Seven Things We are to Supply
II Peter 1:1
Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have
obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God
and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
Peter went from
trying to impose his will on the Lord Jesus Christ to being a servant, a
bondslave; one who does what the master
wants. He became an example to others, and instructs others how they can
change also.
“…like precious
faith…” Peter addresses this epistle to them that have “obtained like
precious faith.” It is “like precious” because all receive that which is
of equal value. It is something that was given to us by God not
something we earned by anything we did. Do we view it as precious?
2 Grace and peace
be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our
Lord,
Knowledge is
epignosis.
It is more than just head knowledge.
E.W.
Bullinger defines it as: a clear and exact
knowledge. It expresses a more thorough participation on the part of the
knower with the object of the knowledge. It is a knowledge that has a
powerful influence on the knower.
God does not
desire that we merely know about Him but rather that we know Him.
Psalm 34:8 O
taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed
is the man that trusteth in him.
To taste and see
something is to experience it for yourself.
God wants us to know Him intimately by experiencing His love, grace, and
goodness. It is not enough to know the Bible. We are to know its Author.
II Peter 1:3
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:
The figure of
speech hendiadys is used. Life and godliness could be translated
as “a godly life.”
God’s divine
power has given to us everything pertaining to a godly life.
Some translate
“all things that pertain to” as “everything that is needed or required
for.”
God has supplied
us with everything that is required for living a godly life. We don’t
have to add anything. We must, however, make the decision to live this
kind of life.
[E.W.
Bullinger] Godliness relates to a real,
true, vital, and spiritual relation with God.
We have
everything we need for godliness, to have this real, true, vital,
spiritual relation with God, but how can we have this spiritual
relationship with God if we do not know Him?
This relationship
comes “through the knowledge of Him.” What is vital in your relationship
with God? The more we really get to know Him, the
more godly our lives will be.
4 Whereby [by
which] are given [have been given] unto us [the] exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine
nature [by getting born again], having escaped the corruption that is in
the world through lust.
A godly life
begins with the recognition that as a believer you are already a full
sharer in the divine nature. One who fails to recognize this will try to
change himself on the outside and foolishly think change on the inside
will follow. He will attempt to make himself into a godly person rather
than accepting what God has done for him in the new birth.
Once we
acknowledge the change that has happened in the new creation, we will
realize that we are fully equipped for change on the outside. The
outside will be changed when we dwell on and act according to what is on
the inside.
5 And beside this
[now for this reason], giving [adding on your part] all diligence [an
earnest and intense effort], add [supply] to your faith [believing]
virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
Literally verse
5: Now for this very reason, adding on your part all intense and earnest
effort, supply to your believing virtue; and to virtue knowledge.
5 And beside
this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue
knowledge;
6 And to
knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness;
7 And to
godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
There are seven
things that a believer is to supply to his believing: virtue, knowledge,
temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.
There are three
types of figures of speech here. When
polysyndeton, “many ands”
is used the reader is to slow down and consider each item
in the list. When each clause repeats the word that
ends the previous clause it is the figure climax. [in
Greek it means ladder] Each one of the seven builds upon the previous
just as you go up a ladder step by step.
The third figure
is ellipsis; words are deliberately omitted that must be supplied
by the reader.
They are “giving
all diligence, add,” or “adding on your part all intense and earnest
effort, supply…”
This section
could be read: “And for this very reason, adding on your part all
intense and earnest effort, supply virtue to your believing; and to
virtue [adding on your part all intense and earnest effort, supply]
knowledge; and to knowledge [adding on your part all intense and earnest
effort, supply] temperance; and to temperance [adding on your part all
intense and earnest effort, supply] patience…”
Virtue means
superior excellence. This indicates that we are to set a high standard
for our believing.
Matthew 8:5-10
While others needed to touch the hem of
Jesus’ garment or the laying on of his hands or something else to help
them believe, the centurion did not even require his personal presence.
He was willing to believe if Jesus would simply speak the word.
When one is ready
to believe on no other basis than the Word of God [whether spoken or
written], he has reached a high level of believing.
We should look to
improve the level of our believing. The believing by the Church in
Thessalonica was well known.
I Thessalonians
1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia
and Achaia, but also in every place your faith [believing] to God-ward
is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing.
The believers at
Thessalonica must have had a high standard of believing for it to have
been spoken of in every place. However, they were not content to stay at
that level.
II Thessalonians
1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you,
brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith [believing]
groweth exceedingly, and the charity of
every one of you all toward each other aboundeth.
Their level of
believing was continuing to grow exceedingly. Shouldn’t we continue to
give a diligent effort to achieve a higher standard in our believing?
1:5 And beside
this…[adding on your part all intense and
earnest effort, supply] to your believing virtue; and to virtue
knowledge.
This virtue, this
superior excellence in our believing can only come by diligently
supplying knowledge; a knowledge of the
Scriptures.
II Timothy
II Peter
The Word of God
adds profit to our lives. If we are to grow in the knowledge of him, we
must continue to be more knowledgeable of God’s written revelation.
Sometimes young
believers spend a considerable amount of time reading and studying the
Bible, but as they get older they rest on the knowledge they have
already acquired. This is not wise. We are to continue to grow in our
knowledge.
1:6
And [adding on your part all intense and
earnest effort, supply] to knowledge temperance…
Temperance is a
disciplined self-control or a mastery over one’s self. Without
temperance, knowledge will have no practical value.
I Corinthians
9:25-27; I Thessalonians 4:4,5
Often
believers who struggle with self control, put
themselves under some strict program to bring the body under control,
only to fail.
Colossians
2:20-23 Temperance is a fruit of the spirit,
it will be produced as we walk by the new nature. It is not a work of
the flesh.
1:6 …and [adding on your part all
intense and earnest effort, supply] to temperance, patience.
Patience enables
one to endure in situations.
Hebrews 12:1-3
We run our race with patient endurance by
looking to the one who patiently endured the cross. He did so by looking
at the joy set before him.
1:6 …and [adding on your part all
intense and earnest effort, supply] to patience godliness.
Godliness is that
real, true, vital spiritual relationship with God, not religion. Genuine
godliness will be accompanied by power. Anything that lacks power can
only be a mere form and not the real thing.
II Timothy 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away.
Acts
Although it was
not their own godliness, they had to exercise themselves unto it. They
had more than a form of godliness, they had the real thing.
1:7
And [adding on your part all intense and
earnest effort, supply] to godliness brotherly kindness…
The Greek word
here is
Romans 12:5
So we, being many, are one body in Christ,
and every one members one of another.
Each of our lives
is intertwined with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, there
must be great care and concern within
that family for each and every member.
Romans
II Peter 1:7 …and [adding on your part
all intense and earnest effort, supply] to brotherly kindness charity.
Charity is
agapē and refers to the “love of
God.” When people are getting along brotherly love is easy. When
disagreements and hurts arise, suddenly brotherly love seems impossible.
Without the love of God being manifested toward each other, brotherly
love is doomed to fail.
I Peter
23 Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of
God, which liveth and
abideth for ever.
These believers
were told to love one another because they had been born again of
incorruptible seed. They could now manifest this higher form of love.
I Peter 4:8
And above all things have fervent charity
among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
The qualities of
the love of God enable us to love the unlovable.
Colossians
Moffat’s
translation: “Love is the link of the perfect life.”
That is the
reason it is listed seventh and last among the things we are to
diligently supply to our believing. Without love all else will prove
useless.
II Peter 1:5-15