2 Peter 1:3 - Exposition

According as his Divine power; better, seeing that, as in the Revised Version. The construction is the genitive absolute with ὡς . The words are to be closely connected with 2 Peter 1:2 : "We need not fear, for God has given us all things that are necessary for our salvation; grace and peace will be multiplied unto us, if only we seek the knowledge of God." This is better than, with Huther and others, to make a full stop after 2 Peter 1:2 , and to connect 2 Peter 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:4 closely with 2 Peter 1:5 . The word for "Divine" ( θεῖος ) is unusual in the Greek Testament; it occurs only in two other places— 2 Peter 1:4 and Acts 17:29 . Hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness; rather, as in the Revised Version, hath granted. St. Peter does not here use the ordinary verb for "to give," but one ( δωρέομαι ) which in the New Testament occurs only in this Epistle and in Mark 15:45 . "God hath given us all things for ( πρός ) life," i.e., all things necessary for life. By "life" St. Peter means the spiritual life of the soul; that life which consists in union with Christ, which is the life of Christ living in us. "Godliness'' ( εὐσέβεια ) is a word of the later apostolic age; besides this Epistle (in which it occurs four times) and a speech of St. Peter's in Acts 3:12 , it is found only in St. Paul's pastoral Epistles; it means reverence, true piety towards God. Through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue; literally, through the full knowledge ( ἐπιγνώσρως ) of him that called us (comp. John 17:3 , "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God. and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent"). The best-supported reading seems to be that followed by the Revised Version, "By his own glory and virtue ( ἰδίᾳ δόξῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ ) ." Bengel says, "Ad gloriam referuntur attributa Dei naturalia, ad virtutem ea quae dicuntur moralia; intime unum sunt utraque." All his glorious attributes make up his glory; ἀρετή , virtue, is the energy, the activity of those attributes. The other reading, also well supported ( διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀρετῆς , "through glory and virtue"), would mean nearly the same (comp. Galatians 1:15 ; καλέσας διὰ τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ ) . God calls us through his attributes; his glorious perfections invite us, the revelation of those perfections calls us to his service. The word ἀρετή , with one exception ( Philippians 4:8 ), occurs in the New Testament only in St. Peter's Epistles (see 1 Peter 2:9 ; 2 Peter 1:3 and 2 Peter 1:5 ). This is, so far, an argument in favour of identity of authorship.