The Second Epistle General of Peter

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- Chapter 1 -

(1 Peter 1:1–2)

I, Simon Peter, am writing this letter to you. I serve Jesus Christ, and I am an apostle that he appointed. I am sending this letter to you whom God has caused to believe in Messiah just like he caused us apostles to believe in Messiah. You and we have the same honor of believing in Jesus Christ. He is God, he is completely just, he is the one whom we worship, and he is our Savior.

I pray that God will continue to act very kindly toward you and give you a deep peace, because you truly know God and Jesus, who is our Lord.

Partakers of the Divine Nature

God has given us everything that we need in order that we might live forever and honor him. He does this by his power as God, and he does this because we know him. He has also given it to us as a result of our knowing him. He is the one who chose us to be his people because he is powerful and good.

Because he is this way, he has promised us that he will do very great and priceless things for us. He has also said to you that as you believe in what he has promised, you will be able to act in a right way, just like God acts in a right way, and that you will no longer be on the way to perish because of desiring to do evil things, as the unbelievers are.

Because God has done all that, do your best to not only believe in Messiah, but to live good lives. And make sure that you are not only living good lives, but that you also learn more and more about God.

In addition, do your best, not only to know more and more about God, but also to control yourself in what you do and say. And make sure that you not only control what you do and say, but also that you are faithful to him. And make sure that you are not only faithful to him, but that you also honor him.

And make sure that you do not only honor him, but that you also have a concern for your fellow believers, as brothers and sisters ought to have for each other. And make sure that you not only have a concern for your fellow believers, but that you also love others.

If you do all these things, and if you do them more and more, that shows that knowing our Lord Jesus Christ produces very great results in your lives.

But if these things are not true about people, it means they are not aware that these things are important, just like a blind person is not aware of what is around him. They think only about earthly matters, just like a shortsighted person sees clearly only things that are near. It seems that they have forgotten that God has forgiven them for their former sinful lives.

Instead of acting like those people, try to behave so as to make everyone know that God has chosen you to be his people. If you do that, you will certainly never become separated from God,

and God will very wholeheartedly welcome you into the place where our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will rule his people forever.

I intend to keep on reminding you very frequently about these matters, even though you already know them and are firmly convinced that they are true.

I consider it right that I should help you to continually think about these matters by reminding you about them as long as I am alive,

because I know that I shall die soon, just like our Lord Jesus Christ clearly has revealed to me.

Moreover, I will make every effort by writing these things down to enable you to remember them at all times after I have died.

Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

(Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:1–13; Luke 9:28–36)

We apostles told you that our Lord Jesus Christ is powerful and that he is coming back some day. We were not basing what we told you on stories that we had cleverly invented. Instead, we told you what we ourselves saw with our own eyes, that the Lord Jesus is supremely great.

God, our Father, greatly honored him when God’s great light surrounded him, and he said, “This is my Son, whom I love very much; I am very pleased with him.”

We ourselves heard God say that from heaven when we were with Messiah on that holy mountain.

We are even more sure that what the prophets wrote about Messiah long ago is completely reliable. Pay attention to what they wrote, because it is like a lamp that is shining in a dark place that helps people see where they are going. That light will shine until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

It is important that you understand that no prophet could interpret by his own imagination.

No prophecies come from the decision of a human being. Those who spoke messages from God did so when the Holy Spirit helped them do it. Therefore the Spirit must also help us understand what they mean.

(1 Peter 1:1–2)

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,(a) to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

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

Partakers of the Divine Nature

seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue,

by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge;

and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness;

and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.

For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.

Therefore, brothers,(b) be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.

For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth.

I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,

knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.

Eyewitnesses of His Majesty

(Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:1–13; Luke 9:28–36)

For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

For 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.”(c)

We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts,

knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation.

For no prophecy ever came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.

(b)1:10 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”