Read & explore together
Partakers of the Divine Nature
This passage teaches that God has already given what believers need for life and godliness, and it urges a deliberate response. Peter links God’s gifts, Christian character, steady growth, and the importance of remembering these truths.
Understanding the passage
The setting of these words
In 2 Peter 1:3–15, the writer speaks directly to believers about what God has granted through knowing him. He lists qualities to be added with diligence, explains the result of having or lacking them, and says he intends to keep reminding his readers because his departure is near.
2 Peter 1:3–15Main takeaway
Because God has granted what leads to life and godliness, believers should grow diligently in godly character and keep these truths in mind.
Follow the letter’s teaching
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01God’s gifts and promisesThe passage begins with God’s action. His divine power has granted all things needed for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called believers.
Explanation
The passage begins with God’s action. His divine power has granted all things needed for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called believers. He has also granted precious and exceedingly great promises, so that they may become partakers of the divine nature and escape the world’s corruption by lust.
02A chain of growing qualitiesBecause of this, believers are told to respond with all diligence. Faith is to be supplied with moral excellence, then knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love.
Explanation
Because of this, believers are told to respond with all diligence. Faith is to be supplied with moral excellence, then knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. The list shows growth in character, with each quality connected to the next rather than treated as isolated ideas.
03Fruitful growth and serious lackIf these qualities are present and increasing, they keep a person from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Explanation
If these qualities are present and increasing, they keep a person from being idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Lacking them is described strongly as blindness and short-sightedness, joined with forgetting the cleansing from old sins. Peter treats spiritual growth as necessary, not optional.
04Diligence, assurance, and remembrancePeter urges his brothers to be more diligent to make their calling and election sure, saying that doing these things means they will not stumble and will be richly supplied an entrance into Christ’s eternal Kingdom.
Explanation
Peter urges his brothers to be more diligent to make their calling and election sure, saying that doing these things means they will not stumble and will be richly supplied an entrance into Christ’s eternal Kingdom. He then explains why he keeps reminding them: he wants them to remember after his departure.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What has God already granted before Peter gives any commands?
Look first at the gifts named in the opening verses: all things for life and godliness, and precious and exceedingly great promises.
02Which qualities are believers told to add, and how does the order help you read the passage?
Read the list slowly and notice how each quality is joined to the next, beginning with faith and ending with love.
03Why does Peter keep reminding readers of these things if they already know them?
His reason is in the final verses: he thinks it is right to stir them up by reminding them, especially because his departure is near.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
2 Peter 1:3–15
3seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue,
4by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge;
6and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness;
7and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.
8For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to not be idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.
10Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.
11For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
12Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth.
13I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
14knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.
15Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.