2 Peter 1:5-7

2 Peter 1:5-7 "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love." (English Standard Version)

I always wonder whether these verses imply "faith + virtue + knowledge + self-control + steadfastness + godliness + brotherly affection + love" or "faith -> virtue -> knowledge -> self-control -> steadfastness -> godliness -> brotherly affection -> love"? The first formula is all in one, all works are equally important and the sequence is arbitrary. The second formula indicates a sequential process and various work has its own importance at different stages.

This is what Wesley thought, "Add to (supplement) means superadd the latter, without losing the former. The Greek word properly means lead up, as in dance, one of these after the other, in a beautiful order. ... In this most beautiful connexion, each preceding grace leads to the following; each following, tempers and perfects the preceding. They are set down in the order of nature, rather than the order of time. For though every grace bears a relation to every other, yet here they are so nicely ranged, that those which have the closest dependence on each other are placed together." (quoted from John Wesley’s Explanatory Notes, http://www.christnotes.org/commentary.php?com=wes)

I understand as such, "if you believe in God and His blessing (faith), do the good works (virtue); with wisdom (knowledge); and control your desire (self-control); with government of your thoughts (steadfastness); and do these with the passion in God (godliness), attachment to the Christian (brotherly affection), and love of all mankind (love)."

Just imagine, what will happen if "faith without work, work without wisdom, wise but no self-control, self-control but not steadfast, steadfast but not for God, godliness but no brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with no love."

Faith without work is dead, work without wisdom is in vain, wisdom without self-control will be arrogant, self-control without steadfastness will not persevere, steadfast but not for God will be worn-out, godliness but no brotherly affection is isolated, brotherly affection with no love of all mankind is incomplete.

信心没有行为是死的；行为没有智慧是枉然的；智慧没有节制会自大；节制没有忍耐不会持久；忍耐若不是出于神会枯干；敬虔但没有爱弟兄的心是孤独的；爱弟兄但不爱众人的爱是不完全的。