Peter's Second Letter

2 Peter 1

Peter's Greeting and Blessing

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who have obtained like precious faith with us, through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ:

2 cheerful favor and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord,

Called to Glory and Virtue

3 As his divine power has given us everything which pertains to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence, 4 Though which he gave us exceedingly great and precious promises: that through these you should become sharers of his divine nature, having escaped the corruption which is in the world because of human desires.

Fruitful Growth in the Faith

5 But for this very reason, also giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;  6 And to knowledge self control; and to self control cheerful endurance; and to cheerful endurance godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly affection; and to brotherly affection love: 8 Because if these things are yours, and abound, you will not be ineffective nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and have forgotten that their former sins were washed away. [1:5 Literally, bear alongside.]

10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be even more diligent to make your calling and divine selection is stable; because as long as you practice these things, you will never trip and fall; 11 For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly supplied to you.  [1:10 Literally, no not at any time.]

Peter's Soon Departure

12 For this reason I will not be negligent to always remind you about these things, although you know them and are established in the present truth. 13 But as long as I am in this tent, I consider it only right, to stir you up by reminding you of these things; 14 Knowing that very soon I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ also made it plain to me. 15 So I'm endeavoring to make sure that after my departure you may be able to remember these things at any time.

Assurance that God's Word is True

16 For we did not follow cleverly crafted tales, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, "This is my beloved Son. I am very pleased with him." 18 And we heard this voice, which came from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 We also have a more sure prophetic word; which you would do well to hold on to, like a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first of all, that all prophetic scripture is of no ones private interpretation: 21 Because prophecy was never brought forth by human will; but holy people of God spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 2

False Teachers and Their Judgment

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you, who will cunningly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. 2 And many will follow their destructive teachings; because of them people will speak evil about the Way of Truth.  3 And in covetousness they will exploit you with well crafted words for gain; for whom the judgment of old will not be idle, and their destruction will not sleep:

4 For if God didn't spare the heavenly messengers who sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus (the deepest abyss of Hades), and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 And if he didn't spare the ancient world; but saved Noah, one of eight people, a proclaimer of righteousness, bringing in a flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 And in judgment he demolished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, reducing them to ashes: making them an example to those who set themselves on living ungodly; 7 Yet he delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by their lawless and unbridled immoral behavior: 8 (For that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day, by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds); 9 For the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of judgment, and how to keep the unjust under punishment for the Day of Judgment: 10 And especially those who walk after the defiling passion of the flesh and despise authority. They are bold, self-willed, they're not afraid to speak evil of the glorious ones. 11 Whereas God's messengers, who are greater in strength and power, do not bring a demeaning charge against them before the Lord.

The Depravity of False Teachers

12 But these, like irrational wild animals, born to be captured and destroyed, speak evil of the things they don't understand, and they will utterly perish in their own corruption; 13 And they will receive the reward of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast among you; 14 Like an adulteress, having eyes full of desire, and that never ceases from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in extreme greed, accursed children: 15 They have forsaken the Straight Way, they have gone astray, following in the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But he was scolded for his transgression: a dumb donkey speaking with a human voice restrained the madness of the prophet.

17 These are fountains without water, clouds driven by a storm; for whom the gloom of darkness is reserved for eternity.

The Deceptions of False Teachers

18 For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the desires of the flesh, through sensual desire, those who Truly had escaped from those who walk in error. 19 Promising them freedom, while they themselves are the slaves of corruption: for by whatever anyone is overcome and made worse, by that they are also enslaved. 20 For if having escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and overcome and made worse, the last state is worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after knowing it to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and “A pig, having been washed, returns to her rolling around in the mire.”

2 Peter 3

Mockers Will Be Proved Wrong

1 Beloved, this is now the second letter I am writing to you, in both of these I want to stir up your pure mind by causing you to remember: 2 Remember the words previously spoken by the holy prophets, and the command of our Lord and Savior spoken through us, his apostles. 3 Knowing this first of all: that in the final days mockers will come, walking according to their own desires, 4 And saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, everything continues as they were from the beginning of the creation." 5 But they deliberately forget that by God's Word the heavens were created long ago, and the earth stood out of the water and in the water: 6 By which waters the world that existed then, being flooded with water,  perished. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now, by the same Word, are reserved for fire, until the Day of Judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

8 But, beloved, don't be ignorant of this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as 1,000 years, and 1,000 years as one day. 9 The Lord isn't slow concerning his promise, as some people count slowness, but he's patience toward us, he doesn't want anyone to perish, rather he wants everyone to come to change their minds and not perish.

The Day of the Lord

10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a whizzing sound, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are in them will be burned up. 11 Since all of these things will be dissolved, what kind of persons ought you to be in all holy conduct and reverent behavior? 12 Expecting and eagerly awaiting the coming of the Day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. 13 Nevertheless, according to his promise, we look forward to new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look forward to these things, be diligent that you may be found by him in peace, without spot, and blameless.

15 And regard the patient long-suffering of our Lord to be for the salvation of others; even as our beloved brother Paul also has written to you, according to the wisdom given to him; 16 In all of his letters, also speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable twist, as they also do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Grow in God's cheerful Favor and the Knowledge of Jesus

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know these things beforehand, beware lest you also, being led astray with the error of the lawless, fall from your own steadfastness. 18 But grow in cheerful favor and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and unto that Eternal Day. (Revelation 21:23-25 & 22:3-5)

Amen! (Truly!)