What does 2 Peter 1:15 mean?
Peter knows that his death is near, as mentioned in verse 14. Tradition says that Peter was crucified, though he asked to be hung upside down, since he didn't feel worthy of dying the exact same death as Christ. This passage is meant to remind his readers of the truths they already know. Losing Peter would not mean losing the truth. Nor would it mean that these Christians would not be able to follow God as they should.According to Peter, these are facts his readers already know. They are aware of what God wants from His followers, we simply need to be willing to follow them. What Peter describes in verses 5 through 11 is not a new teaching. Nor is it something his readers aren't already aware of. It's a fundamental part of their Christian faith.
Peter was planning for their future. He wanted to ensure that after he died, they would hold fast to the vital truths they already knew. In doing so, Peter continues to obey Jesus' command to feed the sheep (John 21:15–19), right up until his last days on earth. He continues to serve as Jesus served. He continues to follow the Lord.
2 Peter 1:3–15 urges Christians to understand that they are, right now, fully equipped to lead the life to which God has called them. Since they are equipped, they must use those tools through personal effort. They should strive to add Christ’s goodness and other powerful qualities to their lived-out faith. Growing in those qualities leads to a productive, effective life of knowing the Lord. Lacking Christ’s qualities leads to the opposite. Peter continues reminding the reader of what they already know, in order to keep stirring them up, to ensure they remember all of this after he has died (which will be soon).
Peter begins this brief letter to Christians by reminding them they are not missing anything they need to lead the good and godly lives they are called to. They must work, then, to add to their faith the goodness and qualities of Jesus. This requires effort, unlike eternal salvation which is not based on our work. Those who lack these positive attributes will live as unproductive and ineffective servants of God, nearly as blind as unbelievers and forgetting that their sins are forgiven. Peter, near death, insists that his eyewitness testimony about the transfiguration confirms that the prophecies about the Messiah are true. Jesus is coming back.