John Wesley reads 2 Peter 1:4’s “partakers of the divine nature” as renewal in God’s image and real mutual indwelling, not ontological fusion with God.[1][2][3]
## Wesley’s explicit note on 2 Peter 1:4
In his Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament on 2 Peter 1:4, Wesley writes:
> “Ye may become partakers of the divine nature – **Being renewed in the image of God, and having communion with them, so as to dwell in God and God in you.**”[2][3][1]
So, for Wesley the text means:
– “Partakers of the divine nature” = renewed in the **image** of God.[2]
– This includes “communion” with the divine persons, expressed as mutual indwelling (“dwell in God and God in you”).[2]
## Soteriological emphasis
– He links the promise to “having escaped the manifold corruption which is in the world from that fruitful fountain, evil desire,” so participation in the divine nature is inseparable from moral transformation and deliverance from sinful corruption.[2]
– In his broader theology, this dovetails with Christian perfection: restoration of the divine image and perfected love through sanctifying grace, rather than any collapse of the Creator–creature distinction.[4][5]
Sources
[1] 2 Peter 1 Wesley’s Notes – Bible Hub https://biblehub.com/
[2] Commentary Notes on the Whole Bible by John Wesley: 2 Peter. https://biblenotes.online/
[3] 2 Peter 1 – Wesley’s Explanatory Notes – Bible Commentaries https://www.studylight.org/
[4] On the 250th anniversary of A plain account of Christian perfection http://www.scielo.org.za/
[5] Christian perfection – Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
[6] Partaker of the Divine Nature: 2 Peter 1:4 – Bible Truth Publishers https://bibletruthpublishers.
[7] John Wesley on 2 Peter 1:3-11 – Threads from Henry’s Web https://henrysthreads.com/
[8] 2 Peter 1:4 (KJV) – John Wesley’s Notes – Bible Tools https://www.bibletools.org/
[9] 2 Peter 1:4 – Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary – StudyLight.org https://www.studylight.org/
[10] As followers of Jesus, we’re called to embark on a journey of … https://www.facebook.com/
[11] Notes On The First Epistle General Of St Peter https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-
[12] Explanatory notes upon the New Testament. By John Wesley, M.A. … https://quod.lib.umich.edu/
[13] The Second Epistle General of St. Peter – Translation by John Wesley https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-
[14] In a sermon on the Trinity on May 7, 1775 John Wesley wrote https://www.facebook.com/
[15] John Wesley and Faith at Aldersgate – The Gospel Coalition https://www.
[16] 2 Peter 1:4 – Wesley’s Explanatory Notes – Bible Study & Commentary https://www.bibleportal.com/
[17] [PDF] Explanatory Notes Upon the New Testament. By John Wesley … The … https://wesleyscholar.com/wp-
