Quiz Reason in Faith Thou Art Well Served That Still

The following mail is an extract from "Epistles of Peter" by Bro. Frank Shallieu.

2 PETER ane:v: "And beside this, giving all diligence, add together to your organized religion virtue; and to virtue knowledge."

"Add to your faith virtue."

The adjacent step in the Apostle Peter's evaluation is virtue.

The Campaigner Paul breaks down the diverse fruits leading upwards to love, but Peter is talking from the standpoint of making one's calling and election sure and hislisting gives a sequential development. The Apostle Peter, the fisherman, is at present a mature Christian feeding the lambs as well equally the sheep. Having been qualified with a wealth of experience, he knows that death is imminent. Too, Paul realized the terminate of his life was approaching when he said, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall requite me at that day" (2 Timothy 4:viii).
We are not reading a textbook but a very valuable, sobering account past one who speaks from experience also equally under the guidance of the holy Spirit.

Annotate: Instead of the Rex James wording "And beside this," the New International
Version has "For this very reason." The NIV makes clearer the tie-in with the "exceeding
neat and precious promises" of the preceding poesy. In other words, "Considering of the great and precious promises–for this very reason–you demand to add to your organized religion virtue, etc."

"Giving all diligence" is an important phrase, and it applies to all of the steps.
Give all diligence to add to your religion virtue.
Requite all diligence to add to your virtue knowledge.
Give all diligence to add to your knowledge temperance, so along.

The bang-up majority of Christians are immature seed.

In the parable, seed that falls in good ground and develops to maturity brings forth "some an hundredfold, some lx, some 30" (Matthew thirteen:23). In other words, full capacity is reached co-ordinate to the content of the private vessel. Some accept
a 30 per centum vessel, some take a 60 percent vessel, and the ten-talented person has a 100
percent vessel—and hence more responsibility . All 3 categories picture the Piddling Flock, children of the Kingdom in the existent sense of the word.

Virtue means fortitude, strength of character.
Question: Doesn't "virtue" also convey a morality aspect?

Answer: Yes, the breastplate of righteousness is office of virtue. From the elementary rudiments of faith
and the milk of the Word, one now starts to get food that is a footling stronger, and the trunk
grows proportionately stronger as well. The kid grows, spiritually speaking, with moral
development and strength of grapheme based on an outgrowth of faith.

Following initial faith, virtue is the commencement evolution of 1 who believes into Christ and starts to grow.

Many, thinking that knowledge follows religion, endeavor to featherbed virtue and want to teach and
write books when they are still babes. In the enthusiasm of our early on days, nosotros tend to be
overconfident. Those who talk that way are non mature Christians, and they betray
themselves by their immaturity of conduct, immaturity of reasoning, and immaturity in an assumed familiarity with Scripture. Thus the flesh tends to jump over virtue and go
directly to cognition. Nevertheless, Peter shows our need to go step by step by footstep.

Organized religion is the substratum of an entire Christian's life. The just shall live by faith (Romans ane:17).
Faith in Jesus is the lesser line–faith that he is the Redeemer. We are to add to that faith, in successive order, the seven steps that Peter enumerates.

"Add … to virtue knowledge." "Noesis" is a broad term, for in that location are all kinds of noesis.

ii PETER 1:6: "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness."

Peter continues to enumerate the various steps in the progression to maturity.

At the Terminal Supper, Jesus remarked to Peter, "I take prayed for thee, that thy faith neglect not: and when chiliad art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke 22:32).

After Jesus' resurrection he gently rebuked Peter three times for the 3 denials. At that time Jesus said to Peter, "Feed my lambs." The 2d time the Chief said, "Feed my sheep." And the third time was "Feed my sheep," after which Peter said, "Yard knowest that I love thee" (John 21:xv–17). Notice the progression: (ane) "feed my lambs," then (2) "feed my sheep" and (3) "feed my sheep." In other words, Peter was not in the position to feed mature adults at the fourth dimension of our Lord's ascension or even afterward Pentecost. At Pentecost, Peter possessed the outset two qualities: faith and virtue. Peter had faith: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew xvi:16). As well, he and John spoke very boldly on the Day of Pentecost.

"Virtue" ways forcefulness, backbone, fortitude.

Now when nosotros study Peter's epistles, we see a very different Peter from the impulsive ane in the Gospels.

Peter tells united states to add together to or supplement our faith with virtue, noesis, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity. In other words, Peter adds 7 different qualities to the bones substratum of faith.
Let us consider "knowledge."

Remember, Peter is speaking about character evolution. Regardless of the subsequent lack or fullness of evolution, we all start our Christian walk as babes with faith in Jesus. In his showtime epistle, Peter said that "equally newborn babes, [nosotros should] want the sincere milk of the discussion, … [so that we] may abound thereby" (1 Peter 2:2). Equally the babe feeds on milk, his bones grow and he gets a petty stronger and then that, spiritually speaking, he can withstand opposition and persecution. This would be calculation virtue to our organized religion.

