1:3 DIVINE POWER: This is another key word of the epistle. It ties to 1:16 where the two major themes of the letter appear: the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul identifies this as "the power of his resurrection" (Philippians. 3:10). It is a power which all true believers possess which enables them, if they choose to count on it, to do "all things through Christ who strengthens" (Philippians. 4:13). Thus any failure to live a godly life is due to our weakness or folly and not to God's lack of supply. As has been suggested, this power is meted to us as our knowledge of God and Jesus increases. This is the third of the resources for godly living which Peter lists.
1:3 BY GLORY AND VIRTUE: These words suggest the means by which …show more content…
They offer the glory and virtue of Christ to us as the basis for a growing participation in the divine nature. We have Him within us, as he promised, (John 14:23), to enable us to become increasingly Christlike (2 Corinthians. 3:18). Because we have become new creatures in Christ we have already escaped, by new birth, the corruption (moral ruin) that is in the world through lust (perverted desire). There only remains that we shall make this escape evident to all by our changing behavior. It is clear from this verse that participation in the divine nature is the starting point of Christian living, and not its goal. This participation becomes more and more evident as we allow our thinking to be renewed (Romans. 12:2) by understanding and appropriating the great and precious promises found in the scriptures. These promises are the fourth resource upon which believers may continually draw for sustaining …show more content…
In Greek drama the plays were put on by the combined effort of a poet (who wrote the script); the state (which provided the theater); and a wealthy individual called a choregos, who paid the expenses. This called for a generous but sometimes costly effort on his part. In Peter's view, God has written in the blood of Jesus the captivating script for a Christian life; the world is the theater wherein it will be played out; but the believer must cooperate by expending his diligent efforts to make the script come alive in vivid display. This exhortation begins a section, from 5-15, where Peter describes the responsibility which the believer's resources create.
1:5 DILIGENCE: The noun here and the verbal form in v. 10 describe a determined zeal which marks a daily goal. It is what Jesus asks for in Matthew. 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
1:3 BY GLORY AND VIRTUE: These words suggest the means by which …show more content…
They offer the glory and virtue of Christ to us as the basis for a growing participation in the divine nature. We have Him within us, as he promised, (John 14:23), to enable us to become increasingly Christlike (2 Corinthians. 3:18). Because we have become new creatures in Christ we have already escaped, by new birth, the corruption (moral ruin) that is in the world through lust (perverted desire). There only remains that we shall make this escape evident to all by our changing behavior. It is clear from this verse that participation in the divine nature is the starting point of Christian living, and not its goal. This participation becomes more and more evident as we allow our thinking to be renewed (Romans. 12:2) by understanding and appropriating the great and precious promises found in the scriptures. These promises are the fourth resource upon which believers may continually draw for sustaining …show more content…
In Greek drama the plays were put on by the combined effort of a poet (who wrote the script); the state (which provided the theater); and a wealthy individual called a choregos, who paid the expenses. This called for a generous but sometimes costly effort on his part. In Peter's view, God has written in the blood of Jesus the captivating script for a Christian life; the world is the theater wherein it will be played out; but the believer must cooperate by expending his diligent efforts to make the script come alive in vivid display. This exhortation begins a section, from 5-15, where Peter describes the responsibility which the believer's resources create.
1:5 DILIGENCE: The noun here and the verbal form in v. 10 describe a determined zeal which marks a daily goal. It is what Jesus asks for in Matthew. 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to