Sermon Tone Analysis

2 Peter 1:5-10

 

5 For this very reason, adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),

 

6 And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),

 

7 And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.

8 For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

 

9 For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.

AMP

 

 

* Virtue

* Knowledge

* Temperance

* Patience

* Godliness

* Brotherly Kindness

* Love                                                The seventh one – completion

 

 

 

*/LOVE WORKETH FAITH/*

*/ /*

*/ /*

*/Gal 5:6/*

*/ /*

*/[But faith which worketh by love] Faith that evinces its existence by love to God, and benevolence to people.

It is not a mere intellectual belief, but it is that which reaches the heart, and controls the affections.

It is not a dead faith, but it is that which is operative, and which is seen in Christian kindness and affection.

It is not mere belief of the truth, or mere orthodoxy, but it is that which produces trite attachment to others.

A mere intellectual assent to the truth may leave the heart cold and unaffected; mere orthodoxy, however bold and self-confident, and "sound," may not be inconsistent with contentions, and strifes, and logomachies, and divisions.

The true faith is that which is seen in benevolence, in love to God, in love to all who bear the Christian name; in a readiness to do good to all mankind.

This shows that the heart is affected by the faith that is held; and this is the nature and design of all genuine religion.

Tyndale renders this, /**/"faith, which by love is mighty in operation."/*

*/ /*

*/ /*

*/( Barnes'/**/ Notes)/*

*/ /*

*/Gal 5:6/*

*/ /*

*/Faith which worketh, [energoumenee (NT:1754); energetically working; exhibiting its energy] by, [dia (NT:1223): through] love.

This corresponds to "a new creature" (Gal /**/6:15/**/).

Thus in Gal 5:5-6 are the three, "faith," "hope," and "love" (1 Thess 1:3; /**/2:13/**/).

Love is not joined with faith in justifying, but is the principle of the works which follow after justification by faith.

Let not legalists think that the essence of the law is set at nought in justification by faith only.

Nay, "all the law is fulfilled in ... love," the principle on which "faith worketh" (Gal /**/5:14/**/).

[Energeitai in the New Testament is always used actively: it puts forth energy from itself: the force of the middle voice, generally applied to things: energei active voice, persons.]

The Romanist translation is thus untenable, 'which is made perfect by love.' Let them then seek "faith" to fulfill the law.

Again, let not those who pride themselves on uncircumcision think that, because the law does not justify, they are free to walk after "the flesh" (Gal /**/5:13/**/).

Let them seek "love," inseparable from true faith (James 2:8,12-22).

Love is opposed to the enmities which prevailed (Gal /**/5:15/**/,20/**/).

The Spirit (Gal 5:5) is a Spirit of "faith" and "love" (cf.

Rom /**/14:17/**/; 1 Cor /**/7:19/**/)./*

*/ /*

*/ /*

*/(Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary))/*