Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church Manhattan KS, 21 Jan 2024
TRANSLATION: Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to the free-recipients of a faith of equal value with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied in y’all through the certain knowledge of God and of Jesus our Master, [even] as His divine power has given to us all the things for life and godliness, through our certain knowledge of the One who called us to glory and virtue, through which things He has given His valuable and greatest promises to us in order that through them y’all might become partakers of the divine nature, having fled from the corruption in the world caused by lust. Now, for this very reason, y’all having been equipped with all diligence, y’all must start supplying with your faith virtue, and with your virtue, knowledge, and with your knowledge, self-control, and with your self-control perseverance, and with your perseverance, godliness, and with your godliness, fraternity, and with your fraternity, love, for while these things are existing and abounding in y’all, they install neither useless things nor unfruitful things into the certain knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then again, to whomever these things do not adhere, he is myopically blind, having taken to forgetfulness of the cleansing of his old sins. Therefore, brothers, start being diligent all-the-more to make confirmed for yourselves your calling and choosing, for when y’all do these things you shall never stumble then, for in this way the inroad into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provisioned to y’all. Therefore I will not neglect to remind y’all always concerning these things, even though y’all have known and have been established in the truth which has come. Nevertheless, for as long as I am in this temporary dwelling, I consider it right to rouse y’all with a reminder, knowing that the demise of my temporary dwelling will be swift, even as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me, so I will be diligent in order for y’all to be in possession of these things so that you can make the remembrance for yourselves at any time after the departure of myself.
Verses 10-15 jump off of vs. 5-6 “...giving all diligence, supply with your faith: virtue... knowledge… self-control… perseverance… godliness… fraternity, and … love...”
In verses 10-11, Peter gives us three compelling reasons to make use of these seven divine gifts with our faith, and then in verses 12-15, Peter gives us his own example of how he is doing it.
The first reason Peter gives us in...
Verses 8, 9, 10, 12, and 15 all use the phrase “these things” to refer back to the 7 character qualities from God which we are to put into practice with our faith. It is the doing of these things, he says in v. 10, which “confirms our calling and election” and which keeps us from “stumbling.”
In other words, as Matthew Henry put it in his commentary, “[W]hat in [verse] 5 is expressed by ‘giving diligence to add to faith virtue,’ etc., is expressed in [verse] 10 by ‘giving diligence to make our calling and election sure.’”
What is our “calling and election”?
Peter has already mentioned in v.3 that God is the “one who calls,” and he has already mentioned at the beginning of his first epistle, that God “chooses/elects” persons to obey Jesus by believing in Him.
This terminology refers to the classic categories in the process of salvation (or ordo salutis), listed in Romans 8:29-30.
“Election” refers to the early part of the process where God chose to love and regenerate and save people. (Ephesians 1:4 tells us that this was a decision God made before He created/founded the world.)
“Calling” refers to a central point in the process where God lets a person know that He wants to save them and convinces them to respond. That happens during our lifetimes when we hear the Gospel (that Jesus died to save sinners) and we find that good news compelling. Ephesians 1 also speaks of calling in terms of when “the eyes of your understanding [are] enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints" (Eph. 1:18, ESV, cf. 2 Tim. 1:9, Heb. 3:1)
2 Thessalonians 2:13 also puts these things together as part of the process of salvation: “...God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV) “Glory” is the end of the process of salvation.
So, how can we “make our calling and election sure”?
A year before I was born, Gordon Clark, who was an excellent scholar in Greek, wrote a commentary on 2 Peter. He married off his two daughters also around that time to Dwight Zeller and Wyatt George, both of whom have preached at our church – and we have also had some of Gordon Clark’s grandsons, Andrew Zeller, Seth George, and Nathan Clark George teach, preach, and sing at our church events. At any rate, Dr. Clark raised a key question in his commentary on 2 Peter: “[Is] eternal divine election… uncertain [?] How can anything God has done be made certain by a man?” This can be answered from three angles: by the grammar, by the meaning, and by the purpose:
First the grammar: as A.R. Fausset observed in his commentary a century earlier, this Greek verb for “make sure/certain/confirmed” is in the Greek middle voice. It is not the voice used for doing something to something else like “making a ship, [building] a house, or manufacturing arrows…” (Clark), rather, it is the voice used for doing a part of a job that pertains only to yourself. “The ensuring of our election is spoken of not in respect to God, whose counsel is steadfast and everlasting, but in respect to our part.” (Fausset)
Secondly, Clark explained the meaning: “Peter is speaking to individuals to whom Christ has sovereignly allotted faith… Such a calling and election is radically individual. And this is the election Peter exhorts us to make certain for ourselves. To make my divinely-decreed election certain to or for myself is simply a matter of assurance… not… of making God’s decree more certain than God could make it.” Romans 4:16 explains: “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham...” (NKJV, cf Heb. 2:2, 3:14, 6:19, 9:17) Faith – believing in God’s gracious promise is what makes it “sure” in our mind.
And third is the perspective of purpose and result: In the 1550’s John Calvin spoke to this in his commentary: “[I]t is one proof that we have been really elected, and not-in-vain called by the Lord, if a good conscience and integrity of life correspond with our profession of faith… Now a question arises, Whether the stability of our calling and election depends on good works, for if it be so, it follows that it depends on us. But the whole Scripture teaches us, first, that God's election is founded on his eternal purpose; and secondly, that calling begins and is completed through his gratuitous goodness... But as he has chosen us, and calls us for this end, that we may be pure and spotless in his presence; purity of life is... the evidence and proof of election… The... children of God are distinguished from the reprobate by this mark, that they live a godly and a holy life, because this is the design and end of election.” In other words, if God is where virtue comes from, and if He calls us to salvation with the goal of us sharing in His glory and virtue, then when you see someone practicing virtue, you can say, “Aha! I know where that came from! That came from God, and it only comes to those whom God calls, so that confirms it; you’ve been chosen and called by God to salvation!
Verse 10 ends with a second motivation for applying virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, fraternity, and love with our faith. That second motivation is: as long as we do this, we will emphatically “never” stumble. What does this mean?
When we look at the whole counsel of Scripture (esp. 1 John 1 and James 3:21), we can’t interpret this to mean that we will never sin if we fortify our faith. What it means is that we won’t stumble so badly that we “fall away” and spend eternity in hell.
Now, it is tricky to distinguish the role God plays and the role man plays in this. The doctrines of the sovereignty of God and the free will of man have to be navigated carefully, because,
on the one hand, the Bible makes it clear that God is sovereign in salvation: Romans 8 and the remarks Jesus makes about His own shepherding in John 10:28, make it clear that those on whom God chooses to set His love, end up “justified” and “glorified,” rather than “condemned” or “perishing,” and “Nothing can separate us from the love of God...” and “nothing can snatch [us] out of His hand.”
