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King James Version.
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Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to
them
that have obtained like precious faith with us through the
righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
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Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge
of
God, and of Jesus our Lord,
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According as his divine power hath given unto us all things
that
pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that
hath called us to glory and virtue:
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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.
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And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue;
and to virtue knowledge;
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And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and
to
patience godliness;
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And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly
kindness
charity.
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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.
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But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see
afar
off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
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Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make
your
calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never
fall:
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For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly
into
the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
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Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in
remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established
in the present truth.
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Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle,
to
stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
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Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle,
even as
our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
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Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my
decease
to have these things always in remembrance.
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For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we
made
known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of his majesty.
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For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when
there
came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased.
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And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we
were
with him in the holy mount.
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We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do
well
that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until
the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
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Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of
any
private interpretation.
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For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man:
but
holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Commentary:
++++++++++++++++++++++The St.
Pachomius
Orthodox Library, Sts. Isaac and Ephraim, 2008.
Have mercy, O Lord, upon Thy servants
the scribe John, the departed hierarch Christodoulos,
the priest Peter, Nadia,
Peter, the Challenger Seven,
and the parishioners of the temple of Saint Andrew in Lubbock.
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THE END, AND TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
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