2 Peter 1:10-15 “Stirring Up Reminders”

Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church Manhattan KS, 21 Jan 2024

Introduction

v.10 Practicing These Things Will Make Certain Your Calling and Choosing

v.11 This Makes God’s Provision of Entrance into Heaven More Abundant

v.12 Always Be Ready To Remind Of Present Truth

v.13-15 To Stir Christians Up With Reminders In Life So That People Will Believe After You Pass

Comparison of Bible Translations of 2 Peter 1:1-15

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 of the power of GodX, unto life and the fear of God, through the recognition of him who hath called us unto his own glory and moral excellence:

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 are given unto us exceeding great and pre­cious promis­es: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine na­ture, having escaped the corruption [that is] in the world through lust.

4 wherein he hath given you very great and precious promises; that by them ye might become partakers of the nature of God, while ye flee from the corruption[s] of the lust[s that are] in the world.

4 By whom he hath given us most great and precious promises: that by these you may be made partakers of the divine nature: flying the corruption of that concu­piscence [which is] in the world.

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 beside this, giving all diligence, addX to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

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 will make [you] to be neither empty nor unfruitful in the know­ledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 lacketh these things is blind, [and] cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

9 For he, in whom these things are not found, is blind and seeth not, and hath for­gotten the pur­gation of his former sins.

9 For he that hath not these things with him is blind and groping, having forgot­ten that he was purged from his old sins.

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 so do­ing, ye will never fall away X.

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 sin at any time.

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 an entrance shall be ministered unto you abun­dantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Sav­iour Jesus Christ.

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 an entrance shall be ministered to you abund­antly into the ever-lasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

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 this truth.

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 I must put off this my taber­nacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

14 since I know, that the demise of my body is speedy, as also my Lord Jesus the Messiah hath showed me.

14 Being ass­ured that the laying away of [this] my taber­nacle is at hand, accord­ing as our Lord Jesus Christ also hath signi­fied to me.

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 able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.

15 And I am anxious, that, after my departure, ye too may have it always [with you] to make mention of these things.

15 And I will endeavour that you frequently have after my decease where­by you may keep a memory of these things.


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 gnosisgnosis 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 ‘ωςintroduces 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

QAutou 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.’”

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