Second Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.”
Are you wondering why I picked 2 Peter 1:3 as our first memory verse for a Bible study in which we study the Gospel of Mark, not Second Peter?
I’m Jean Wilund but It’s All About Him! Welcome to a fun place to get serious about Bible study.
I chose 2 Peter 1:3 as our first memory verse in Discovering God’s Word, because the main focus of Discovering God’s Word is on how to effectively study the Bible, which we then apply what we’ve learned by studying the Gospel of Mark together. But learning how to effectively study the Bible is the main point, and Second Peter 1:3 teaches (and reminds) us that we already have everything we need to be able to learn how to effectively study the Bible, memorize Scripture, and live and walk in godliness in this (often crazy) world.
Background: Understanding the Context of Second Peter
The apostle Peter wrote Second Peter shortly before his death, most likely from his prison cell in Rome in AD 67. He wrote Second Peter to encourage fellow believers with truths they needed to remember in the face of intense persecution.
Now, I’m not suggesting Bible study is intense persecution. It is not. It is a delight—especially when we study effectively.
Peter understood what it felt like to suffer for Christ and to trust God for everything he needed to endure the suffering with grace and peace. Not long after he wrote this letter, he was crucified by the brutal Emperor Nero.
Can you imagine the terror that ran through the church during this time period? But Peter left them great words of encouragement and truth to infuse them with confidence that they could walk in a manner worthy of their calling as followers of Christ. No matter what.
The Exciting Meaning of 2 Peter 1:3
One of the first things we want to notice about 2 Peter 1:3 is the verb. Peter used the Perfect Participle Passive tense.[1] That sounds like a tongue twister. (That is a tongue twister!) The Perfect Participle Passive tense is actually pretty exciting. Let me explain.
The perfect participle tense means that the action of the verb “granted” has already been completed but with continuing results. It’s not just “one and done,” or “over and out.” It’s done and continuing. It’s continuing to be done. It’s “granted” and continually being granted.
For those who believe in Christ, God “has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness,” and He continues to grant that to us.
That’s the “perfect participle” part of the tense—completed with continuing results. But this verb is also passive tense, which means that the action was done to the object, not by the object.
In this verse the object is “us.” It’s followers of Christ.
God’s divine omnipotent power gave—and continues to give—us (followers of Christ) His divine power.
We don’t draw it out from deep inside ourselves. It is a work of God through the power of His indwelling Spirit that He gives to everyone who believes. And we continually receive everything we need to live a godly life that reflects Christ’s perfect character.
So Exactly How Does God Do This Great Work in Us?
Second 2 Peter 1:3 tells us. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him.”
Where do we get this knowledge from? We get it from His Word. His written Word. The Bible.
The more we know God’s Word, the more we’ll come to know and truly rest in our triune God who, as 2 Peter 1:3 tells us, “called us to his own glory and excellence.”
God called us to Himself. We didn’t choose Him. He chose us. As Jesus told His disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit [In other words, life and godliness] and that your fruit should abide [it should continue]” (John 15:16).
By God’s amazing grace, He called us to Himself (to His own glory and excellence) so that we will live holy lives that please Him, which we can be sure will result in grace and peace multiplying in our hearts and minds.
A Firm Foundation
So dear friend, whenever you open your Bible, whether it’s for your daily Bible reading (or maybe to study Discovering God’s Word), pray for wisdom and insight and remember our memory verse.
It will encourage you as you study the Gospel of Mark or any book of the Bible, and as you travel this journey of life with Christ because as 2 Peter 1:3 tells us—and say it with me if you know it:
His divine power has granted to us
2 Peter 1:3
all things that pertain to life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him
who called us to his own glory and excellence.
Order Discovering God’s Word today.
(Affiliate link)
[1] https://biblehub.com/2_peter/1-3.htm#lexicon