And yet, on the other hand we have this encouragement in 2 Peter that it’s important for the character of God to be flowing through you to keep you from stumbling in the exercise of faith, and later on in 2 Peter 3:17 “...beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (ESV, cf. Rev. 3:11), making it clear that we we do, does indeed have a bearing on our spiritual health.
This philosophical knot isn’t something I can untie in a sub-point of a sermon. (I might observe that we only find it puzzling because of how deeply God enmeshes Himself with His human creatures.) But what we can do is accept this message from God, that applying virtue, knowledge, self control, perseverance, godliness, fraternity, and love with our faith is a sure-fire way to keep from being tripped up by sin, and we can be “diligent” to apply them.
For instance, you may be in front of a screen and on that screen is an actor in an advertisement or a movie.
If you are not applying self-control with your faith, the way you view that actor could become idolatry, an image that competes with Jesus for your worship. But if you apply self-control, that image doesn’t control you any more; you are free to return your attention to God’s calling on your life.
If you are not applying knowledge with your faith, that look could become followership – letting yourself be discipled by the worldview and popular sayings promoted by that actor – in competition with what the Bible says. But if you apply knowledge, you can discern for yourself whether they are promoting human foolishness or Godly wisdom, and decide whether to avoid them or to be discipled by them.
If you are not applying virtue with your faith, you might find yourself objectifying or even hating that person, failing to consider how God might be calling you to meet their need for God’s grace. But if you can apply Godly virtues of mercy and love, you can see who they are in the context of God’s kingdom and seek what will be in their best interest.
Do you see how taking on these aspects of God’s character guards us from sin?
The third reason Peter gives us for practicing these divine gifts with our faith is...
Peter repeats the verb for “supply/add/supplement” that he used back in v.5, “...y’all must start supplying with your faith virtue... knowledge... self-control... perseverance... godliness... fraternity, and ...love…” and says in v.11 “for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”
As you take these godly virtues out of the pack God packed for you (when you became a believer and He gave you all you needed for life and godliness), and as you “supply” them with your faith, God promises to “abundantly supply/provide” you with all you need as you go to heaven!
Note that, despite Peter’s emphasis on doing something with your faith, the “entrance/welcome” into heaven is not earned by these doings; it is still God’s gift. The Greek verb for “supplied/ministered/provided/received” in v.11 is passive: the entrance will BE provided by God.
“God, by ever supplying you abundantly with new graces, will lead you to his own kingdom.” ~J. Calvin
“Minister in your faith virtue and the other graces, so shall there be ministered to you the entrance into that heaven where these graces shine most brightly. The reward of grace hereafter shall correspond to the work of grace here.” ~A.R. Fausset
Heaven – or the world to come – is here called the “Eternal Kingdom,” with the focus on Jesus being king forever.
This was prophesied by Isaiah and Daniel especially in the Old Testament:
Isaiah 9:7 “Of His empire's increase and of peace there will be no end...” (NAW)
Daniel 7:27 “...His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions shall serve and obey Him." (NKJV, cf. 2:44, 7:14)
And here at the end of the New Testament, Peter and John prophesied it:
2 Peter 3:10&13 “...the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away… and... the earth… Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (NKJV)
Revelation 11:15 “...The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (NKJV)
So, what is the “entrance” into Christ’s eternal kingdom?
The NIV translates it “welcome,” but the NASB has the best translation with “the entrance.”
Furthermore, in all the Greek New Testaments, the word “the” comes before before the word for “entrance.” The Bible doesn’t teach that there are many entrances into the kingdom of God or that we can choose a way in. There is only one entrance, and that is Jesus, Who said, “I am the door [θύρα]. If anyone enters [εἰσέλθη] by Me, he will be saved…” (John 10:9) and “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NKJV)
And if you want the exact-same word Peter used for “entrance,” look no further than Hebrews 10:19 “...you have open-access into the entryway of the holy places by means of the blood of Jesus...” (NAW)
Jesus Himself, because of His atonement on the cross for us, is the entrance into the eternal kingdom.
So, to summarize verse 11, as we practice God’s virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, fraternity, and love, together with faith in Jesus, God will “richly/abundantly” provide you with the merits of Christ which are your “entrance” into heaven. In this way, it is not what you do, it is Christ who saves you (while the practice of your faith is instrumental)2.
The Apostle Jude put it this way, Jude 1:20-21 “...as for y'all, building yourselves on in your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, anticipating the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (NAW)
Compare that with the Apostle Paul in: 2 Timothy 4:18 “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!" (NKJV)
Now, Peter switches gears in v.12 to speak of himself and what he is doing as an example.
Peter sees the need to “continually/always remind” believers concerning these things (remember, the phrase “these things” refers back to the 7 things God gave them when they believed and which God wants them to use with their faith).
“We need to be put in mind of what we already know to prevent our forgetting it… such things as cannot be too clearly known nor too firmly believed. The most advanced Christians cannot, while in this world, be above ordinances, nor beyond the need of those means which God has appointed and does afford.” ~Matthew Henry
Isaiah 62:6 “Upon your walls, Jerusalem, I have caused guards to visit all the day and all the night continuously, they will not sit still. Those who cause to remember Yahweh, let there be no breaks for y'all." (NAW)
I suspect that some of you, like myself, have grown up hearing the Gospel multiple times a week, and so we are tempted to get bored with it. Can’t we just move on to something more interesting – more advanced – and skip the ‘old hat’? The answer is NO! It is the very fact that most of the world HAS moved on – and even in most churches, the gospel is no longer preached – that is the problem! If the “righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ… the certain knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord… the calling… and His promises…” is all “old hat” to you, praise God that you have grown up in a church that actually preached the Gospel, and be prepared to hold up those standards yourself for the next generation!
For what it’s worth, the majority of Greek manuscripts, including the oldest-known manuscript of 2 Peter, read with a double negative like the KJV: “I will not be negligent,” but most English versions nowadays render it positively, without the double negatives as, “I intend/am ready,” which basically means the same thing.
Peter says that this “truth” was “present” with his readers (or as the more paraphrastic versions read, they “have” it). The Greek word parouse, describing this “truth,” is the participial form of the noun parousia, used in chapter 3 to describe the second “coming” of Christ.
I think it focuses on the “truth” in terms of it having already “come” in the preaching of the Apostles to these diaspora churches.
The only other place in the Bible where these two words for “truth” and “prèsent” occur together is Colossians 1:6, where the Apostle Paul speaks of the Colossian church having “heard… the good news” from Epaphras’ evangelism, and then comments that, “the Word of the truth of the good news… is present in you... from the day you heard and fully understood the grace of God in truth.” (NAW)
The Gospel has previously been preached to these readers, and they have believed it, and the apostle who preached to them heard them confess faith and baptized them (and their households) and helped them start a church. I believe that’s what it means that they were “established.”
