I. On This Virtue List: An

Reveal Answer

Climax

⁵ For this very reason,
make every effort to add to your faith
goodness (ESV: virtue);
and to goodness, knowledge;
⁶ and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness;
⁷ and to godliness, mutual affection;
and to mutual affection, love.

…For if you do these things, you will never stumble, ¹¹ and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

See also Wisdom 6:17-20 (RSV).
_{The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction,

and concern for instruction is love of her,

and love of her is the keeping of her laws,

and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality,

and immortality brings one near to God;

*so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom *}

II. On Virtue Generally: An

Reveal Answer

Process

“…the virtues are not a matter of whim or caprice, but of stability; they are relatively stable aspects of one’s character. We do not lose or gain virtues overnight or in a single act. One occasionally acts ‘out of character’ or in discontinuity with his or her character. In general, however, one acts in accord with one’s virtues and vices, and character changes are seldom made with ease. One does not suddenly gain or lose virtues. Instead, it is a matter of moral education and growth, of continual practice or neglect, of incremental advancement or decline. One most often develops character in steps. The steps may be uneven, but once one has made significant progress in a virtue, he or she is unlikely suddenly to cease being virtuous in the relevant respect.

The stability of the virtues is implied in the notion that virtues provide for continuity in one’s actions. The point here is to highlight that continuity or stability and link it to moral education or development. The virtues are states of character usually acquired through time and work, and character developed through time and work seldom evaporates quickly.”
(Joseph J. Kotva, Jr., The Christian Case for Virtue Ethics, 24).

III. On Today’s Virtue: Perseverance

…and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance;

Greek word translated here as “perseverance” comes from a combination of two words “under” and “remain” and essentially means “to bear up under.”

Here is how the standard Greek dictionary defines this term for us: “1. the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty, patience, endurance, fortitude, steadfastness, perseverance,… 2. the act or state of patient waiting for someone or something, expectation.” (BDAG, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT, 1039).

There are two Greek synonyms for our word which convey different aspects of this idea of patience or endurance. One of them means: “ 1. state of remaining tranquil while awaiting an outcome, patience, steadfastness, endurance 2. state of being able to bear up under provocation, forbearance, patience toward others” (BDAG, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT, 612). And the other synonym means: “1. to regard w. tolerance, endure, bear with, put up with;” but can also mean something more closely related to our word used here in 2 Peter: “2. to undergo something onerous or troublesome without giving in, endure” (BDAG, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT, 78).

Perseverance was a virtue that was held in very high esteem especially in the Hellenistic Jewish world.

“Gather round, my children. Gather round me so that I may show you the things which the Lord did with me and all the things which have happened to me. I am your father Job, fully engaged in endurance. (Testament of Job, 1)

“Thus says the Lord: If you attempt to purge the place of Satan, he will rise up against you with wrath for battle. But he will be unable to bring death upon you. He will bring on you many plagues, he will take away from himself your goods, he will carry off your children. But if you are patient, I will make your name renowned in all generations of the earth till the consummation of the age.” (Testament of Job, 4)

Not only is growing in the virtue of perseverance important for the general Christian, but it would have been particularly applicable to the audience of 2 Peter.

“The need to persevere is particularly important in the situation Peter addressed, for the opponents were threatening the church, attracting others to follow them (2:2), so that some who began in the way of the gospel had since abandoned it (2:20-22). Moral restraint must be combined with endurance and steadfastness for those who hope to win the eschatological prize.” (Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude, 300) (see also Rev 2:2-3).

The very definition of perseverance implies some form of discomfort that is present for one to endure through, therefore, we can say that perseverance is antithetical to comfort. And because of this, an exercise of or growing in perseverance is going to occur in the midst of very difficult, painful, and even sometimes deadly circumstances.

2 Corinthians 6:3-5, 3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. 4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;

2 Thessalonians 1:4, 4 Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.

Perseverance is often closely tied with and even fueled by a future hope (Rom 15:4). The promise of being worthy of God’s kingdom (2 Thess 1:5), the return of Christ (1 Thess 1:3), the restoration of all things (Rom 8:22-25), and our eternal reward (Rom 2:7; Heb 10:36) all provide us with extra motivation and encouragement to endure through all kinds of difficulties and trials.

Perseverance is the ultimate test of one’s faith; whether it’s genuine and sincere, or a seed sown on the rocky soil (Matt 13:20-21). The Christian life is seen not only as spiritual battle but as a race to receive a prize (Heb 12:1).

“There are few more reliable tests of faith than this; true faith endures.” (Green, 2 Peter and Jude, 78).

James 1:2-4, 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Mark 13:13, 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

The perfect example of persevering through suffering, pain, and death unto the end is no better modeled for us than through the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And it is in view of his perseverance amid sufferings that we can endure through the trials we encounter in this world (2 Thess 3:5).

Hebrews 12:2-3, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

“So it befell the blessed Polycarp, who having with those from Philadelphia suffered martyrdom in Smyrna — twelve in all — is especially remembered more than the others by all men, so that he is talked of even by the heathen in every place: for he showed himself not only a notable teacher, but also a distinguished martyr, whose martyrdom all desire to imitate, seeing that it was after the pattern of the Gospel of Christ. Having by his endurance overcome the unrighteous ruler in the conflict and so received the crown of immortality” (The Martyrdom of Polycarp, 19)