2 Peter 1:16-21 Lesson 4 Part 1

2 Peter 1:16-21 Lesson 4 Part 1 

• One note: I am heavily, if not entirely, influenced by Dr. Voddie Baucham’s teaching on this passage. In fact, if you have an hour this week, do a search on YouTube for “Why I Choose To Believe the Bible” by Dr. Baucham. There are 3 or more version of this presentation he gives that are available online. 
• Let's have a time of review as we see what Peter has exhorted us to think, say, and do from verses 1-15. 
• Up to this point, we have been encouraged in our faith by Peter through the reminder of Christ’s work and some of its result: 

• We have been granted all things pertaining to life and godliness through the Father’s calling 

• We have been granted God’s precious and very great promises 
• We have been exhorted to add to our faith in order to demonstrate the change that has taken place in our life through the gift of faith. 
• We have been reminded of our entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 
• Now, Peter reminds us in these next passages that we have not been called to a myth. Though we cannot now see the eternal kingdom, we can rest in the future glory soon to be presented to us. Though, in the meantime, we are to subject our temporal spiritual experiences to Scripture. 

• READING: 2 Peter 1:16-21. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 

• Exposition 

• 2Pe 1:16 - For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 

• Peter makes clear that he and the other apostles weren’t hallucinating or making things up when they witnessed of Christ. Oftentimes, skeptics will claim we are using circular reasoning in order to make the claim that the Scriptures are true. However, Peter makes it clear that this letter is documenting the truth of an eye-witness account. This document is reliable and true; Peter speaks the truth in this account. 
• Paul echoes this sentiment in 2 Corinthians 4:2. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. 
• And again, in 1 Timothy 1:4 and 4:7. Paul repeats himself not to have anything to do with irreverent, silly mythns, endless genealogies. Paul is not interested in speculation, and neither is Peter. 

• 2Pe 1:17 - For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 
• 2Pe 1:18 - we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 

• Why does Peter here use the phrase “God the Father?” 

• Peter is definitely connecting their relationship as Father and Son, especially since Jesus uses his phrase in publicly submitting to His commands throughout the gospels. 

• Here, Peter refers to the Mount of Transfiguration, where Peter is stupefied by Jesus’ transformation right before he, James and John. 

• Matthew 17:1-8. 

• One other thing to consider is, when Peter references this, he uses the word “we.” He was not alone. He had two others with him to verify this incredible event. 
• That said, isn’t there another public event that included some of the characteristics of the Transfiguration story? 

• Jesus’ baptism. 
• Others have experienced God’s voice being born from heaven, though some thought, according to John 12:29 that it had thundered. 

• a short rabbit trail… Has anyone read the book from the Chronicles of Narnia that contained the creation of Narnia? I find this rather connected. In it, Aslan, the Lion, sings Narnia into existence. The antagonist, creator of the rings that allows children to slip through to multiple universes, stops his ears and trains himself to believe that the Lion isn’t actually singing, but is only roaring, so much so that when the Lion does engage the antagonist in conversation, he finds he cannot (or will not) understand what the Lion is saying/roaring and must have someone else interpret it for him. 
• The stopping of someone’s ears, living in willful ignorance, will not save him on the day of judgment when God sentences the soul to eternity in hell for living in willful ignorance. 

• Peter, here, references God the Father, a clear reference to the Trinity. 

• 2Pe 1:19 - And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 

• COMMENTS: This is particularly huge. One’s testimony, experience must be subject to the written word. We have something “more sure” than what? Our experience! We are to hold to it as if we’re in the dark and it is the only sure light to walk us through that darkness… 

• It is initially easy to think that Peter here is only referring to the OT Scriptures. Yet, a simple glance to Chapter 3 of 2 Peter affirms Paul as Scripture. 

• Luke 16:29-31. That said, Jesus’ story in Luke 16 bears reminding us that God’s Word in the Old Testament bore witness of a coming savior and that the right response that future savior is repentance and faith, not asking Jesus’ into our hearts or praying a prayer. Jesus gets into our hearts and praying a prayer may be fruit of a changed life. However, what is it that connects believers from the Old and New Testament? Praying a Prayer? Asking Jesus to coming into our hearts? 
• Romans 10:17 and Hebrews 11:6 gives a good clue. FAITH! 

• We are also told a very short story in Acts 17 about a people group called the Bereans. 

• QUESTIONS: 

• What was it they sought? 
• Why would they search Scripture? 
• Why do we have people in our own valley, possibly here in our own church waiting for voices or “a word of knowledge?” 
• Other thoughts? 

• Dark place… QUESTION: Does Peter mean a literal physical space or a figurative condition or opportunity? 

