2 Peter 3:18
What does 2 Peter 3:18 mean?
A plain-English look at 2 Peter 3:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What 2 Peter 3:18 means
Peter ends with a final charge and a doxology. Growth is the antidote to drift: believers are to keep advancing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Grace supplies strength for holy living; knowledge deepens relationship with Him who is the promise and the judge. Both are centered in Christ. The closing ascription of glory to Jesus “both now and for ever” affirms His divine majesty and eternal reign. The Amen seals the certainty. The Christian life is not static waiting but dynamic maturing until He comes. All of chapter 3 points to this end: steadfast hope, holy conduct, and Christ-exalting worship.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.
KJV
King James Version · 1611But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949But be increased in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May he have glory now and for ever. So be it.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and increase ye in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; to him <FI>is<Fi> the glory both now, and to the day of the age! Amen.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and unto the day of eternity, Amen.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890but grow in grace, and in [the] knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and to [the] day of eternity. Amen.
Context
This concluding verse answers the warning of verse 17 with a positive pursuit: growth in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. It also crowns the letter with worship, giving glory to Christ now and forever. With this, Peter closes his second epistle, having reminded his readers of the prophets and apostles (vv1–2), exposed the scoffers (vv3–4), affirmed God’s past and future interventions (vv5–10), applied these truths ethically (vv11–14), and tied them to apostolic unity and careful interpretation (vv15–16).
v.17Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness.
v.18This passage
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- 2 Peter 1:8
For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle nor unfruitful unto the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Revelation 1:6
and he made us to be a kingdom, to be priests unto his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
- Romans 11:36
For of him, and through him, and unto him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.
- 2 Corinthians 4:6
Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
- Ephesians 1:17
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him;
- 1 Peter 5:10
And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you.
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