2 Peter

¹Simeon²³³⁵ Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a precious faith like ours, with us, in the righteousness of our God and Savior²³³⁶ Jesus Christ: ²May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Precious and tremendous promises

³His divine power has granted us all that we need to live in godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue. ⁴Through these things, he has granted to us his precious and tremendous promises, so that having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust, you may become partakers of the divine nature.

⁵For this very reason, do your utmost to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge. ⁶To knowledge, add self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness add brotherly affection; and to brotherly affection, love. ⁸Truly, if these things are yours and overflow, they will prevent you from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But those who lack these things are blind; they only see what is near and they have forgotten the cleansing from their old sins. ¹⁰Therefore, brethren, do all that you can to make your calling and election assured.²³³⁷ Indeed, if you do these things, you will never stumble. ¹¹Thus, you will be richly granted the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter’s reminder

¹²Therefore, I will not be negligent to remind you of these things although you [already] know them and are established in the truth which you now have. ¹³I think it right, as long as I am in this tent,²³³⁸ to stir you up by reminding you [of these things]. ¹⁴I know that I shall lay aside my tent very quickly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. ¹⁵And so, I will make every effort [to ensure] that you will always be able to remember these things, even after my departure. ¹⁶Certainly, we did not depend on cleverly invented fables when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; we were eyewitnesses of his majesty! ¹⁷For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”^{2339 18}We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹Therefore, we have the word of prophecy made even more certain, and you should pay attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star²³⁴⁰ arises in your hearts. ²⁰Know this first of all, that no interpretation²³⁴¹ of Scriptural prophecy happens as something private, ²¹because no prophecy ever came by human will: holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

False teachers—Slaves of corruption

2335. Some manuscripts read “Simon”
2336. Or “of our God and [of the] Savior Jesus Christ” which agrees with the similar structure of 1:2. See also note on Titus 2:13.
2337. Greek bebai,an—see Appendix B and Bishop, Eucharist, Church (Zizioulas) for a discussion of how this word is used by St. Ignatius of Antioch to point to the ‘valid’ (assured/bebeia) Eucharist as the one celebrated by the bishop or under his authority.
2338. That is, the body
2339. Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35
2340. Compare Revelation 2:28
2341. Or “explanation”