A sermon preached at Covenant Presbyterian Church of Fort Smith, Arkansas on October 29, 2023.
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 (2 Peter 1:16–21).[1]
The Westminster Confession of Faith begins,
Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his church; and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing: which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those former ways of God’s revealing his will unto his people being now ceased.[2]
Everything else in our magisterial confession follows these words. Because every other matter of Christian doctrine is contingent upon them. I know because the Bible tells me so. We are the beneficiaries of that “better preserving and propagating of the truth.” It is for our “more sure establishment and comfort” that God chose to commit his will “wholly unto writing,” and thereby making “the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary.” Understand that when you open and read the Bible, you are receiving the very Word of God.
Yet, when I think of who God chose to deliver his written Word to us, I realize what a miracle Scripture is. For example, the first five books of the Old Testament are referred to as the books of Moses (John 5:45-46), who was a murderer, a fugitive, and later banned from entry into the Promised Land. If the Bible is the holy Word of God, would not God have chosen a man more holy than Moses? Perhaps a man after God’s own heart, who penned the majority of the psalter, yet was guilty himself of murder, as well as adultery. Is it appropriate to sing psalms written by a man who broke both the sixth and the seventh commandments? Or, what about the wisdom books of Proverbs, Songs, and Ecclesiastes, all written by Solomon? Was he not led into syncretism by his many wives toward the end of his life? Is it wise to be guided by a man who didn’t finish well? I could go on, but the question should be clear: Can we trust the Bible as the holy Word of God if it was written by a bunch of sinners, like you and me?
Peter says, yes, not for the sake of those through whom God chose to write but because God’s Word is not degenerated by the jars of clay he uses to pour out his streams of living water. God speaks by his Holy Spirt carrying the prophets, confirming the truth, revealing his will. Supernaturally, we have received the Word “by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.”[3]
Carrying the Prophets
Describing the miracle that is the written Word of God, Peter explains how the Holy Spirit works. He makes it clear that what we have been given was not “borne of human impulse” (1:21 NET) or “produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (1:21 ESV). God spoke through the means of man by the ministry of his Holy Spirit, but the prophets and apostles were not passive conduits but experienced what God revealed personally. For example, John begins his first epistle confessing,
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us—that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-3).
Likewise, Peter confesses, “we were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (1:16), referring to a specific moment in time. Peter recalls a day when he, James, and John climbed a mountain with Jesus. And it was on that mountain that before their eyes Jesus was “transfigured,” and “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light” (Matt. 17:1-2). In that unforgettable moment, Peter says that God the Son “received honor and glory from God the Father” before their eyes, and then they heard the “Majestic Glory” audibly say, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (1:17). What an extraordinary eyewitness testimony! Peter, James, and John were there, three witnesses, of the same supernatural event, to which they testify, and we now know. To God be the glory, amen!
And then, as if in the same breath, Peter says, “And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention” (1:19a). What did he just say? In the same context as quoting the heavenly word from the “Majestic Glory,” Peter says, “we have,” or “possess” (NET), the same. And not only that but “more fully confirmed,” or perhaps better translated, “as an altogether reliable thing” (NET). In other words, equating what he heard from heaven, Peter says that along with the prophets he and the other apostles have been given the inerrant Word of God. This is a bold statement, one of either ego maniac, a deranged lunatic, or a prophet from God himself.
Context tells us that Peter claims the latter. But if Peter, and the other prophets and apostles, are delivering to the church the Word of God, how has God done this? As if anticipating the question, Peter explains, “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (1:21). Think of how the wind catches the sails of a sailboat and carries it along (Acts 2:2). The same verb is used here, as the Holy Spirit carried along the prophets and apostles, delivering the written Word to the church, perfectly and completely, not by some kind of possessed dictation but instead using the unique personal characteristics and circumstances of each man.
Therefore, Peter says, “you will do well to pay attention” (1:19). Why? Because God has spoken from heaven by his Spirit through Peter, and the others, and what God has said from heaven deserves our full attention. And Peter’s admonition is not only for his first listeners but for us too. If you would hear a word from heaven, you must open your Bible. Because, when you open your Bible, God speaks, no less clearly than to Peter, James, and John on the mountain. And what he says, we must heed.