This is opposed to the continuously-evolving gnosis that false teachers were making up and propagating.
But even though they had good doctrine and a good church, they still needed to be reminded. “‘[I]n a matter so great, admonitions are never superfluous; and, therefore, they ought never to be deemed vexatious.’ Paul also employs a similar excuse in Romans 15:14, ‘I am persuaded of you, brethren... that ye are full of knowledge, so as to be able to admonish one another: but I have more confidently written to you, as putting you in mind.’” ~J. Calvin
The other apostles said the same thing:
Paul in Philippians 3:1 “...For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe." (NKJV)
John in 1 John 2:21 “I do not write to you because you DON'T know the truth, but because you DO know it..." (NAW)
and Jude in Jude 1:5 “Although y'all know all these things, I'm wanting to remind y'all ..." (NAW)
Reminders are important to our faith, and so Peter sets the example of reminding fellow believers of the gospel and of the importance of believing it and of the importance of drawing on God’s gracious gifts in the exercise of faith in Jesus.
Peter says in v.13 that it’s “right” to “rouse/stir up/refresh” Christians with reminders!
He says it again in 3:1 “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder)” (NKJV)
Paul also used this verb in 2 Timothy 1:6 “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you...” (NKJV)
Most of the times this verb διεγείρειν is used in the Greek Bible, it refers to someone waking up from sleep. Along those lines, John Calvin commented: “[I]t is needful to arouse the faithful, for otherwise torpor will creep in from the flesh. Though, then, they might not have wanted teaching, yet he says that the goads of admonitions were useful, lest security and indulgence (as it is usually the case) should weaken what they had learned...”
Peter also shares that he is motivated by the fact that he will die soon.
In v.13, Peter calls his body a “σκηνωματος/tent/tabernacle,” like Paul did in 2 Corinthians 5:1 “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (NKJV) This word brings out the idea that our earthly body is not a permanent thing. Like a tent, it is not meant to live in forever, so it is not built of everlasting stuff.
Peter is estimated to be in his 60’s, but even so, he is not retiring from the job of being an apostle. He doesn’t say, “As long as I’m in good health…” or “Until I get my pension…” He says, “as long as I’m in this bag of bones I am going to keep reminding you of the truth!” (By the way, I didn’t make up that application; my New Testament Greek professor did in his commentary on 2 Peter, which he wrote when he was over 80 years old!) Don’t let old age stop you from reminding people of God’s truth!
In vs.14 & 15 Peter straight-up mentions the end of his bodily life. Not that he is going to end it himself, as the KJV and NIV oddly seem to imply, but that Jesus told him that his “demise was to be sudden” – and perhaps “soon,” although nowhere else in the Bible is this word used to mean “soon/imminent.” I think the idea that his death would be so sudden that he might not have time for last words is more likely than the idea that his death was near and that he was trying to get one last letter in before he died, although good commentators support both ideas.
So, when did Jesus describe how Peter would die?
Peter is probably recalling Jesus’ words to him on the beach after His resurrection and after He had asked Peter 3 times, “Do you love me?” and had told Peter 3 times, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:18 records Jesus then saying, “...when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish,” and then the Apostle John explains, “This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God…” (John 21:18-19, NKJV)
It has been further suggested that Jesus’ use of “Follow me” in John 21:19 & 13:36 could have been the tip-off for Peter that his death would also be by crucifixion, with no further revelation needed. (Vincent)
But I wouldn’t be surprised if there had been an additional message from Jesus letting Peter know that his death was rapidly approaching and that it would be a violent one due to persecution.
However, we don’t need a special message from Jesus about our death. The truth is that, if Christ doesn’t return in our lifetime, we are all going to die. And even if Christ does return in our lifetime, that will the be the point after which we can do nothing more on this earth.
What is the legacy that you want to leave on this earth when you pass on?
If there’s anything God has called you to do on this earth, you’d better do it before you reach that point of no return.
Peter is realizing there are messages he needs to get to the churches before he dies, so he puts away neglect and puts on diligence and finishes the Gospel of Mark and writes a sequel to 1 Peter, in which he urges the church to “be all-the-more diligent” to get done all that God had “called and chosen” them to do on this earth.
Peter wanted his legacy to be that Christians remembered the truth and were vibrant in their faith in Jesus.
Note that Peter was not preoccupied with Christians remembering him after he died; he was concerned that they remember “these things” after he died. (DFZ)
Christianity has always been about God’s Word, rather than about any particular man,
and that, by the way, is what distinguishes the Reformation church from both the ancient churches of Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy and from the modern Pentecostal and Neo-Orthodox churches – the primacy of the Bible over human tradition.
So what was Peter doing to provide a way for Christians to “remember these things at any time”?
Some Bible scholars have suggested that the memory aid was the Gospel of Mark that Peter helped Mark write. The Gospel of Mark has indeed been a great blessing to all believers who want to remember Jesus and His good news! (Irenaeus, ATR)
Many commentators, however, think that the reminder is the epistle of 2 Peter itself. (DFZ3)
Peter’s goal was for you to be able to remember “these things” after the Apostles died off.
“What he says of ‘remembering these things after his death,’ was intended to shew, that posterity ought to learn from him when dead. For the apostles had not regard only for their own age, but purposed to do us good also. Though, then, they are dead, their doctrine lives and prevails: and it is our duty to profit by their writings, as though they were manifestly present with us.”~J. Calvin
Are you diligently doing the work of “profiting by the writings” of the prophets and apostles?
Furthermore, what are you doing to equip the next generation of Christians to be able to carry on the faith after you have passed on?
Can you say with Paul, “... Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death”? (Philippians 1:20, NKJV)
Can you say with David, “[Even] when I am old and grayheaded, O God, do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation, Your power to everyone who is to come”? (Psalm 71:18, NKJV)
Let’s follow Peter’s example and use the remaining time we have on this earth to “stir up” faith in others through what we write and say and do, and create ways to “remind” Christians of God’s truth.
