All such promises, or promised goods, both general and particular, are called great and precious. This is because of the greatness of God and Savior who gave them, and because of the greatness of the gifts themselves.
“That through them you may become,” and so forth. Through them, that is, through the promises indicated here, and together through glory and power, Christians can become partakers of the divine nature.
Nature, kind, being, essence, the particular essential mode of existence; compare Rom 11:24; Eph 2:3; Jas 3:7. This is what exists eternally in God and embraces all His perfections.
The divine nature is eternal truth and righteousness, eternal life, peace, joy, blessedness, and everything that may be called good.
Therefore everyone who becomes a partaker of the divine nature is wise, righteous, and all-powerful against the snares of the devil, sin, and death.
What does it mean to be a partaker of the divine nature? As the human nature of the God-man became participant in the divine nature in the Incarnation, so believers in Christ become partakers of Him and of His divine nature.
They become such through faith in Him and in His redeeming death.
Consequently, when it is said that the believer partakes of the divine nature, the speech concerns not only moral likeness to God according to this or that attribute.
It does not concern only a spiritual and abstract communion in thought. It concerns true communion according to nature, which begins in regeneration (Jn 1:3; 1 Jn 1:3).
This communion is perfected and abides constantly and without interruption in blessed eternity; compare Rom 8:29; Jn 17:21.
To this belong the concepts of the glorification of man’s flesh in Christ (Phil 3:21), the contemplation of God and participation in His glory (1 Cor 13:12), and likeness to God (1 Jn 3:2).
To this also belongs union with God in Christ through communion in His most pure Body and Blood, both here on earth and in eternal life (Jn 6:51-56; Mt 26:26-28 and parallels).
Compare also the Liturgy of Basil the Great, the prayer after the priest’s communion.
This does not say that those who have become partakers of the divine nature become completely equal to God and identical with God. That would be absurd.
He remains infinitely distinct and separate from them, even when, by His mercy, they partake of His divine nature.
This mystery is great. Nevertheless, the word and act of God are immutable.
As the sun remains the sun even when it is reflected in dark water, so God always remains the same, even when He makes man a partaker of His nature.
“We became partakers of the divine nature through the manifestation of the Lord and God, who united the firstfruits of our nature in Himself and sanctified them by assuming them.
“If the firstfruits are holy, then the whole is holy” (Theophylact).
“Having escaped the corruption,” and so forth. As escape is opposed to participation, so corruption is opposed to the divine nature.
This escape appears here not only as a duty, but also as a condition without which communion with God is impossible.
Corruption; compare Rom 8:21; Gal 6:8; Col 2:22; 1 Pet 2:12, 19. It is understood not only morally, but also physically.
Here we again find the contrast between the corruptible and the incorruptible, to which the Apostle points more than once with expressiveness; compare 1 Pet 1:4, 7, 18, 23-25; 2 Pet 3:10 and following.
Corruption reigns in the world and penetrates it in all its parts. Its chief source and power lie in lust, which arouses God’s wrath and weakens human nature both spiritually and bodily; compare Eph 4:22.
The foundation of corruption lies in worldly lust. The old man is corrupted by lust. Fleshly lust darkens the soul, and the soul increasingly weakens and darkens the image of God within itself.
By a multitude of lusts the natural good properties of the bodily organism are naturally defiled. Thus everything is corrupted, both soul and body.
Blessed Theophylact connects verses 3 and 4 in this way: “May grace and peace be multiplied to you, since everything needed for life and piety has been given to you.
“It has been given in the knowledge of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, by His divine power and His goodness, for the knowledge of glory and virtue.
“For these, the greatest promises have been given to us, so that, having escaped the worldly corruption that comes through lust, you may become partakers of the divine nature.”
THEOSIS