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Inscription and greeting (1–2). Climbing through the degrees of virtues (3–9). Conviction for firmness in faith, indicating the nearness of the death of the Apostle (10–15). Transfiguration of the Lord (16–18). Old Testament prophetic word (19–21). 2Pet.1:1. Simon Peter, servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, who received with us the equally precious faith in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2Pet.1:2. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Christ Jesus our Lord. According to apostolic custom (cf. 1 Pet 1:2; Rom. 1:7; Titus 1:1, 4), Ap. Peter begins his message with a greeting - teaching Christians grace and peace, and “from the very beginning, the Apostle awakens the thoughts and souls of believers, encouraging them to be equal to the Apostles in the work of preaching. For then, since everyone has received equally precious grace, it would be unjust to lack something in which everyone turned out to be equal” (Blessed Theophilus). The Apostle immediately names the divine side of salvation - “in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 1) and the human side – “in the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 2). 2Pet.1:3. Just as His Divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us with glory and goodness, 2 Peter 1:4. by which are given to us great and precious promises, that through them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust; “From Art. 3 the message itself begins. It is noted that it can be compared to a stream, which is already wide and deep at its very source. The very beginning of the epistle is full of fire and life and strength and takes the reader into the very fullness of Gospel grace, just as in the first epistle” (Bishop Michael). In Art. 3 and 4, the Apostle speaks about the Divine side of salvation - about what God has done for people: meanwhile, further, in 2 Peter 1:5-8, he already speaks about what believers themselves must do in order to satisfy their Christian calling. In Christianity, according to the Apostle, the fullness of true life is given from the all-powerful and all-effective power or grace of God, the blessed opportunity is given to people to become partakers of the Divine nature. “We became partakers of the Divine nature through the appearance of the Lord and God, Who united the firstfruits of our nature in Himself and sanctified it; if the firstfruits is holy, then the whole is holy” (Blessed Theophilus). 2 Peter 1:5. then, applying all your diligence to this, show virtue in your faith, prudence in virtue, 2 Peter 1:6. in prudence there is self-control, in self-control there is patience, in patience there is godliness, 2 Peter 1:7. in godliness there is brotherly love, in brotherly love there is love. The response on the part of Christians to the actions of God’s grace is not only removal from the corruption that is prevalent in the world (2 Peter 1:4), but also, mainly, positive virtue in its various ramifications. The Apostle in Art. 5–7 shows degrees of success. In the first place is “faith,” since it is the foundation and support of good. In second place is “virtue,” that is, works, for without them, as the Apostle James says (James 2:26), “faith without works is dead.” Next is “reason.” What kind of reason? Knowledge of the hidden secrets of God, which is not accessible to everyone, but only to those who constantly practice good deeds. Next to it “abstinence.” For the one who has reached the indicated measure also needs it, so that he does not become proud of the greatness of the gift. And since with short-term abstinence the gift cannot be strengthened, it must overcome everything, and “piety” will pacify, and “brotherly love” will be added to piety, and to all this, love. 2 Peter 1:8. If this is in you and multiplies, then you will not remain without success and fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:9. And whoever does not have this is blind, has closed his eyes, and has forgotten about the cleansing of his previous sins: Having previously depicted (2 Pet. 1:2-6) the grace-filled state of Christians in its ideal norm, the Apostle now says that the Christian ideal of faith and life must be embodied in the entire life of Christian society, that only the preservation and increase of the spiritual wealth of grace opens the way to true Christian knowledge; on the contrary, he who does not have the moral foundations of life mentioned by the Apostle is like a man with his eyes closed. “The saying of the Apostle Peter is similar to that said by blessed James, namely: whoever hears the word and does not do it is like a man examining the natural features of his face in a mirror” (James 1:23), (Blessed Theophilus). 2 Peter 1:10. Therefore, brethren, strive more and more to make your calling and election firm; If you do this, you will never stumble, 2 Peter 1:11. for in this way free entry into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be opened for you. In contrast to the unfoundedness of people of a spirit alien to Christianity outlined in 2 Peter 1:9, true Christians must rely both in doctrine and in life on the Christian title and election in the hope of entering the eternal Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Notice how before the Apostle wanted to motivate with fear - the coming of the Judge, but now he convinces with the promise of good things - entrance into the eternal Kingdom of God" (Blessed Theophilus) 2 Peter 1:12. For this reason, I will never cease to remind you of this, although you know it and are established in the real truth. 