8 For if you have these things in good measure, they will make you fertile and full of fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let the word of Christ be in you in all wealth of wisdom; teaching and helping one another with songs of praise and holy words, making melody to God with grace in your hearts.
He takes away every branch in me which has no fruit, and every branch which has fruit he makes clean, so that it may have more fruit.
May grace and peace ever be increasing in you, in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
So that you may not be slow in heart, but may take as your example those to whom God has given their heritage, because of their faith and their long waiting.
That the faith which you have in common with them may be working with power, in the knowledge of every good thing in you, for Christ.
And they get into the way of doing no work, going about from house to house; and not only doing no work, but talking foolishly, being over-interested in the business of others, saying things which they have no right to say.
And last of all, the prayer which we make to you from our heart and in the name of the Lord Jesus, is this: that as we made clear to you what sort of behaviour is pleasing to God, as in fact you are doing now, so you will go on in these ways, but more and more.
And the Lord give you increase of love in fullest measure to one another and to all men, even as our love to you;
And my prayer is that you may be increased more and more in knowledge and experience;
While their hearts go out to you in love and in prayer for you, because of the great grace of God which is in you.
And that as you are full of every good thing, of faith, of the word, of knowledge, of a ready mind, and of love to us, so you may be full of this grace in the same way.
For if we are foolish, it is to God; or if we are serious, it is for you. For it is the love of Christ which is moving us; because we are of the opinion that if one was put to death for all, then all have undergone death; And that he underwent death for all, so that the living might no longer be living to themselves, but to him who underwent death for them and came back from the dead. For this reason, from this time forward we have knowledge of no man after the flesh: even if we have had knowledge of Christ after the flesh, we have no longer any such knowledge. So if any man is in Christ, he is in a new world: the old things have come to an end; they have truly become new.
For this cause, my dear brothers, be strong in purpose and unmoved, ever giving yourselves to the work of the Lord, because you are certain that your work is not without effect in the Lord.
If a man does not keep himself in me, he becomes dead and is cut off like a dry branch; such branches are taken up and put in the fire and burned. If you are in me at all times, and my words are in you, then anything for which you make a request will be done for you. Here is my Father's glory, in that you give much fruit and so are my true disciples.
But I have knowledge of you that you have no love for God in your hearts.
And about the eleventh hour he went out and saw others doing nothing; and he says to them, Why are you here all the day doing nothing?
And he went out about the third hour, and saw others in the market-place doing nothing;
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Peter 1
Commentary on 2 Peter 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Second Epistle General of Peter
Chapter 1
In this chapter we have,
2Pe 1:1-4
The apostle Peter, being moved by the Holy Ghost to write once more to those who from among the Jews were turned to faith in Christ, begins this second epistle with an introduction, wherein the same persons are described and the same blessings are desired that are in the preface to his former letter; but there are some additions or alterations which ought to be taken notice of, in all the three parts of the introduction.
2Pe 1:5-11
In these words the apostle comes to the chief thing intended in this epistle-to excite and engage them to advance in grace and holiness, they having already obtained precious faith, and been made partakers of the divine nature. This is a very good beginning, but it is not to be rested in, as if we were already perfect. The apostle had prayed that grace and peace might be multiplied to them, and now he exhorts them to press forward for the obtaining of more grace. We should, as we have opportunity, exhort those we pray for, and excite them to the use of all proper means to obtain what we desire God to bestow upon them; and those who will make any progress in religion must be very diligent and industrious in their endeavours. Without giving all diligence, there is no gaining any ground in the work of holiness; those who are slothful in the business of religion will make nothing of it; we must strive if we will enter in at the strait gate, Lu. 13:24.
2Pe 1:12-15
2Pe 1:16-18
Here we have the reason of giving the foregoing exhortation, and that with so much diligence and seriousness. These things are not idle tales, or a vain thing, but of undoubted truth and vast concern. The gospel is not a cunningly devised fable. These are not the words of one who hath a devil, nor the contrivance of any number of men who by cunning craftiness endeavour to deceive. The way of salvation by Jesus Christ is eminently the counsel of God, the most excellent contrivance of the infinitely wise Jehovah; it was he that invented this way of saving sinners by Jesus Christ, whose power and coming are set forth in the gospel, and the apostle's preaching was a making of these things known.
2Pe 1:19-21
In these words the apostle lays down another argument to prove the truth and reality of the gospel, and intimates that this second proof is more strong and convincing than the former, and more unanswerably makes out that the doctrine of the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is not a mere fable or cunning contrivance of men, but the wise and wonderful counsel of the holy and gracious God. For this is foretold by the prophets and penmen of the Old Testament, who spoke and wrote under the influence and according to the direction of the Spirit of God. Here note,