We are reading 2 Peter 1 in today's Spoken Word Bible Reading Plan. I LOVE studying from the Amplified Bible because the majority of the work of word studies has been done. I have found a few places where it isn't accurately translated, but have found it mainly very helpful! I especially like it here! Look at verses 2-3:
2 May grace (God’s favor) and peace (which is perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 3 For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).
All grace, which is God's FAVOR, and God's PEACE, which is well being in every area of life, are MULTIPLIED into our lives through the KNOWLEDGE of God! This "knowledge" is the Greek word "epignosis", which means: recognition, full discernment and acknowledgement. It comes from "epi" which means superimposition (layer laid upon layer, laid upon layer!) of the knowledge. This is not a one time 'cram for the test' kind of study! It involves a systematic and purposeful digging in to the Word of God, with Holy Spirit as our Teacher, and then acting on the understanding that we receive, being DOERS and not just hearers! This knowledge also brings to us everything that we will ever need in order to be pleasing to God and victorious in life! What a GOOD GOD we have! Then verses 4-8 tell us how to appropriate all of this into our lives!
4 By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape 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. 5 For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence), 6 And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety), 7 And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love. 8 For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
And all of these good things work together for OUR good! AMEN! Here are Hillsong KIDS with "What A Beautiful Name":
Shalom in Him!
