Give All Diligence

And beside this, 

giving all diligence, 

add to your faith virtue;

and 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.

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.

(2 Peter 1:5-8) 

  

 Here are the definitions of some of the words used in this passage for a deeper understanding of what it means and how we can apply it to our lives.

{All definitions taken from The King James Bible Page website. The dictionary on their sight is an abbreviated version of the Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary.}

 
DILIGENCE, n. L., to love earnestly; to choose.

1. Steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth; due attention; industry; assiduity.

VIRTUE, n. vur'tu. L. virtus, from vireo, or its root. See Worth. The radical sense is strength, from straining, stretching, extending.
       4. A particular moral excellence; as the virtue of temperance, of chastity, of charity.

KNOWL'EDGE, n. nol'lej.

1. A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of our ideas.

TEM'PERANCE, n. L. temperantia, from tempero.

1. Moderation; particularly, habitual moderation in regard to the indulgence of the natural appetites and passions; restrained or moderate indulgence; as temperance in eating and drinking; temperance in the indulgence of joy or mirth. Temperance in eating and drinking is opposed to gluttony and drunkenness, and in other indulgences, to excess.

2. Patience; calmness; sedateness; moderation of passion.

PATIENCE, n. pa'shens. L. patientia, from patior, to suffer.
1. The suffering of afflictions, pain, toil, calamity, provocation or other evil, with a calm, unruffled temper; endurance without murmuring or fretfulness.
GOD'LINESS, n. from godly. Piety; belief in God, and reverence for his character and laws.

1. A religious life; a careful observance of the laws of God and performance of religious duties, proceeding from love and reverence for the divine character and commands; christian obedience.

BROTH'ERLY, a. Pertaining to brothers; such as is natural for brothers; becoming brothers; kind; affectionate; as brotherly love.

KINDNESS, n. from kind, the adjective.

1. Good will; benevolence; that temper or disposition which delights in contributing to the happiness of others, which is exercised cheerfully in gratifying their wishes, supplying their wants or alleviating their distresses; benignity of nature. Kindness ever accompanies love.

CHARITY, n.

1. In a general sense, love, benevolence, good will; that disposition of heart which inclines men to think favorably of their fellow men to think favorably of their fellow men, and to do them good. In a theological sense, it includes supreme love to God, and universal good will to men.

ABOUND', v. i. L. abundo. If this word is from L. unda, a wave, the latter has probably lost its first consonant. Abound may naturally be deduced from the Celtic. L. fons, a fountain.

1. To have or possess in great quantity; to be copiously supplied; followed by with or in; as to abound with provisions; to abound in good things.