If These Things Be In You – Part 2

 [Study Aired July 12, 2026]

We are in the process of examining the eight virtues which the holy spirit tells us will keep us from falling:

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For 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.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

Our first study covered the first three of these eight virtues; faith, virtue, and knowledge.

We concluded our last study considering the virtue of ‘knowledge’:

2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

Knowledge is so essential to our salvation that Christ tells us that life itself is a matter of knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He hath sent:

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Three verses before 2 Peter 1:5, Peter tells us that the grace by which we are being saved is given to us “through the knowledge of God.”

2Pe 1:2  Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus Christ.

Peter and Paul are both telling us the same thing. We must “know God and Jesus Christ”, meaning, we must have the mind of God and Jesus Christ if we are striving for the mark of the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. That ‘high calling’ is to have a part in that “blessed and holy first resurrection” where we will be kings and priests who will rule over the nations of this world for a thousand years before we are also granted to “judge angels” in the great white throne judgment/ lake of fire/ second death:

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

In this study we will examine the functions of temperance, patience and godliness, which verse six exhorts us to add to our ‘faith, virtue, and knowledge’.

What is ‘Temperance’?

What then is this virtue of the spirit of God which is called ‘temperance’? The Greek word here is G1466, ‘egkrateia’, self control.

– Strong’s: From G1468; self control (especially continence): – temperance.

Total KJV Occurrences: 4

• • temperance, 4

 Act 24:25; Gal 5:23; 2Pe 1:6(2)

This Greek word appears just four times in the New Testament. Two of those four entries are right here in the verse of our consideration today:

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance [G1466: ‘egkrateia’, self control]; and to temperance [G1466: ‘egkrateia’, self control] patience; and to patience godliness;

There are only two other entries, so we will take the time to read them to know how the holy spirit uses this Greek word. These next two entries are also consistently translated as ‘temperance”:

Act 24:25  And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance [G1466,: ‘egkrateia’, self control] and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance [G1466: ‘egkrateia’, self control]: against such there is no law.

‘Self control’ is the last of the nine fruits of the spirit. Let’s also consider the root of this Greek noun:

– Strong’s: From G1468; self control (especially continence): – temperance.

When we look at the entries of this Greek word, G1468, this is what we read:

G1468, Egkrates

– Original: ἐγκρατής

– Transliteration: Egkrates

– Phonetic: eng-krat-ace’

– Definition:

1. 1. strong, robust
   2. having power over, possessed of (a thing)
   3. mastering, controlling, curbing, restraining
   4. controlling one’s self, temperate, continent

– Origin: from G1722 and G2904

– TDNT entry: 07:39,2

– Part(s) of speech: Adjective

– Strong’s: From G1722 and G2904; strong in a thing (masterful) that is (figuratively and reflexively) self controlled (in appetite etc.): – temperate.

Total KJV Occurrences: 1

• • temperate, 1

 Tit 1:8

G1468, ‘Egkrates’ appears just one time in the New Testament, and that is in Titus 1:8. We will include verse 7 for context:

Tit 1:7  For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
Tit 1:8  But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate [G1468: ‘egkrates’, self control];

This Greek word is a contraction of the two words ‘en’, and ‘kratos’. Here is their definitions:

– Original: ἐν

– Transliteration: En

– Phonetic: en

– Definition:

1. 1. in, by, with etc.

– Origin: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between G1519 and G1537)

G2904, ‘kratos’

Original: κράτος

– Transliteration: Kratos

– Phonetic: krat’-os

– Definition:

1. 1. force, strength
   2. power, might: mighty with great power
   3. a mighty deed, a work of power
   4. dominion

– Origin: perhaps a primary word

– TDNT entry: 18:05,5

– Part(s) of speech: Noun Neuter

– Strong’s: Perhaps a primary word;
vigor [great] (literally or figuratively): – dominion might [-ily] power strength.

Total KJV Occurrences: 12

• • dominion, 4

 1Pe 4:11; 1Pe 5:11; Jud 1:25; Rev 1:6

• • mightily, 1

 Act 19:20

• • power, 6

 Eph 1:19; Eph 6:10; Col 1:11; 1Ti 6:16; Heb 2:14; Rev 5:13

• • strength, 1

 Luk 1:51

It is clear from every verse containing any form of the Greek words G1466, ‘egkratia’, a noun, and G1468, ‘egkrates’, the adjective form of the noun, ‘egkratia’, the meaning is consistently having ‘force, power, and dominion’ over one’s self. No man of God, a bishop or otherwise, will have a reputation for having an unrestrained, and out of control temper. A bishop, a shepherd of the Lord’s flock must be a man who is known for being in control of himself at all times.

The apostle Paul tells us this about every prophet of God:

1Co 14:32  And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
1Co 14:33  For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

A man who cannot control his own spirit is in no position to be leading the Lord’s flock:

Pro 16:32  He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

The Virtue of ‘Patience’

The next virtue which will insure that we are never unfruitful and never fall is the virtue of ‘patience’. Christ put the utmost emphasis on this particular facet of our character when He made this profound statement:

Luk 21:19  In your patience possess ye your souls.

