2 Peter 1:3 kjv

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2 Peter 1:3 nkjv

as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

2 Peter 1:3 niv

His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

2 Peter 1:3 esv

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

2 Peter 1:3 nlt

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

2 Peter 1 verses

2 Peter 1 3 Meaning

Second Peter 1:3 declares that God's divine power has generously provided believers with everything essential for a life aligned with His will and for godly character. This comprehensive provision is received through a deep, personal, and transformative knowledge of Jesus Christ, who is the one who initiated our call to Himself by means of His own magnificent glory and moral perfection. It asserts God's complete enabling of believers for spiritual vitality and holy living, leaving no deficit in His supply.

2 Peter 1 3 Context

Second Peter, likely written near the end of Peter's life, addresses challenges faced by early Christians, particularly the rise of false teachers and scoffers who distorted the truth, promoted licentious living, and denied Christ's return. In contrast to these deceptive influences, 2 Peter 1:3 lays the foundational truth of God's abundant provision and the believers' complete equipping through authentic knowledge of Christ. It precedes Peter's exhortation to spiritual growth (2 Pet 1:5-7) and his refutation of false teaching in later chapters. Historically, it engages with proto-Gnostic ideas that emphasized esoteric knowledge over moral conduct and apostolic teachings. Peter champions "true knowledge" (epignosis) that inherently leads to godliness, contrasting it with the empty claims of the false teachers.

2 Peter 1 3 Word analysis

• His divine power (τῆς θείας δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ - tēs theias dynameōs autou):

  • divine (theias): Adjective, signifies pertaining to God, heavenly origin, supernatural. Emphasizes God as the exclusive source.
  • power (dynameōs): Inherent ability, active might, enabling force. It's the intrinsic capacity and working of God. This is God's own mighty efficacy.
  • Signifies that the provision for spiritual life is not human-initiated or earned, but wholly from God's own strength.

• has given us (δεδωρημένης ἡμῖν - dedorēmenēs hēmin):

  • A perfect passive participle.
  • Perfect tense: denotes a completed action with enduring results; the giving is done and the benefit remains.
  • Passive voice: highlights that believers are the recipients of this gift, not its producers.
  • dedorēmenēs implies a free, unmerited gift, emphasizing divine grace. It's an accomplished fact for believers.

• all things (panta):

  • Translates "the whole" or "every kind of thing."
  • Signifies comprehensive and complete provision. No essential element for Christian living is withheld or lacking. It covers spiritual and moral needs fully.

• that pertain to (πρὸς - pros):

  • Preposition, indicating purpose, relation, or direction. "Unto" or "with a view to."
  • Connects God's provision directly to the two spheres it enables.

• life (zōēn):

  • Refers to true, spiritual life in its fullest and highest sense. Not mere physical existence (bios), but vitality, quality of life, the new life in Christ. It encompasses reconciliation with God and the eternal fellowship He offers.

• and godliness (kai eusebeian):

  • and (kai): Joins two aspects of the outcome of God's provision.
  • godliness (eusebeian): Reverence, piety, worship rightly directed. It refers to a consistent practical behavior, motivated by sincere devotion to God. It is living a life pleasing to God.

• through the knowledge of Him (διὰ τῆς ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ δεκακότος ἡμᾶς - dia tēs epignōseōs tou dekalotos hēmas):

  • through (dia): Specifies the means or instrument by which the divine provision is accessed.
  • knowledge (epignōseōs): Crucial term in Peter. It signifies full, accurate, experiential knowledge, distinct from mere intellectual apprehension (gnosis). It implies a deep, personal relationship and comprehension, especially regarding moral and spiritual truths. It's progressive.
  • of Him (τοῦ δεκακότος ἡμᾶς - tou dekalotos hēmas): "the one who called us." This identifies "Him" as God, specifically the calling God. It connects the means (knowledge) to the specific person of God.

• who called us (τοῦ καλέσαντος ἡμᾶς - tou kalesantos hēmas):

  • Refers to God's effective, saving call. The participle implies that God, the one who called us, is the same God whose divine power provides. This highlights God's initiative in salvation.

• to His own glory and excellence (διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀρετῆς - dia doxēs kai aretēs):

  • This phrase clarifies how or by what means God called us.
  • by (dia): Specifies the ground or instrument of the calling. "By means of," "because of."
  • glory (doxēs): Refers to God's inherent majesty, honor, splendor, and perfect character. It encompasses all that God is.
  • and excellence (kai aretēs): Also translated as virtue or moral excellence. It signifies moral goodness, praiseworthiness, and uprightness. In this context, it refers to the perfect moral attributes of God Himself.
  • Meaning: God called us because of (or by means of) His own glorious and morally excellent nature, showcasing His character as the basis for salvation and provision.

2 Peter 1 3 Bonus section

The comprehensive nature of "all things" given by divine power combats any notion that believers are inherently deficient or that something essential for their spiritual walk needs to be added through external human efforts or rituals. This concept directly challenges forms of religiosity that promise secret insights or higher levels of spirituality, emphasizing that God has already provided perfectly through Christ. The epignosis Peter speaks of is often a progressive understanding; while "all things" are given, their manifestation and effectiveness in the believer's life grow as one's experiential knowledge of Christ deepens. This highlights that growth in grace and knowledge is not about getting more from God, but better applying what God has already supplied. The power (dunamis) spoken of is the same divine energy by which God accomplished creation and resurrection, applied to the believer's spiritual enablement.

2 Peter 1 3 Commentary

Second Peter 1:3 serves as a bedrock statement of Christian sufficiency, emphatically asserting that believers lack nothing for living a life wholly pleasing to God. The phrase "His divine power has given us all things" establishes God's absolute provision. This is not a future promise, but a completed reality: everything pertaining to spiritual "life" – the new spiritual existence in Christ, abundant and eternal – and practical "godliness" – right conduct stemming from right reverence for God – has already been bestowed. This negates any need to seek extra means, esoteric knowledge, or human systems for spiritual growth beyond Christ. The critical access point to this abundant provision is "the knowledge of Him." This is not a superficial acquaintance but a profound, experiential, and transformative knowledge (epignosis) of Christ, gained through an intimate relationship and the understanding of His person and work. It is by focusing on Him and deepening this knowledge that God's power becomes effectively channeled in the believer's life. The verse concludes by grounding this call in God's own character, specifically His "glory and excellence," revealing that the divine call is not arbitrary but flows from who God supremely is – magnificent in His being and perfect in His moral attributes. This foundational truth counters the deceptive allure of false teachers by affirming God's complete and trustworthy equipping for true life and holiness.