2 Peter 1:13. I consider it fair, while I am in this bodily church, to excite you with a reminder, 2 Peter 1:14. knowing that I must soon leave my church, just as our Lord Jesus Christ revealed to me. 2 Peter 1:15. I will try to ensure that even after my departure you always bring this to mind. No matter how well and firmly the readers of the epistle know the Christian truth (v. 12, cf. 1 Pet 1:12, 5:12), the Apostle, in his pastoral care, considers it his duty to remind them of it and to awaken them from spiritual sleep, especially in view of what is close to them, anticipated by them and, perhaps, deliberately revealed to them by the Lord (cf. John 21:18; see 2 Tim 4:6), his death. Noteworthy here is the sublime view of the Apostle, common to him with other sacred biblical writers of the Old and New Testaments (Isa 38:12; Wis.9:15; 2 Cor 5:1) on the immortality of the human spirit with the corruption of his bodily shell, as if his temporary “tent” (σκήνωμα), and on death as a “deposition” ( άπόθεσις) of this tent and as the “exodus” (έξοδος) of the spirit to the Heavenly Father (cf. John 14:2). Regarding Art. 15 blessed Theophylact notes: “Some understand this with the following rearrangement: “I will try to always have you after my departure,” that is, to remember you every day and continuously, and from here they derive the idea that the saints, even after death, remember those who remain here and pray for the living. The justice of this is seen daily by those who call on the divine grace of the saints. Some people understand this way; but others understand differently. The latter read and understand this verse simply: I will try to ensure that even after my departure you always remember this, that is, we continuously repeat the same thing to you in order to turn it into a habit for you, so that through constant and unchanging assimilation of this you will get rid of the accusation of disobedience and ignorance, but even after my death you will keep the testament about this firmly and unchangeably.” 2 Peter 1:16. For we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, not by following cunningly woven fables, but by being eyewitnesses of His majesty. 2 Peter 1:17. For He received honor and glory from God the Father when such a voice came to Him from the magnificent glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 2 Peter 1:18. And we heard this voice coming from heaven while we were with Him on the holy mountain. Demanding from believers strict and constant attention to the words of his gospel, the Apostle here proves the undoubted importance of following this teaching, contrasting the divine truth of the Gospel teaching with the beautiful poems of the pagans and the seductive fables (which were already emerging then) of heretical teachings (cf. 1 Tim 4:7, 1, 4). us. For we taught the teaching in the raw word, as Paul also says to the Corinthians (1 Cor. 2:4, 13), and we taught what we saw with our own eyes when we ascended the holy mountain with Him” (Blessed Theophilus). As a striking example in which the greatness and power of the Lord Jesus Christ were especially manifested, and to which the Apostles and Evangelists testify as a real event (see Matt. 17:1 et seq.; Mark 9:2 et seq.; Luke 9:28 et seq.), Apostle. Peter speaks here about the Transfiguration of the Lord, emphasizing with particular force that the apostles, including Peter, personally heard the voice of God the Father coming to Jesus Christ from heaven. 2 Peter 1:19. And besides, we have the most faithful prophetic word; and you do well to turn to him as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 2 Peter 1:20. knowing first of all that no prophecy in Scripture can be resolved by oneself. 2 Peter 1:21. For prophecy was never uttered by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit. In connection with the mention of the greatness and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle now gives, as in his first letter (1 Peter 1:10-12), a revelation of the biblical concept of true prophecy, remarkable in its depth and accuracy. And, first of all, the Apostle calls the prophetic word (v. 19) βεβαιότερον, glory. “most famous” - stronger, like an earlier word, justified and confirmed by New Testament events. Just as Christ the Savior Himself, after His resurrection, referred to Moses and all the prophets to explain that He had to suffer, die, rise again and enter into His glory, so the Supreme Apostle Peter sees proof of the glory and greatness of the Lord Christ not only in the gospel event of the Transfiguration of the Lord and the apostolic legends about this event (vv. 16-18), but in “the most certain prophetic word,” which he here likens to a lamp shining in a dark place, which shows the guiding and life-giving meaning of the word of God in the life of sinful humanity. “By listening,” says (the Apostle), to these sayings of the prophets, you will not be deceived in your hope. For in due time they will be justified by works, which the Apostle called “day,” continuing the figurative speech, for he immediately spoke about the lamp, about the dark place, which is the night. So, when, he says, the “day” comes, that is, the manifestation of events, then the “morning star” will rise in your hearts, that is, the coming of Christ, foretold by the prophets, and as a true light, it will illuminate your hearts” (Blessed Theophilus). Praising the attentiveness of readers to the guidance of the prophetic word (v. 19), the Apostle at the same time wants to raise in the readers, and together with all Christians, the consciousness of the special importance of the prophetic word, pointing out what happened in an extraordinary, supernatural way and therefore should be interpreted and explained in accordance with the sacred importance of its origin. “Prophets receive prophecies from God, but not as they want, but as the Spirit of God works; they were aware and understood the prophetic word sent down to them, but did not make an explanation. That the prophets, during the action of the Spirit of God on them, were aware that a word was being sent down to them from the Spirit of God, is evident from the fact that they submitted voluntarily and expressed what they wanted, and kept silent about what they did not want. Not so with false prophets. They were not conscious during the action, but driven into a frenzy, like drunken people, they did not know what was happening to them... And that the prophets did not prophesy in a frenzy is clear from the following. The prophets of the Old and New Testaments prophesied by one Spirit. And the Apostle Paul says: “If there is a revelation to another of those sitting, then the first should be silent” (1 Cor 14:30). It is therefore clear that the prophets prophesied voluntarily, remaining in a natural state” (Blessed Theophilus). Thus, according to the teachings of Ap. Peter, the prophets “were not passive instruments of the Spirit, their consciousness was not suppressed, for, according to the word of the Apostle, they “tested” what was revealed to them by the Spirit (1 Peter 1:11), i.e. freely perceived and understood what was revealed to them. On one side is revelation from the Spirit, on the other is the initiative and individuality of the prophets” (Prof. D. I. Bogdashevsky). Having thus depicted the essential aspects of true prophecy, the Apostle in 2 Peter 2:1 et seq., characterizes and distinguishes prophecy and false teaching. You might be interested in: