2 Peter 1

This is the first of the three chapters of 2 Peter. It opens with the letter's greeting and lays the groundwork for the warning against false teachers in chapter 2 and the discussion of the Second Coming in chapter 3.

Outline

• Verses 1–2 Simon Peter greets those who have obtained a like precious faith and wishes them grace and peace.
• Verses 3–4 God has given all things that pertain to life and godliness, along with exceeding great and precious promises, so that believers might be "partakers of the divine nature."
• Verses 5–11 Readers are urged to add to their faith virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. Those who make their calling and election sure will enter the everlasting kingdom.
• Verses 12–15 Peter states that he knows he must shortly put off "this tabernacle." He therefore seeks to ensure that his readers will remember these things after his departure.
• Verses 16–18 Peter declares that the coming of Christ he proclaimed was not a cunningly devised fable. It rests on his having personally witnessed Christ's majesty on the holy mount and heard the voice from heaven.
• Verses 19–21 Prophecy is likened to a light that shines in a dark place. Prophecy came not by the will of man; rather, holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Key Verses

• 2 Peter 1:4 "that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature" — a verse describing the goal toward which salvation is directed; its interpretation differs among traditions.
• 2 Peter 1:10 "give diligence to make your calling and election sure" — frequently cited in discussions of the relationship between God's election and the believer's effort.
• 2 Peter 1:21 "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" — regarded as a basis for the doctrine that Scripture was written by divine inspiration.

People and Places

• Simon Peter: The sender, who identifies himself as "a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ."
• Jesus Christ: Presented as the one who received honor and glory from God on the holy mount.
• The holy mount: The site of the Transfiguration. The text does not name the mountain; tradition identifies it as either Mount Tabor or Mount Hermon.

Issues for Interpretation

• Authorship: The letter has traditionally been accepted as written by Peter. Since the modern period, many scholars, citing differences in style and other factors, have held that a later writer composed it in Peter's name. It is also known to have been disputed in the ancient church before being recognized as part of the canon.
• "The divine nature" in verse 4: The Orthodox Church reads this verse as a basis for the doctrine of deification (theosis), in which human beings come to participate in the life of God. Protestants generally read it in terms of sanctification, the renewal of character in the Holy Spirit.
• Verse 10: Calvinism reads this verse as a basis for assurance of salvation, with election confirmed by the fruit of one's life. Arminianism and the Wesleyan tradition read it as a reminder of the believer's responsibility and the possibility of falling away.
• Verse 20, "no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation": Interpretations fall into two camps. One reads it as concerning origin, meaning that prophecy did not arise from the prophet's own thoughts. The other reads it as concerning interpretation, meaning that individuals should not interpret Scripture arbitrarily. The Catholic Church sometimes connects this verse with the Church's interpretive authority.
• Connections within the New Testament: Verses 16–18 are read alongside the Transfiguration account in Matthew 17. Verse 14 is read in connection with the scene in John 21 where Jesus foretells Peter's death.

In the Korean Church

Verses 5–7, "add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge," are frequently used as a sermon text on the stages of spiritual growth. Verses 20–21 are commonly cited together with 2 Timothy 3:16 to explain the inspiration of Scripture.