To add knowledge, the babe needs milk for growth. "Milk" includes the knowledge of
God's Discussion, for how can we instruct others if we accept non been instructed ourselves?

To knowledge, we are to add temperance or self-control.

The growth of Peter in the area of self-control is amazing! He underwent a remarkable modify from his earlier impulsiveness.

Jesus said to Peter, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: simply when thou shalt be quondam, m shalt stretch along thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and acquit thee whither one thousand wouldest not [to expiry in crucifixion]" (John 21:18). Jesus was referring to the style in which Peter would dice. When Jesus asked, "Who do men say that I am?" impulsive Peter responded, "Grand fine art the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:13–16).

Peter was a natural leader, but he needed to exist instructed himself. The very fact Peter was naked in the boat afterwards Jesus' resurrection gives u.s.a. an insight into his character. He did non want any restraints. He impulsively girt himself with his coat and jumped into the h2o to swim to Jesus, who was frying fish on the shore.

This same human being, but a mature and developed Peter at the finish of his life, said, "Add to your knowledge self-command and cocky-restraint."

This self-restraint must come after cognition.

Both of Peter'southward epistles were written in the terminal years of his life, just before his expiry. How valuable is the educational activity of Peter in his maturity!

When Paul discusses the various graces of the holy Spirit, he does not necessarily
enumerate them in succession. For instance, in describing love, he does not follow any
detail sequence, but Peter says, "Add together to your religion virtue. Add to your virtue knowledge. Add together to your noesis temperance." Thus Peter gives a sequence and Paul does not. The point is that the instruction of the 2 apostles does not conflict. Paul gives more particular but lists the graces of the holy Spirit in random mode. (An exception would exist Paul's discussion of faith, hope, and love, which are in succession.)

Comment: It was Peter who lopped off the ear of Malchus in the Garden of Gethsemane at the arrest of Jesus. This act is some other example of his impetuosity and impulsiveness.

Annotate: In a practical sense, temperance could be along both textile and spiritual lines. We need to have self-command over our life-fashion and how we expend our resources. Along spiritual lines, temperance would touch how we witness and preach the gospel. For example, as a full general rule we would not deliberately make a spectacle of ourselves.

Comment: A comment in the Berean Manual says, "Moderation, self-restraint in all things–nosotros are not to be jerky and hot-tempered, or rash and thoughtless, but evenly balanced, thoughtful and considerate ." We become this moderation through the knowledge of God's Give-and-take.

Reply: Yep, "he that ruleth his spirit [is meliorate] than he that taketh a city" (Proverbs sixteen:32).

"Permit your moderation be known unto all men" (Philippians four:5).

Nosotros should be temperate in language, coin-getting, coin saving, eating, drinking, joy, sorrow, at work, in the store, home, church, and schoolroom–everywhere.

Annotate: On the other side of the money, at that place is a danger in becoming besides temperate and thus not having enough zeal for the truth, the Lord, and His service.

Respond: If we have too much cocky-control, we will be mute when we should speak. The other extreme is beingness so out of hand and rambunctious that nosotros destroy whatsoever good we might do. The proper corporeality of self-control makes us much more effective.

Add together "to temperance patience." What is this "patience"?

The Greek word is hupomone, which means "endurance." Hupomone conveys the thought of bearing nether a brunt, of enduring it and non chafing, of remaining nether the brunt and not giving up. The aforementioned word is used in Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with and then nifty a cloud of witnesses, allow u.s. lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so hands aggress the states, and permit us run with patience the race that is set before us." Of form a lot depends on the makeup of the private, for we are all different. Some brethren under trial may react without a lot of credible cheerful endurance and yet be faithful. The circumstances must exist considered. Those who run a marathon race are not very cheerful when they well-nigh the end of the race, for they are pressing on to the utmost . Those who win accept an extremely stiff
want to excel and exist a champion.

Annotate: James 5:11, in referring to Job, uses this same Greek word for "patience."
"Behold, we count them happy which suffer. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and
have seen the cease of the Lord; that the Lord is very deplorable, and of tender mercy."

Nosotros are all familiar with Job and the weather condition nether which he endured.

Comment: "Patience" would be meekly submitting to subject field in every case. Add "to patience godliness." "Godliness" is the wrong word, for that quality should be the
end, the highest step. Godliness and love are synonymous. The thought here should be
dearest and reverence for God, God-likeness. Thus the word "piety" is a better translation, for piety is a form of reverence. Piety can besides be considered decorum, as in 1 Timothy 3:fifteen, "Behave thyself in the business firm of God."

Comment: Potent's and the Diaglott use the word "piety."
Reply: The Greek word is eusebeia , and a famous historian was Eusebius, a name meaning piety, a reverent one.

