Supplies for our Faith (Goodness)

In 2 Peter 1, Peter gives his readers some qualities and characteristics that they were to work on in supplication with their faith. Today we are going to look at the first supply he lists, goodness. 

The word for goodness here is the Greek word, aretē and it means something that is virtuous or is moral or good. Here, Peter wants his readers to first make sure they are trying to do the right thing in all circumstances. They have been given the gospel, they have heard the teachings of Jesus, and now it is time to put them into practice, as we should be doing today.

Just before this passage, Peter says in v.3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” What we see here is Peter attributes this moral excellence and virtue to God. His own goodness has given us a calling to live right. It is by his goodness that in turn can become good and know right from wrong. 

In the Old Testament, this word, translated from the Septuagint, would refer to God’s praise and praise given him. When we add this layer of meaning to the word, we not only have a sense of moral uprightness and purity, but it also flows from God who is the only “good” one worthy of praise. No human is good enough to be praised based on their morality and purity alone, but God is. The goodness that we can add to our faith comes from God who is the source of all that is good, moral, and pure.