Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles

1Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained an equally precious faith with us, through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ;

2Grace to you and peace be multiplied, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord;

3As his divine power has given us all things which pertainto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who hath called us by his own glory and power;

4By which also very great and precious promises have been freely given us, that through these ye might become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

5And for this purpose using all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;

6And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness;

7And to godliness, brotherly affection; and to brotherly affection, love:

8For if these be in you, and be abounding, they make you to be neither idle nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ;

9But he in whom these things are wanting is blind, and cannot see afar off, having forgotten the cleansing of his old sins.

10Therefore, brethren, strive the more to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

11For thus shall abundantly be supplied to you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12I will not, therefore, neglect always to remind you of these things, though ye know them, and have been confirmed in the present truth.

13Yea, I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by reminding you;

14Since I know that I am shortly to put away this tabernacle, as also our Lord Jesus Christ hath made manifest to me.

15I will, however, endeavor, that ye may also be able to have these things always in remembrance after my departure.

16For it was not cunningly-devised fables that we followed, when we made known to you the power and the corning of our Lord Jesus Christ; but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty:

17For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when such a voice as this came to him from the magnificent glory, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I have been well pleased."

18And this voice we heard, when we were with him on the holy mount.

19And we have the more sure word of prophecy, to which ye do well in attending, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts;

20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of a private suggestion:

21For prophecy came not formerly by the will of man; but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.