2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

LWB 2 Peter 1:2 Grace to you and prosperity [blessings of maturity] be multiplied
[spiritual momentum] by means of the full knowledge [epignosis doctrine] of God,
even Jesus our Lord.
KW 2 Peter 1:2 [Sanctifying] grace to you and [tranquilizing] peace be multiplied in the
sphere of and by the experiential knowledge [which the eliever has] of God, even Jesus,
our Lord.
KJV
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of
Jesus our Lord,
TRANSLATION HIGHLIGHTS
Peter sends what appears on the surface to be a standard greeting of “grace and peace” to
his readers, but don’t skim over this verse so fast. He adds a crucially important word to
his greeting: Be multiplied. “Plethuno” means to increase or grow, to have forward
momentum in the spiritual life. Grace and prosperity is a reference to the blessings of
maturity that come with forward momentum in the Christian way of life. Peter is not
sending them a static, one-time reception of grace and prosperity. He wants them
(Volitive Optative mood) to keep on receiving more and more blessings of maturity. And
he gives the prescription for receiving these blessings in the next word, epignosis, the full
knowledge of God.
Gnosis is basic doctrinal truth; epignosis is advanced doctrinal truth. Gnosis is doctrine
heard or read and stored in the mind as mere facts - raw data if you will. Epignosis is
doctrine metabolized (Latin: cognition) and categorized with other doctrines and placed
on the launching pad of your soul so you can apply it to daily life. This full knowledge or
doctrinal truth is “about God, even Jesus our Lord.” Grace and prosperity are available in
increasing amounts to the believer by means of (or in the sphere of) the full knowledge of
God. This full knowledge of God is not dropped into your brain without human effort. It
requires consistent intake and metabolization of the Word of God.
There is only one way in the Christian life to receive increasing amounts of grace and
prosperity, and that is by mathematically increasing the amount of doctrine you have in
your brain. You do not receive grace and prosperity from God by doing things; you
receive them by learning more about Him. Spiritual momentum comes from increasing
your knowledge of God through the Word, not by “working your buns off” around the
church or in the mission field. These external activities are very important, especially as
they relate to the exercise of your spiritual gifts, but they do not provide “multiplied
grace and peace.” Grace and peace are multiplied in the sphere of epignosis doctrine.
RELEVANT OPINIONS
If I wish to know Jesus Christ as my Savior, I must have an intellectual and experiential
knowledge of Him. By reading the Scriptures I learn about His birth, ministry, suffering,
death, resurrection, ascension, and the promise of His return. From reading the Bible I
come to know Jesus Christ, the Son of God, my Savior. Jesus wants me to study the