• If you look up all the places that light and dark are contrasted in the scriptures, it is referring to our human condition, or sinful nature. 
• Though there are several places we could look to, I’d like to focus in on John 3:19. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 
• We do bad things because of our inclination to do evil passed down through our DNA. We are to hold to the Word as the one thing that could guide us through this dark life. It is to be our Jehoiada to his Joash. In the words of 2 Chronicles 24, Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Once Jehoiada died, it did not take long at all to be flattered by the princes of Judah, abandon God and serve the Asherim. 
• Unlike Joash, instead of the Bible looking over our shoulder, let us search it for truth and boldy follow and intimately know the God it outlines by the power of His Holy Spirit  

• …until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. 

• What do you think this phrase means? 
• Will there be a time when we won’t need the written Scriptures? Dare I ask it? 
• The only time when Scripture won’t be necessary is when Jesus returns and we will be with “The Word” for eternity. 
• In Revelation 22:16, we read: “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright and morning star.” 
• Dr. Baucham has said that this refers to the return of Jesus. John MacArthur agrees. He states, “These simultaneous images mark the Parousia, i.e., the appearing of Jesus Christ.” Dr. MacArthur comments on “in our hearts”: “The second coming will have not only an externally transforming impact on the universe, but also an internally transforming impact on those believers wo are alive when Jesus returns, forever removing any of their remaining doubts. The perfect, but limited revelation of the Scriptures will be replaced with the perfect and complete revelation of Jesus Christ at his second coming. Then, the Scriptures will have been fulfilled; and believers, made like Christ will have perfect knowledge and all prophecy will be abolished.” 

• 2Pe 1:20 - knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 

• We return to the word that ultimately began our study – knowledge. This time, we are met with "knowing this first of all." Of course, this means in light of what you have just read, much like a "therefore" statement. We will see this again in Chapter 3. For the time being, we are told very certainly and unquestionably that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. In other words, no divine declaration (exhortation or foretelling) comes from one's own explanation. The word for interpretation is epilysis and occurs once in the NT – here. It comes from the root word, epilyo, which means to unloose, to clear, or to explain. The word, epilysis, specifically means to unloose, metaphorically to interpret. In other words, it is not man's job to untie the truth in order for it to be revealed. God reveals it. God unties it or loosens it from his grasp. He reveals it to us. 
• As Dr. Baucham has said, we have become far too familiar with the phrase, "God told me." Peter heard the audible voice of God and began uttering foolish phrases because he was dumbstruck. How many times in the Scriptures has God spoken and man become either dumbstruck or as a dead man? We must be careful guide our feelings, emotions, or senses. 

• 2Pe 1:21 - For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 

• The NASB renders this as, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 

• In other words, it did not originate with man. Yes, men wrote the book. However, the scriptures state that man was moved, or carried along, by the Holy Spirit. 
• According to Dr. MacArthur, the human writers of the Bible claim their writings are of divine origin over 3800 times. And, Paul, writing in 1 Corinthians regarding orderly worship has this to say: 
• 1 Corinthians 14:36-40. 36 Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? 37 If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. 38 If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. 39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order. 
• In other words, there would be agreement (dare I say, unity?!) with regard to the true words of God. Peter acknowledges Paul's writings as Sacred Scripture. We have the agreement of 40 authors over 1500 years. 
• QUESTION: Was man passive or active in this process? 

• According to Thayer's Greek Dictionary, the apostles and writers of the NT were of the mind, to be moved inwardly, prompted. 
• These thoughts and words, audible or not, prompted the writers. God superintended this process through the character and writing style of each of the Bible writers. 

• What about Luke and Mark, and possibly the writer to the Hebrews? 

• Luke was under the leadership of Paul, having been a travel companion with him. 
• According to historians, John Mark, as he was named, was a disciple of Peter, though he had worked with Paul and Barnabas. Mark's Gospel is more or less influenced by Peter. 

• FINAL COMMENTS OF CH. 1 

• I think Peter makes clear his experience on the Mount was a real one. He also makes clear that we are to experience the life that Jesus calls us to. 
• QUESTION: What is the danger of being a person of the book without any experience? 
• QUESTION: On the flipside, what is the danger of experience without Scripture? 
• QUESTION: Where should the Christian's life lie? 

• In short, we should be people of the book whose lives and words bear witness to the truth. As we see throughout all of Sacred Scripture (most recently, the book of James), people of faith prove their faith by what they say and what they do. Our faith, that which we learn in Scripture, informs our life and godliness. Let us all make every effort to bridge the gap between between experience and The Word of God, and let this be superintended by our promised comforter, the Holy Spirit. 
• Other questions? 

Articles 

• https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/eyewitnesses-majesty/ 
• https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/prophecy-scripture/