Verses 1-2
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Peter makes it very clear here that we have an equal standing with the apostles, because of the righteousness of our God and Savior. This lets us know, that even though the apostles had a special calling, election, and purpose from God, we also have the same access to God because of HIS righteousness—not our own.
Verses 3-4
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
Through HIS power, Christ has granted unto us—as a monarch would bestow some great honor on a penurious subject—everything that we need for our physical and spiritual lives. Following are a few examples of promises that He grants unto us:
- Power over sin. (1 John 2:1)
- The Holy Ghost (Comforter) (John 14:16, Romans 5:5)
- Necessities of physical life. (Matthew 6:25-26)
- Grace in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16, Ephesians 4:7)
- Finally, he grants us an eternal home in heaven, with Himself. (John 14:3)
The list could go on eternally, for all that he has given us.
Verses 5-7
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
Let's break this list down, word-by-word, and look at just what kind of attributes are being enumerated here.
Faith
I believe the faith that Peter is talking about here, is the very foundational faith of our relationship with Christ. It is at the very beginning of this list, and serves as a foundation on which the rest of the qualities listed here are to be built upon. In Hebrews, faith is described as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1) This non-tangible evidence is the very core of our relationship with Christ. We cannot see Him; yet we know he exists. In order to strengthen our faith, we are told to turn to the Word of God. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17)
“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4)
Virtue
Literally: moral excellence. In thinking of virtue, my mind was instantly drawn to the enumeration of qualities listed in Proverbs 31. The woman was not only morally excellent in the modern understanding of the term, but also excelled in her domestic and familial duties. The idea here is “goodness.”
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8)
Knowledge
Self-control
Steadfastness
Godliness
Brotherly Affection
Love
Verses 8-11
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Verse 12
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.