Confirming the Truth
Consider, for example, the Bible’s consistent emphasis on knowing the truth. In several of the New Testament epistles we learn that the first century church was dealing with false teaching from false prophets. We don’t know the specific situation in 2 Peter, but clearly Peter is distinguishing himself and the other apostles from those who produce or follow “cleverly devised myths” (1:16) with the intention of deception. Peter describes them as those who have forsaken “the right way” and have “gone astray” (2 Pet. 2:15), implying they had heard the gospel, “the right way,” perhaps feigned belief and then left the church, with the gullible in tow.
In a strikingly sad statement, Peter says in the second chapter, “it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” (1 Pet. 2:21). Meaning, because the gospel is the greatest truth in world, it is far too precious to fake believing. In other words, if you say that you believe that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16), and then later retract your confession, you’re not only a liar but self-deceived, denying the greatest news since the Fall of man.
Peter knows the truth and confesses it, saying, “we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:16). While Peter could be referring to Jesus first coming and incarnation, typically this Greek word translated “coming” refers to his second coming. The truth is, Peter is essentially saying, the certainty of Christ’s coming is imminent, and when he comes the truth will be confirmed. No longer will there be any questions because he who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) will come in power. False teachers may play upon sensuality and gullibility, but when the trumpet sounds, they will tremble in terror. Only those who believe, know, and live in the Truth will rejoice.
Until that day, how do we guard against the lies of false teachers? How do we develop spiritual discernment? Learn, as Paul instructed Timothy, to rightly handle “the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). Read, meditate on, and study the Word of God. Look to it, as Peter puts it, as “a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (1:19). The Word of God functions as a spiritual light, as the psalmist sings, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105).
And all who are in Christ must look to it consistently, “until the day dawns,” when our Lord Jesus returns, and we will look from the pages of Scripture to the sky, where we will see the morning star. He is the one described in the book of Numbers as “a star” coming out of Jacob and “a scepter” coming out of Israel (Num. 24:17). And he shall come with great power and glory (Mark 13:26), according to the Word, the revealed will of God.
Revealing God’s Will
We look not to the speculations of man but look to Scripture, which is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). To accomplish this is to accept that Scripture has the authority, as the Word of God, to speak into our lives, to be believed and obeyed, not because of “the testimony of any man, or church,” as the Westminster Confession of Faith explains, “but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.”[4] Peter says, “no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation” (1:20). The Greek word translated “interpretation” is perhaps better translated “imagination” (NET), since Peter is not referring to the interpretation of Scripture but clarifying that Scripture does not come personally from the prophet but through him by the Holy Spirit from God. The Holy Spirit speaks; the prophet delivers.
This of course helps us understand then what is and is not the will of God. That which blatantly contradicts Scripture, is not the will of God, Someone may speak with authority, or persuasion, or eloquence, but only that which is in accord with Scripture is from God, which is “good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2). Are there difficult passages of Scripture upon which we may disagree with our brethren? Indeed, there are, and we may at times agree to disagree. But we must never disagree on the essentials of the gospel.
If anyone tells you that apart from faith in Jesus Christ there is no concern or consequence, he is a liar. Apart from Christ, you are spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins, walking in the way of this world and living like a disciple of her prince in complete disobedience to God (Eph. 2:1-2). If anyone tells you that apart from faith in Jesus Christ that you are truly free, he is a liar. Apart from Christ, you are a slave to the passions of your flesh, carrying out the sinful desires of your body and mind, and deserving the wrath of almighty God (Eph. 2:3).
But if anyone tells you that God, who is rich in mercy, in his love for you will make you spiritually and eternally alive by his grace through faith Christ, he is telling you the truth (Eph. 2:4-5). How do I know? Because the Bible tells me so.
[1] Unless referenced otherwise, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton: Crossway Bibles, 2001).
[2] “The Confession of Faith” 1.1, The Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms (Lawrenceville: PCA Christian Education and Publications, 2007), 1-2.
[3] Ibid. 1.2, 3.
[4] Ibid. 1.4, 4.
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