“Without faith it is impossible to please God” “they Which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.” These are two of many quotations with which we are familiar, they remind us we are saved by faith and not by works. Because Abraham believed God, that is, had faith, “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”
We follow in Abraham’s footsteps. Our acceptance of a true faith places us in a right relationship with God. All you need, is to know the Truth, and believe it. This forms the foundation of our fellowship together.
Yet, because of our history of friction, personalities, party spirit and the like, it is evident that this is not enough. Raw faith needs to be clothed upon. Peter tells us this in his epistles. In his first epistle he says ” . . . the trial of your faith being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” (1:7)
Solomon’s mighty temple was adorned lavishly with gold to God’s glory — but your faith and my faith is more precious than the splendour of that edifice — more precious, that is, in God’s eyes. When God looks into your heart to see the state of your faith — what does He see? God knows the quality of our faith by the actions it produces in our life. “By their fruits ye shall know them” is the principle that holds true.
In Peter’s second epistle he writes, “giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity”. Have we added these to our faith? If not, are we in the process of so doing?
We know the meaning of most of these words. Most can say we have added knowledge; we enjoy adding knowledge. Temperance means “self control” as later translations usually render it. We haven’t been particularly good at that. As for patience, godliness and brotherly kindness, we can say that these things exist in our community in reasonable measure.
Brotherly kindness has been a hallmark, we are a big friendly family and the widespread warmth of the family contrasts with the limited sense of common fellowship in other sects and denominations.
It is true then that we have added to our faith. But the first thing Peter said was, “Add to your faith virtue”. Are we sure what he meant by this? The word virtue does not seem to carry the meaning associated with it in our normal language. For example, in verse 3 of the same chapter it is used in this context, “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”. We are called to glory and virtue, what does that precisely mean?
In 1 Peter 2:9 we have the familiar verse, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light.” The word “praises” is a translation of the same Greek word “Arete”, elsewhere rendered virtue, and shown in the margin as “Virtue” on this occasion. We are to show forth the virtues of God and to add to our faith virtue!
The Amplified Bible translation is helpful here. We read “that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him who called you . . .” Such an amplification shows that “Arete” is no easy word to give a precise English rendering, but its range of meaning is becoming clearer.
Young gives the meaning of “Arete” as ‘courage, excellency’. We note that the R.S.V. renders 2 Peter 1:3 “Him who called us to His own glory and excellence.”
Consider Jesus, His faith was marked with excellency of character and courage in the face of opposition. Contrast this with His disciples, they displayed raw faith, that contained little virtue. As an example consider the incident recorded in Luke 9:54 where James and John, seeing that the Samaritans were inhospitable, said, “Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did?” They earned a deserved rebuke from Jesus. They believed in him but had not yet developed the depth of character that made them real Christ-followers.
Possibly Weymouth comes nearest in phrasing the meaning of “Arete” in 2 Peter 1:5 when he translates “with your faith exhibit also a noble character.”
We might conclude that the first structure to be erected on the basic foundation of faith is to aim at improving the quality of that faith. To give our faith a sense of excellence, that it might be praiseworthy, being shown forth in deeds that begin to emulate the wonderful deeds of our Heavenly Father. This requires courage and begins the process of forming a noble character, so that when one comes to build further on this foundation and to add attributes such as knowledge and godliness, these can be added effectively.
Without “virtue” as a basis, the addition of these attributes can take a wrong turn, for our knowledge can puff us up, and godliness can turn to a self-righteous piety as it did with the Pharisees.
Can it be that “virtue” has not been sufficiently added to our faith in the brotherhood? Do we see too little of the noble character that is so important?
As we reflect on the causes of so many of our problems, we cannot help but suspect that we are uncomfortably close to the truth of the matter.
It is urgent for each one to reflect on the exhortation of Peter as it affects their own lives, for Peter goes on to say, “if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Reflections on the Potter and the Clay