The Greek word for ‘patience’ is G5281, ‘hupomone’, and it means steadfast, cheerful endurance through the greatest trial and sufferings:

G5281, hupomone

– Original: ὑπομονή

– Transliteration: Hupomone

– Phonetic: hoop-om-on-ay’

– Definition:

1. 1. steadfastness, constancy, endurance
   2. in the NT the characteristic of a man who is not swerved from his deliberate purpose and his loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings
   3. patiently, and steadfastly
   4. a patient, steadfast waiting for
   5. a patient enduring, sustaining, perseverance

– Origin: from G5278

– TDNT entry: 13:41,6

– Part(s) of speech: Noun Feminine

– Strong’s: From G5278; cheerful (or hopeful) endurance constancy: – enduring patience patient continuance (waiting).

Total KJV Occurrences: 26

• • continuance, 1

 Rom 2:7

• • enduring, 1

 2Co 1:6

• • patience, 23

Rom 5:3; Rom 5:4; Rom 8:25; Rom 15:4; Rom 15:5; 2Co 6:4; 2Co 12:12; Col 1:11; 1Th 1:3; 2Th 1:4; 1Ti 6:11; 2Ti 3:10; Tit 2:2; Heb 10:36; Heb 12:1; Jam 1:3; Jam 1:4; Jam 5:11; 2Pe 1:6(2); Rev 1:9; Rev 13:10; Rev 14:12

• • waiting, 1

 2Th 3:5

This Greek word ‘hupomone’ refers to the steadfast, enduring patience, which Christ displayed while waiting in the garden of Gethsemane for the religious leaders of the Jews to come and torment and torture Him before crucifying Him. The pressure on our Lord was so heavy that He asked His Father if there was not another way of saving all men. He already knew that His life alone was the only sacrifice worth more than the lives of all men of all time, so He acquiesced and added, “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.”

Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,
Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Luk 22:43  And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
Luk 22:44  And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

This is the kind of patience we are being admonished to have ‘abounding’ within us. If we have this patient endurance in situations which are impossible for our flesh to bear, then what we have is the temperance and patience of Christ. We have His mind and His temperament, and we will never fall.

G5287, ‘hupomeno’, abide, remain

This ‘hupomone’, G5281, comes from G5278, ‘ hupomeno’. Here is the definition of G5278, ‘hupomeno’:

– Original: ὑπομένω

– Transliteration: Hupomeno

– Phonetic: hoop-om-en’-o

– Definition:

1. 1. to remain
   2. to tarry behind
   3. to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee
   4. to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one’s faith in Christ
   5. to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments

– Origin: from G5259 and G3306

– TDNT entry: 13:41,6

– Part(s) of speech: Verb

– Strong’s: From G5259 and G3306; to stay under (behind) that is remain; figuratively to undergo that is bear (trials) have fortitude persevere: – abide endure (take) patient (-ly) suffer tarry behind.

Total KJV Occurrences: 17

• • abode, 1

 Act 17:14

• • endure, 5

 Mar 13:13 (2); 2Ti 2:10; Heb 12:7; Jam 5:11

• • endured, 3

 Heb 10:32; Heb 12:2; Heb 12:3

• • endureth, 3

 Mat 10:22; 1Co 13:7; Jam 1:12

• • patient, 1

 Rom 12:12

• • patiently, 2

 1Pe 2:20(2)

• • suffer, 1

 2Ti 2:12

Tarried behind, 1

Luk 2:43

This Greek word appears 17 times in the New Testament, and 11 of those 17 are translated with some form of the English word ‘endure’. ‘Endure’, 5; ‘endured’, 3; and ‘endureth’, 3. The one time it is translated as ‘patient’ could also be translated as ‘enduring tribulation’:

Rom 12:12  Rejoicing in hope; patient [G5278: ‘hupomeno’, enduring] in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

The word ‘in’ is added. This verse would more accurately read… ‘enduring tribulation…’ The same is true for the two times in 1 Peter 2:20. Look at this verse with Strong’s numbers:

1Pe 2:20  For^G1063 what^G4169 glory^G2811 is it, if,^G1487 when ye be buffeted^G2852(G2532) for your faults,^G264 ye shall take it patiently?^G5278 but^G235 if,^G1487 when ye do well,^G15 and^G2532 suffer^G3958 for it, ye take it patiently, ^G5278this^G5124 is acceptable^G5485 with^G3844 God.^G2316

All the added words… ‘ye shall take it’ are not in the Greek. What is there twice in this verse is G5278, ‘hupomeno’, the Greek word defined as meaning ‘enduring trials and tribulations’.

It is much more than simply waiting patiently. This Greek word G5278, ‘hupomeno’ means  to faithfully endure trials and tribulations as a good soldier of Christ. In its most basic form it is a contraction of the two Greek words. Those two words are G5259, ‘hupo’, meaning ‘of’, ‘by’, or ‘under’, and G3306, ‘meno’, ‘abide’, ‘endure’. ‘Hupomeno’ is a verb of faithful endurance through great tribulation in service to Christ and His doctrine.

