2 Peter 1:6

2Pe 1:6-7. And to knowledge, temperance — This virtue consists in a confirmed habit of ruling all the affections, passions, and appetites of our nature in a proper manner, by placing our affections on proper objects; by restraining our angry, peevish, envious, and unholy tempers, and by using moderation in gratifying our appetites. Christian temperance, indeed, includes the voluntary abstaining from all pleasure which does not lead to God, extending to all things inward and outward, and implying the due government of our thoughts and imaginations, as well as of our desires and designs. It is the using the world properly: so to use all outward, and so to restrain all inward things, that they may become a means of what is spiritual; a scaling-ladder to ascend to what is above. Intemperance is to abuse the world. He that uses any thing below, looking no higher, and getting no farther, is intemperate. He that uses the creature only so as to attain to more of the Creator, is alone temperate in all things, and walks as Christ himself walked; and to temperance, patience — Bear as well as forbear; sustain as well as abstain; take up your cross, as well as deny yourself, daily; and the more knowledge you have, do this the more: the more steadily and resolutely renounce your own will; submit to, and acquiesce in, the will of God; and indulge yourself the less. Knowledge puffeth up; and the great boasters of knowledge, the Gnostics, were those that turned the grace of God into wantonness, being lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, and of course effeminate and unprepared to encounter any opposition, or to endure any hardship on account of truth and a good conscience. But see that your knowledge be attended with temperance, and your temperance with patience; and to patience, godliness — Its proper support; a continual sense of God’s wisdom, power, and goodness; of his holiness, truth, justice, and mercy; of his presence and providence, with a reverential, awful, filial, and loving fear of, and confidence in him. Otherwise your patience may be pride, surliness, stoicism; but it will not be Christianity. And to godliness, brotherly kindness — Sullenness, sternness, moroseness, are not consistent with genuine godliness. Sour godliness, so called, is of the devil. Of Christian godliness it may always be said:

“Mild, sweet, serene, and tender is her mood,

Nor grave with sternness, nor with lightness free;

Against example resolutely good,

Fervent in zeal, and warm in charity.”

And to brotherly kindness, love — The pure and perfect love of God and of all mankind. The apostle here makes an advance upon the preceding article, brotherly kindness, which seems only to relate to the love of Christians toward one another.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Pe 1:6. Ἐγκράτειαν, abstinence) which avoids evil desires. Abstain.—ὑπομονὴν, patience) by which adversities and adversaries are endured. Sustain [have endurance].—εὐσέβειαν, godliness) By which the faithful look to God above all things. Εὐσέβεια may be affection towards relatives, parents, brothers, etc.; but it is a sanctified affection. Comp. 1Ti 5:4.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Pe 1:6 . ἐγκράτειαν : “self-control”: accompanied by, and arising from, knowledge, and not a mere product of fear or submission to authority. ὑπομονήν : “steadfastness” not turned aside from the faith by trial and suffering ( cf. Luk 8:15 , Rom 5:3 ff.). The desponding doctrine of the false teachers would itself call for ὑπομονή in the readers. Mayor compares the Aristotelian καρτερία ( cf. Heb 11:27 ). εὐσέβειαν . In the Epistle the false teachers are ἀσεβεῖς ( cf. note on 2Pe 1:3 ).

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He reckoneth up certain and other principal virtues, whereof some pertain to the first Table of the Law, others to the last.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Greek, "And in your knowledge self-control." In the exercise of Christian knowledge or discernment of God's will, let there be the practical fruit of self-control as to one's lusts and passions. Incontinence weakens the mind; continence, or self-control, moves weakness and imparts strength And in your self-control patient endurance" amidst sufferings, so much dwelt on in the First Epistle, second, third, and fourth chapters. "And in your patient endurance godliness"; it is not to be mere stoical endurance, but united to [and flowing from] God-trusting [ALFORD].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 6. Temperance] A proper and limited use of all earthly enjoyments, keeping every sense under proper restraints, and never permitting the animal part to subjugate the rational.

Patience] Bearing all trials and difficulties with an even mind, enduring in all, and persevering through all.

