2 Peter 1:3

Contextual Overview

¹ Greetings from Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To all of you who share in the same valuable faith that we have. This faith was given to us because our God and Savior Jesus Christ always does what is good and right. ¹ Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: ¹ Simon Peter a seruaunt and an Apostle of Iesus Christ to them which have obtayned lyke precious fayth with vs in the rightewesnes that commeth of oure God and savioure Iesus Christ. ¹ Shim`on Kefa, a servant and apostle of Yeshua the Messiah, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Yeshua the Messiah: ¹ Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: ¹ From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To you who have received a faith as valuable as ours, because our God and Savior Jesus Christ does what is right. ¹ Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those that have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. 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 God and our Savior Jesus Christ: ¹ Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith 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, thro' the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

his: Psalms 110:3, Matthew 28:18, John 17:2, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Ephesians 1:19-21, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:3

all: Psalms 84:11, Romans 8:32, 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, 1 Timothy 4:8

through: 2 Peter 1:2, John 17:3

called: Romans 8:28-30, Romans 9:24, 1 Corinthians 1:9, Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:4, 1 Thessalonians 2:12, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 2 Thessalonians 2:14, 2 Timothy 1:9, 1 Peter 1:15, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Peter 2:21, 1 Peter 3:9, 1 Peter 5:10

to: or, by

virtue: 2 Peter 1:5, Ruth 3:11, Proverbs 12:4, Proverbs 31:10, Proverbs 31:29, Philippians 4:8

Reciprocal: Numbers 6:23 - General Deuteronomy 32:47 - General Psalms 108:7 - I will rejoice Song of Solomon 1:10 - thy cheeks Isaiah 53:11 - by his Acts 2:39 - as many Romans 1:7 - called 1 Corinthians 2:7 - unto Galatians 1:6 - that called Ephesians 1:17 - in the knowledge Philippians 3:8 - the excellency Philippians 3:14 - the high Colossians 1:10 - increasing Colossians 2:2 - understanding 1 Thessalonians 5:24 - calleth 1 Timothy 2:2 - all godliness 1 Timothy 6:3 - the doctrine 2 Timothy 1:1 - the promise 2 Timothy 1:10 - and hath Titus 1:1 - after Hebrews 3:1 - holy 2 Peter 1:6 - godliness 2 Peter 3:11 - godliness 2 Peter 3:18 - knowledge 3 John 1:2 - even

Cross-References

Job 36:30
See how he spreads the lightning around him and how it lights up the depths of the sea.

Job 36:30
Behold, he spreadeth his light around him; and he covereth the bottom of the sea.

Job 36:30
Look, he spreads his light around him; And he covers the bottom of the sea.

Job 36:30
Watch how God scatters his lightning around him, lighting up the deepest parts of the sea.

Job 36:30
See how he scattered his lightning about him; he has covered the depths of the sea.

Job 36:30
Behold, he spreadeth his light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

Job 36:30
Behold, he spreads his light around him. He covers the bottom of the sea.

Job 36:30
"Behold, He spreads His lightning around Him [against the dark clouds], And He covers the depths of the sea.

Job 36:30
Behold, he scatters his lightning about him and covers the roots of the sea.

Job 36:30
and leite with his liyt fro aboue, he schal hile, yhe,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

According as his divine power,.... Meaning either the power of God the Father, to whom belong eternal power and Godhead; and he is sometimes called by the name of power itself; see Matthew 26:64 being all powerful and mighty; or rather the power of Christ, since he is the next and immediate antecedent to this relative; and who, as he has the fulness of the Godhead in him, is almighty, and can do all things; and is "El-shaddai", God all-sufficient, and can communicate all things whatsoever he pleases, and does, as follows: for he

hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness; referring not so much to a temporal life, though he gives that and preserves it, and furnishes with all the mercies and comforts of it; and which come to us, from him, in a covenant way, as his left hand blessings, and in great love; but rather a spiritual life, which he is the author and maintainer of, all the joys, pleasures, blessings, and supports of it, being given by him; as also eternal life, for that, and everything appertaining to it, are from him; he gives a meetness for it, which is his own grace, and a right unto it, which is his own righteousness; and he has power to give that itself to as many as the Father has given him, and he does give it to them; and likewise all things belonging to "godliness", or internal religion; and which is the means of eternal life, and leads on to it, and is connected with it, and has the promise both of this life, and of that which is to come; and everything relating to it, or is in it, or it consists of, is from Christ: the internal graces of the Spirit, as faith, hope, and love, which, when in exercise, are the principal parts of powerful godliness, are the gifts of Christ, are received out of his fulness, and of which he is the author and finisher; and he is the donor of all the fresh supplies of grace to maintain the inward power of religion, and to assist in the external exercise of it; all which things are given

