunity I will summon you.”
Gal 4:23 But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise.
Steadfastness : ὑπομονή (hypomonē)
Strong: G5281
GK: G5705
patient endurance, 2 Cor. 12:12; Col. 1:11; patient awaiting, Lk. 21:19; a patient frame of mind, patience, Rom. 5:3, 4; 15:4, 5; Jas. 1:3; perseverance, Rom. 2:7; endurance in adherence to an object, 1 Thess. 1:3; 2 Thess. 3:5; Rev. 1:9; ἐν ὑπομονῇ and δι’ ὑπομονῆς, constantly, perseveringly, Lk. 8:15; Rom. 8:25; Heb. 12:1; an enduring of affliction, etc., the act of suffering, undergoing, etc., 2 Cor. 1:6; 6:4
2 Cor 12:12 The signs of a true apostle were performed among you with utmost patience, with signs and wonders and mighty works.
Col 1:9-11 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;
Luke 21:19 By your endurance you will gain your lives.
Romans 5:3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,
Romans 15:4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
James 1:2-3 Count it all joy, my brothers,[a] when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Romans 2:7 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;
1 Thessalonians 1:2-3 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly[a] mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 3:5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
Revelation 1:9 I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
Luke 8:15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 Corinthians 1:6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.
2 Corinthians 6:4 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
Godliness : εὐσέβεια (eusebeia)
Strong: G2150
GK: G2354
reverential feeling; piety, devotion, godliness, Acts 3:12; 1 Tim. 2:2; 4:7, 8; religion, the Christian religion, 1 Tim. 3:16
1 Tim 2:1 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,
1 Tim 4:7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Tim 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He[a] was manifested in the flesh,vindicated[b] by the Spirit,[c]seen by angels,proclaimed among the nations,believed on in the world,taken up in glory.
Brotherly affection : φιλαδελφία (philadelphia)
Strong: G5360
GK: G5789
brotherly love; in NT love of the Christian brotherhood, Rom. 12:10; 1 Thess. 4:9; Heb. 13:1; 1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Pet. 1:7
Romans 12:10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
1 Thess 4:9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another,
Heb 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.
1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,
Love : ἀγάπη (agapē)
Strong: G26
GK: G27
love, generosity, kindly concern, devotedness; pl. love-feasts,
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
1 Cor 13:1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
8 For if these qualities[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
Peter is explaining how important these characteristic are and the role they play in our sanctification if not our ultimate salvation. His reference to blindness is addressing a state of spiritual blindness. It ultimately goes directly to our soul and the condition of our heart. For more on this topic please refer to the study on “The Hardness Of The Heart”.
10 Therefore, brothers,[g] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter is telling us that it is not sufficient for us to just know about these characteristics but we must PRACTICE these characteristics. This needs to be the goal of every Christian. The bible provides a way to remove spiritual blindness. If we take the time to seek God’s direction we will find that scripture does give us specific disciplines we can make part of our daily lives that, over time, will develop these spiritual characteristics. As a follow on to this lesson we will study a topic title spiritual disciplines.
First, we need to have an understanding of disciplines. Second, we need to know how to exercise these disciplines. And third we need to understand how they quicken our spirit within, in order to bring about the new man and put to death the old man.
12 Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13 I think it right, as long as I am in this body,[h] to stir you up by way of reminder, 14 since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
In Closing: Does this thought resonate with the pastors and elders of the church? Are we doing everything we can to edify the church?