Growth in Christian Virtue

[a]Simon Peter, a (A)bond-servant and (B)apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have received (C)a faith of the same [b]kind as ours, [c]by (D)the righteousness of (E)our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: (F)Grace and peace be multiplied to you in (G)the knowledge of God and of Jesus [d]our Lord, for His (H)divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true (I)knowledge of Him who (J)called us [e]by His own glory and [f]excellence. Through [g]these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent (K)promises, so that by them you may become (L)partakers of the divine nature, having (M)escaped the (N)corruption that is in (O)the world on account of lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith (P)supply (Q)moral [h]excellence, and in your moral excellence, (R)knowledge, and in your knowledge, (S)self-control, and in your self-control, (T)perseverance, and in your perseverance, (U)godliness, and in your godliness, (V)brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor (W)unproductive in the true (X)knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the one who lacks these qualities is (Y)blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his (Z)purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more diligent to make certain about His (AA)calling and (AB)choice of you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never (AC)stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into (AD)the eternal kingdom of our (AE)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be (AF)abundantly (AG)supplied to you.

12 Therefore, (AH)I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in (AI)the truth which is present with you. 13 I consider it (AJ)right, as long as I am in (AK)this earthly [i]dwelling, to (AL)stir you up by way of reminder, 14 knowing that (AM)the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, (AN)as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my (AO)departure you will be able to call these things to mind.

Eyewitnesses

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised (AP)tales when we made known to you the (AQ)power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were (AR)eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such a (AS)[j]declaration as this was made to Him by the (AT)Majestic Glory: “This is [k]My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this [l]declaration made from heaven when we were with Him on the (AU)holy mountain.

19 And so we have (AV)the prophetic word made more (AW)sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to (AX)a lamp shining in a dark place, until the (AY)day dawns and the (AZ)morning star arises (BA)in your hearts. 20 But (BB)know this first of all, that (BC)no prophecy of Scripture [m]becomes a matter of [n]someone’s own interpretation, 21 for (BD)no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men (BE)moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

The Appearance of False Prophets

But (BF)false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be (BG)false teachers (BH)among you, who will (BI)secretly introduce (BJ)destructive heresies, even (BK)denying the (BL)Master who (BM)bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their (BN)indecent behavior, and because of them (BO)the way of the truth will be (BP)maligned; and in their (BQ)greed they will (BR)exploit you with (BS)false words; (BT)their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

For (BU)if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into [o]hell and (BV)committed them to [p]pits of darkness, held for judgment; and did not spare (BW)the ancient world, but protected (BX)Noah, a [q]preacher of righteousness, with seven others, when He brought a (BY)flood upon the world of the ungodly; and if He (BZ)condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an (CA)example [r]of what is coming for the (CB)ungodly; and if He (CC)rescued righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the (CD)perverted conduct of [s](CE)unscrupulous people (for by what he saw and heard that (CF)righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day by their lawless deeds), (CG)then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from [t]a trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the (CH)day of judgment, 10 and especially those who [u](CI)indulge the flesh in its corrupt passion, and (CJ)despise [v]authority.

[w]Reckless, (CK)self-centered, they (CL)speak abusively of angelic [x]majesties without trembling, 11 (CM)whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a demeaning judgment against them before the Lord. 12 But (CN)these, like unreasoning animals, (CO)born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, using abusive speech where they have no knowledge, will in [y]the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, 13 suffering wrong as (CP)the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to (CQ)revel in the (CR)daytime. They are stains and blemishes, (CS)reveling in their [z]deceptions as they (CT)feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery [aa]that never cease from sin, (CU)enticing (CV)unstable souls, having hearts trained in (CW)greed, (CX)accursed children; 15 abandoning (CY)the right way, they have gone astray, having followed (CZ)the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved (DA)the [ab]reward of unrighteousness; 16 but he received a rebuke for his own offense, (DB)for a mute donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained the insanity of the prophet.

17 These are (DC)springs without water and mists driven by a storm, (DD)for whom the [ac]black darkness has been reserved. 18 For, while speaking out (DE)arrogant words of no (DF)value they (DG)entice by fleshly desires, by (DH)indecent behavior, those who barely (DI)escape from the ones who live in error, 19 promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for (DJ)by what anyone is overcome, by this he is enslaved. 20 For if, after they have (DK)escaped the defilements of the world by (DL)the knowledge of the (DM)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again (DN)entangled in them and are overcome, (DO)the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 (DP)For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from (DQ)the holy commandment (DR)handed on to them. 22 [ad]It has happened to them according to the true proverb, “(DS)A dog returns to its own vomit,” and, “A sow, after washing, returns to wallowing in the mire.”

