2 Peter - Verse-by-Verse Biblical Exegesis

spiritual life] nor unfruitful [unproductive] with reference to the full knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
KW 2 Peter 1:8 For if these things are your natural and rightful possession, and are in
superabundance, they so constitute you that you are not idle nor unfruitful in the
experiential knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,
KJV 2 Peter 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be
barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
TRANSLATION HIGHLIGHTS
Peter’s list of fruit (Latin: fructose) or characteristics should be in the possession of every
believer (Gnomic Present tense). He uses two conditional participles in the first phrase,
which can be translated with an “if.” The idea is that “if” these things are in your
possession and “if” they exist with increasing abundance over time, then you have
confirmatory evidence (Gnomic Present tense) that you are not inactive in the spiritual
life. The conditional participle has an element of potentiality which depends on your
positive volition towards Bible doctrine and the Christian life in general. It also has the
idea of divine norms and standards which “should” be met by every believer. God did not
design the spiritual life for a special class of believers; He designed it for every believer.
We are expected to live in His divine system by using His divine tools which He has
graciously given us. We are expected to be active spiritually and to produce fruit.
There is a subtle “wish” or “desire” on the part of the Lord that you will want to fulfill
His plan for your life by living in His divine system. This is what is called a 4 th class
conditional clause: “I wish or hope that you will do so.” It is legitimate to translate this as
a 3 rd class conditional clause, “maybe you will, or maybe you won’t.” It is also legitimate
to translate it as a 4 th class conditional clause. If I could figure out a way to communicate
both in the same sentence, I would do so. That idea would sound something like this: “It
is My wish that you will have these things in your possession and that they will exist with
increasing abundance as you mature spiritually, but I realize that because I left the issue
in your hands, maybe you will continue to execute My plan in the divine system I have
given to you and maybe you won’t. But if you do, these things will confirm that you are
not idle and unfruitful in the spiritual life.”
Since this combination of 3 rd and 4 th class conditions is so wordy, I leave my translation
as a 4 th class condition using “should” instead of “if.” The idea of “possession” is
Gnomic, because you should have these things in your possession. The idea of
“continuing to increase abundantly” is Progressive, because the idea for you to continue
to grow spiritually day-after-day. If you do maintain consistent forward momentum in the
Christian way of life, these things will definitely exist and confirm your progress along
the way (Gnomic Present tense). They will prove to yourself (and perhaps to others) that
you are not unproductive with reference to the full knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The word “epignosis” means your knowledge of our Lord will continue to grow
accordingly. The more you execute His plan, the more you metabolize and apply Bible