A Greeting from Peter
(1 Peter 1:1–2)

1SIMON PETER, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained faith, equally as precious as our own, in the plan of justification revealed by our God and Savior Jesus Christ: 2grace be to you, and peace be multiplied in the acknowledgment of God, and Jesus our Lord.

Partakers of the Divine Nature

3As his divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the acknowledgment of him who has called us by his glorious power, 4through which things very great and precious favors that were promised have been given us, that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through desire: 5so, even for this very purpose, uniting to these things all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if these things be in you, and abound, they cause you to be neither idle, nor unfruitful as it respects the acknowledgment of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But he who is wanting in these things is blind, and closes his eyes, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. 10Wherefore, brethren, give the greater diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, you will never fall. 11For thus will an entrance be given you abundantly into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12Wherefore, I will not neglect to remind you always of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth. 13Indeed, I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to arouse you by putting you in remembrance. 14For I know that the putting off of this my tabernacle is near at hand, even as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 15But I will earnestly endeavor that you may be able, even after my decease, to have these things always in remembrance.

Eyewitnesses of His Majesty
(Matthew 17:1–13; Mark 9:1–13; Luke 9:28–36)

16For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. 17For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came to him from the magnificent glory a voice, such as this: This is my beloved Son, in whom I delight. 18And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard when we were with him in the holy mount;

19and we have the prophetic word better established. You do well to attend to this, as to a lamp that shines in a dark place, till the day dawn, and the morning star arise in your hearts; 20knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture came from private interpretation: 21for the prophecy came not at any time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.