2 Peter 1:4

2 Peter 1:4

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

a. NLT: And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: Whereby he hath granted unto us his precious and exceeding great promises; that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: Through which to us the most great and precious promises have been given, that through these ye may become partakers of a divine nature, having escaped from the corruption in the world in desires. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

1. “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises…”

a. Whereby [Strong: 1223. dia dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.]

b. [Strong: 3739. hos hos, including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

c. are given [Strong: 1433. doreomai do-reh'-om-ahee middle voice from 1435; to bestow gratuitously:--give.]

d. [unto] us [Strong: 2254. hemin hay-meen' dative case plural of 1473; to (or for, with, by) us:--our, (for) us, we.]

e. [Strong: 3588. [ta] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [ta] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

f. exceeding great [Strong: 3176. megistos meg'-is-tos superlative of 3173; greatest or very great:--exceeding great.]

g. and [Strong: 2532 kaí, kahee; apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:—and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

h. precious [Strong: 5093. timios tim'-ee-os, including the comparative timioteros tim-ee-o'-ter-os, and the superlative timiotatos tim-ee-o'-tat-os from 5092; valuable, i.e. (objectively) costly, or (subjectively) honored, esteemed, or (figuratively) beloved:--dear, honourable, (more, most) precious, had in reputation.]

i. promises [Strong: 1862. epaggelma ep-ang'-el-mah from 1861; a self-committal (by assurance of conferring some good):--promise.]

1). It is through revelation knowledge, knowledge given to us, to the inner man by the Spirit of God, that we are given “exceeding great and precious promises”. As the Greek definition of the English word “knowledge” clearly reveals, once the knowledge is given by the Spirit it becomes personal, with the Holy Ghost infusing into the human spirit all the faith and grace necessary for the believer to live out and believe the promises no matter how unattainable they appear, because “…it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13) and because “…unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think…” (Ephesians 3:20).

2. “…that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature.”

a. that [Strong: 2443. hina hin'-ah probably from the same as the former part of 1438 (through the demonstrative idea; compare 3588); in order that (denoting the purpose or the result):--albeit, because, to the intent (that), lest, so as, (so) that, (for) to.]

b. by [Strong: 1223. dia dee-ah' a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional):--after, always, among, at, to avoid, because of (that), briefly, by, for (cause) ... fore, from, in, by occasion of, of, by reason of, for sake, that, thereby, therefore, X though, through(-out), to, wherefore, with (-in). In composition it retains the same general importance.]

c. these [Strong: 5130. touton too'-tone genitive case plural masculine or neuter of 3778; of (from or concerning) these (persons or things):--such, their, these (things), they, this sort, those.]

d. [ye] might be [Strong: 1096. ginomai ghin'-om-ahee a prolongation and middle voice form of a primary verb; to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.):--arise, be assembled, be(-come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.]

e. partakers [Strong: 2844. koinonos koy-no-nos' from 2839; a sharer, i.e. associate:--companion, X fellowship, partaker, partner.] [Thayer:  a partner, associate, comrade, companion, a partner, sharer, in anything.]

f. [of the] divine [Strong: 2304. theios thi'-os from 2316; godlike (neuter as noun, divinity): - divine, godhead.] [Thayer:  spoken of the only and true God, trinity, of Christ, Holy Spirit, the Father.]

g. nature [Strong: 5449. phusis foo'-sis from 5453; growth (by germination or expansion), i.e. (by implication) natural production (lineal descent); by extension, a genus or sort; figuratively, native disposition, constitution or usage:--(man-)kind, nature(-al).] [Thayer:  nature, birth, physical origin, the sum of innate properties and powers by which one person differs from others, distinctive native peculiarities.]

1). It is by accessing the promises of God, by believing and living out these promises that we become partakers of the divine nature, of the nature of God. It is not automatic because we have been born again. Notice what the different translations declare.

a). [NLT] “These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature”

b). [ASV] “that through these ye may become partakers of the divine nature”

3.  “…having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 

a. [having] escaped [Strong: 668. apopheugo ap-of-yoo'-go from 575 and 5343; (figuratively) to escape:--escape.]

b. the [Strong: 3588. [tes] ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.] [Thayer: [tes] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.]

c. corruption [Strong: 5356. phthora fthor-ah' from 5351; decay, i.e. ruin (spontaneous or inflicted, literally or figuratively):--corruption, destroy, perish.] [Thayer: corruption, destruction, perishing, that which is subject to corruption, what is perishable, in the Christian sense, eternal misery in hell, in the NT, in an ethical sense, corruption i.e. moral decay.]

d. [that is] in [Strong: 1722 en; a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between G1519 and G1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:—about, after, against, + almost, × altogether, among, × as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (… sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), × mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, × outwardly, one, × quickly, × shortly, (speedi-)ly, × that, × there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

e. [the] world [Strong: 2889. kosmos kos'-mos probably from the base of 2865; orderly arrangement, i.e. decoration; by implication, the world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively (morally)):--adorning, world.] [Thayer: an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government, ornament, decoration, adornment, i.e. the arrangement of the stars, 'the heavenly hosts', as the ornament of the heavens. 1 Pet. 3:3, the world, the universe, the circle of the earth, the earth, the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family, the ungodly multitude; the whole mass of men alienated from God, and therefore hostile to the cause of Christ, world affairs, the aggregate of things earthly, the whole circle of earthly goods, endowments riches, advantages, pleasures, etc, which although hollow and frail and fleeting, stir desire, seduce from God and are obstacles to the cause of Christ.]

f. through [Strong: 1722 en; a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between G1519 and G1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:—about, after, against, + almost, × altogether, among, × as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (… sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), × mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, × outwardly, one, × quickly, × shortly, (speedi-)ly, × that, × there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

g. lust [Strong: 1939. epithumia ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah from 1937; a longing (especially for what is forbidden):--concupiscence, desire, lust (after).] [Thayer: desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust.]

1). If we do not believe and live out these promises, promises that guarantee deliverance, not only will we not be partakers of this aspect of the divine nature, but also we will not escape the corruption that inevitably will be part of our lives because of the nature of the flesh. We must not neglect what we have heard.

a). 1 John 2:15, 16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

b). Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

2:2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;