2 Peter 1:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

NIV: So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

NASB: Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you.

CSB: Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have.

NLT: Therefore, I will always remind you about these things — even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught.

KJV: Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

NKJV: For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

Peter knows two things about his Christians readers. First, they know the truth he has been teaching. In fact, they are rock-solid in those truths. Peter uses the Greek word estērigmenous here, which means "fixed," or "established," or "strengthened." These Christians Peter writes to don't need to know something differently than they already do, in order to live the life Christ.

At the same time, Peter also knows that even Christians who are aware of truth need to be reminded. We need to hear it again and again, to highlight the connection between what we know and what we will do with it. Peter made it part of his life's work to feed the sheep (John 21:15–19) by reminding them of what they know in Christ and urging them to act on it with God's power.

This verse also reflects on Peter's impending death (2 Peter 1:14). Part of his purpose here seems to be reminding the church to hold fast to these teachings, even if Peter is gone. What's been said in prior verses, then, is not meant as a criticism. It's simply Peter giving another loving reminder of what we should be, as Christian believers.

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.

Peter begins his letter by urging his Christian readers not to be unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus. Rather, they should work to add all of Christ’s qualities to their lives. Then Peter begins to lay a foundation to support his attack on the false teachers in the church. He also introduces ideas supporting his declaration that the Day of the Lord is coming. Later chapters will use the background of this first chapter to support those arguments.

Apparently written shortly before his death in the AD 60s, 2 Peter may have been written to the same audience as 1 Peter, which was Christians scattered by persecution. Peter writes this letter to encourage Christians to live out the purpose of their lives in Christ. He warns readers to beware of teachers who claim to be believers, but present a false version of Christianity. And, Peter calls on all Christians to eagerly watch and wait for the return of the Lord.