New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
2 Peter 1
1
I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter. I serve Jesus Christ. I am his apostle. I am sending this letter to you who have received a faith as valuable as ours. You received it because our God and Savior Jesus Christ does what is right and fair for everyone.
Reference
Faith
2 Corinthians 4:13
Romans 1:12
Parallel theme
John 12:26
2 Peter 1:4
Ephesians 4:11
References Jesus
1 Peter 1:1
Romans 1:1
Salvation
Titus 2:13
Titus 1:4
Luke 1:47
2
May more and more grace and peace be given to you. May they come to you as you learn more about God and about Jesus our Lord.
Reference
Grace
2 Peter 3:18
1 Peter 1:2
Jude 1:2
Romans 1:7
Parallel theme
Isaiah 53:11
Luke 10:22
Peace
Daniel 4:1
References Jesus
John 17:3
Philippians 3:8
3
God's power has given us everything we need to lead a godly life. All of that has come to us because we know the One who chose us. He chose us because of his own glory and goodness.
Reference
Glory
1 Peter 5:10
Psalm 84:11
2 Corinthians 12:9
2 Thessalonians 2:14
1 Thessalonians 2:12
Parallel theme
2 Timothy 1:9
Romans 8:32
1 Peter 2:21
1 Peter 2:9
References God
2 Peter 1:2
4
He has also given us his very great and valuable promises. He did it so you could share in his nature. He also did it so you could escape from the evil in the world. That evil is caused by sinful longings.
Reference
6
To knowledge, add the ability to control yourselves. To the ability to control yourselves, add the strength to keep going. To the strength to keep going, add godliness.
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 21:19
Hebrews 12:1
1 Corinthians 9:25
Galatians 5:23
Titus 2:2
Revelation 2:2
Acts 24:25
References God
2 Peter 1:3
Hebrews 10:36
Revelation 14:12
8
You should possess more and more of those good points. They will make you useful and fruitful as you get to know our Lord Jesus Christ better.
Reference
Parallel theme
John 15:2
Titus 3:14
Hebrews 6:12
Philippians 1:9
References Christ
Colossians 3:16
References Jesus
2 Peter 1:2
Philemon 1:6
2 Corinthians 13:5
1 Thessalonians 4:1
References Lord
1 Corinthians 15:58
9
But what if some of you do not have those good points? Then you can't see very well. You are blind. You have forgotten that your past sins have been washed away.
Reference
10
My brothers and sisters, be very sure that God has appointed you to be saved. Be sure that he has chosen you. If you do everything I have just said, you will never trip and fall.
Reference
11
You will receive a rich welcome into the kingdom that lasts forever. It is the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Reference
Eternal Life
2 Corinthians 5:1
Kingdom
Revelation 5:10
Matthew 25:34
Daniel 7:27
Daniel 7:14
Parallel theme
Revelation 3:21
Hebrews 6:17
John 10:10
Ephesians 3:20
References Lord
2 Timothy 4:8
12
So I will always remind you of these things. I'll do it even though you know them. I'll do it even though you now have deep roots in the truth.
Reference
Parallel theme
Philippians 3:1
Colossians 2:7
Jude 1:5
2 Peter 1:13
Hebrews 13:9
2 Peter 3:17
2 Peter 1:15
2 Peter 3:1
Truth
1 John 2:21
2 John 1:2
13
I think it is right for me to remind you. It is right as long as I live in this tent. I'm talking about my body.
Reference
15
I hope that you will always be able to remember these things after I'm gone. I will try very hard to see that you do.
Reference
16
We told you about the time our Lord Jesus Christ came with power. But we didn't make up stories when we told you about it. With our own eyes we saw him in all his majesty.
Reference
Creation
John 1:14
1 Corinthians 1:17
Parallel theme
1 Timothy 1:4
1 Corinthians 2:4
1 Timothy 4:7
Ephesians 4:14
Revelation 1:7
Titus 1:14
References Jesus
Matthew 28:18
Witness
1 John 4:14
17
God the Father gave him honor and glory. The voice of the Majestic Glory came to him. It said, "This is my Son, and I love him. I am very pleased with him."--(Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35)
Reference
Love
Mark 9:7
Matthew 17:5
Matthew 3:17
Luke 3:22
Mark 1:11
Matthew 12:18
John 3:35
2 John 1:3
Parallel theme
Isaiah 42:1
John 5:26
18
We ourselves heard the voice that came from heaven. We were with him on the sacred mountain.
Reference
19
The word of the prophets is made more certain. We have that word. You must pay attention to it. It is like a light shining in a dark place. It will shine until the day Jesus comes. Then the Morning Star will rise in your hearts.
Reference
Light
Isaiah 9:2
Matthew 4:16
John 8:12
John 5:35
Parallel theme
Revelation 22:16
Revelation 2:28
Word
Psalm 119:105
John 5:39
Isaiah 8:20
Proverbs 6:23
20
Above all, here is what you must understand. No prophecy in Scripture ever came from a prophet's own understanding.
21
It never came simply because a prophet wanted it to. Instead, the Holy Spirit guided the prophets as they spoke. So prophecy comes from God.
Reference
Holy
Luke 1:70
Acts 1:16
Hebrews 10:15
Hebrews 3:7
Mark 12:36
Parallel theme
Numbers 16:28
Prophecy
Acts 3:18
Spirit
1 Peter 1:11
2 Samuel 23:2
Revelation 19:10
Chapter Summary
2 Peter 1 teaches that God has given believers everything necessary for spiritual life and godliness through Jesus Christ, so Christians should actively develop faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, while remaining firmly established in apostolic teaching and trusting both the eyewitness testimony of Christ's glory and the divine authority of Scripture.
Peter opens by identifying himself as a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, writing to believers who share the same precious faith through Jesus.
He immediately emphasizes that knowing God and Christ should result in increasing grace, peace, and spiritual understanding.
God's divine power has already provided believers with everything necessary for life and godliness, meaning Christians are not expected to create spiritual transformation entirely through their own strength.
Through God's promises, believers can escape the corruption produced by sinful desires and participate in a life increasingly shaped by God's character.
Peter then describes a progression of Christian spiritual growth.
Faith should produce moral excellence, moral excellence should be accompanied by knowledge, and knowledge should lead to self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and finally genuine love.
These qualities should continue increasing because Christian faith is not meant to remain passive or unproductive.
A believer who lacks these qualities has become spiritually short-sighted and has forgotten the cleansing that Christ provided from previous sins.
Peter therefore urges Christians to live in a way that demonstrates the reality of their calling and election.
Faithful perseverance provides confidence that believers will not fall into spiritual failure and will ultimately receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Peter then explains why he continues repeating these teachings even though his readers already know them.
He understands that his earthly life is coming to an end, and he wants to ensure that believers remember these truths after he is gone.
This gives the chapter a strong sense of urgency because Peter is concerned about preserving the Christian message for future generations.
Peter next defends the reliability of the apostolic testimony concerning Jesus.
The apostles did not invent clever stories about Christ's power and coming but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Peter specifically recalls the occasion when Jesus was revealed in glory on the mountain and the heavenly voice identified Him as God's beloved Son.
This is traditionally understood as the Transfiguration, an event witnessed by Peter, James, and John during Jesus' earthly ministry.
Peter's point is that the Christian message concerning Christ's glory and authority rests upon genuine apostolic testimony rather than fabricated religious stories.
He then turns to the prophetic Scriptures, describing them as a reliable light shining in a dark world until Christ's full revelation arrives.
The Scriptures therefore provide guidance while believers wait for God's future purposes to be completely revealed.
Peter concludes by explaining that biblical prophecy did not originate merely from human ideas or personal imagination.
Instead, people spoke God's message as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The chapter therefore establishes two important foundations for Christian confidence: the eyewitness testimony of the apostles concerning Jesus Christ and the Spirit-guided prophetic Scriptures.
The central message of 2 Peter 1 is that God has already provided believers with everything necessary for spiritual life through Jesus Christ, so Christians should continually develop faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, remaining productive rather than spiritually stagnant while trusting the eyewitness testimony of Christ's glory, preserving apostolic teaching for future generations, and relying upon Scripture as a trustworthy message given through the Holy Spirit.
Peter opens by identifying himself as a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, writing to believers who share the same precious faith through Jesus.
He immediately emphasizes that knowing God and Christ should result in increasing grace, peace, and spiritual understanding.
God's divine power has already provided believers with everything necessary for life and godliness, meaning Christians are not expected to create spiritual transformation entirely through their own strength.
Through God's promises, believers can escape the corruption produced by sinful desires and participate in a life increasingly shaped by God's character.
Peter then describes a progression of Christian spiritual growth.
Faith should produce moral excellence, moral excellence should be accompanied by knowledge, and knowledge should lead to self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and finally genuine love.
These qualities should continue increasing because Christian faith is not meant to remain passive or unproductive.
A believer who lacks these qualities has become spiritually short-sighted and has forgotten the cleansing that Christ provided from previous sins.
Peter therefore urges Christians to live in a way that demonstrates the reality of their calling and election.
Faithful perseverance provides confidence that believers will not fall into spiritual failure and will ultimately receive a rich welcome into the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ.
Peter then explains why he continues repeating these teachings even though his readers already know them.
He understands that his earthly life is coming to an end, and he wants to ensure that believers remember these truths after he is gone.
This gives the chapter a strong sense of urgency because Peter is concerned about preserving the Christian message for future generations.
Peter next defends the reliability of the apostolic testimony concerning Jesus.
The apostles did not invent clever stories about Christ's power and coming but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Peter specifically recalls the occasion when Jesus was revealed in glory on the mountain and the heavenly voice identified Him as God's beloved Son.
This is traditionally understood as the Transfiguration, an event witnessed by Peter, James, and John during Jesus' earthly ministry.
Peter's point is that the Christian message concerning Christ's glory and authority rests upon genuine apostolic testimony rather than fabricated religious stories.
He then turns to the prophetic Scriptures, describing them as a reliable light shining in a dark world until Christ's full revelation arrives.
The Scriptures therefore provide guidance while believers wait for God's future purposes to be completely revealed.
Peter concludes by explaining that biblical prophecy did not originate merely from human ideas or personal imagination.
Instead, people spoke God's message as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The chapter therefore establishes two important foundations for Christian confidence: the eyewitness testimony of the apostles concerning Jesus Christ and the Spirit-guided prophetic Scriptures.
The central message of 2 Peter 1 is that God has already provided believers with everything necessary for spiritual life through Jesus Christ, so Christians should continually develop faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, remaining productive rather than spiritually stagnant while trusting the eyewitness testimony of Christ's glory, preserving apostolic teaching for future generations, and relying upon Scripture as a trustworthy message given through the Holy Spirit.