2 Peter 3:18
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This is the final verse of the letter and Peter's closing exhortation. It answers the danger of the false teachers (chapter 2) and the scoffers (chapter 3) with a positive command to grow, ending in a doxology to Christ.
What Does 2 Peter 3:18 Mean?
In short, 2 Peter 3:18 closes the letter with a call to keep growing in grace and in knowing Jesus Christ, giving Him glory forever. After warning his readers to beware of being led away by error (verse 17), Peter ends not on a note of fear but of forward motion: "grow." The Christian life is meant to be dynamic and increasing, never static. The antidote to falling into error is steady spiritual growth.
Peter names two arenas of growth that belong together. First, "grace" -- believers are to grow deeper in the experience of God's undeserved kindness and the transformation it brings. Second, "the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" -- a growing, personal acquaintance with Christ Himself. This bookends the letter, which opened by tying life and godliness to "the knowledge of him" (1:3). Maturity is measured not merely by information but by how well we know the Lord and rest in His grace. Then Peter's heart overflows into praise: "To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen." The letter concludes by directing all attention to Jesus -- the One who saves, the One worthy of honor, the One in whom believers grow. Growth and worship are joined: the more we know Him, the more we glorify Him.
In the Original Language
The Greek "auxano" (grow) is used of the natural growth of living things, like plants. "Epignosis" (knowledge) denotes a full, personal, relational knowing of Christ rather than mere information.
Cross References
“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:”
- 2 Peter 1:3
“But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”
- Ephesians 4:15
“That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
- Colossians 1:10
Application
Guard yourself against error not by anxious defensiveness but by continual growth -- deepening daily in God's grace and in your personal knowledge of Christ, and giving Him the glory.