ESTUDIO DEL VERSÍCULO
2 Peter 3:18 — Growing in Grace and Knowledge
The final verse of 2 Peter commands believers to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, and ascribes to him glory both now and forever.
Escritura
- 18.Antes bien, creced en la gracia y el conocimiento de nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo. A él sea gloria ahora y hasta el día de la eternidad. Amén.But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Qué significa este pasaje
The verse 'But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ' makes growth the counterpart to the warning in verse 17. Where 17 cautions against being 'carried away with the error of the wicked' and falling from 'stedfastness,' 18 redirects the reader forward: spiritual stability is not static but expressed as ongoing growth in grace and in knowledge of Christ. The construction 'grow in grace and knowledge' links the two — grace as the sphere in which growth occurs, and knowledge as the content toward which it is directed.
The title given to Christ here is 'our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.' The full phrase appears earlier in chapter 1 (2 Peter 1:11 and 1:1 are not reproduced in the provided text, but the compound title is characteristic of the letter). By naming Jesus both Lord and Saviour at the close, Peter reinforces the same confession that the mockers of verse 4 effectively deny by rejecting 'the promise of his coming.' Growing in knowledge of this Christ is therefore not abstract study but deepening relational and confessional awareness of who he is.
The doxology 'To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.' frames the verse as a worship response. The pairing of 'now' and 'for ever' echoes the temporal framing of the chapter: the present patience of the Lord (verse 9), the coming day of the Lord (verse 10), and the new heavens and new earth (verse 13). Growth in grace and the ascription of glory are thus linked — the Christian life moves toward its goal when the believer's deepening is matched by doxology, giving Christ glory in the present age and in the eternal one.
Contexto
Chapter 3 addresses mockers who deny the coming of the Lord because 'all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation' (verse 4). Peter answers by appealing to the creation account (verses 5-6), the stored-up judgment by fire (verse 7), the difference between divine and human time (verse 8), and the Lord's patience that 'is salvation' (verse 9). This culminates in the prospect of the day of the Lord (verse 10), the call to 'holy living and godliness' (verse 11), and the hope of 'new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness' (verse 13).
Within this framework, 3:14-18 forms a closing exhortation. After urging the readers to be 'found in peace, without spot and blameless' (verse 14), Peter acknowledges Paul's letters and warns that 'the ignorant and unstedfast wrest' them 'unto their own destruction' (verse 16). Verse 17 commands watchfulness against the error of the wicked, and verse 18 supplies the positive counterpart: grow in grace and knowledge, giving Christ the glory. The doxology of verse 18 is the final note of the entire letter.
Preguntas frecuentes
Does 'grow in the grace and knowledge' describe one growth or two?
The phrase links two ideas. Grace names the sphere or environment in which growth happens — the believer grows within grace, not outside it. Knowledge names the direction or content of growth — increasing personal knowledge of Christ. The two are inseparable in Peter's usage here: deeper knowledge of Christ is experienced within and by means of his grace.
Why is Jesus called both 'Lord and Saviour' in this verse?
The double title affirms both Christ's authority over the believer and his saving work. In the context of chapter 3, where mockers deny his coming and judgment, calling him 'Lord' asserts his sovereign rule, and calling him 'Saviour' affirms the gospel promise that the chapter's earlier verses (such as verse 9) build on. Peter's closing confession answers the chapter's opening skepticism.
How does the doxology 'to him be the glory both now and for ever' fit the rest of the chapter?
The doxology gathers the chapter's temporal threads. The 'now' covers the present period of the Lord's patience (verse 9) and the believers' present call to holy living (verse 11). The 'for ever' covers the promised new heavens and new earth (verse 13). Ascribing glory to Christ across both spans means that the Christian life is not only a matter of waiting for the future but also of giving Christ honor in the present age, before the eternal one arrives.