2 Peter — Chapter 1

The Divine Nature and the Prophecy of Scripture

"For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

— 2 Pet 1:21 (ESV)

2 Peter is Peter’s final letter (~67 A.D.) — a spiritual testament that combats false teachers and affirms the certainty of the parousia.

🌟 Partakers of the Divine Nature (1:3-11)

1 Pet 1:3-4

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you."

Theias koinonoi physeos — partakers of the divine nature: the boldest affirmation about salvation in the NT. Not divinization in a pantheistic sense, but participation in the life and character of God. The means: the 'precious and very great promises' — the Word of God as the vehicle of transformation.

📖 The Inspired Prophecy (1:19-21)

2 Pet 1:20-21

"Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

Pheromeni hypo pneumatos hagiou — carried along by the Holy Spirit: inspiration as a divine movement. The prophets did not invent the prophecies — they were 'borne' by the Spirit like a ship by the wind. Interpretation is not 'private' (idias epilyseos) — Scripture is not the private property of the interpreter.