Simon Peter introduces himself as a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, addressing those who share the faith through the righteousness of God and Jesus Christ.
He prays for grace and peace to be multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ.
Peter highlights God's divine power, which grants believers everything needed for life and godliness through knowledge of Him, leading them to glory and virtue.
He emphasizes the great and precious promises of God, allowing believers to partake in the divine nature and escape worldly corruption.
Peter instructs believers to diligently add qualities to their faith: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity.
These virtues, when present and increasing, prevent unfruitfulness in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
He warns that lacking these qualities results in spiritual blindness and forgetfulness of past cleansing from sin.
Peter advises diligence in making one's calling and election sure, promising that doing so will prevent spiritual falls and secure entry into Christ’s eternal kingdom.
He commits to continuously remind believers of these truths, even as they already know and are established in them.
Peter believes it is vital to stir their memory while he is alive, knowing his death is near, as foretold by Jesus Christ.
He emphasizes the importance of retaining these teachings after his death.
Peter declares the truth of the power and coming of Jesus Christ, asserting that he and others were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
He recalls the transfiguration of Jesus, where God's voice affirmed, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Peter underlines the reliability of prophecy, urging believers to heed it like a light in darkness until their hearts fully embrace the truth.
The chapter concludes by affirming that prophecy does not originate from human will but from holy men speaking as directed by the Holy Spirit.