Production of Fruit
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge." 2 Pet. 1:5
Add
in vs. 5 is the second key word in
this division. It is rather unfortunate that the Authorized Version carries
this translation, for it conveys a completely distorted idea to the mind of the
reader. The revisers have greatly improved their translation by substituting
the word supply in its place. The idea of mechanical addition is, therefore, displaced
by the proper sense of life development. The resident forces of nature do not
produce fruit until there is activity, and that is precisely what this word
means, "In your faith supply virtue;
and in your virtue knowledge," and so on. This is the normal way in
which the potentialities of nature finally produce fruit. Since the divine life
is definitely joined with the human will, this passage is addressed to
believers, describing the responsibility which rests upon them in the production
of fruit.
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