The Word Made Fresh
1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those whose faith is as precious as ours through the goodness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2Grace and peace in abundance be yours through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ our Lord.
3His sacred power has provided everything we need for living godly lives through our knowledge of the one who called us through his own majesty and righteousness. 4With that he has given us his very great and wonderful promises, so that through them you might escape the corruption of lust, and become partners of his divine nature. 5This is why you must make every effort to uphold your faith with goodness, and your goodness with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with affection for one another, and affection with love. 8After all, if you possess these things and are increasing in them, they will prevent you from being weak and unhelpful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9Anyone who is without these qualities is nearsighted, even blind, and will forget that they have been cleansed of their former sins.
10So, friends, be even more eager to confirm your call and selection; if you do this you will never stumble, 11because this is how you will be allowed to enter the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12So, I intend to continue reminding you of these things, even though you already know them and have become established in the truth you have received. 13I think I should continue to refresh your memory as long as I am able. 14I know that I don’t have much longer in this life – our Lord Jesus Christ has made this clear to me, and 15I’ll do all I can to see that you continue to be able to always remember these things.
16We didn’t devise clever myths when we taught you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming, but we did witness his majesty with our own eyes. 17He was given honor and glory from God the Father when he heard the majestic glory of God’s voice saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 18We heard this voice from heaven ourselves while we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19Now we have the message of the prophets fully confirmed. Pay attention to this, for it is a lamp shining in a dark place, and will shine until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20But first you must understand that no prophesy of scripture is a matter of anyone’s own interpretation, 21because no prophesy ever came by individual will, but by those who were moved by the Holy Spirit of God.
Commentary
1-2: Some ancient texts identify the author as Simeon; it is a known alternate form of Simon, but it is not certain that this letter was written by the apostle Peter. The style of 2 Peter is different, and there are indications within 2 Peter that it was written much later. We’ll try to point those out as we get to them. Primarily, though, the reason scholars almost unanimously agree on separate authors is that 2 Peter is nearly exclusively focused on enemies of the church and has absolutely nothing to say about the great teachings found in 1 Peter regarding the resurrection, prayer, and baptism.
3-11: It is apparent right away that the main emphasis of this letter will be an almost fanatic fidelity to the church of Christ. The lust and corruption of the world are to be avoided at all costs, and the utmost faithfulness is required to “become partners of his divine nature.” A stairway to perfection is prescribed: the believer is to proceed from faith to goodness, to knowledge, to self-control, to steadfastness, to godliness, to affection for one another, and to love. These are the qualities that produce fruit, and indeed are the proof that one is mindful of the forgiveness of one’s sins. The bar is set pretty high for entrance into the “kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
12-15: The author thinks his time on this earth is short, but while he is around he intends to keep reminding them of how they’re supposed to live, even though he says they are “established in the truth.” His purpose is to pound it into them, so they won’t forget any of it after he is gone.
16-18: The author’s claim to authenticity is given: he (along with others) was present on the Mt. of Transfiguration with Christ. That would of course narrow the possibilities for his identity to Peter, James, or John (Luke 9:28-36), and is one clue in favor of the author being who he says he is.
19-21: The author casts his message as a “lamp shining in a dark place,” and urges them again to be attentive. The prophecy he mentions here likely is meant to refer to the opening instruction given in verses 3-11.
Takeaway
It is difficult to be a follower of Jesus Christ all by oneself. The church is a place where one’s faith can be supported and strengthened through the witness of other believers. If a church does not provide that, don’t despair. Become a model of faithfulness yourself.