Purpose of This Letter

(DT)Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you in which I am (DU)stirring up your sincere mind by way of a reminder, to (DV)remember the words spoken beforehand by (DW)the holy prophets and (DX)the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

The Coming Day of the Lord

(DY)Know this first of all, that (DZ)in the last days (EA)mockers will come with their mocking, (EB)following after their own lusts, and saying, “(EC)Where is the promise of His (ED)coming? For ever since the fathers [ae](EE)fell asleep, all things continue just as they were (EF)from the beginning of creation.” For [af]when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that (EG)by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was (EH)formed out of water and by water, through which (EI)the world at that time was (EJ)destroyed by being flooded with water. But by His word (EK)the present heavens and earth are being reserved for (EL)fire, kept for (EM)the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

But do not let this one fact escape your notice, (EN)beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and (EO)a thousand years like one day. (EP)The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but (EQ)is patient toward you, (ER)not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance.

A New Heaven and Earth

10 But (ES)the day of the Lord (ET)will come like a thief, in which (EU)the heavens (EV)will pass away with a roar and the (EW)elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and (EX)the earth and [ag]its works will be [ah]discovered.

11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 (EY)looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which (EZ)the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the (FA)elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His (FB)promise we are looking for (FC)new heavens and a new earth, (FD)in which righteousness dwells.

14 (FE)Therefore, (FF)beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be (FG)found (FH)spotless and blameless by Him, at peace, 15 and regard the (FI)patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also (FJ)our beloved brother Paul, (FK)according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of (FL)these things, (FM)in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and (FN)unstable distort, as they do also (FO)the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction. 17 You therefore, (FP)beloved, knowing this beforehand, (FQ)be on your guard so that you are not carried away by (FR)the error of [ai](FS)unscrupulous people and (FT)lose your own [aj]firm commitment, 18 but grow in the grace and (FU)knowledge of our (FV)Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (FW)To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Peter 1:1 One early ms Simeon
  2. 2 Peter 1:1 Or value
  3. 2 Peter 1:1 Or in
  4. 2 Peter 1:2 Or our Lord. Since His...excellence, through these (vv 3-4)
  5. 2 Peter 1:3 Or to
  6. 2 Peter 1:3 Or virtue
  7. 2 Peter 1:4 Lit which
  8. 2 Peter 1:5 Or virtue
  9. 2 Peter 1:13 I.e., human body
  10. 2 Peter 1:17 Lit voice
  11. 2 Peter 1:17 Or My Son, My beloved, with
  12. 2 Peter 1:18 Lit voice
  13. 2 Peter 1:20 Or comes from someone’s
  14. 2 Peter 1:20 Or the prophet’s own
  15. 2 Peter 2:4 Gr Tartarus, a name used as a reference to the netherworld (hell)
  16. 2 Peter 2:4 One early ms chains of darkness
  17. 2 Peter 2:5 Or herald
  18. 2 Peter 2:6 One early ms to those who were going to live ungodly lives
  19. 2 Peter 2:7 Or disgraceful
  20. 2 Peter 2:9 Or temptation; one early ms trials (temptations)
  21. 2 Peter 2:10 Lit go after
  22. 2 Peter 2:10 Lit lordship
  23. 2 Peter 2:10 Or Audacious
  24. 2 Peter 2:10 Lit glories
  25. 2 Peter 2:12 Lit their destruction also
  26. 2 Peter 2:13 One early ms love feasts
  27. 2 Peter 2:14 Lit and unceasing from sin
  28. 2 Peter 2:15 Or wages
  29. 2 Peter 2:17 Lit blackness of darkness
  30. 2 Peter 2:22 Lit The thing of the true proverb has happened to them
  31. 2 Peter 3:4 I.e., died
  32. 2 Peter 3:5 Or they are willfully ignorant of this fact, that
  33. 2 Peter 3:10 Lit the works in it
  34. 2 Peter 3:10 I.e., as worthless; late mss burned up
  35. 2 Peter 3:17 Or disgraceful
  36. 2 Peter 3:17 Or firm hold

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