2 Peter 1

(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 Saviour Jesus Christ:
(2)  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
(3)  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
(4)  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
(5)  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
(6)  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
(7)  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
(8)  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(9)  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
(10)  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
(11)  For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
(12)  Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
(13)  Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
(14)  Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
(15)  Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
(16)  For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
(17)  For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
(18)  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
(19)  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
(20)  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
(21)  For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

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1. Do you think the phrase, “to them that have obtained like precious faith with us,” refers to Gentile Christians or to later generations of Christians? Verse 1. (See John 20:29 and 1 Peter 1:8)

2. Is the faith mentioned in this verse subjective (belief) or objective (the gospel)? Verse 1.

3. According to Peter, how may grace and peace be multiplied to his readers? Verse 2.

4. Has Christ given us “all things that pertain unto life and godliness”? If so, how was that given? Verse 3.

5. What are some of the “exceeding great and precious promises” that enable us to partake of the divine nature? Verse 4.

6. What word in verse 5 indicates man’s part and is the opposite of carelessness, sloth, and inattention? Verse 5.

7. The American Standard Version renders the phrase: “In your faith supply virtue.” What is virtue and how does faith “supply” it? Verse 5.

8. Each Christian grace becomes an instrument to perfect the one that follows, so how is knowledge perfected by virtue? Verse 5.

9. Define these terms in verse 6:
Temperance: ______________________________________________________
Patience: _________________________________________________________
Godliness: ________________________________________________________

10. Define these terms in verse 7:
Brotherly kindness: _________________________________________________
Charity: __________________________________________________________

11. What will prevent Christians from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? Verse 8.

12. What is the spiritual condition of the person who lacks the qualities described? Verse 9.

13. What will cause someone to forget the forgiveness that he received in baptism? Verse 9.

14. What can we do to keep from falling (stumbling, American Standard Version) and to make our calling and election sure? Verse 10.

15. If we “do these things,” will we barely squeak into the everlasting kingdom? Verse 11.

16. Was Peter teaching them things they had never heard before? Verse 12.

17. What is meant by “I think it meet,” and what is meant by “tabernacle”? Verse 13.

18. What statement by Jesus informed Peter about the putting off “of this my tabernacle”? Verse 14.

19. In the next verses, Peter refers to the Lord’s transfiguration. What two words in verses 14 and 15 are also found in Luke 9:31-33 (the account of the transfiguration).

20. What was the “power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” that “we” (Peter and the other apostles) made known? Verse 16.

21. What was the occasion (or occasions) when Jesus received “honor and glory” from God the Father? Verse 17.

22. Peter claimed to have seen and heard something “in the holy mount.” What was it he saw and heard? Verses 16-18.

23. The American Standard Version renders verse 19: “And we have the word of prophecy made more sure.” Does this make more sense than the King James Version? If so, why?

24. Do you think this verse teaches that (1) It is impossible to understand the Bible without infallible aid; or (2) No prophecy of the scripture came about as a result of the prophet’s own personal explanation? Verse 20.

25. If the prophecies were not of human origin and were delivered by men who spoke as moved by the Holy Spirit, what does that tell us about their importance? Verse 21.