GNTA |
NAWB |
KJVC |
MurdockD (Peshitta) |
DouayE (Vulgate) |
1 ΣυμεὼνF Πέτρος, δοῦλος καὶ ἀπόστολος ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῖς ἰσότιμον ἡμῖνG λαχοῦσιH πίστινI ἐνJ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆροςK ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ· |
1 Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to the free-recipients of a faith of equal value with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: |
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 X God and [our] Saviour Jesus Christ: |
1 Simon Peter, a servant and legate of Jesus the Messiah, to those who have obtained equally precious faith with us, through the righteousness of Our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus the Messiah; |
1 Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ: to them that have obtained equal X faith with us in the justice of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ. |
2 χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνηL πληθυνθείηM ἐνN ἐπιγνώσειO τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ᾿Ιησοῦ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν. |
2 May grace and peace be multiplied in y’all through the certain knowledge of God and of Jesus our Master, |
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, |
2 May grace and peace abound to you through the recognition of X X our Lord Jesus [the Messiah], |
2 Grace to you and peace be accomplished in the knowledge of God and of [Christ] Jesus our Lord. |
3 ῾ΩςP πάντα ἡμῖν τῆς θείας δυνάμεως αὐτοῦQ τὰ πρὸς ζωὴνR καὶ εὐσέβειαν δεδωρημένηςS διὰT τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ καλέσαντοςU ἡμᾶς διὰV δόξης καὶ ἀρετῃ῀ςW, |
3 [even] as His divine power has given to us all the things for life and godliness, through our certain knowledge of the One who called us to glory and virtue, |
3 According [as] his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: |
3
as
the giver to us of all things that be |
3 As all things of his divine power [which appertain] to life and godliness areY given us through the knowledge of him who hath called us by his own [proper] glory and virtue. |
4 δι᾿ ὧνZ τὰ τίμιαAA ἡμῖν καὶ μέγισταAB ἐπαγγέλματα δεδώρηταιAC, ἵναAD διὰ τούτωνAE γένησθε θείας κοινωνοὶ φύσεωςAF ἀποφυγόντες τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ ἐνAG ἐπιθυμίᾳ φθορᾶς. |
4 through which things He has given His valuable and greatest promises to us in order that through them y’all might become partakers of the divine nature, having fled from the corruption in the world caused by lust. |
4
Whereby
|
4
wherein
he hath given |
4
By
wh |
5 καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτοAH δὲ σπουδὴν πᾶσανAI παρεισενέγκαντεςAJ ἐπιχορηγήσατεAK ἐν τῃ῀ πίστειAL ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρετήνAM, ἐνAN δὲ τῃ῀ ἀρετῃ῀ τὴν γνῶσιν, |
5 Now, for this very reason, y’all having been equipped with all diligence, y’all must start supplying with your faith virtue, and with your virtue, knowledge, |
5
And |
5 And, while ye apply all diligence [in the matter], addX to your faith moral excellence; and to moral excellence, knowledge; |
5 And X you, employing all care, minister in your faith, virtue: And in virtue, knowledge: |
6 ἐν δὲ τῃ῀ γνώσει τὴν ἐγκράτειανAO, ἐν δὲ τῃ῀ ἐγκρατείᾳ τὴν ὑπομονήνAP, ἐν δὲ τῃ῀ ὑπομονῃ῀ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, |
6 and with your knowledge, self-control, and with your self-control perseverance, and with your perseverance, godliness, |
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; |
6 and to knowledge, perseverance; and to perseverance, patience; and to patience, the fear of God; |
6 And in knowledge, abstinence: and in abstinence, patience: and in patience, godliness: |
7 ἐν δὲ τῃ῀ εὐσεβείᾳ τὴν φιλαδελφίαν, ἐν δὲ τῃ῀ φιλαδελφίᾳ τὴν ἀγάπηνAQ. |
7 and with your godliness, fraternity, and with your fraternity, love, |
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. |
7 and to the fear of God, sympathy with the brotherhood; and to sympathy with the brotherhood, love. |
7 And in godliness, love of brotherhood: and in love of brotherhood, charity. |
8 ταῦτα γὰρ ὑμῖν ὑπάρχονταAR καὶ πλεονάζοντα οὐκ ἀργοὺς οὐδὲ ἀκάρπους καθίστησινAS εἰςAT τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπίγνωσιν· |
8 for while these things are existing and abounding in y’all, they install neither useless things nor unfruitful things into the certain knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
8 For, while these are found in you, and abounding, they render [you] not slothful, and not unfruitful, in the recognition of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. |
8
For if these things be with you and abound,
they
|
9 ὧͺAU γὰρ μὴ πάρεστι ταῦτα, τυφλός ἐστι μυωπάζωνAV, λήθην λαβὼνAW τοῦ καθαρισμοῦ AXτῶν πάλαι αὐτοῦAY ἁμαρτιῶν. |
9 Then again, to whomever these things do not adhere, he is myopically blind, having taken to forgetfulness of the cleansing of his old sins. |
9
But he that X |
9
For he, in whom these things are not |
9
For he that hath
not these things with him is blind and |
10 διὸ μᾶλλον, ἀδελφοί, σπουδάσατεAZ βεβαίαν ὑμῶν τὴν κλῆσιν καὶ ἐκλογὴνBA ποιεῖσθαιBB· ταῦτα γὰρ ποιοῦντες οὐ μὴBC πταίσητέ ποτε. |
10 Therefore, brothers, start being diligent all-the-more to make confirmed for yourselves your calling and choosing, for when y’all do these things you shall never stumble then, |
10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make X your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall X: |
10
[And] therefore, [my] brethren, be ye exceedingly
diligent to make X
your calling and election sure, [by
your good actions]: for, by
|
10
Wherefore, brethren, labour
the more, that [by good works] you may make
X sure
your calling and election. For doing
these things, you shall not |
11 οὕτω γὰρ πλουσίωςBD ἐπιχορηγηθήσεται BEὑμῖν ἡ εἴσοδος εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον βασιλείανBF τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ. |
11 for in this way the inroad into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly provisioned to y’all. |
11
For so |
11 For thus will X entrance be given you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus the Messiah. |
11
For so |
12̈ Διὸ οὐκBG ἀμελήσω ἀεὶ ὑμᾶς ὑπομιμνήσκειν περὶ τούτωνBH, καίπερBI εἰδότας καὶ ἐστηριγμένουςBJ ἐν τῃ῀ παρούσῃBK ἀληθείᾳ. |
12 Therefore I will not neglect to remind y’all always concerning these things, even though y’all have known and have been established in the truth which has come. |
12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. |
12
[And]
for this reason I am not
wearied in reminding you
continually of these things; although ye know them well, and are
established in |
12 For which cause, I will begin to put you always in remembrance of these things: though indeed you know them and are confirmed in the present truth. |
13̈ δίκαιον δὲBL ἡγοῦμαι, ἐφ᾿ ὅσον εἰμὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῳ῀ σκηνώματι, διεγείρεινBM ὑμᾶς ἐνBN ὑπομνήσει, |
13 Nevertheless, for as long as I am in this temporary dwelling, I consider it right to rouse y’all with a reminder, |
13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by [putting you in] remembrance; |
13 And it seemeth right to me, so long as I am in this body, to excite you by monition; |
13 But I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by [putting you in] remembrance. |
14̈ εἰδὼς ὅτι ταχινήBO ἐστιν ἡ ἀπόθεσις BP τοῦ σκηνώματός μου, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν ᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστὸς ἐδήλωσέBQ μοι, |
14 knowing that the demise of my temporary dwelling will be swift, even as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me, |
14
Knowing that shortly |
14
since I know, that the demise
of my body
is speedy,
as also |
14
|
15̈ σπουδάσω δὲ καὶ ἑκάστοτε ἔχεινBR ὑμᾶς μετὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ἔξοδονBS τὴν τούτων μνήμην ποιεῖσθαιBT. |
15 so I will be diligent in order for y’all to be in possession of these things so that you can make the remembrance for yourselves at any time after the departure of myself. |
15
Moreover I will endeavour
that ye may be
|
15
And I |
15
And I will endeavour
that you frequently have after my decease
whereby
you
may
keep |
11 John 1:8-10 “If we say that we have no sin, we lead ourselves astray and the truth is not in us. If we are confessing our sins, He is faithful and righteous in order to send away from us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we are making Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” James 3:2 For we all stumble in many things. If, in discourse, someone is not stumbling, this is a mature man...” (NAW)
2“Those who are diligent in the work of religion shall have a triumphant entrance into glory; while of those few who get to heaven, some are scarcely saved (1 Peter 4:18), with a great deal of difficulty, even as by fire (1 Cor. 3:15); those who are growing in grace, and abounding in the work of the Lord, shall have an abundant entrance into the joy of their Lord, even that everlasting kingdom where Christ reigns, and they shall reign with him for ever and ever.” ~M. Henry
3It has also been suggested (by Lenski) that First Peter is actually Third Peter, and that here in 2 Peter, the Apostle was talking about his plan to write the letter we now call 1 Peter, but this seems unlikely.
