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2 Peter 1:8
ESV For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
NIV For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
NASB For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
CSB For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
NLT The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
KJV For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
NKJV For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What does 2 Peter 1:8 mean?

It's important to remember that Peter is writing to Christians here. A challenging idea jumps out from this verse and the one that follows: It is possible for a Christian to be fully equipped for a meaningful life of Christlike goodness, and yet to squander that opportunity. It is possible, instead, to choose to be ineffective and unproductive with that precious gift.

This is a sobering thought. This would be something like realizing you've had a superpower all along, and have been wasting it. It would be disastrous to leave that ability unused, pursuing lesser things because they were easier or more immediately attractive. How can a Christian avoid that? Peter says that seeking the qualities he listed in the previous verses, and to have them growing in us, is the way to be effective and productive as people who know the Lord.

Prior verses have shown, though, that this isn't just going to happen to us while we're sleeping, or not paying attention. Peter has commanded us to go to work, to "make every effort," to add these qualities alongside the faith we possess.
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