Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of ‘ISA1 AL-MASIH2, to those who have obtained the same precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God3 and Saviour, ‘ISA AL-MASIH: 2Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of ‘ISA our Lord, 3seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue; 4by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.
5Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge; 6and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control patience; and in patience godliness; 7and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love. 8For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful to the knowledge of our LORD ‘ISA AL-MASIH. 9For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.
10Therefore, brothers4, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble. 11For thus will be richly supplied to you the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour, ‘ISA AL-MASIH.
12Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth. 13I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you; 14knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our LORD ‘ISA AL-MASIH made clear to me. 15Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.
16For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our LORD ‘ISA AL-MASIH, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory,
18This voice we heard come out of heaven when we were with him in the holy mountain.
19We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts, 20knowing this first, that no prophecy of Al-Kitab7 is of private interpretation. 21For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit8.
- 1:1 ‘ISA – The names ‘ISA (Arabic), ISHO (Syriac) and JESUS (Greek, IESOUS) are all derived from the Hebrew name YEHOSHUA, which means “YAHWEH saves.” (YAHWEH is God’s personal name revealed to Prophet Musa in the Taurat, Exodus 3:15 – God said moreover to Musa, “You shall tell Bani-Israel this, ‘YAHWEH, the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, the God of Ishaq, and the God of Yaqub, has sent me to you.’ This is my Name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered to all generations.”) ↩︎
- 1:1 AL-MASIH – an Arabic title equivalent to the Messiah (Hebrew) or Christ (Greek), all of which mean the Anointed One, that is, God’s Chosen One. In ancient times, divinely-appointed kings, priests and prophets were anointed with oil to signify their appointment to office. All of them point ahead to God’s ultimate Anointed One, the Messiah, AL-MASIH. Al-Kitab unanimously points to ‘ISA Ibn Maryam as the only person worthy to bear the title AL-MASIH. He is the one whom God sent into this world to save people from sin, and to usher in God’s Kingdom at his Second Coming. ↩︎
- 1:1 God, English translation of theos. It is the Greek equivalent of elohim and eloah (Hebrew) which are related to allah (Arabic) and alaha (Syriac), all of which translate as “God,” and refer to the one true God. ↩︎
- 1:10 The word for “brothers” here and where context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.” ↩︎
- 1:17 SON, a title of the Messiah, ‘ISA AL-MASIH, revealed through Prophet Dawud in the Zabur 2:7-9, which says: I will tell of the decree. YAHWEH said to me, “You are my SON. Today I have become your FATHER. Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, The ends of the earth for your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron. You shall dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.” ↩︎
- 1:17 Exactly as recorded in the Injil, Matthew 17:5 which says: While he [Peter] was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved SON, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.” ↩︎
- 1:20 Al-Kitab, is an Arabic-derived term for “the Scriptures.” It is related to the Aramaic ketab and Hebrew terms ketab, miktab, and ktb. The same meaning of “the Scriptures” is expressed in Greek by graphe. In this verse, Al-Kitab refers to the whole Taurat, or Tanakh / Old Testament, as well as the Injil, which was in the process of being written and compiled. ↩︎
- 1:21 Holy Spirit, not an angel, created being, nor an impersonal force, but the uncreated, eternal Spirit of God himself. The Spirit was present and active at the creation of heaven and earth (see Genesis 1:2), and today lives inside of every follower of ‘ISA AL-MASIH, empowering them to live in a way pleasing to God. ↩︎