Annotate: Reprint 2155 states that God-likeness, piety, is "that devout decision-making reverence for God which yields a hearty, cheerful, loving conformity to his will–fervency of spirit in serving the Lord."

Respond: Piety is especially fervency in spirit in obeying the Lord. He is looking for obedience in u.s.a.–that is the bottom line.

Works by themselves are meaningless.

"To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams [which is offered in sacrifice and may price a little coin]" (1 Samuel 15:22).

Obedience supersedes works .

2 PETER 1:7: "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity"

Add together to piety "brotherly kindness." There are occasions where it is difficult to love all
brethren completely and indiscriminately. In other words, in that location are cases where we cannot manifest love to others because of their disobedience. For example, i Corinthians 5:11 says, "I take written unto you not to proceed company, if any human that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunk, or an extortioner; with such an one no non to eat."

The individual may not accept even consecrated, but if he thinks he is a brother in truth and is a drunkard, a brawler, a fornicator, etc., we are to refrain from fellowship with him. Treating him in this manner is doing him a favor, for if he truly loves God, the truth, and the Lord'southward people, he will feel he has washed something wrong and will repent.

The Greek word for "brotherly kindness" is philadelphian. Some translations use "love of
the brotherhood," and that is a better term.

We love those who fervently love God. We are drawn to such because they are of the brotherhood. Jesus particularly favored Peter, James, and John because they manifested a greater zeal for God. The incident in which Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus illustrates this favoritism (Mark v:35–43). Another example is Jesus' transfiguration (Matthew 17:ane–ix). That is the type of honey we should have for the brotherhood.

We love those who love God, and the more they love Him, the more we honey them.

Moreover, we are helped by their instance. In the hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers,"
when we sing the words "All one body we," we are thinking not of individuals but of the
brotherhood, of those who love Christ and are trying to serve God.

Add "to brotherly kindness charity [dearest]. " If the previous pace was love for the brotherhood, what is this highest type of love? Information technology is agape love.

Comment: We love those who dearest God and take a special affinity for them because of our common bond, but our dearest must go beyond that betoken to where we love flesh.

Comment: This would be a principled dear versus phileo dearest with an emotional basis.

Annotate: We dear the Lord, the brethren, humanity, our enemies, and also the animal
cosmos.

Respond: That is true, for principled agape dearest is broad. The Law shows how we should care for the animals; for example, they should non be unequally yoked in plowing. Agape dearest includes dear for our enemies and doing good to them that despitefully apply us (Matthew 5:44).

With this principled love, "God so loved the earth, that he gave his simply begotten Son"
(John three:16). Those who obey in the futurity will be saved, for God has made provision for the restitution of mankind. In other words, He will open up the opportunity for salvation toothers besides the brotherhood. His beloved goes from the brotherhood to mankind and even to those who are enemies at present but may non exist once their eyes are opened in the Kingdom.

Simply those who are incorrigible in iniquity volition go into Second Expiry.

Remember that before Peter started the enumeration of the seven graces of the holy Spirit, he said, "And beside this, giving all diligence," add to your faith, etc. (2 Peter one:v).

Because we alive in the globe with its responsibilities and experiences, our time becomes important–the fiddling fourth dimension we have left after doing that which is right for family, employer, and others. Nosotros must requite all diligence to add together these seven qualities. Isn't information technology remarkable that the impulsive Peter is like a statesman or a father in these epistles? Truthful, he was a leader in the beginning of his Christian walk, but now he is more than than that. In his offset epistle, which was written only a couple of years before the second epistle, he called Marcus "my son" (1 Peter 5:13). Paul used the same terminology with Timothy, and that epistle was written near the end of Paul's life. Every bit the apostles aged in the truth, they matured. Peter underwent a radical, miraculous, almost unbelievable change from his days as a fisherman. True, he speaks according to the holy Spirit, just his ain life is in harmony with that holy Spirit. He experienced these steps himself, and he is passing on the information to u.s.a.. Subsequently he says, "I am going to remind you of these things until the twenty-four hours I die, and the Lord Jesus has informed me that my death will occur soon."

Comment: The verses being alluded to are quite touching: "Yea, I recall it meet, equally long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that soon I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shown me" (2 Peter one:13,14).

2 PETER 1:viii: "For if these things be in yous, and grow, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Comment: If "these things" (the vii steps above religion in verses 5–7) are in u.s. and abound, we will make our calling and ballot sure. The fact that Peter uses the term "these things" five times in this chapter (verses viii–10, 12, 15) shows how important they are.

Reply: Yes, Peter is inclined to repeat words and references. For case, the use of the
word "divine" twice in this chapter is unusual, for that give-and-take appears but three times in
the whole New Testament. The reason is that Peter recognized his own faults and weaknesses and how the Lord inverse his life. He is admitting, every bit information technology were, that what God
did for him, He can do for us. Accordingly, Peter mentions the importance of developing
grapheme and the various steps of grace that are required if we are to win a crown. We must have diligently tried to add the seven graces to our faith.