A1904 "Patriarchal" edition of the Greek Orthodox Church, as published by E-Sword in June 2016. Annotated by NAW where the 27th edition of the Nestle-Aland GNT differs.
BNathan A Wilson’s translation
CKing James Version of the Holy Bible (a.k.a. Authorized Version), 1769 edition, as published by E-Sword in July 2019.
DTranslation of the Peshito Syriac New Testament into English by James Murdock. Published in 1851. Republished by E-sword in June 2016.
ERheims New Testament first published by the English College at Rheims, A.D. 1582, Revised by Bishop Richard Challoner, A.D. 1749-1752, as published by E-sword in June 2016.
FTechnically
this is the name Simeon, but the two oldest-known manuscripts spell
Peter’s name Σιμων here,
and that is also the tradition of the Coptic, Ethiopic, and English
Bibles (although the ESV and NET Bibles
have recently pushed back against the tradition).
“The
two forms occur indifferently in 1 Macc. 2:3, 65 for the same man.”
~ATR
“If
a later writer wished to imitate Peter, he would have been more
likely to use the form of signature in the first epistle than to
adopt one that Peter himself had not used. Only Peter himself would
be completely free to sign as he wished.” ~Gordon Clark
G“The
faith which they have obtained is like in honor and privilege with
that of Peter or any of the apostles.” ~ATR
“The word here
… was used to indicate that a non-native of a city had the equal
rights of a citizen born in that city. In this context it is
[probably] referring to Gentile readers having the same standing
before God as Jewish Christians. If this is the case, then ημιν
is referring to Peter and all other Jews
who believed.” ~DFZ
HReineker
& Rodgers: “The word implies a gift or a favor”
“Peter
describes a king conferring privilege on one of his choice.
Accordingly Peter is addressing his fellow nobles. The contrast
between nobility and slavery is striking and can hardly have been
unintentional…. Classical Greek uses it for the result of a deity
apportioning goods (or evils) to a man and protecting him. The verb
also refers to a military post being assigned… [T]he notion that
God, prior to human choice, assigns faith to certain individuals
cannot be deleted from the verb...” ~Gordon Clark
I“subjective… power God gives to a sinner so that he can believe.” ~DFZ
JCalvin:
“[T]he efficient cause of faith is called God's righteousness for
this reason, because no one is capable of conferring it on himself.
So the righteousness that is to be understood, is not that which
remains in God, but that which he imparts to men, as in Romans 3:22.
Besides, he ascribes this righteousness in common to God and to
Christ, because it flows from God, and through Christ it flows down
to us.” Calvin’s editor, John Owen of Thrussington, noted that
the preposition should be “in” rather than “through.”
“Even
if the word faith is
objective rather than subjective – the doctrines believed rather
than the psychological act of believing… objective faith has equal
honor, no matter to whom given… The righteousness mentioned is
God’s [Christ’s] not ours… Thus those to whom faith was given
received a faith in God’s righteousness. That is, righteousness is
the object of belief. The Christian believes in God’s justice.”
~Gordon Clark
“Lenski
and MacArthur opt for the forensic use… ‘a righteousness from
God as Ro. 1:17..., whereas The
New Geneva Study Bible,
… ATR, and Alford think it is ethical righteousness… ‘God is
righteous…’ Both are true, but the ethical use is more in
keeping with Peter’s letter... most
likely referring to God’s righteousness – his justice, his
equity – of giving faith to Jews and Gentiles alike” ~DFZ
The
SIL team under Jim Lander that published Louw & Nida semantic
domain numbers for every word in the GNT of 2 Peter in Dec. 2017
(hereafter “Lander”) chose 89.26 “because of, on account of,
by reason of.”
ATR noted that “righteousness” can be
given the definite article in English because of the definite
object, “The God.”
KMoule’s Idiom Book of New Testament Greek p.109, noted that “God” is intended to apply to Jesus “our God even Jesus.” Easton, in his commentary on this verse asserted that this phrase ‘God and Savior’ always means one deity and not two in Greek literature written between 95-105 AD. Cf. v.11 and Titus 2:13. ATR also weighed in “one person, not two” citing Schmeidel in support.
