The expression by which (Good News Translation “In this way”) may refer to what comes immediately before, in which case it is through God’s glory and goodness that we receive God’s promises. More likely, however, by which refers to all of verse 3, especially the first part. What Peter is saying then is that, when Christ (or God) gives us all that we need to live a godly life, he also gives to us those blessings that he has promised. Another way of saying by which, then, is “Because of this…” or “Because of these things….”
For he has granted see 1.3. In both instances the perfect tense is used, indicating that the promises have already been given and continue to be effective even into the unknown future. He most probably refers to God, and this can be made clear in the translation, especially if in verse 3 translators have identified “him” in the final clause as Jesus.
The word for promises is used only here in the New Testament and is usually understood in one of two ways: it can refer to the things promised, that is, the content of these promises (for example, “blessings,” or Good News Translation “gifts”), or it can refer to promises for the future that are mentioned in the latter part of the letter, such as the promise of a new heaven and a new earth (3.4, 9, 13, and other verses). As we shall see, a decision on which meaning to take depends somewhat on how the second part of verse 4 is interpreted.
The gifts are described as precious and very great. Precious translates a Greek word that refers to high honorable status when used of people, and to having considerable worth or value when used of things. In the present case precious can therefore be rendered as “valuable,” or even “invaluable” or “priceless” (that is, it is impossible to estimate its worth). The Greek word translated very great puts emphasis on importance, so it may be translated “very important” or even “extremely important.” These two attributes taken together stress the extreme significance and value of the gifts.
Through these can mean “by means of God’s blessings” (as in Good News Translation “by means of these gifts”) or “by means of God’s promises,” that is, by receiving the blessings that come as a result of the fulfillment of God’s promises. It is more likely, though, that “gifts” are meant here. Therefore another possible rendering is “by using these gifts.” This translation helps to avoid the impression that the “gifts” caused the escape. Rather, they are the means used to escape.
The result of all this is that the believers escape from the corruption that is in the world and become partakers of the divine nature. The word for escape is used only in this letter in the New Testament (see also 2.18, 20). The Greek form (aorist participle) clearly indicates that escaping from corruption comes before participating in the divine nature. Escape here does not mean “run away from” or “flee” but puts the main focus on being free or being delivered from something, which in this case is the corruption that is in the world. So the phrase through these you may escape from may be rendered “through these gifts you may be free from,” or even “that these gifts may help you to avoid,” or “that these things (or, blessings) that God has given to you may help you to avoid.”
Corruption literally refers to the decomposition of a dead body after it is buried; this has led many scholars to understand it primarily in a physical sense, with the stress being on the fact that life here on earth is temporary and not permanent. However, there are others who understand the term to include an ethical aspect as well, referring to moral deterioration and the resulting loss of character and immortality.
This corruption is described as being in the world, which can be understood simply as the created order, which is temporary and exposed to decay, or it can be understood as an evil force opposed to God and therefore subject to God’s judgment. Furthermore this corruption is related to or caused by passion. The Greek word used here means generally “desire” but in a negative sense means “sinful desire,” “evil desire,” “lust” (Good News Translation), that is, desire to do evil or sinful things, desire for things that are against the will of God. While Greek concepts are used here, particularly the opposition between the material and the spiritual, yet Greek thought is also modified in the sense that corruption is not simply a natural result of the physical world but is caused by sinful and evil desire.
How are these three words (corruption, world, passion) related to one another? One possibility is simply to follow the ordering of the Greek, in which case corruption is located in the world and is caused by passion (as in Revised Standard Version, and note Phillips “to escape the inevitable disintegration that lust produces in the world”). Another way is to understand corruption as a quality of passion, hence, evil desires that destroy, as in Good News Translation “destructive lust that is in the world.” Still another way is to understand passion as a quality of the world (as in Jerusalem Bible “to escape corruption in a world that is sunk in vice”). All of these are possible interpretations of the Greek text, although the first two are preferred by the majority of commentaries and modern translations. Therefore, keeping in mind these two interpretations, the clause you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion may be rendered in many languages as “you may escape from the evil desires (or, lusts) in the world that destroy people” or “the evil desires (or, lusts) in the world that destroy people will not corrupt you.”
Having escaped from corruption, the believers can now become partakers of the divine nature, which can be understood in two ways: being given some characteristics that are reserved for the divine, in this case immortality and incorruptibility, and sharing in the life and nature of God himself (as in Phillips “to share God’s essential nature,” and New English Bible “to share in the very being of God”). We may also render this phrase as “to share in God’s own nature,” “become like God,” “share in God’s heart.”
Many commentators note here the use of Greek concepts. The word for divine (see also 1.3) is used in only one other place in the New Testament, and that is in Acts 17.29, as part of Paul’s speech to the Athenians at the Areopagus, and in which he aptly uses a term that is popularly known, especially among the educated Greeks (Revised Standard Version “a [divine] representation”). The Greeks believed that human beings had in themselves a part of the divine nature which, however, was obscured by the material and physical elements. It was by escaping from the material world that they would come to share fully in the very nature of the gods. Salvation therefore was escape from the bondage of the physical and material. Peter uses what is popular in Greek thought, but he modifies it in such a way that it becomes compatible with Christian thought. He makes it clear that people become partakers of the divine nature, not because they already have it, or because of their own efforts, but primarily because of God’s grace and goodness; it is God and God alone who makes this possible.
We should note that there is a change here from the first person plural (us) to the second person plural (you). From this point on until verse 15, Peter addresses his readers directly. This change of pronouns is also found in verses 16-21, where the first person plural pronoun is used in verses 16-19a, and the second person from verse 19b to the end of the chapter.
A further question to be resolved in this verse is when all of this takes place. When will believers escape from corruption and decay and share in the divine nature? Firstly, this may be understood as a present reality, in which case escape from corruption and sharing in the divine nature are related to the Christian experience of conversion and baptism. Secondly, this may be understood as referring to the last days, in which case escape from corruption and sharing in the divine nature are related to the Christian experience at the end of time. The highly ethical nature of the immediately following verses (verses 5-15) favors the first alternative, while the many other references to the end of all things in the letter itself favor the second. At any rate, the first alternative goes well with the understanding that the promises are the blessings and gifts that are contained in it; while the second possibility goes well with the understanding that the promises are for the future, and their fulfillment will be at the end of the age. We propose that the former is the most likely interpretation.
An alternative translation model for this verse is:
• Through all this God has given us the very great and precious gifts that he promised. By using these gifts we can escape from the evil desires in the world that destroy people, and may come to have a part in God’s own nature.
Quoted with permission from Arichea, Daniel C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Second Letter from Peter. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .