I. Christian Growth, Virtue, and Knowledge:;xNLx;;xNLx;Precious faith / Faith of equal standing (2 Peter 1:1): The Christian faith that is of immense value and is shared equally by all believers, regardless of their background, through the righteousness of God and Jesus Christ.;xNLx;Divine power (2 Peter 1:3): God's own power, which has granted believers everything pertaining to life and godliness.;xNLx;Godliness / Godly (2 Peter 1:3, 6-7; 2:9; 3:11): Reverence for God expressed in a life of piety, devotion, moral uprightness, and Christ-like character. It involves living in a way that pleases God.;xNLx;Knowledge (of him who called us / of our Lord Jesus Christ / of God) (e.g., 2 Peter 1:2-3, 5-6, 8; 2:20-21; 3:18): A central theme. This is not merely intellectual information but a deep, personal, and experiential understanding of God and Jesus Christ that leads to spiritual growth and transformation.;xNLx;Virtue / Excellence (Greek: arete) (2 Peter 1:3, 5): Moral excellence, goodness, or commendable quality. Believers are called to supplement their faith with virtue.;xNLx;Self-control (Greek: egkrateia) (2 Peter 1:6): Temperance, moderation, and discipline over one's desires and passions.;xNLx;Steadfastness / Endurance / Patience (Greek: hypomone) (2 Peter 1:6): The quality of remaining constant, persevering, and patiently enduring under trials, difficulties, or in the pursuit of godliness.;xNLx;Brotherly affection / Brotherly love (Greek: philadelphia) (2 Peter 1:7): Love and care for fellow Christians as members of God's family.;xNLx;Love (Greek: agape) (2 Peter 1:7): Self-giving, sacrificial, and unconditional love, which is the crowning Christian virtue and reflects God's own nature.;xNLx;Partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4): Through God's promises, believers are enabled to share in God's moral and spiritual qualities, escaping the world's corruption caused by sinful desires. This does not mean becoming divine, but being transformed into Christ's likeness.;xNLx;Diligence / Make every effort (2 Peter 1:5, 10, 15; 3:14): Earnest and persistent effort, zeal, or attentiveness in pursuing spiritual growth and confirming one's calling and election.;xNLx;Confirm your calling and election (2 Peter 1:10): To make sure of or provide evidence for the genuineness of one's divine calling to salvation and status as one of God's chosen people, by diligently cultivating Christian virtues.;xNLx;Ineffective / Unfruitful (2 Peter 1:8): Lacking positive results or spiritual productivity. If Christian virtues are not developing, one's knowledge of Christ is described as such.;xNLx;Myopic / Nearsighted / Having forgotten (2 Peter 1:9): Spiritually short-sighted, unable to see beyond immediate concerns, and having forgotten the cleansing from past sins, if one is not growing in godliness.;xNLx;II. False Teachers and Their Characteristics:;xNLx;;xNLx;False prophets / False teachers (2 Peter 2:1): Individuals who arise from within the Christian community (or claim to represent it) but teach deceptive and destructive heresies, denying the Lord and leading people astray, often for their own gain.;xNLx;Heresies / Destructive opinions (Greek: hairesis) (2 Peter 2:1): Teachings or beliefs that deviate from essential, apostolic Christian doctrine and lead to division and spiritual ruin.;xNLx;Sensuality / Licentiousness / Depravity (e.g., 2 Peter 2:2, 7, 10, 13-14, 18): Unrestrained indulgence in immoral desires and lustful passions; debauchery. The false teachers are characterized by such behavior and entice others into it.;xNLx;Greed / Covetousness (2 Peter 2:3, 14): An excessive and insatiable desire for wealth or possessions, often leading to exploitation. The false teachers are motivated by greed.;xNLx;Exploit (with false words) (2 Peter 2:3): To take unfair advantage of others for personal gain, using deceptive and insincere speech.;xNLx;Arrogant / Blasphemers / Revilers (2 Peter 2:10, 12, 18): Those who are proud, speak irreverently or contemptuously against God or glorious ones (angelic beings), and use abusive language.;xNLx;Glorious ones / Angelic majesties (2 Peter 2:10; Jude 8): Likely refers to angelic beings (good or evil) whom the false teachers presumptuously revile without understanding.;xNLx;Balaam (son of Beor) (2 Peter 2:15): An Old Testament prophet who, for personal gain ("wages