2 Peter 1:3

Seeing that his divine power hath granted unto us (w hmin th qeia dunamew autou dedwrhmenh). Genitive absolute with the causal particle w and the perfect middle participle of dwrew, old verb, to bestow (dwrea, gift), usually middle as here, in N.T. elsewhere only Mark 15:45 . Autou refers to Christ, who has "divine power" (th qeia dunamew), since he is qeo ( Mark 1:1 ). Teio (from qeo) is an old adjective in N.T. here and verse Mark 4 only, except Acts 17:29 , where Paul uses to qeion for deity, thus adapting his language to his audience as the papyri and inscriptions show. The use of qeio with an imperial connotation is very common in the papyri and the inscriptions. Deissmann (Bible Studies, pp. 360-368) has shown the singular linguistic likeness between 2 Peter 1:3-11 and a remarkable inscription of the inhabitants of Stratonicea in Caria to Zeus Panhemerios and Hecate dated A.D. 22 (in full in C I H ii No. 2715 a b). One of the likenesses is the use of th qeia dunamew. Peter may have read this inscription (cf. Paul in Athens) or he may have used "the familiar forms and formulae of religious emotion" (Deissmann), "the official liturgical language of Asia Minor." Peter is fond of dunami in this Epistle, and the dunami of Christ "is the sword which St. Peter holds over the head of the False Teachers" (Bigg). All things that pertain unto life and godliness (panta ta pro zwhn kai eusebeian). "All the things for life and godliness." The new life in Christ who is the mystery of godliness ( 1 Timothy 3:16 ). Eusebeia with its cognates (eusebh, eusebw, eusebew) occurs only in this Epistle, Acts, and the Pastoral Epistles (from eu, well, and sebomai, to worship). Of him that called us (tou kalesanto). Genitive of the articular first aorist active participle of kalew. Christ called Peter and all other Christians. By his own glory and virtue (dia doxh kai areth). So B K L, but Aleph A C P read idiai doxh kai areth (either instrumental case "by" or dative "to"). Peter is fond of idio (own, 1 Peter 3:1 1 Peter 3:5 ; 2 Peter 2:16 2 Peter 2:22 , etc.). "Glory" here is the manifestation of the Divine Character in Christ. For areth see on "1Pe 2:9" and Philippians 4:8 ; 2 Peter 1:5 .