2 Peter 1:4
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Truth to Learn
In eternity, we will share in God’s divine nature.
Behind the Words
The expression “exceedingly great” comes from the Greek “megista,” which is the superlative form of “mega” (big or great), so the text tells us that He has given us the greatest promises which are of great value.
“May participate” seems to imply that there is a chance that we might not as well. This is not what the Greek says. It is from the Greek hina ginesthe koinonoi. The construction denotes the “telic subjunctive” mood of the verb, which means it is an act of purpose. That is to say, “it is certain that we will participate in the divine nature.”
Meaning Explained
Peter starts out this verse with “Through these,” which is one of those connective phrases that we need to look at more carefully. This phrase is translated from the Greek words di hōn, which literally mean “through which things.” Well, what “things” is he talking about? It could be “glory and virtue,” it could be the “grace and peace” referred to in verse 2, it could be all of these, or it could refer to “His divine power” and “the knowledge of him.” Why? Because Greek is very particular in that a relative pronoun (these) must agree with the noun(s) it is referring to in both gender and number. All of these things are feminine nouns and the Greek pronoun translated “these” is a feminine, plural, relative pronoun, so it can’t refer to only one of these things alone, and may refer to them all. However, as I read it, Peter seems to be referring specifically to His divine power and our in-depth knowledge of Him from verse three.
Through these things, Peter tells us, God has given us the greatest of precious promises. And what are these promises? They are promises of salvation by grace through faith, of a Savior who will never leave us nor forsake us, of eternal blessing in the presence of our divine creator, and of peace and protection in times of suffering, plus many more.
He then tells us that through these things we will “participate in the divine nature.” This verse is not telling us that we will be gods some day as some false religions erroneously teach. It tells us that we will experience the godliness of God in a very special way, which is reserved only for those who are saved. Peter tells us that we will experience it “… having escaped the corruption (literally “decay’) that is in the world through lusts.” In other words, we will experience this sharing in the divine nature after we die and are glorified with Christ.
As if the mere thought of being in Heaven and being in His presence eternally wasn’t enough, we will also, somehow, experience the godliness of God in a unique and special way. This, alone, should make the fear of death disappear for any born-again believer!
Application
This participation in the divine nature is a privilege that is reserved only for those who have professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. And, if we will share in God’s divine nature some day, shouldn’t our current behavior reflect that fact?
In God’s service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2009 Will Krause. All rights reserved.
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