According as His Divine Power given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, Through the KNOWLEDGE of Him that
Hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding Great and Precious
Promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature. (II Peter 1:3-4) For
His Divine Power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life
and godliness, through the [full, of Him. Who called us by and to His own glory and
excellence (virtue By means of these He has bestowed upon us His Precious and
Exceedingly
Great Promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay
(rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed),
and become sharers (partakers) of the Divine Nature. (II Peter 1:3-4)
Amplified
I have read that verse many times and I can't get enough of those Words our Lord is
stating. You will find the Word through this verse three times. The word Divine is given
two times. The words His, Him, and He is in these verse four times. The word Hath is in
this verse two times. It is as if the Word of God is telling us that everything we could
possibly need in life and in godliness is waiting for us in His Divine Words. We can
receive from His word THROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF HIM. We must fully understand who we are IN
CHRIST JESUS. Failure comes into our lives as we fail to understand our rightful place IN
CHRIST. I will show you what many of Greek words mean and how they apply to us as we go
into this study. You may also want to study these scriptures that are connected to these
verses.
(John 17:3; And
this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom
thou hast sent. I Thess. 2:12;That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you
unto his kingdom and glory. 4:7; For God hath not called us unto uncleanness,
but unto holiness. Thess 2:14; Whereunto he called you by ourgospel, to the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Tim. 1:9; Who hath saved us, and called [us] with
an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, I Pet 2:9; The
Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto
the day of judgment to be punished: 3:9.The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as
some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should
perish, but that all should come to repentance.
The rest of this study
will be in defining the key words in the Greek for you. The Word DIVINE in the
Greek is THEIOS; an adj., meaning divine, what is God's especially and what proceeds from
Him. This word denotes the power of God. The Greek words THEIOTES and THELEMA are also
very interesting to study as they reflect power or the namely, splendor, glory,
brightness, adornment. (Matt. 4:8; And other fell on good ground,
and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some
sixty, and some an hundred. Luke 4:6 And the devil said unto him, All this power
will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever
I will I give it.). I have totally blessed myself in just writing
this out. The Word of God is so beautiful to read and as it become yours to enjoy, so will
life become new and fresh in the Lord.
The Word VIRTUE
is the Greek word ARETE which means excellency, being pleasing to God, the excellence of
God revealed in the work of salvation. This word denotes a moral sense which gives his
worth, his efficiency. In the NT: virtue, excellency, perfection (I Pet. 2:9),
the virtue as a force or energy of the Holy Spirit accompanying the preaching of the
glorious Gospel, called glory in 2 Peter 1:3, human virtue in general (Phil.
4:8); courage, fortitude, resolution, ( 2 Pet. 1:5), moral
excellence.
The Word LIFE in the Greek is ZOE which means life, referring to the principle of
life in the spirit and soul. This word expresses all of the highest and best which Christ
is (John 14:6; I John 1:2) and which He gives to the saints. The highest blessedness of
the creature.
The Word GODLINESS
is the Greek word EUSEBEIA which means Godly. It can mean devotion toward God. (Acts
3:12; I Tit. 2:2; 2 Pet. 1:6,7). It has the general sense which is morally good. It
can show whom worship is directed to.
The Greek word
for POWER is DUNAMIS it means power, especially inherent power (Mark 5:30;
Eph. 1:19). All the words derived from the stem DUNA - have the basic meaning of being
able, and capable. Here are few of those words in the Greek DUNAMOO and DUNASTES. They
reflect strength, authority and dominion, Do a word study on this single word POWER will bless
you greatly. I got so blessed as study the word of Lord. All our needs are
within His Great and Mighty Words. The word KNOWLEDGE The Word KNOWLEDGE in
the Greek is EPIQNOSIS and means knowledge and it means a clear and exact knowledge. It
can mean a knowledge which is determined by, or which regulates itself according to our
understanding. It also can mean discernment in connection with the knowledge of possession
of salvation which determines the moral conduct (Phil. 1:9), the knowledge which enables
one to avoid error, Rom. 10:2; 11:33; 2 Pet. 1:5).
The Word GLORY in the Greek is DOXA which means glory. DOXA can mean
appearance, reputation, glory. It basically refers to the recognition belonging to a
person, honor, renown. DOXA may denote appearance, form, aspect, the appearance of a
person or thing which catches the eye or attracts attention, commanding recognition,
looking life something; this equivalent to splendor, brilliance, glory attracting the
gaze. It compresses all that God will appear to be in His final revelation to us (Rom.
21:23). God's glory made itself manifest in and through Jesus Christ (John 1:14; 2 Cor.
4:6; Heb. 1:3).
His Second Coming is spoken of as the Blessed Hope and the appearing of
His glory. At Christ's Second Coming He will be truly recognized for all that He
is. The glory of the Son of Man in (Matt. 19:28; 25:31; Mark 10:37,They said
unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left
hand, in thy glory. Luke 9:32; But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when
they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him.
24:26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?)
is to be understood in contrast with His earthly manifestation (John 17:22, And the
glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 24;
Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they
may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation
of the world. Phil. 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to
subdue all things unto himself.) and is brought by Christ Himself into connection with the
DOXA glory, which He had before His humiliation in the incarnation (John 17:5
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with
thee before the world was.12:41 These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory,
and spake of him.; Phil. 2:11 And [that] every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.) More specifically, DOXA means
not the outward glorious appearance, attracting attention to the person or thing itself,
but that glory shown from within reflecting in the appearance which attract attention.
The word NATURE in the Greek is PHUSIS which means growth (by
germination or expansion). A natural production. To germinate or grow (spout,
produce).
The word WORLD in the Greek is KPOSMOS which means to set in order, adorn.
That which pertains to space and not time. The sum total of persons living in the world (Matt.
4:8; I John 2:15-17).
The word LUST in the Greek is the word EPITHUMIA and it means the active and
individual desire resulting in the soul's diseased condition. From this diseased condition
springs forth various lusts. It can mean desire (Col. 3:50, the lust of desire [I
Thess. 4:5), vile affections (Rom. 1:26). These are lusts that dishonor those
who indulge in them. Also you may want to study these scriptures that give more knowledge
about (II Peter 1:3-4). Read (2 Cor. 7:1;2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 4:24; Heb. 12:10; I John 3:2; 2
Pet. 2:18,20). The word PROMISES in the Greek is EPAGGELMA and it means promise and
assurance. To proclaim ( Peter 1:4; 3:13). To tell, declare something. This word can refer
to God's divine promises of spontaneous salvation. This word is used absolutely, meaning
to give a promise (Gal. 3:19; Heb. 6:13; 10:23; 11:11). A proclamation, promise or
assurance.
The last word is PARTAKES the Greek word is KOINONOS. To make
anything common. A partaker (Matt. 23:30; I Cor. 10:18; 2 Cor. 1:7 I Pet. 5:1;
Pet. 1:4; see Phile. 1:17). Partner, companion (Luke 5:15; I Cor. 10:20; Heb.
10:33). Derived from KOINOS that means common, to share, fellowship with, participation in
anything. To become communicative or cultivating a loving fellowship. To participate in
something with someone or a partaker. That is the end of this study on (2 Peter 1:3-4).
You can do much more in taking all the words and finding out what they mean in the Greek.