Godliness] Piety towards God; a deep, reverential, religious fear; not only worshipping God with every becoming outward act, but adoring, loving, and magnifying him in the heart: a disposition indispensably necessary to salvation, but exceedingly rare among professors.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness.—And in your knowledge [supply] self control, and in your self-control, patience, and in your patience, godliness. In other words, your discerning between good and evil must lead to avoiding the evil and choosing the good—i.e., to the control of your own lawless propensities; and in restraining these you must endure difficulties patiently; and your patience must not be the stolid defiance of the savage, or the self-reliant and self-satisfied endurance of the Stoic, but a humble and loving trust in God. Virtue and knowledge are energetic and progressive; they are exercised in developing the powers implanted in us. Self-control and patience are restrictive and disciplinary; they are exercised in checking and regulating the conflicting claims of many co-existing powers, so as to reduce all to harmony. There is special point in “self-control” being placed as the consequence of “knowledge.” The false teachers would insist that knowledge led to liberty, which with them meant emancipation from all control whatever. Self-mastery is to the world at large the opposite of liberty; to the Christian it is another name for it—that service which is perfect freedom. Patience to the world is to accept loss and suffering; to the Christian it is to win the best of prizes—“in your patience ye shall win your souls.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. and to knowledge temperance] Better, as before, and by knowledge temperance. The word for “temperance” has a wider range than the modern sense of the English term. “Self-government” or “self-control” would be better equivalents. In Sir_18:30 we have, under the heading in the LXX. of “self-control of the soul” (ἐγκράτεια ψυχῆς), what may almost be called a definition in the form of a precept, “Go not after thy lusts, but refrain thyself from thine appetites.” The word is not common in the New Testament, but appears in Act_24:25; Gal_5:23.

and to temperance patience] Better, endurance, the Greek noun expressing a more active phase of character than the English, bearing up against evils, and continuing steadfast under them. The cognate verb is translated “endure” in Mat_10:22 and elsewhere.

to patience godliness] See note on 2Pe_1:3 for the latter word.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And to knowledge, temperance,.... Avoiding all excess in eating and drinking, and all impure and unclean lusts; for it signifies nothing what a man knows, or professes to know, if his life is a scene of intemperance and debauchery: this seems to be levelled against the followers or Simon Magus, who ascertained salvation to knowledge, though the life was ever so impure, Moreover, this may include abstinence, not only from hurtful lusts, but from the use of things indifferent, when the peace and comfort of a weak brother are endangered; for then to knowledge must be added love, otherwise that knowledge will not be right, at least not rightly used; see Co1 8:1,

and to temperance, patience; which is necessary to the running of the Christian race, which is attended with many difficulties and exercises; and under affliction from the hand of God, that there be no murmuring nor repining; and under reproaches and persecutions from men, that they faint not, and are not discouraged by them; and in the expectation of the heavenly glory: this is proper to be superadded to the former, because there may be intemperance in passion, as well as in the use of the creatures; a man may be inebriated with wrath and anger, and overcome with impatience, as well as with wine and strong drink:

and to patience, godliness; either internal, which is distinguished from bodily exercise, or outward worship, and lies in the inward and powerful exercise of grace, as faith, hope, love, fear, &c. and the Syriac version here renders it, "the fear of God": or rather external, and intends the whole worship of God, as prayer, praise, hearing of the word, and attendance on all ordinances.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

Ver. 6. And to knowledge, temperance] That ye be wise to sobriety, not curiously searching into those things whereof ye can neither have proof nor profit. Some are as wise as Galileo, who used telescope to discover mountains on the moon; and lest they should not be reputed to know something unknown to others, they profess skill beyond the periphery of possible knowledge.

And to temperance, patience] Those that will be temperate, as said before, and not pass the bounds of sobriety in searching after curiosities, shall be looked upon by the wits of the world as dull fellows (Mr Perkins was esteemed by Mr Bolton before his conversion, a dry preacher, &c.), and therefore they have need of patience. Only they must add to their

Patience, godliness] In the power of it; not suffering themselves to be mocked out of their religion. Moderation in this case is but mopishness. And though in our own cause we must show all longsufferance, yet when God’s glory is concerned, it is our duty to be blessedly blown up with zeal for his name, as Moses was at the sight of the golden calf; and as Zuingllus told Servetus, taxing him for his sharp invectives against him: In other things, saith he, I can bear as much as another; but in case of God’s dishonour, I have no patience.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And to knowledge temperance - On the meaning of the word “temperance,” see the Act 24:25 note, and 1Co 9:25 note. The word here refers to the mastery over all our evil inclinations and appetites. We are to allow none of them to obtain control over us. See the notes at 1Co 6:12. This would include, of course, abstinence from intoxicating drinks; but it would also embrace all evil passions and propensities. Everything is to be confined within proper limits, and to no propensity of our nature are we to give indulgence beyond the limits which the law of God allows.

And to temperance patience - Notes, Jam 1:4.

And to patience godliness - True piety. Notes, 2Pe 1:3. Compare 1Ti 2:2; 1Ti 3:16; 1Ti 4:7-8; 1Ti 6:3, 1Ti 6:5-6, 1Ti 6:11.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Temperance; a grace which represseth, and curbs in, not only sensual lusts, but all inordinate appetites, Gal 5:22; Tit 1:8.

Patience; that Christian fortitude whereby we hear afflictions and injuries, so as to persevere in our duty without being moved by the evils that attend us in the doing of it.

Godliness; which respects our immediate duty to God, and comprehends all the duties of the first table. This is joined to

patience, as being that which teacheth us, in all we suffer, to acknowledge God’s providence, and promises of deliverance and recompence.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

6. Knowledge, perverted, may become conceited and self-indulgent, as in the idol feasts at Corinth, (1Co_8:1; 1Co_8:10,) and in the teachings of the Gnostics; in your knowledge, therefore, furnish temperance— self-control—by which all desires and passions shall be held in proper check, often even to total abstinence, as, for instance, in intoxicating drinks. The question of amusements falls under this rule. But as severe self-control may become ascetic and intolerant, it must be tempered by patience, or patient endurance; and in exercising patience, to guard against a stoical apathy or indifference, furnish godliness, fearing, trusting, and communing with God.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And to knowledge temperance; rather, self-control (ejgkrateia). The words ejkrateia yuchv are the heading of a section in the Greek of Ecc 18:30, and are followed immediately by the maxim, "Go not after thy lusts, but refrain thyself from thine appetites." This self-control extends over the whole of life, and consists in the government of all the appetites; it must be learned in the exercise of that practical knowledge which discerns between good and evil. True knowledge leads on to self-control, to that perfect freedom which consists in the service of God; not to that liberty promised by the false teachers, which is licentiousness. And to temperance patience; and to patience godliness. The practice of self-control will result in patient endurance; but that endurance will not be mere stoicism; it will be a conscious submission of our human will to the holy will of God, and so will tend to develop and strengthen eujsebeia, reverence and piety towards God (see note on verse 3).

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And to your knowledge temperance; and to your temperance patience - Bear and forbear; sustain and abstain; deny yourself and take up your cross daily. The more knowledge you have, the more renounce your own will; indulge yourself the less. "Knowledge puffeth up," and the great boasters of knowledge (the Gnostics) were those that "turned the grace of God into wantonness." But see that your knowledge be attended with temperance. Christian temperance implies the voluntary abstaining from all pleasure which does not lead to God. It extends to all things inward and outward: the due government of every thought, as well as affection. "It is using the world," so to use all outward, and so to restrain all inward things, that they may become a means of what is spiritual; a scaling ladder to ascend to what is above. Intemperance is to abuse the world. He that uses anything below, looking no higher, and getting no further, is intemperate. He that uses the creature only so as to attain to more of the Creator, is alone temperate, and walks as Christ himself walked. And to patience godliness - Its proper support: a continual sense of God's presence and providence, and a filial fear of, and confidence in, him; otherwise your patience may be pride, surliness, stoicism; but not Christianity.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

6. Temperance. Self control. Patience. Unflinching, patient endurance. Godliness. A reverence for things divine shown by growing more and more into the divine likeness.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

6. γνῶσις. Mayor well compares Joh 7:17 ἐάν τις θέλῃ τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ ποιεῖν, γνώσεται περὶ τῆς διδαχῆς. Only, here, the knowledge that will come of ἀρετή is not only knowledge about God, but knowledge of Him and of His will.

