Last Words - almost part 6

Last Words Part 6

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.   (2Pe 1:5-14)  ESV

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ

For if

Ok – a little technical stuff.  The word “if” is not in the Greek text.

This is important because in the Greek text there is no question of these qualities being in the men and women to whom Paul writes.  Read it without the “If.”

For these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The phrase  "are yours" (humin huparchonta) is a strong expression denoting that which actually exists as one's possession.

One more technical change.  The NIV translates it this way:

8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Literally it would be:

8 For if you continually possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

My point in getting technical is that these are not qualities you need to get – you have them by virtue of Christ Jesus and His Spirit.  These qualities are (and I’m stepping out here) the qualities with which man was created and which became corrupted in the fall.  Now in Christ the corruption of sin is removed and these qualities, long dormant and/or twisted, can be accessed and grown to His glory.

As a friend of mine says, “You got ‘em, work ‘em.”

“are increasing”

πλεονάζω, pleonázō [to increase, abound].  Fruit will result when the preceding qualities abound with fullness as the goal.

Practice – exercise.  Here’s a key.  “Use ‘em or lose ‘em.” Is not a bad way of putting it.  We HAVE these qualities and so now, with the Spirit of God, we need to use them.  It appears from the next phrase that the use of these qualities, their strengthening, broadening and focusing have an unavoidable result.

Peter is exhorting every saint to choose now to allow Him to express Himself through you. And it is a voluntary choice we must each make and make each day...many times during the day. God won't force us to deny ourselves and to set our mind on the things of the Spirit rather than the things of the flesh. We each must do that. But oh the rewards for letting the Spirit fill us and control us (Eph 5:18-note, Gal 5:16-note). The more we choose as His bondservants to allow Jesus to be the Lord and Master of every area of our life, the more these qualities will increase and superabound, bearing much fruit, fruit that remains for eternity. Why are we so stubborn, hard headed, rebellious and resistant to the Word and the Spirit when all God wants to do is pour forth blessing upon our life! JC

“they keep you from being”

“keep” = καθίστημι,  kathístēmi ;  to bring, make, cause (render).  The basic sense 'to set down.  'To make someone something. (KTD)

The exercise of these qualities “make us-not” . . . . or “they render you neither ineffective nor unfruitful.”

“ineffective or unfruitful”

Ineffective = ἀργός argós [idle]

Argós means:   a. 'indolent,' 'useless,' 'unemployed,' and b. 'incapable of action.  Without works that express faith and hence 'unserviceable'

Unfruitful = ἄκαρπος, ákarpos

This is the negative prefix “a” plus “karpos” –fruit.

Unfruitful, bearing no fruit (Jud_1:12 [cf. Mat_13:22; Mar_4:19; Tit_3:14; 2Pe_1:8]; Sept.: Jer_2:6). Unprofitable, producing bad fruit (1Co_14:14; Eph_5:11).

“in the (TRUE) knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Peter focuses our not being ineffective and/or unfruitful one the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

In the Greek – and hence in the NASB we find the work “true” in reference to the knowledge of which Peter writes.  This is the word ἐπίγνωσις,  epígnōsis.

Recognition, i.e. (by implication) full discernment, acknowledgement: —         (ac-)knowledge(-ing, - ment). AV (20) - knowledge 16, acknowledging 3, acknowledgement 1;   

I. precise and correct knowledge

A. Used in the NT of the knowledge of things ethical and divine.

When we, as believers, servants of the lord Jesus Christ actively and intentionally live out the righteousness He has purchased for us we will be neither idle nor unfruitful in our true knowledge of Him.

When we as humans actively and intentionally live out the laws of gravity we do not fool around on heights – we especially do not jump.

Here then is the point.  Many if not most of us have an obscured understanding of sin and salvation – not to mention sanctification.  We also have a fickle sense of the seriousness of sin and the purity of righteousness.  Because of this, though we know the Lord and Redeemer, our knowledge is not complete of as stable as it could be.

We – at one place or another in our hearts and minds – are tossed and thrown by the winds and waves.  It may be technically theological or it may be pathetically practical but we all struggle.

Peter want us to understand and be convicted by the fact that we have – restored, rediscovered, re-enlivened – however you wish to say it—qualities whose practice/exercise will make the truth of Christ clearer and clearer. 

Through the Word and the Holy Spirit we can practice these qualities as the practical means of strengthening and broadening not only our security in Christ but our service to Christ as well.

Next, the qualities --- but first a look at the, “Now for this very reason also . . . “ we read in verse 5.