2 Peter 1:3,4 - Everything we need

1:3

The Gnostics claimed that people needed something more. All false religions claim to add something. Islam adds the Koran and Mohammed, Mormonism adds its book of Mormon. In Christ we have everything that we need. NIV says “for a godly life”, ESV has the better translation, “life and godliness” (in fact I am sure that the older NIV translations had this as well). We have all that we need in order to live, and all that we need in order to be godly. Everything is in Christ. There is no need for “deeper knowledge”, no need for any later prophets, no need for further revelation. And we receive this through our knowledge of him, knowledge of Jesus Christ. As Paul says, in Him dwells all the fullness of God (Col 1:19).  NIV has called us by His own glory and goodness, ESV has called us to His own glory and godliness. In this case the NIV may be more correct. We have been called by God’s own goodness and glory. He has chosen the way. Any other way is the mere invention of men.

1:4

Greek and Gnostic thinking talked about the divine nature, and about escaping the flesh. We have all these in Christ, indeed Christ is the only way in which we can partake in these things. In the gospel we receive God’s promises given in the way that God has chosen. I think this is a more reliable route to take than any way suggested by mere men! “His great and precious promises”. The Bible contains the promise of life, the promise of knowing God of belonging to Him.

Some of the Greek and Gnostic teaching sought to escape the “corruption of the world”. Many religions recognise that there is something wrong with us and the world. But only in Christ can we truly escape the traps of the world. Only in Christ can we become what God wants us to be.