Greetings from Peter

(2 Peter 1:1-2)

1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the choice sojourners of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2according to a foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, to obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied!

A Living Hope

3Blessed [is] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the abundance of His kindness did beget us again to a living hope, through the rising again of Jesus Christ out of the dead, 4to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and unfading, reserved in the heavens for you, 5who, in the power of God are being guarded, through faith, unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, 6in which ye are glad, a little now, if it be necessary, being made to sorrow in manifold trials, 7that the proof of your faith — much more precious than of gold that is perishing, and through fire being approved — may be found to praise, and honour, and glory, in the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8whom, not having seen, ye love, in whom, now not seeing and believing, ye are glad with joy unspeakable and glorified, 9receiving the end of your faith — salvation of souls;

10concerning which salvation seek out and search out did prophets who concerning the grace toward you did prophecy, 11searching in regard to what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ that was in them was manifesting, testifying beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory after these, 12to whom it was revealed, that not to themselves, but to us they were ministering these, which now were told to you (through those who did proclaim good news to you,) in the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, to which things messengers do desire to bend looking.

A Call to Be Holy

(Hebrews 12:14-17)

13Wherefore having girded up the loins of your mind, being sober, hope perfectly upon the grace that is being brought to you in the revelation of Jesus Christ, 14as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves to the former desires in your ignorance, 15but according as He who did call you [is] holy, ye also, become holy in all behaviour, 16because it hath been written, ‘Become ye holy, because I am holy;’

17and if on the Father ye do call, who without acceptance of persons is judging according to the work of each, in fear the time of your sojourn pass ye, 18having known that, not with corruptible things — silver or gold — were ye redeemed from your foolish behaviour delivered by fathers, 19but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and unspotted — Christ’s — 20foreknown, indeed, before the foundation of the world, and manifested in the last times because of you, 21who through him do believe in God, who did raise out of the dead, and glory to him did give, so that your faith and hope may be in God.

The Word of the Lord Stands Forever

(Isaiah 40:6-8)

22Your souls having purified in the obedience of the truth through the Spirit to brotherly love unfeigned, out of a pure heart one another love ye earnestly, 23being begotten again, not out of seed corruptible, but incorruptible, through a word of God — living and remaining — to the age;

24because all flesh [is] as grass, and all glory of man as flower of grass; wither did the grass, and the flower of it fell away,

25and the saying of the Lord doth remain — to the age; and this is the saying that was proclaimed good news to you.