Comment: If the words "and grow" had been omitted, the meaning of the verse would have been a picayune different. All who go life on the spirit airplane, including the Great
Company, must have these qualities, merely to achieve the Piffling Flock, to become an "arable
entrance," these qualities must abound in us and must increment more and more than.

Reply: For example, when people do acts of kindness, are patient, etc., there is often a lack of consistency. With knowledge, some are satisfied with a certain level and stop there. These qualities must exist diligently practiced if we would exist more than overcomers.

Question: Is the "cognition of our Lord Jesus Christ" in poesy 8 the same "knowledge" that is in poetry 5?

Answer: The Greek gnosis is used in verses 5 and 6, and epignosis (total knowledge) is used in verses ii, three, and 8. The words are the same except that epignosis is expressed more powerfully, i.east. with more fullness. Past religion we know (gnosis) that Jesus is the Savior, that he died for our sins, and through this knowledge nosotros are forgiven for our sins. In addition, we should also know in more fullness (epignosis) his sermons and parables, his life and grapheme, and how he lived to delight the Father.

The "knowledge" (gnosis) of verses 5 and 6 is the second step in the various graces of the holy Spirit, but epignosis embraces all seven steps, which would include a comparison and report of Jesus' statements and teachings. Notwithstanding, epignosis has nil to practise with the depth of our understanding, which is non e'er the same. If we have not searched the Scriptures daily, if nosotros have not habitually familiarized ourselves with the Discussion of God, with the life of Jesus, with the Old Testament, etc., we will be defective.

Annotate: In the footnote for the text "If these things be in you, and abound … ye shall
neither be barren nor unfruitful," "barren" means "idle."

2 PETER ane:9: "Just he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins."

To be "blind" in this sense is to be nearsighted, significant the private "cannot see afar
off."

Question: What is the human relationship between the start part of verse 9 and the second office? What does lacking the graces of the holy Spirit have to exercise with forgetting that we were purged from our old sins?

Reply: The object of our beingness purged from onetime sins is to abound in grapheme. We are nearsighted if we practice not always proceed this goal in mind. Peter is saying, "It is not plenty to just believe Jesus is the Savior and to exist willing to suffer for him. We must have more understanding in lodge to please God." Since nosotros are imperfect and past nature fallen–our humanity is depraved–we must frequently occupy our minds with pure thoughts. Paul said, "Recollect on these things." "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are truthful, whatever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of skilful study; if at that place be any virtue, and if at that place exist whatsoever praise, think on these things" (Philippians four:8).

If nosotros practice non feed on pure thoughts, our minds volition naturally gravitate to unspiritual things.

Those who neglect or exercise non run across the necessity of developing the fruits of the holy Spirit, are "blind," nearsighted. Far-sighted vision would exist making our calling and election certain. Nosotros are not at the goal yet, then we must continue running.

We cannot let ourselves drift in our thinking or in our actions, but must schoolhouse ourselves with God's Discussion.

Comment: If nosotros stagnate and practice non abound in character, we stay in the sins from which nosotros were supposed to be purged.

Reply: We must try to altitude ourselves from the quondam human being every bit far every bit possible. Of class nosotros cannot practise this completely, for he is saddled on our backs, only we must separate as far as possible from our own reasoning and our own will.

2 PETER ane:10: "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election certain: for if ye do these things, ye shall never autumn:"

The objective is to make our calling and election sure.

If we have our eyes off the goal, we will gravitate to our natural tendencies instead of to the supernatural tendencies of the Holy Spirit.

"If ye practise these things, ye shall never fall." The thought is that if we develop these fruits of the holy Spirit and they abound in u.s., nosotros will never neglect only will succeed in attaining the Bride course.

Comment: The Dandy Company volition fall or fail to a certain extent.

2 PETER 1:xi: "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto yous abundantly into the
everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

If we give all diligence to developing the fruits of the holy Spirit, if we accept the right center attitude and diligently practice Christianity throughout our Christian walk, nosotros will become an arable entrance into the Kingdom, for we will exist obeying the promptings of God'south holy Spirit.

Nosotros are given "exceeding great and precious promises" so that we might inherit the divine nature.

The "everlasting kingdom" would be the age-lasting Kingdom (Greek aionian). The 144,000 will be on the throne and reign throughout the Kingdom Age.

Acknowledgment:

Bro. Frank Shallieu–for the content above which was an excerpt from "Epistles of Peter" The full written report is on the Bible Study Library CD which can exist accessed at the following link: https://herald-magazine.com/bookstore-ii/#!/Bible-Report-Library/p/38387237/category=0

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