2 Peter 1:4
by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV)
Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1:4 (KJV)
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires.
2 Peter 1:4 (NLT)
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 1:4 (ESV)
Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.
2 Peter 1:4 (NASB)
By means of these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises [of inexpressible value], so that by them you may escape from the immoral freedom that is in the world because of disreputable desire, and become sharers of the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4 (AMP)AMP
By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.
2 Peter 1:4 (AMPC)AMPC
Through these he gave us his precious and magnificent promises. These given promises become part of us so that we can escape the corrupting lust of this age and participate in the very being of God.
2 Peter 1:4 (MSG)MSG
New Covenant Meaning
The Promises Are Exceedingly Great and Precious
Peter piles up superlatives to describe the promises of God: precious (timios: of great value, costly) and exceedingly great (megista: the greatest possible). He is not describing average or adequate promises. He is describing promises so significant that he runs out of normal vocabulary to express their worth. These are the promises that describe what God has given you in Christ: forgiveness, righteousness, healing, peace, provision, adoption, eternal life. Each one is precious. Together they constitute a wealth that exceeds any earthly inheritance.
Partakers of the Divine Nature: What the Promises Produce
The purpose of the promises is extraordinary: through them you become partakers of the divine nature. Koinonoi theias physeos: those who share in the nature of God. This is not pantheism. You do not become God. But you share in His nature through the new birth (2 Corinthians 5:17), through the indwelling Spirit (Romans 8:9-11), and through the ongoing renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2). The promises are not just blessings on the outside of your life. They are the means by which the nature of God takes up residence and expression in your life. Receiving what God has promised is participating in transformation.
2 Peter 1:3 immediately precedes this verse and provides the foundation: His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. All things. Already given. The promises of verse 4 are the specific form in which these all things are delivered. You do not have to earn access to the promises. They were given along with the divine power that grants everything needed for life and godliness. The having escaped of verse 4 is an aorist participle, indicating a completed action: you have already escaped the corruption of the world through the new birth and the reception of these promises. The escape is done.
Application
The Promises Are Already Yours; You Are Learning to Receive Them
2 Peter 1:4 uses the past tense: by which have been given to us. The promises are already given. You are not waiting for God to decide whether to make them available to you. They are already in your hands. The work of the Christian life in relation to the promises is not earning them but receiving them. Understanding what they are, believing they apply to you, and appropriating them in your daily life is the process of partaking of what has already been given.
The Promises Are the Channel of Transformation
The partaking of the divine nature described in 2 Peter 1:4 is not a mystical experience reserved for the spiritually advanced. It is the ordinary outcome of receiving God's promises. As you stand on the promise of righteousness, your identity as a righteous person becomes more real. As you stand on the promise of healing, your body participates in that reality. As you stand on the promise of peace, your mind is transformed by it. The promises are not just comforting words. They are the means through which God's nature flows into yours.
Prayer
Father, I receive these promises. Every great and precious one. Not because I have earned access to them but because You gave them along with Your divine power that provides everything I need for life and godliness. I stand on them. I partake of the divine nature through them. I have escaped the corruption of the world not by my own effort but through what You gave me when I came to You. In Jesus name. Amen.