"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love." (2 Pet. 1:5-7; NKJV).
Virtue, as mentioned in the previous entry, can be defined as "moral excellence." When we obey the Gospel, we make a decision to strive to do that which is right. Continuing on, we are told to ad to our virtue, knowledge. It is important to continue to learn about God's word as we grow and mature as Christians (Heb. 5:12-14).
Paul spoke of a lack of knowledge among the Israelites (Rom. 10:1-2). In Hosea 4:6 we read, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." In Acts 17:10-11, we read about the Bereans. They did not want to be guilty of having a lack of knowledge. Instead, "they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." Paul exhorted Timothy to, "Be diligent (KJV - study) to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15). Paul was able to reason with the Jews from the Scriptures (Acts 17:1-2). We too ought to always be ready to give a response to everyone who asks us a question (1 Pet. 3:15), but it starts by adding to our virtue, knowledge.
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