through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. The call here spoken of is not a bare outward call, by the ministry of the word, but an internal, special, and powerful one, which springs from the grace, and is according to the purpose of God, and is inseparably connected with justification and glorification; and is either of God the Father, who, as the God of all grace, calls to eternal glory by Christ; or rather of Christ himself, who calls by his Spirit and grace; and hence the saints are sometimes styled, the called of Jesus Christ, Romans 1:6 what they are called unto by him is, "glory and virtue"; by the former may be meant, the glorious state of the saints in the other world, and so answers to "life", eternal life, in the preceding clause; and by the latter, grace, and the spiritual blessings of grace here, and which answers to "godliness" in the said clause; for the saints are called both to grace and glory, and to the one, in order to the other. Some render it, "by glory and virtue"; and some copies, as the Alexandrian and others, and so the Vulgate Latin version, read, "by his own glory and virtue"; that is, by his glorious power, which makes the call as effectual, and is as illustrious a specimen of the glory of his power, as was the call of Lazarus out of the grave; unless the Gospel should rather be intended by glory and virtue, which is glorious in itself, and the power of God unto salvation, and is the means by which persons are called to the communion of Christ, and the obtaining of his glory: so then this phrase, "him that hath called us to glory and virtue", is a periphrasis of Christ, through a "knowledge" of whom, and which is not notional and speculative, but spiritual, experimental, fiducial, and practical, or along with such knowledge all the above things are given; for as God, in giving Christ, gives all things along with him, so the Spirit of Christ, which is a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, when he makes him known in the glory of his person, grace, and righteousness, also makes known the several things which are freely given of God and Christ: and this is what, among other things, makes the knowledge of Christ preferable to all other knowledge, or anything else.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

According as his divine power hath given unto us - All the effects of the gospel on the human heart are, in the Scriptures, traced to the power of God. See the notes at Romans 1:16. There are no moral means which have ever been used that have such power as the gospel; none through which God has done so much in changing the character and affecting the destiny of man.

All things that pertain unto life and godliness - The reference here in the word “life” is undoubtedly to the life of religion; the life of the soul imparted by the gospel. The word “godliness” is synonymous with piety. The phrase “according as” (ὡς hōs) seems to be connected with the sentence in 2 Peter 1:5, “Forasmuch as he has conferred on us these privileges and promises connected with life and godliness, we are bound, in order to obtain all that is implied in these things, to give all diligence to add to our faith, knowledge,” etc.

Through the knowledge of him - By a proper acquaintance with him, or by the right kind of knowledge of him. Notes, John 17:3.

That hath called us to glory and virtue - Margin: “by.” Greek, “through glory,” etc. Doddridge supposes that it means that he has done this “by the strengthening virtue and energy of his spirit.” Rosenmuller renders it, “by glorious benignity.” Dr. Robinson (Lexicon) renders it, “through a glorious display of his efficiency.” The objection which anyone feels to this rendering arises solely from the word “virtue,” from the fact that we are not accustomed to apply that word to God. But the original word (ἀρετή aretē) is not as limited in its signification as the English word is, but is rather a word which denotes a good quality or excellence of any kind. In the ancient classics it is used to denote manliness, vigor, courage, valor, fortitude; and the word would rather denote “energy” or “power” of some kind, than what we commonly understand by virtue, and would be, therefore, properly applied to the “energy” or “efficiency” which God has displayed in the work of our salvation. Indeed, when applied to moral excellence at all, as it is in 2 Peter 1:5, of this chapter, and often elsewhere, it is perhaps with a reference to the “energy, boldness, vigor,” or “courage” which is evinced in overcoming our evil propensities, and resisting allurements and temptations. According to this interpretation, the passage teaches that it is “by a glorious Divine efficiency” that we are called into the kingdom of God.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Peter 1:3. As his Divine power — His power, which no power can resist, because it is Divine-that which properly belongs to the infinite Godhead.

Hath given unto us — δεδωρημενης. Hath endowed us with the gifts; or, hath gifted us, as Dr. Macknight translates it, who observes that it refers to the gifts which the Holy Spirit communicated to the apostles, to enable them to bring men to life and godliness; which were, 1. A complete knowledge of the doctrines of the Gospel. 2. Power to preach and defend their doctrines in suitable language, which their adversaries were not able to gainsay or resist. 3. Wisdom to direct them how to behave in all cases, where and when to labour; and the matter suitable to all different cases, and every variety of persons. 4. Miraculous powers, so that on all proper and necessary occasions they could work miracles for the confirmation of their doctrines and mission.

By life and godliness we may understand, 1. a godly life; or, 2. eternal life as the end, and godliness the way to it; or, 3. what was essentially necessary for the present life, food, raiment, c., and what was requisite for the life to come. As they were in a suffering state, and most probably many of them strangers in those places, one can scarcely say that they had all things that pertained to life and yet so had God worked in their behalf, that none of them perished, either through lack of food or raiment. And as to what was necessary for godliness, they had that from the Gospel ministry, which it appears was still continued among them, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit which were not withdrawn; and what was farther necessary in the way of personal caution, comfort, and instruction, was supplied by means of these two epistles.

That hath called us to glory and virtue — To virtue or courage as the means; and glory-the kingdom of heaven, as the end. This is the way in which these words are commonly understood, and this sense is plain enough, but the construction is harsh. Others have translated διαδοξηςκαιαρετης, by his glorious benignity, a Hebraism for διατηςενδοξουαρετης. and read the whole verse thus: God by his own power hath bestowed on us every thing necessary for a happy life and godliness, having called us to the knowledge of himself, by his own infinite goodness. It is certain that the word αρετη, which we translate virtue or courage, is used, 1 Peter 2:9, to express the perfection of the Divine nature: That ye may show forth ταςαρετας, the virtues or PERFECTIONS, of him who hath called you from darkness into his marvellous light.

But there is a various reading here which is of considerable importance, and which, from the authorities by which it is supported, appears to be genuine: τουκαλεσαντοςημαςιδιαδοξη καιαρετη, through the knowledge of him who hath called us by his own glory and power, or by his own glorious power. This is the reading of AC, several others; and, in effect, of the Coptic, Armenian, Syriac, AEthiopic, Vulgate, Cyril, Cassiodorus, &c.