Chapter One
2 Pet. 1:1. Simon Peter, a servant and Apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
Simon is an abbreviated form of Simeon, just as Mitr is of Mitrodora, Mina of Minodora, and Fevda of Feodosia. From the very beginning the apostle awakens the thoughts and souls of the believers, urging them to strive in the work of preaching to equal the apostles. For since all received an equally precious grace, it would be unjust to be lacking in anything in which all proved equal. The apostle constantly wishes the believers peace, which Christ gave them after His resurrection from the dead and at His departure to the Father, crying out: "Peace be unto you" (Jn. 20:19, 21, 26; Lk. 24:36). And in the church we beseech the Lord to grant us "an angel of peace," and the priest from the holy altar bestows "peace" upon the people; because peace is the mother of all good things. Therefore the Lord also commanded His disciples that upon entering houses they should first of all bestow "peace" (Matt. 10:12; Lk. 10:5).
2 Pet. 1:2. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Christ Jesus, our Lord.
The connection is as follows: grace and peace be multiplied to you, who, in the knowledge of God and of Christ Jesus our Lord, have received a faith equally precious with ours, according to the righteousness of our God.
2 Pet. 1:3. As His Divine power has granted to us all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,
2 Pet. 1:4. by which He has granted to us great and precious promises,
The connection is as follows: may grace and peace be multiplied to you, since all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus, have been granted to you by His divine power—that grace—for the knowledge of glory and virtue, for which the greatest promises have been granted, so that you, having escaped from the worldly corruption that comes through lust, might become partakers of the divine nature. Otherwise stated: the exposition is drawn out, but the thought is this: having received countless blessings by the power of Christ, we can both become partakers of the divine nature and attain to life and godliness; therefore we must live in such a way as to add virtue to faith and through virtue to advance in godliness, until we reach the most perfect good, which is love. And we became partakers of the divine nature through the appearing of the Lord and God, Who united the firstfruits of our nature in Himself and through His assumption sanctified them; and if the firstfruits are holy, then the whole is holy.
2 Pet. 1:4. That through them you might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
The connection is as follows: so that you, having escaped from the worldly corruption that is brought about through fleshly lust, might become partakers of the divine nature, for "having escaped" means the same as "having been freed." He calls the consequence of worldly lust "corruption" because it is composed of and revolves around corrupt things.
2 Pet. 1:5. For this very reason, applying all diligence, show in your faith virtue, and in virtue discernment,
2 Pet. 1:6. And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2 Pet. 1:7. In godliness brotherly kindness, in brotherly kindness love.
He shows the degrees of progress. In the first place is faith, since it is the foundation and support of good. In the second place is virtue, that is, works, for without them, as the Apostle James says, "faith is dead" (Jas. 2:26). Next is discernment. What kind of discernment? The knowledge of the hidden mysteries of God, which is accessible not to everyone, but only to the one who constantly exercises himself in good works. Then comes self-control. For it too is needed by the one who has attained the aforementioned measure, lest he become proud of the greatness of the gift. And since with short-lived self-control one cannot secure the gift for oneself (for the passions, despite the freedom restraining them, always tend to strive toward what is worse), one must surpass it with patience. It will produce everything, and will bring godliness to peace, and will perfect hope in God. To godliness will be joined brotherly love, and to all of this, love, which the Apostle Paul calls "the bond of perfection" (Col. 3:14). For love showed its power both over the Son of God and over His Father: it disposed the Father to give up His Beloved (Jn. 3:16), and the Son to shed His Blood for us (1 Jn. 3:16).
2 Pet. 1:8. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
What are "these"? Faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, love, which must not only exist but also increase. For if acquiring them is profitable, then increasing them is far more profitable. What then is the benefit of them? That the one who has them is safe at the second coming of the Lord. For whoever does not have them, blindness will follow when the Judge comes in glory and shines like the sun; and even if sight somehow survives, it will not be able to look without harm upon the immeasurable radiance, for the excessive brilliance of light usually darkens the weak eye that gazes upon it.
2 Pet. 1:9. But he who lacks these things is blind, has shut his eyes, and has forgotten the cleansing of his former sins.
2 Pet. 1:10. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election firm;
Blind (μυωπάζων). This expression refers to mice (μυων), which constantly remain in blindness underground. The saying of the Apostle Peter is similar to what was said by the Apostle James, namely: "whoever hears the word and does not do it, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror" (Jas. 1:23). For having learned that through the cleansing of holy baptism he was washed from a multitude of sins, he should know that together with the cleansing he also received holiness, and should be vigilant so as to preserve that sanctification without which no one will see the Lord; but he forgot. Therefore, he says, my brethren, "be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure" (2 Pet. 1:10); that is, the catechetical teaching which you heard at your election, and to be blameless in your calling, so that you may not be condemned for forgetting the gift of God, but remain firm in your calling.
2 Pet. 1:10. So doing, you shall never stumble,
2 Pet. 1:11. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Pet. 1:12. For this reason I will never cease to remind you about these things,
About what — "about these things"? About the aforementioned, namely: virtue, knowledge, and the rest. Note how previously the apostle sought to motivate by fear — the coming of the Judge, and now he persuades by the promise of good things — entrance into the eternal Kingdom of God.
2 Pet. 1:12. Though you both know this and are established in the present truth.
2 Pet. 1:13. Yet I consider it right, as long as I am in this bodily tabernacle, to stir you up by way of reminder,