ἐγκράτεια. Control over self in all matters.

ὑπομονή. On this St James lays great stress (2Pe 1:3-4; 2Pe 1:12), and so does St John in the Apocalypse (e.g. 2Pe 1:9, 2Pe 2:2-3; 2Pe 2:19, etc.). We may think of it as meaning to the early Christians two things in particular—endurance under persecution, and patient waiting for the Return of the Lord. Perhaps the latter meaning was the one more present to the writer’s mind: he speaks at length about it in the third chapter.

εὐσέβεια, like ἀρετή, is so general a word that it is puzzling. We have it in 1Ti 6:11, along with other words of this list: δίωκε δὲ δικαιοσύνην, εὐσέβειαν, πίστιν, ἀγάπην, ὑπομονήν, πραϋπαθίαν. Our author has used it in 2Pe 1:3, and we shall not be far wrong if we render it in both places as “godly conduct.”

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6.] and in your knowledge, self-restraint (ἐγκράτεια, τὸ μηδενὶ ἀποσύρεσθαι πάθει, as Œc. “Temperance” is now too much used of one sort only of self-restraint, fully to express the word. The Commentators compare Sir. 18:30, where under the head ἐγκράτεια ψυχῆς is said, ὀπίσω τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν σου μὴ πορεύου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀρέξεών σου κωλύου. The connexion is: let such discriminating knowledge not be without its fruit, of steady holding in hand of the passions and tempers), and in your self-restraint, patient endurance (in afflictions and trials), and in your patient endurance, godliness (i. e. it is not to be mere brute Stoical endurance, but united with God-fearing and God-trusting. Or it may perhaps be used without direct reference to God, as in Dio Cass. xlviii. 5, διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν εὐσέβειαν: but the other is much more likely in the N. T.: especially as the social virtues follow),

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Temperance [εγκρατεια] . Self - control; holding the passions and desires in hand. See 1Co 9:25.

Patience [υπομονην] . Lit., remaining behind or staying, from menw, to wait. Not merely endurance of the inevitable, for Christ could have relieved himself of his sufferings (Heb 12:2, 3; compare Mt 26:53); but the heroic, brave patience with which a Christian not only bears but contends. Speaking of Christ 's patience, Barrow remarks, "Neither was it out of a stupid insensibility or stubborn resolution that he did thus behave himself; for he had a most vigorous sense of all those grievances, and a strong (natural) aversation from under going them;... but from a perfect submission to the divine will, and entire command over his passions, an excessive charity toward mankind, this patient and meek behavior did spring." The same writer defines patience as follows : "That virtue which qualifieth us to bear all conditions and all events, by God 's disposal incident to us, with such apprehensions and persuasions of mind, such dispositions and affections of heart, such external deportment and practices of life as God requireth and good reason directeth (Sermon 42," On Patience ").

Godliness. See on ver. 3. The quality is never ascribed to God.

Brotherly kindness [φιλαδελφιαν] . Rev. renders, literally, love of the brethren.

Charity [αγαπην] . There seems at first an infelicity in the rendering of the Rev., in your love of the brethren love. But this is only apparent. In the former word Peter contemplates Christian fellow - believers as naturally and properly holding the first place in our affections (compare Gal 6:10, "Especially unto them which are of the household of faith "). But he follows this with the broader affection which should characterize Christians, and which Paul lauds in 1 Corinthians 13, the love of men as men. It may be remarked here that the entire rejection by the Rev. of charity as the rendering of ajgaph is wholesome and defensible. Charity has acquired two peculiar meanings, both of which are indeed included or implied in love, but neither of which expresses more than a single phase of love - tolerance or beneficence. The A. V. in the great majority of cases translates love; always in the Gospels, and mostly elsewhere. There is no more reason for saying" charity suffereth long, "than for saying," the charity of God is shed abroad in our hearts, "or" God is charity. "

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.