Second Peter 1:1-21

II Peter 1:1 and 2:

^1:1Simeon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ – to the (people) having obtained equal-honored belief with us in (the) righteousness of our God and of (our) Savior Jesus Christ; ^.2may grace and peace be multiplied to you in full-knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Peter begins this second letter by first identifying himself by name: Simeon Peter. He was also known as: Cephas (the Aramaic translation of “Peter”), Simon, son of Jona (or “John” his natural father), a native of Bethsaida, who lived with his wife in Capernaum. He was one of Jesus’ learning-disciples and apostles. Some references regarding Peter are: Matthew 4:18-20, 8:14, 10:1-5, 14:29, 16:16-19; John 1:42, 21:15-19; Acts 1:13, chapters 2-5, 9:33-40, chapters 10-12, 15:7-11 and; I Corinthians 1:12, 3:22, 9:15, 15:5; Galatians 1:18, 2:7-9.

In his previous letter, Peter also identified himself as “an apostle of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:1) to which you may refer for a detailed study. However, here in II Peter 1:1 he adds that he is a “slave” of Jesus Christ. He was bound to serve him. This service as a slave meant that his whole being was at-the-service-of or in-service-to the Lord Jesus Christ. Peter carried-out his service by his own freedom of will. Wherever Peter was and whatever he was doing he was to behave as a slave of Jesus Christ, not a slave serving anybody or anything else. Peter believed and obeyed the Lord Jesus Christ, and he took his instructions from him. During Biblical times, a master was obligated to take-care of his slave (bond servant) and the slave was obligated to do all his master would ask of him. It was a mutually-beneficial relationship between the master and his slave.

Peter addressed this letter to:

• the people who have obtained (received the allotment of)
  • equal-honored belief (faith, trust, information that God made known to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety – which is equally proportioned, the same, identical, it has equality in measure, quantity, quality, amount, etc, relative to its estimated value, esteemed worth, price; refer to Romans 10:8-17)
    • with us (myself and others who make known the details regarding God and the things of God to you)
  • in the righteousness (within the sphere of action, character and attributes of the justness, justice, the state of being and doing what is just/right)
    • of our God (the God of us; He is the First, Superior or Ultimate One, the One Who has power, executes judgment, and emanates what He is, His power and light)
    • and of our Savior Jesus Christ (Jesus Christ is our savior because he is the one who carried-out God's will to make it available for people to be saved, to be made-safe; he made us free from danger and destruction spiritually and keeps us safe to/with himself and God his Father; the name “Jesus Christ” emphasizes his obedience and service to God on a horizontal level to benefit people).

The opening greeting reads: …may grace and peace be multiplied to you (caused to be made-full, filled to fullness to all of you)…

• within the full, clear and exact personal knowledge
  • of God
  • and of Jesus our Lord.

Grace is what is freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part; it includes reference to the attitude and quality of the one giving something favorable to another. Grace is not bestowed because somebody deserves a wage that is owed for something they said or did, nor because they begged so hard, nor because they forced the giver to give! Grace is bestowed because the giver wants to give by his own freedom of will to the recipient - it is completely unmerited favor from the giver to the recipient.

Peace is tranquil harmony, tranquility, peaceful wholeness, without any strife or disagreement.

The word "Lord" refers to a master or an owner, one who has the authority or authoritative-power, the one from whom the directions and instructions are given and who is to be obeyed, the one who has the dominion over and exercises his lordship in relation to that-which his title of "Lord" or "Master" is being associated – Jesus is Lord of all holy-people.

Peter’s prayerful wish or desire for the holy-people (Christians) was that grace and peace would be multiplied to them in full-knowledge of God and of Jesus the Lord during the everyday living of their lives.

[Reference: Acts 5:29-32, 13:23, 15:14; Romans 1:17, 10:8-17; Ephesians 5:23; Philippians 3:20; II Timothy 1:10; Titus 1:4, 2:13, 3:6; I Peter 1:1 and 2; II Peter 3:1.]

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Self control, patience, and love