(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
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2 Peter Chapter 1
Greeting and instruction
- Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus the Anointed, to the men who obtained by divine lot1“obtained by divine lot” is one word in Greek. It refers to the process of “casting lots”, which is similar in concept – though not practice – to the modern practice of drawing straws. In the Old Testament and before the Holy Spirit came they would often draw lots, trusting that God would make the lot fall to the correct person. For example, see Acts 1:24-26 which is the last time this is recorded to have been done, probably because afterward the Holy Spirit came. a faith that’s as equally precious as ours by the righteousness of our God and savior Jesus the Anointed,
- may grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,
- as His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of the One who called us by His own glory and moral excellence,
- through which He has given us great and precious promises, so that through these you might become sharers in the divine nature, having fled the corruption that’s in the world in its cravings.2“cravings” is literally “craving”
- And also for this same reason, having supplied all diligent zeal, also supply moral excellence in your faith; and in moral excellence, knowledge;
- and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control, perseverance; and in perseverance, godliness;
- and in godliness, brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, ^love.
- For you possessing and increasing in these things makes you become neither lazy nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus the Anointed.
- For in whomever these things aren’t present, he is blind; being short-sighted and having received forgetfulness of his cleansing from his former sins.
- Therefore brothers, be more zealously diligent to make your calling and election firm, for by doing these things you definitely won’t ever stumble,
- for in this way, entrance into the kingdom of ages of our Lord and savior Jesus the Anointed will be richly supplied to you.
- Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you about these things, although you have known and have been strengthened by the truth present in you.
- And I consider it right – as long as I’m in this tent – to stir you up in remembrance,
- *knowing that the setting aside of my tent is impending, just as our Lord Jesus the Anointed also revealed to me.
- And also, I will always be diligently zealous in order for you to have a lasting memory of these things after I make my departure.
- For we didn’t follow skillfully *crafted myths when we declared the power and coming of our Lord Jesus the Anointed to you, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
- For having received honor and glory from God the Father, such a voice was conveyed to Him by the Majestic Glory: “This is My beloved Son in whom I’m well pleased.”
- And it having been conveyed from heaven, this is the voice we heard while being with Him on the holy mountain.
- And we have the more certain prophetic word, which you do well by taking heed of it, like a lamp shining in a dark place until that day dawns, and the morning star rises in your hearts,
- knowing this first, that every prophecy in scripture isn’t for someone’s own interpretation.
- For no prophecy was ever driven by man’s will, but men spoke from God, being driven by the Holy Spirit.
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2 Peter Chapter 2
A warning about False Teachers
- But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies or sects,1“heresies or sects” is one word in Greek, and it can mean either depending on the context. In the New Testament it most often means “sects”, as in a subdivision of a particular group, and this verse is the only place it’s usually translated “heresies”. even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.
- And many will follow after their wanton debaucheries, through whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
- And in covetousness, they will exploit you with deceitfully crafted words; men whose judgement from long ago isn’t idle, and their destruction doesn’t sleep.
- For if God didn’t spare angels who sinned, but having cast them into Tartarus,2“having cast them into Tartarus” is one word in Greek, with that exact meaning. Tartarus belongs to Greek mythology, and was originally the place where the Titans were imprisoned. This is significant because this passage relates to fallen angels, who like the Titans fought against the gods of Greek mythology and were thrown into Tartarus for their crimes. If Peter was writing this letter to a Greek audience, the allusion would’ve been unmistakable. He handed them over in chains of black darkness while keeping them for judgement;
- and if He didn’t spare the ancient world but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others when He brought the flood on the ungodly world;
- and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction; (*establishing an example of what’s coming upon the ungodly by having reduced them to ashes)
- and if He rescued righteous Lot, who was being worn down by the wantonly debauched conduct of lawless men;
- (For while dwelling among them day by day, that righteous man was being tormented in his righteous soul by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds.)
- then the Lord *knows how to rescue the devout from temptation and how to keep the unrighteous punished for the day of judgement,
- and especially the men walking after the flesh in defiled cravings3“cravings” is literally “craving” and scorning divine authority. Foolishly bold, self-gratifying; they don’t tremble when blaspheming glory,
- where even angels – being greater in strength and power – don’t bring a blasphemous judgement against them4Note: See Jude 1:9 for context before the Lord.
