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Peter and Jude

  1. Lesson One
    Overview of 1 Peter
    21 Activities
    |
    1 Assessment
  2. Lesson Two
    Something Old, Something New (1 Peter Review)
    18 Activities
  3. Lesson Three
    2 Peter
    16 Activities
  4. Lesson Four
    Jude
    14 Activities
  5. Lesson Five
    Case Study: Peter (1 and 2 Peter Review)
    18 Activities
  6. Course Wrap-Up
    Course Completion
    1 Activity
    |
    1 Assessment

Participants 8

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Peter and Jude 2 Peter Behind | Workbook: Chain of Virtues
Lesson 3, Activity 12

Behind | Workbook: Chain of Virtues

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Grab your Workbook Journal!

[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NASB)

We’ve seen lists of virtues like this elsewhere in the New Testament, but this list in 2 Peter is somewhat distinctive in its inclusion of a number of popular Greco-Roman virtues alongside peculiarly Christian ones. Love, faith and hope, though not unique to Christianity, became emphasized in Christianity in a unique way. While the same might be said to some degree for other popular virtues in Christianity, some were as highly regarded outside the church as inside it. 

  1. See if you can list two of the more prominent Greco-Roman virtues from this passage in 2 Peter 1:5-7.
Chain of Virtues

Just as books like Proverbs incorporated ancient truths that were compatible with biblical revelation, New Testament writers like Peter were open to embracing and promoting every good thing:

Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute … any excellence and … anything worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 NASB

Reference: Jerome H. Neyrey, 2 Peter, Jude, 1993, pp. 154-162.