L“By grace is designated God’s paternal favor towards us… Peace is added; for as the beginning of our happiness is when God receives us into favor; so the more he confirms his love in our hearts, the richer blessing he confers on us, so that we become happy and prosperous in all things,” ~Calvin
M“optative… a wish for the future (volitive use)” ~ATR
N“[B]oth
senses [“through” or “in”] may suit the context. I am,
however, more disposed to adopt the former.” ~Calvin
Lander:
L&N#89.76 “by means of”
O“The
compound expressing full knowledge” ~Vincent
“Full
(additional, epi) knowledge... is urged against the claims of
the Gnostic heretics to special gnōsis.” ~ATR
“The
Christian or perfect knowledge of God… implies a more intimate and
personal relationship than gnosis… gnosis
was associated with Gnosticism… but both in Classical Greek and in
Koine, it is a common word for ordinary knowledge. Note that in this
very chapter, the epignosis
of 1:2 is designated as gnosis
in 1:5,6.” ~Gordon Clark
“‘fuller
knowledge, precise
knowledge, or correct
knowledge’ … not used in the NT without reference to knowledge
of some kind connected with God. The Christ[ian] faith is NOT based
on mysticism, but upon objective and historical truth which God
wants His children to have.” ~DFZ
P“Hence
the Apostle justly animates the faithful to entertain good hope by
the consideration of the former benefits of God.” ~Calvin
“Others,
perhaps more correctly, view this verse as connected with the 5th,
and render ὡς, “Since,” and the beginning of the 5th verse,
“Do ye also for this reason, giving all diligence, add,” etc.;
that is, “Since God has done so great things for you, ye also for
this reason ought to be diligent in adding to your faith virtue,
etc.” ~Owen
Lander: L&N#89.37 “on the grounds that,
because”
“Gingrich cites this as a case where ‘ως
‘introduces the characteristic quality
of a person, thing, action, etc.’ This is true, but in this
instance, one needs to look at more than the ‘Ως,
one needs to go on to the participle of
the clause… BDAG comments on ‘ως
with a participle as giving the reason for
action… I have tried to bring in both the participial causal sense
as well as the ‘Ως connection,
with ‘Because, even as.’ The points of Gingrich and BDAG need to
be brought together.” ~DFZ
Q“Autou refers to Christ, who has ‘divine power’… the dunamis of Christ ‘is the sword which St. Peter holds over the head of the False Teachers’ (Bigg)” ~ATR
R“Peter does not speak here of the natural gifts of God, but only mentions those things which he confers peculiarly on his own elect above the common order of nature.” ~Calvin
S“This
is the only word which Peter and Mark alone have in common in the
New Testament; a somewhat singular fact in view of their intimate
relations, and of the impress of Peter upon Mark's gospel: yet it
tells very strongly against the theory of a forgery of this epistle.
The word is stronger than the simple δίδωμι, to give,
meaning to grant or bestow as a gift.” ~Vincent
The verb
form, by the way, is either middle or passive, but none of the
standard English versions rendered it passively.
TLander: L&N#89.76 “by means of, through”
U“When God is the subject, it has the sense of effectual calling… it describes the knowledge as… a personal relationship knowledge of Jesus Christ.” ~DFZ
VThis
is the reading of both the majority of manuscripts and lectionaries
as well as the reading of the two oldest-known manuscripts. With the
accusative objects it could mean either “by means of” or
“because of” or “with a view to,” and the latter makes most
sense. However, the critical GNTs follow the Latin, Syriac, and
Coptic Bibles, which followed about 20 Greek manuscripts that add a
iota to the beginning of
this word, changing the meaning to “in
the same/by his own” which
also changes the case from genitive to dative, which, in turn,
changes the case of the two objects “glory” and “excellence”
from genitive to dative, forcing
an instrumental meaning “by means of.” “Beza and also
Schleusner, regard διὰ as expressing the final cause, to; it is
also used in the sense of “for the sake of,” or, “on account
of.” ~Owen “[E]ither
instrumental case ‘by’ or dative ‘to’” ~ATR
Clark:
“… does not mean to… God
calls us by means
of glory and might… Power and might are indispensable for a call
that effectively raises a dead sinner to newness of life.”
“The
dative form can be taken instrumentally or as a dative of advantage.
It can be: ‘called us by
His own glory…; or ‘called us to
His own glory…’ Although the grammar allows either, the very
next verse favors the instrumental use.” ~DFZ
The
only other instances of dia
doxes in
the NT (2 Cor. 3:11, 6:8) describe the circumstance
of being glorious. There is no other instance of idia
doxai in
the GNT.
W“The original classical sense of the word had no special moral import, but denoted excellence of any kind – bravery, rank, nobility... Bengel says, ‘the former indicates his natural, the latter his moral, attributes.’”~Vincent
XThe Peshitta translator missed the genitive absolute which makes the genitive “divine power” the subject of “having given” rather than its object, as well as the possessive “his.”
YThe Greek verb is spelled in the middle or passive voice here; all the other versions (except for DFZ’s) interpret it as middle voice.
Z“‘for
the sake of which,’ that is, for the purpose of leading us to
‘glory and virtue,’ ‘many and precious promises have been
given’ … ‘Escaping the corruption of the world’ is
‘godliness/virtue;’ and partaking of the divine nature is
‘life/glory.’” ~Owen
Vincent, ATR, Clark, and DFZ all
posited that this refers to “his glory and virtue”
AATextus Receptus, diverges from the majority of Greek manuscripts, following 2 of the 4 oldest-known Greek manuscripts (plus 10 more overall), and reverses the order of the words “great” and “precious,” which is why the KJV order (followed by the NIV and NLT) is “great and precious,” whereas the NASB, NET, and ESV follow the majority of manuscripts with “precious and great.”
ABESV and NIV interpret as comparative degree, but this is actually superlative.
AC“Middle voice, not passive” ~Vincent
ADAlthough all the standard English versions interpret this as purposive “that” (so also ATR and R&R), “Lenski and Wallace see this as a substantive, or in apposition to … ‘promises.’ The ‘promises’ are the partaking of the divine nature…” DFZ followed the latter, translating this hina as “that is.”
AEATR refers “these” to “the promises” Clark to “either the promises or even the glory and might”
AF“Peter
is referring to the new birth as 1 Pet. 1:23” ~ATR
“Salvation
is not deification – that would be Gnosticism indeed… Salvation
is a moral rejuvenation… [W]e become partakers of the divine
nature through grace, through the promises, through a sovereign
grant to those called. In Stoicism, every man by nature has a spark
of divinity. It is not a matter of special calling, but of natural
law. In fact, an author of AD 150 who wanted to appear apostolic and
orthodox would probably have avoided such a phrase… ” ~Gordon
Clark
AG“Caused by, consisting in, lust. ‘Man becomes either regenerate or degenerate’ (Strachan).”~ATR
AHBlass & Debrunner’s Grammar notes that this phrase is adverbial with the meaning “for this very reason.” The same phrase is also found in Rom. 9:17, 13:6, 2 Cor. 5:5, 7:11, Gal. 2:10, Eph. 6:22, Phil. 1:6, and Col. 4:8 with a similar meaning.
AIThe only other places we find “all” modifying “diligence” are in 2 Cor. 8:7 & Jude 1:3, where their order is reversed from Peter’s. The 2 Cor. passage is very similar to this one.
AJHapex
Legomenon. Based on φερω
(“carry”)
+ παρα
(“alongside”)
+ επι
(“in”);
the picture is that you are traveling on a journey, and so you are
carrying food and other necessities with you for that journey that
you are using along the way. The participle is plural, referring to
the readers (“y’all”), Aorist
(indicating that it happened before the main verb “supply”), and
passive (indicating that they were loaded up with the supplies by
God, as per
the previous verses, although most English versions interpret this
as middle voice, loading themselves up), and
the object is
“all diligence” (that which is to
be carried along and used).
