2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

KJV
2 Peter 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue
knowledge;
TRANSLATION HIGHLIGHTS
Exhibiting glory and virtue as partakers of the divine nature requires a joint operation
between God and man. God supplies the divine power and building material: the filling
of the Spirit and Bible doctrine. Man supplies due diligence by his consistent intake,
metabolization and application of doctrine in the filling of the Spirit. “Bringing to bear all
possible effort” is the believer’s responsibility for forward momentum in the spiritual life
(Constative Aorist tense). The circumstantial participle, translated by the word “having,”
means a level of spiritual growth by consistently studying doctrine should come before
Peter’s next command. This is a period of time when a new believer should sit down,
shut up, and learn the Word of God from a qualified pastor or teacher. “Having made
some progress in the spiritual life by due diligence,” then Peter commands believers
(Imperative mood) to furnish or add to the application of doctrine, functional virtue.
Functional virtue is the application of the motivational virtue obtained by consistent
doctrinal inculcation. Virtue starts on the inside and overflows on the outside.
The positive believer’s inner spiritual momentum expresses itself outwardly in daily life.
The inner life compliments the outer life, but in order for the outer life to continue
functioning with virtue day-by-day, the believer must continue to learn and metabolize
Bible doctrine. So Peter commands believers to furnish or add to their functional virtue,
knowledge. Gnosis, or doctrinal teaching as the raw building material of the soul, is
continually added as the believer applies what he knows in daily life. Believers who live
under pressure situations and who are engaged in spiritual testing need a continual supply
of gnosis doctrine. It is a constant cycle of doctrinal intake (gnosis) and doctrinal
application (arête) by faith (pistis). You must have doctrine in the soul in order to have
motivational virtue, and you must have motivational virtue to exhibit functional virtue.
And if you want to continue exhibiting functional virtue over a period of time, you will
need to acquire additional doctrinal knowledge. Momentum does not come from doing
things, it comes by doctrinal inculcation. “Spirituality by witnessing is a heresy based on
a guilt complex – Christian service arrogance. Apostasy always has you hustling.” (R.B.
Thieme, Jr.)
RELEVANT OPINIONS
Spirituality is a choice. It does not come automatically or inevitably. (Z. Hodges) The
soul of religion is the practical part. The divine nature is not an automatic self-propelling
machine that will turn out a Christian life for the believer irrespective of what that
believer does or the attitude he takes to the salvation which God has provided. (K.
Wuest) God has given us His promises and, true to His word, fulfills them. Now God
expects us to do our part. (S. Kistemaker) He does not say “supply faith;” he assumes the
existence of faith ... This gift of power is the very ground on which the apostle bases his
exhortations; the great argument, not for remissness and security, but for persevering,
self-denying labor. God’s power is fighting for us; we are told to bring in by the side of
that almighty aid all our earnestness. It may seem strange to be bidden to put our weak