Peter says God has given everything needed for life and godliness through knowing Christ, and urges believers to add to faith virtue, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, kindness and love. He says that Scripture came not by human will but as the Holy Spirit moved people.
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 :
2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God , and of Jesus our Lord ,
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 :
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises : that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature , having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust .
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 .
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 .
9 But he that lacketh these things is blind , and cannot see afar off , and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins .
10 Wherefore the rather , brethren , give diligence to make your calling and election sure : for if ye do these things , ye shall never fall :
11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ .
12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things , though ye know them, and be established in the present truth .
13 Yea , I think it meet , as long as I am in this tabernacle , to stir you up by putting you in remembrance ;
14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle , even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me .
15 Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance .
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables , when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ , but were eyewitnesses of his majesty .
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory , when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory , This is my beloved Son , in whom I am well pleased .
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard , when we were with him in the holy mount .
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy ; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed , as unto a light that shineth in a dark place , until the day dawn , and the day star arise in your hearts :
20 Knowing this first , that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation .
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man : but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost .