2 Peter 1:13 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,

NIV: I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,

NASB: I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder,

CSB: I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder,

NLT: And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live.

KJV: Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

NKJV: Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,

In the previous verse, Peter acknowledged that his readers, Christians, already know and are established in the truth. They "have" the truth in knowing the Lord. Now he writes that his mission is to remind them of what they know in order to stir them up. He seeks to motivate them to act on the knowledge God has given to them.

Peter's point also reminds us that we, as believers, need to keep coming back to the truths we know. We should emphasize the truth over and over, so we're "provoked" to act on it. The fact that we already know the contents of God's Word is no reason to ignore it from that point forward. Repeated reminders of the truth not only keep us secure in what we know, it helps us better understand how to interpret it, apply it, and defend it.

Peter's goal is to keep doing this kind of stirring as long as he lives. Peter knows that he is not long for this world, as he'll state in verse 14. His purpose so far is not to criticize, but to encourage.

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.

Accessed 4/29/2024 3:03:05 AM