Fausset:
“‘introducing,’ side by side with God’s gift, on your part
‘diligence.’”
Vincent: “bring in by the side of” G.
Clark: “smuggle”
AKVincent: “The verb originally means to bear the expense of a chorus, which was done by a person selected by the state, who was obliged to defray all the expenses of training and maintenance. In the New Testament the word has lost this technical sense, and is used in the general sense of supplying or providing.” DFZ: “[T]he prefix επι does imply this is to provide completely or lavishly.”
ALDFZ: “I am strongly inclined to think that the faith here is objective… believing in Jesus Christ… and comes at one’s calling (vv. 3, 10).”
AMJ.
Calvin: “I take virtue to mean a life honest and rightly formed;
for it is not here ἐνέργεια, energy or courage, but ἀρετὴ,
virtue, moral goodness.”
M. Henry: “by virtue here we may
understand strength and courage, without which the believer cannot
stand up for good works, by abounding and excelling in them.”
A.R.
Fausset: “moral excellency; manly, strenuous energy, answering to
the virtue (energetic excellency) of God.”
M. Vincent: “Not
in the sense of moral excellence, but of the energy which Christians
are to exhibit, as God exerts his energy upon them. As God calls us
by his own virtue (2 Pet. 1:3), so Christians are to exhibit virtue
or energy in the exercise of their faith, translating it into
vigorous action.”
A.T. Robertson: “Moral power, moral
energy, vigor of soul”
Rodgers & Rodgers: “In classical
Greek, god-given power/ability to perform heroic deeds...”
ANLander
tagged this as Louw & Nida semantic domain #89.80, “attendant
circumstances… with.”
Fausset: “in the possession of your
faith, minister virtue.”
Vincent: “develop one virtue in
the exercise of another”
G. Clark seems off-base in claiming
it means “by means of.” He later wrote, “faith is the
foundation of, or issues in, seven virtues.”
DFZ: “One is
accomplished, then the next can be accomplished ‘in’ the
preceding virtue...”
AOAlford and DFZ: “self-government”
APVincent:
“Not merely endurance of the inevitable, for Christ could have
relieved himself of his sufferings (Heb. 12:2-3; compare Matt.
26:53); but the heroic, brave patience with which a Christian not
only bears but contends.”
ATR: “The opposite of the
pleonexia of the heretics.”
AQVincent and Fausset saw in the progression from brotherly-love to charity a widening of love from brothers to all mankind, but I’m not sure that captures all the field of meaning between them. DFZ and Alford saw philadelphian to be just as “universal/catholic” as Vincent and Fausset saw agapen to be.
ARDFZ admits these participles could be temporal (“while”), but preferred conditional (“if”), along with the standard English versions.
ASAll
the parsing experts agree that this is 3rd person
singular present active indicative, so the subject can’t be “you”
(which is plural) as per the NKJV, and it’s not future as
per the NIV. The subject could be the neuter plural “things,”
in keeping with the exceptional characteristic of neuter plural
subjects taking singular verbs.
Fausset: “constitute”
ATDFZ: “...this should be understood as directional … ‘unto’”
AURobertson’s Grammar notes that this may be a possessive dative with parestin, meaning “to whom these are not,” and the subjective negative is used with an indicative verb to indicate that this is an indefinite relative which is not speaking of any one in particular.
AVHoward’s
Grammar explains the
components of this word in terms of one who squints (μυει)
his eye (ωφ).
The English word “myopia/c” is a transliteration of this Greek
root.
Anderson
(Calvin’s editor) noted, “‘He is blind, (manu
palpans) stroking with the
hand,’ is Calvin's; the Vulgate is manu tentans,
‘feeling with the hand:’ but the original word means, ‘closing
the eyes,’ according to the Greek grammarians, Hesychius and
Suidas: ‘He is blind, closing his eyes.’”
ATR:
“a rare verb from muōps
(in Aristotle for a near-sighted man) and that from mueō
tous ōpas (to close the eyes
in order to see, not to keep from seeing)... the word here limits
tuphlos as a
short-sighted man screwing up his eyes because of the
light.”
Fausset:
“Perhaps a degree of willfulness in the blindness is implied in
the Greek, ‘closing the eyes,’ which constitutes its
culpability; hating and rebelling against the light shining around
him.”
G. Clark picked
up the same idea ATR and I
did, that the use of this participle is adjectival, modifying
“blind.” “‘[T]he man… is blind, myopic’ … a climax was
not intended, but a more accurate description…” and
it appears Rodgers & Rodgers saw it similarly either correcting
or modifying “blind.”
AWFausset:
“‘contracted forgetfulness,’ willful and culpable
obliviousness.”
MacArthur: “The failure to diligently
pursue spiritual virtues produces spiritual amnesia.”
AXAlthough some commentators refer this to Christian baptism, ATR wrote, “See Heb. 1:3 for this word for the expiatory sacrifice of Christ for our sins as in 1Pet. 1:18, 2:24, 3:18. In 1Pet. 3:21 Peter denied actual cleansing of sin by baptism (only symbolic). If there is a reference to baptism here, which is doubtful, it can only be in a symbolic sense.” (Lange and G. Clark agreed.)
AYTurner’s Grammar notes that there is no emphatic meaning to the emphatic positioning of this word in the sentence.
AZI interpreted the Aorist Imperative as Ingressive (as did ATR). Alford commented, “The Greek aorist implies one lifelong effect.” cf. 2 Tim. 2:15, which starts with the same verb: “Be diligent to show yourself approved...”
BAOwen remarked in a footnote to Calvin’s commentary, “The order is such as we often meet with, the visible effect first, and then the cause, as in Romans 10:9; confession, the ostensible act, is mentioned first, and then faith, which precedes it. So here, calling, the effect produced, is first mentioned, and then election, the cause of it...”
BBRobinson (E-Sword parsing), Bushell (BibleWorks parsing), Fausset, and ATR all agreed this is Middle voice. It occurs again in the same spelling in v.15. Fausset commented, “Greek middle voice; to make so far as it depends on you; to do your part towards making. ‘To make’ absolutely and finally is God’s part, and would be in the active.”
BC“strong double negative” A.T. Robertson’s Word Pictures In the New Testament
BDFausset: “answers to ‘abound’ in v.8” ATR noted that this adverb is in Col. 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...”
BE“Verses 3 and 4 indicate the bestowal upon believers is passive, then man’s response in verses 5-10 is active, now the resulting end – eternal kingdom – is passive, it is provided for us.” ~Dwight F. Zeller, 2 Peter: an Exegetical Procedure...
BF“In the first epistle, Peter designated the believer's future as an inheritance; here he calls it a kingdom.” ~M. Vincent
BGThe
majority of Greek manuscripts, supported by the oldest-known
manuscript of 2 Peter, read with a double negative, but 8
manuscripts read without either
of the double negatives.