- But like unreasoning animals, these men – *born as creatures of instinct for capture and ruinous corruption – will also be ruinously corrupted by their ruinous corruption by blaspheming what they don’t know,
- suffering injustice as a wage of doing injustice, considering self-indulgent extravagance in the day as pleasure, blots and blemishes reveling in their deceptions while feasting with you,
- having eyes full of sex with other men’s wives5“sex with other men’s wives” is one word in Greek. It literally means “an adulteress”, but can be used as an adjective as it is here. It should be noted that the Greek word (and Hebrew too) is more limited in scope than our English word adultery. In English, “adultery” means illicit sex between a married person – man or woman – and someone who isn’t their spouse. In Greek (and Hebrew also), it meant “a man having sex with another man’s wife”. A married man having sex with an unmarried woman was called fornication. and incessant sin; enticing unstable souls, having a heart strenuously *trained in covetousness, cursed children
- having abandoned the straight way, they wandered astray; having followed after the way of Balaam the son of Beor who ^loved the wage of unrighteousness.
- (But he had a rebuke for his own deliberate defiance through a mute donkey, and having spoken in a man’s voice, it restrained the prophet’s madness.)
- These men are springs without water and mists being driven by a hurricane; men for whom the black darkness has been reserved.
- For while speaking arrogant vanity, through fleshly cravings and wanton debaucheries they entice the men barely escaping from the men walking in deviant error.
- Promising them freedom while being slaves of ruinous corruption themselves. For by what someone has been overcome, by that he has been enslaved.
- For if after having escaped the pollutions of the world through full knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus the Anointed, but then they are *overcome, (having been entangled in these pollutions again) the last state *is worse for them than the first.
- For it was better for them not to have fully known the way of righteousness than having fully known it, to turn from the holy commandment which was delivered to them.
- It has happened to them like the true proverb: “A dog returned to its own vomit, and after washing a sow returned to her muddy wallow.”
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2 Peter Chapter 3
The Lord doesn’t delay
- Beloved, this is already the second letter I write to you, by which I stir up your sincerely pure1“sincerely pure” is one word in Greek. It comes from two other Greek words, the first meaning the shining of the sun, the second to judge. Together, it means to be judged righteous or pure and sincere after being see in the full light, with the implication of being thoroughly examined and still found pure. mind in remembrance,
- to remember the words which have been spoken beforehand by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and savior through your apostles.
- Knowing this first, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, walking according to their own cravings
- and saying: “Where is the promise of His coming? For from the time that the fathers fell asleep, all things remain as they were from the beginning of creation.”
- For this willingly escapes their notice: that the heavens were existing long ago and by the word of God, the earth has been established from water and through water,
- through which the world then perished, having been flooded with water.
- But the heavens and the earth exist now by the same word, *reserved for fire that’s being kept for the day of judgement and the ruin of ungodly men.
- But beloved, don’t let this one thing escape your notice: that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.
- The Lord doesn’t delay the promised fulfillment, as some consider delay. But He patiently endures for you, not intending2“intending” The Greek word βούλομαι (boulomai) is often translated “desiring” or “wishing” in this verse, but it contains much more force than a mere wish or desire. It means a resolute or determined plan that is intended to be carried out. Compare in Matthew 11:27 and 1 Corinthians 12:11, among other verses. for any to perish, but to make space for the repentance of all.
- But the Lord’s day will arrive like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a great rushing sound, and the elements will be dissolved by burning with intense heat, and the earth and the works in it [won’t be found].3“won’t be found”. This passage contains one of the most difficult textual variants in the New Testament, centering on the final verb of the sentence. The Critical Text reads εὑρεθήσεται (heurethēsetai = “will be found/discovered”), while the more traditional textual reading in the Majority Text and Textus Receptus read κατακαήσεται (katakaesetai = “will be burned up”). Additionally, some ancient translations into other languages include a negation before the heurethēsetai reading, making it “will not be found”. However, this reading has no support from Greek manuscripts. That makes the options (1) “will be found out” in the sense of judicial discovery. (2) “will be burned up” in the obvious sense. (This variant has strong support from the immediate context of the passage.) (3) “won’t be found” in the sense of destruction. The BOS Bible has stuck to its source text on this difficult variant, and thus its translation shouldn’t be considered an endorsement of this reading over the others.
- With all these being dissolved this way, what sort of men ought you to be? Holy in conduct and godliness,
- looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved by being set on fire, and the elements melt by burning with intense heat.
- But we look for the new heavens and the new earth according to His promise, in which righteousness dwells.
- Therefore beloved, while looking for these things, be zealously diligent to be found spotless and unblemished by Him, and at peace.
- And regard the forbearance of our Lord as salvation, just as also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you, according to the wisdom which was given to him.
- And as in all his letters, he’s speaking in them about these things, in which some things are difficult to understand, which the unlearned and unstable twist to their own ruin, as they also twist the rest of the scriptures.
- Therefore, you beloved – knowing this beforehand – watch out so you might not fall from your own steadfastness, having been led away by the deceitful error of lawless men.
- But grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and savior, Jesus the Anointed. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of ages. Amen.
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