1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:

2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

3 According as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that has called us to glory and virtue:

4 Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 But he that lacks these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and has forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

10 Why the rather, brothers, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you shall never fall:

11 For so an entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12 Why I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and be established in the present truth.

13 Yes, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me.

15 Moreover I will endeavor that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto you do well that you take heed, as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

the Rule of Christian Growth

2Pe 1:1-11/p>

The keynote of this paragraph is these things, 2Pe 1:8-10. Precious faith, 2Pe 1:1, answers to precious promises, 2Pe 1:4. Notice that God has given us every provision for a godly life, through the knowledge of Jesus, but that we must avail ourselves of it. The promises are great and precious, but we must appropriate and absorb them, if we are through them to partake of the divine nature. Our redemption has been secured by our Savior, but we must constantly advance and add to the golden links already securely stapled in faith.

In 2Pe 1:5-7, a choir with linked hands passes before us, each member of which leads another; or we may use another similitude, and say that each grace, here mentioned, is contained in the next, as a series of Chinese boxes. To be deficient in these things is to be barren and unfruitful, 2Pe 1:8, and to be shortsighted, 2Pe 1:9. We may well desire the abundant entrance, 2Pe 1:11, not like waterlogged vessels, but with every sail unfurled-hot landing on the celestial shore unexpected and unwanted, but welcomed by those we have helped.

Eye-Witnesses of His Majesty

2Pe 1:12-21

Peter could never forget what the Master had predicted of his death. See Joh 21:18. Oh, that in our death, whatever be its mode, we may glorify God! The fulfillment of those words was already looming before Peter's eyes, but he had no fear. He describes his home-going by the word used by Moses and Elijah when they spoke of the decease (lit., exodus) which the Lord would accomplish. Compare 2Pe 1:15 with Luk 9:31, r.v., margin.

Then the whole scene of the Transfiguration rose before his mind. It seemed as if he were again on that holy mount, beholding the majesty of the Lord and hearing the Father's attesting voice. There are three infallible proofs of Christianity: (1) the witness of the Apostles; (2) the light of prophecy as fulfilled in Christ; (3) the testimony of the Holy Spirit. These three burn in the dark night of the present and we may count on them till we see the first glimmer of dawn. Then we shall need no candle, for the Lord God will give us light.