Here are examples of how the holy spirit uses this Greek word G5259, ‘hupo’:

Mat 1:22  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of [G5259: ‘hupo’] the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Joh 10:14  I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of [G5259: ‘hupo’] mine.

Mat 8:9  For I am a man under [G5289: ‘hupo’] authority, having soldiers under [G5289: ‘hupo’] me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

Luk 2:18  And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by [G5289: ‘hupo’] the shepherds.

Here are a few examples of how the holy spirit uses the word G3306, ‘meno’:

Joh 8:31  Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue [G3306: ‘meno’] in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:35  And the servant abideth [G3306: ‘meno’] not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth [3306, ‘meno’] ever.

Contracted together we have the word, G5287, ‘hupomeno’, meaning to abide faithful in trying circumstances. If hupomone and hupomeno are in us and abound they makes us patient and willing to endure every trial in service to our Lord to such an extent that we will never fall.

The Virtue of Godliness

Our next virtue is ‘godliness’:

2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness [G2150: ‘eusebeia’, piety, holiness];

Here is how Strong’s defines G2150, ‘euseveia’:

G2150

εὐσέβεια

eusebeia

yoo-seb’-i-ah

From G2152; piety; specifically the gospel scheme: – godliness, holiness.

Eusebeia appears 15 times in the New Testament. 14 of those 15 times it is translated with the English word, ‘godliness’. One time it is translated as ‘holiness’. Here is the one time it is translated as ‘holiness’:

Act 3:12  And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness [G2150: ‘eusebeia’, godliness] we had made this man to walk?

1Ti 2:1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness [G2150: ‘eusebeia’] and honesty.

1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness [G2150: ‘eusebeia’]: from such withdraw thyself.
1Ti 6:6  But godliness [G2150, ‘eusubeia’, godliness which is not seeking material ‘gain’] with contentment is great gain.

It is obvious that this Greek word, G2150, ‘eusebeia’, is connected to our way of life as observed by our families and this world, and Acts 3:12 would be more correctly translated as ‘Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or godliness [G2150: ‘eusebeia’, godliness] we had made this man to walk?’

G2150, ‘eusebeia’ is concerned with our way of life, as we are seen  by this world. This fact is revealed by the root of this word.

G2152, ‘Eusebes’

We are told that this word comes from From G2152; piety; specifically the gospel scheme: – godliness, holiness

This how Strong’s defines this Greek word:

G2152

εὐσεβής

eusebēs

yoo-seb-ace’

From G2095 and G4576; well reverent, that is, pious: – devout, godly.

This word appears only four times in the New Testament. Three of those four it is translated as ‘devout’, and once as ‘godly’:

• • devout, 3

 Act 10:2; Act 10:7; Act 22:12

• • godly, 1

 2Pe 2:9

Cornelius, the Gentile, Roman centurion, in whose house Peter was the first apostle to preach to the Gentiles, is called a ‘devout’ man who had a ‘devout’ soldier who ministered to Cornelius:

Act 10:1  There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,
Act 10:2  A devout [G2152: ‘eusebes’] man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Act 10:7  And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout [G2152: ‘eusebes’] soldier of them that waited on him continually;

The life of this Roman centurion was observed by all, including the Jews, as a “devout” and exemplary life.

We are told this word ‘G2152, ‘eusebes’, again is a contraction “from G2095 and G4576”.

G2095, ‘eu’, Well done

Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done [G2095, ‘eu’, well; good], thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

According to the KJC this word appears only seven times in the New Testament:

G2095

εὖ

eu

Total KJV Occurrences: 7

well, 6

Mat 25:21, Mat 25:23, Luk 19:17, Act 15:29 (2), Eph 6:3

good, 1

Mar 14:7

One example of these seven entries is sufficient to understand how the holy spirit uses this word:

Act 15:28  For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Act 15:29  That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well [G2095: ‘eu”, well, good]. Fare ye well.

G4576, sebomai, worship, devout, religious

The second part of the Greek word G2152, eusebes, ‘devout’, is the Greek word G4576, ‘sebomai’. This is Strong’s definition of this word:

G4576

σέβομαι

sebomai

seb’-om-ahee

Middle voice of an apparently primary verb; to revere, that is, adore: – devout, religious, worship.

The KJC tells us this word appears but ten times and gives us this breakdown:

G4576

σέβομαι

sebomai

Total KJV Occurrences: 10

devout, 3

Act 13:50, Act 17:4, Act 17:17

worship, 3

Mat 15:9, Mar 7:7, Act 18:13

worshipped, 2

Act 16:13-14 (2), Act 18:7

religious, 1

Act 13:43

worshippeth, 1

Act 19:27

Having examined the meaning of the Greek word for the virtue of ‘godliness’, G2150, ‘eusebeia’, as one of the eight virtues which will keep us from falling, it is obvious that our outward lives are to be an exemplary light to this dark world:

Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, [your godliness] and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

We have two more virtues to cover, which, Lord willing, we will do in our next study. Let’s close with the words of the holy spirit’s instructions to keep us fruitful and keep us from falling:

Pe 1:3  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:
2Pe 1:4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2Pe 1:5  And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6  And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7  And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8  For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shallneither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9  But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: