2 Peter 1:6
“And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →The chain of growth continues: self-control built on knowledge, endurance on self-control, godliness on endurance.
What Does 2 Peter 1:6 Mean?
Peter continues the ascending chain begun in verse 5. To knowledge he adds "temperance" — self-control, the mastery of one's appetites. To self-control he adds "patience," the steadfast endurance that holds firm under pressure. To endurance he adds "godliness," a life oriented around reverence for God.
These qualities build on one another in a deliberate order. Knowledge without self-control puffs up; self-control without patient endurance collapses when trials drag on; endurance without godliness becomes mere grit. Each rung lifts the believer toward a life that looks more like Christ's. Notice that godliness is not the starting point but the fruit of disciplined growth over time. The Christian character Peter describes is cultivated, layer upon layer, by those who keep walking with the Lord and refuse to stall at the foundation.
In the Original Language
enkrateia (ἐγκράτεια), 'temperance' — self-control, holding one's own desires and impulses in check.