of unrighteousness"), was willing to curse Israel and later advised Balak how to cause Israel to sin (Numbers 22-25, 31:16). He serves as an archetype of a corrupt teacher motivated by greed.;xNLx;Spots / Blemishes (2 Peter 2:13): Metaphors describing the false teachers as moral stains or defects within the Christian community as they "revel in their deceptions while they feast with you.";xNLx;Waterless springs / Mists driven by a storm (2 Peter 2:17): Metaphors describing the false teachers as offering no true spiritual refreshment or guidance, and being unstable and destined for "the gloom of utter darkness.";xNLx;Slaves of corruption (2 Peter 2:19): While promising freedom to others, the false teachers are themselves enslaved to their own sinful desires and destructive habits.;xNLx;III. Scripture, Prophecy, and Christ's Return:;xNLx;;xNLx;Prophetic word / Prophecy of Scripture (2 Peter 1:19-21): The divinely inspired messages of the Old Testament prophets, which Peter affirms as completely reliable and not a matter of private interpretation, but given as men were "carried along by the Holy Spirit.";xNLx;Myths / Cleverly devised myths (2 Peter 1:16): Fictitious stories or fabricated tales, which Peter contrasts with the apostles' eyewitness testimony of Christ's majesty.;xNLx;Majesty (of Christ) (2 Peter 1:16-17): The supreme greatness, glory, and sovereign power of Jesus Christ, which Peter, James, and John witnessed at the Transfiguration.;xNLx;Transfiguration (Alluded to in 2 Peter 1:16-18): The event where Jesus' appearance was gloriously changed on a mountain, and God the Father affirmed Him as His beloved Son.;xNLx;The coming of our Lord Jesus Christ / Parousia (2 Peter 1:16; 3:4, 12): The future, glorious return of Jesus Christ to earth. Scoffers will deny this promise.;xNLx;Scoffers (2 Peter 3:3): People who mock, ridicule, and deny the truth of God's promises, particularly the promise of Christ's return, following their own sinful desires.;xNLx;The day of the Lord (2 Peter 3:10): A future time of God's decisive intervention for judgment and the purification/renewal of creation. It will come "like a thief" and involve the heavens passing away with a roar and the elements being destroyed by fire.;xNLx;The heavens will pass away / The elements will melt with fervent heat / The earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed (or burned up) (2 Peter 3:7, 10, 12): Apocalyptic imagery describing the cataclysmic destruction of the present created order by fire as part of the Day of the Lord, preceding the new heavens and new earth.;xNLx;New heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13): The future, perfectly restored and renewed creation that believers await according to God's promise, where God's righteousness will be fully established.;xNLx;Patience (of our Lord is salvation) (2 Peter 3:9, 15): God's delay in bringing about the final judgment is not a sign of His powerlessness or forgetfulness, but an expression of His patience, desiring that all should reach repentance.;xNLx;IV. Other Notable Terms:;xNLx;;xNLx;Bondservant / Slave (Greek: doulos) (2 Peter 1:1): Peter describes himself as a "servant (and apostle) of Jesus Christ," indicating his total dedication and submission to Christ.;xNLx;Hasten (the coming of the day of God) (2 Peter 3:12): While the timing of the day of God is set by Him, believers are called to live holy and godly lives as they look for and eagerly desire its coming. Some interpretations suggest that godly living can, in some sense, "hasten" or align with God's timetable.;xNLx;Lawless deeds (2 Peter 2:8): The wicked and immoral actions of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that tormented righteous Lot.;xNLx;The Way of Truth (2 Peter 2:2): The true Christian faith and manner of life, which is reviled because of the false teachers.;xNLx;The straight way / The way of righteousness (2 Peter 2:15, 21): The path of obedience to God and His truth, which the false teachers have forsaken.;xNLx;This list aims to provide clarity on some of the key terms encountered in the Second Letter of Peter (ESV). Understanding these within their original context of combating false teaching and encouraging steadfast hope is crucial for grasping Peter's urgent call to grow in true knowledge and godliness in anticipation of Christ's certain return.