A warning about people who sound right and aren't — and why the delay isn't absence.
Peter grounds his readers in the sufficiency of divine provision: God's power has granted everything needed for life and godliness through knowledge (epignosis) of Christ, who called believers by His own glory and excellence. The 'great and precious promises' enable participation in the divine nature (theias koinōnoi physeōs). A virtue ladder (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, affection, love) describes the progressive character of spiritual maturity. Peter authenticates his authority by appealing to his eyewitness experience of Christ's transfiguration on the 'holy mountain.'
The 'divine nature' language (theias physeōs) employs Hellenistic philosophical vocabulary, likely familiar to the audience from Stoic and Middle Platonic discourse, but redefines it within a covenantal-relational framework rather than an ontological fusion. The transfiguration account (cf. Mark 9:2-8) serves as apostolic credentials against the false teachers addressed in chapter 2.
All 39 verses of 2 Peter have a page of their own — what the verse means, who is speaking, and where it sits in the story. Tap any verse number inside a chapter to open it.
Tap any verse in BibleKey for its meaning and background, or any word for its Hebrew or Greek root — without leaving the page.
BibleKey explains what you're reading, as you read it. Free on iPhone and iPad.
Download on the App StoreFree on iPhone & iPad