Because 5 of the 8 manuscripts dated to the first millennium are
among the 8 manuscripts without the negatives, critical scholars
have eschewed the negatives for the easier reading, which,
thankfully, means about
the same thing. The
alpha-privative “unsympathetic” shows up four other places in
the GNT (Matt.
22:5, 1 Tim. 4:14, and Heb. 2:3 & 8:9)
whereas the future
indicative of mellw
appears only once elsewhere (Matthew
24:6 “And y'all are about to hear…” ~NAW).
Henry:
“If ministers be negligent in their work, it can hardly be
expected that the people will be diligent in theirs; therefore Peter
will not be negligent (that is, at no time or place, in no part of
his work, to no part of his charge), but will be exemplarily and
universally diligent, and that in the work of a remembrancer. This
is the office of the best ministers, even the apostles themselves;
they are the Lord's remembrancers (Isaiah 62:6); they are
especially bound to make mention of the promises, and put God in
mind of his engagements to do good to his people; and they are the
people's remembrancers, making mention of God's precepts, and
putting them in mind of the doctrines and duties of Christianity,
that they may remember God's commandments, to do them.”
BHClark suggested that “these things” here and in vs. 10-15 “suggests something more... [than] the several virtues previously enumerated.” He believed it “points forward rather than backward… to emphasize the contents from 16-21.” I have yet to be convinced.
BIMoulton’s Grammar noted that this word was used to make the concessive idea of the participle more distinct “although you know.” This particle only occurs in four other places in the GNT: Phil. 3:4, and Heb. 5:8, 7:5, & 12:17.
BJVincent
noted that this is the same verb Jesus used to tell Peter what to do
after he recovered from denying Christ in Luke 22:32.
Wallace
categorized these two participles under “Perfect with a Present
Force.”
BKM.
Henry interpreted “present truth” as “the truth more
peculiarly necessary for us to know in our day, that which belongs
to our peace, and which is more especially opposed in our time,”
but the Greek word seems more likely to have to do with “arriving,”
as in the truth which has already “come” in the preaching of the
Apostles, and Peter intends it to oppose the continuously-evolving
knowledge that false teachers are still in the process of
developing.
Faussett: “...the Gospel truth now present with
you: formerly promised to Old Testament believers as about to be,
now in the New Testament actually present with, and in,
believers…”
Vincent: “i.e., the truth which is present
with you through the instruction of your teachers.”
BL“The δε – ‘And’ continues from verse 1. It is Peter’s rationale for reminding his Christian readers. But the adversative indicates that, notwithstanding the facts of verse 12 that they know and are established in the truth, he would remind them of that truth.” ~DFZ
BMThis word is repeated at the beginning of ch. 3. It was used previously in Est. 1:1, 3 Macc. 5:15, Mark 4:39, and Luke 8:24 to describe rousing a person from sleep, in Judith 1:4 to describe the construction of a new gate, in 2 Maccabees to describe emotionally-rousing speeches (7:21; 15:10), and John 6:18 to describe wind whipping up surface-water on a lake. ATR suggested that the present tense indicated continuing action “to keep on rousing you up.”
BNThe Lander tagging project of the GNT with Louw & Nida semantic domain numbers chose 89.76 “means by which one event makes another event possible” for this instance of en, and there seems to be no controversy over this among commentators.
BOThe sentence structure is a predicate adjective followed by the verb of being followed by a definite noun: “Swift is my demise.” KJV and NIV inaccurately turned the subject into a verb (“I will put away”). Furthermore, nowhere else in the Bible is this word used to mean “imminent/close/at hand;” everywhere else it occurs, it means “fast/swift/hasty” (Prov. 1:16; Wis. 13:2; Sir. 11:22; 18:26; Hab. 1:6; Isa. 59:7; 2 Pet. 2:1). Despite this fact, it seems to be the consensus of Bible translators to interpret in the former sense, while it seems only the older commentators did so (Calvin, Henry, Vincent). The more-contemporary commentators seemed to want to have it both ways: Fausset insisted it meant both (“soon” and “violent”); ATR wrote, “It is not clear whether tachinos means soon or speedy (as in Isa. 59:7 and like tachus in Jas. 1:19), or sudden (like tachus in Plato Republ. 553 D). Either sense agrees with the urgent tone of Peter here, whether he felt his death to be near or violent or both;” and DFZ added, “This has been misunderstood by many translators to only mean ‘imminent,’ ...but the word… has the first meaning of ‘rapid,’ ‘sudden,’ ‘quick.’ It can have a secondary meaning of ‘soon,’ or ‘imminent.’ So I have tried to get both concepts across… ‘Because I know that the removal of my tent is imminent/to be sudden...’”
BPDFZ had a curious interpretation of this word. Instead of “demise,” he considered the meaning to be “removal… the taking down of a tent that will be put up again in another location.” Could it refer to Peter relocating to Rome, rather than to Peter dying? The word exodon (rather than something like thanaton) in the subsequent verse continues this ambiguity, but I have a hard time imagining that Peter is speaking of anything other than his death.
BQOwen wrote in a footnote to Calvin’s commentary: “It has been disputed, whether he refers here to what is recorded in John 21:18, 19, or to a new revelation. The latter was the opinion of some of the ancient fathers; and not without reason, for in John the manner of his death is what is mentioned, but here the near approach of it, — two things wholly distinct.”
BRLit. “to have,” NIV = “be able,” Omitted from the ESV. ATR called it an “idiom,” following Vincent, who pointed to three passages where he thought it also meant “be able” (Mark 14:8, Matt. 18:25, & John 8:6).
BSCompare
Peter’s “exit” (exodos) upon his death to his readers’
“entrance” (εἴσοδος) into the kingdom in v.11.
“It
is at least remarkable that, with the recollection of the scene on
the mount of transfiguration floating in his mind, the apostle
should use so close together the words which were there also
associated, tabernacle and decease. The coincidence
should not be forgotten in treating of the question of the
genuineness of the epistle.” ~Dean Alford
BTThis
spelling could be middle or passive. The Robinson's Morphological
Analysis Codes and the BibleWorks Greek
New Testament Morphology and A.T.
Robertson’s Word Pictures
all tag the voice as middle.
Vincent
noted that this phrase with the infinitive of “to make” with the
object “memory” doesn’t occur anywhere else in the Bible,
although
“memory” does occur four other times with participial and
indicative forms of “make” (Rom. 1:9, Eph. 1:16, 1Th. 1:2, and
Phm. 1:4) denoting “prayer” as “making mention.”
DFZ:
“Why can’t this be a purpose infinitive of ‘in remembrance?’
Therefore, I have translated it: ‘in remembrance to
do.’”