2 Peter 1:5-11 discussion

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Peter is a less often discussed part of the New Testament. I'm a bit confused here, as this seems an almost redundant string of passages here and would appreciate some fresh insight

(NKJV)

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


Fruitful Growth in the Faith [2 Peter 1:5-11]

5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,

Virtue: moral excellence; goodness; righteousness, uprightness, chastity, ethical​

6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,

Isn't godliness virtue by another name? why does perseverance come before godliness when virtue is so similar? Godliness: conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious. But is this conformity not manifest in Virtue? What is the distinction?
7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.

Why must kindness precede Love? Why not go directly to Love? Kindness is defined by acts, but are godly acts toward one another not considered to be done in a spirit of Love?

8 For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What relationship do these virtues listed have in common with the fruits of the Spirit as in Galatians 5:22-23? Love is one overlap, but can you find ways that 2 Peter 1:5-11 interacts with the Fruits of the Spirit verses?
9 For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

This seems to suggest that old sins are only performed out of habit, a remnant of a past life before being born in Christ. The suggestion seems to be that we who are in Christ should be able to keep His commands and that they not be burdensome. 2 Peter 1:9 echoes Paul's sentiment in Romans 6:2
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This one seems to be imploring a state of permanent repentance. Maybe Romans 2:4-10 (?)​
 

WilliamBo

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I never understood 5-7... how do we ''add'' virtue to faith? What does that look like? I know what faith is, and I know what virtue is, but how to you start with faith and move on to virtue, and then to knowledge, etc? For some reason my understanding has always been blocked on this verse, I cant even really explain my confusion on it, I just don't understand what all it's saying
 
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mark kennedy

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For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. (2 Peter 1:9)
Peter is dealing with false teachers who had inundated the church. Grace is supposed to spur us on the brotherly love and kindness, they were teaching self indulgence and gross immorality.
 
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mark kennedy

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So we're supposed to go in that order? Like, aim to have faith first... then once you have faith, get virtue... then once you have virtue, get knowledge... is that what it's saying?
Exactly!
 
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friend of

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I'm saying it seems like Faith would be first, only that the formula described above isn't always the same for everyone. Self-control may jump to Kindness. Love may jump to Kindness. Knowledge may jump to Godliness, godliness to self-control, knowledge to virtue and then perseverance could swing back around and increase Faith!

Maybe this description is an appropriate way of developing fruitful growth, or maybe it's a suggestion. Is this verse set in stone?
 
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Hidden In Him

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Hi guys. I personally believe verses 5-7 to be a kind of progression that naturally occurred to Peter's mind as he was writing the letter.

"But add to your faith virtue" = Very similar here to "faith without works is dead." Virtue here could be taken to mean all sorts of things including faithfulness under persecution, but in essence means virtuous behavior.

"and to virtue knowledge" = People can assume they are doing "virtuous" things, yet without knowledge they can still displease God. Many of the Pharisees were zealous for God, yet were seeking to kill Christ. This might have been regarded as "virtuous" behavior by some, but it was "virtue" without knowledge.

"and to knowledge self-control" = Here some might have knowledge that practicing certain behaviors was not necessarily sinful, such as eating meats sacrificed to idols. But without self-control, they might sin in doing so before the eyes of a weaker brother. This principle could also apply to things like having a great deal of knowledge of scripture, yet lacking control over the tongue such that you were continually engaging in doctrinal strife.

In other words, Peter was saying that they all built upon one another so as to perfect the believer.
Isn't godliness virtue by another name? why does perseverance come before godliness when virtue is so similar? Godliness: conforming to the laws and wishes of God; devout; pious. But is this conformity not manifest in Virtue? What is the distinction?

Perseverance is like endurance (James 1:1-3). It means persevering in good behavior, especially in light of things like spiritual opposition and temptation. Godliness is indeed religious Piety, i.e. reverence for God (almost holiness here), and Peter is progressing toward the perfection of the believer at this point. It refers to increased piety towards God even in the face of enduring sufferings (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Why must kindness precede Love? Why not go directly to Love? Kindness is defined by acts, but are godly acts toward one another not considered to be done in a spirit of Love?

It's a progression. Brotherly kindness was especially applicable between believers of different races (Scythian, barbarian, etc) or social standing (masters, slaves, freedmen, etc). But love was moving passed mere brotherly kindness. It was a deep-seated interest in others, no matter what their position in life or background.
What relationship do these virtues listed have in common with the fruits of the Spirit as in Galatians 5:22-23? Love is one overlap, but can you find ways that 2 Peter 1:5-11 interacts with the Fruits of the Spirit verses?

Yes, the two passages overlap somewhat, though not with the progression you see in Peter. Both love and self-control are present, and "long-suffering" equates to perseverance.
For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.

This seems to suggest that old sins are only performed out of habit, a remnant of a past life before being born in Christ. The suggestion seems to be that we who are in Christ should be able to keep His commands and that they not be burdensome. 2 Peter 1:9 echoes Paul's sentiment in Romans 6:2

The interesting thing in this whole passage is that Peter twice actually uses a Greek word that should be properly translated as "recognition" (in the sense of "seeing" something) and not "knowledge," as he does in the opening statement, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you in the recognition of God and our Lord Jesus." In other words, the more you grew in your recognition of Jesus as Lord, the more all of His grace and peace would be multiplied unto you, in the form of the fruit of the Spirit.

But blindness would be the opposite outcome if you did not continue to grow in a recognition of Jesus as Lord. You would take on a shortsightedness, in seeing only your sins ever before you, becoming forgetful that they were cleansed away during your water baptism. And baptism WAS indeed to be the point at which a believer put the sins of his past life away. But when they did still falter it required seeing them with the eyes of faith by "laying aside the sins that so easily beset us, and looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:1-2).
10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;
11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

This one seems to be imploring a state of permanent repentance. Maybe
Romans 2:4-10
(?)​

"Never stumble" means stumble in faith. You have to remember that it all started with faith in the words "And add to faith, virtue." It still ends there as well. So what Peter was saying was, add the fruit of the Spirit to your walk with God, so that it strengthens your faith in the fact that you are indeed a new man in Christ Jesus, dead to the flesh, and now arisen in the Spirit and living like it. If you did these things, your faith would never falter but be made secure, like an anchor for the soul. The whole passage ends up being similar in point to Romans 5:3-5:

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us."

In Peter the reward is "entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ." In the above passage, the Holy Spirit is sent as a confirmation that this is indeed going to be our heavenly reward, so the two passages are virtually synonymous in their driving points.
 
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Hidden In Him

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Thank you very much for taking the time.

You're welcome. It's still a mess, LoL. But at least I tried. The passage is so large that it would really take a full blown Bible study to cover in full detail. Maybe two.
 
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Shempster

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I am not seeing any formulas here. I think when he says "add to" he just means in addition to, meaning to include ALL of those things.
The hook is when he says "for if you do these things you will never stumble".
He is just saying that if you have all of these things, there should be no room for evil in your hearts and you will experience life.
 
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