2 Peter 1:16-21 | Building on the Right Foundation

When I bought my first home, I learned an important lesson about something called “the frost line.”

I once had a conversation with a contractor:

Me: “How much do you think it would cost to add an addition to my house?”

Contractor: “We’ll need to bring in an excavator to dig for a foundation.”

Me: “Oh, I don’t need a basement—just an addition to the house.” (I was only thinking about the framing.)

Contractor: “The reason we need an excavator is that your foundation must go below the frost line. If it doesn’t, when the ground freezes and expands, the addition will shift—and that movement can damage not only the addition but the rest of the house as well.”

An architect would tell you the same thing: a solid foundation is essential.

Now, let’s talk about the importance of a firm foundation in a world filled with cycles of freezing and thawing.

Here’s why this is super important: I’m not talking about a house addition anymore. I’m talking about your life. You only get one life. Everybody is a builder. What are you building on? The world is a very unstable place. You are going to need something solid to build your life on that can withstand all the shifting, shaking, and changes

Ideas

Philosophies

Religions

Trials and tragedies

Let’s see what the Apostle Paul would say about this:

2 Peter 1:16–21 “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. 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,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 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, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 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.”

Here’s today’s main idea that I want to share with you from this passage:

You can completely trust the Bible as a solid foundation for your life in matters of truth and practical living.

That was Peter’s concern when he wrote his second letter. Peter’s goal was to encourage and remind believers (1:12) to completely trust and obey God’s Word. Why? Because false teachers were seeking to spread “destructive heresies” (2:1) by twisting the truth of God’s Word.

These false teachers are referred as scoffers were attacking a core doctrine: The return of Christ (3:3). As a result, these scoffers denied such a thing as a day of judgment. Instead, they gave into their sinful desires (i.e. sexual immorality).

Twisted doctrine leads to the twisting of the grace of God which leads to a twisted lifestyle.

Peter is going to remind them of this simple truth: You can completely trust the Bible as a solid foundation for your life in matters of truth and practical living.

Jesus is coming back (truth) and this is a wonderful motivation for lives of holiness and godliness (practical living)

Here’s why you can trust the Bible completely: Peter appeals to two arguments—eyewitness testimony and reliable documents.

It was fascinating for me to learn that these were the two basic types of evidence in the ancient world, which is also used in our modern world as lawyers make their case by calling eyewitness to testify or submitting reliable documents as evidence for their case.

Eye Witnesses: Facts Over Fables

2 Peter 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.”

False teachers labeled the return of Christ as a fable; a myth. A myth is “a story without basis in fact, a legend.” Peter defended the truth of the return of Christ by appealing to eyewitness testimony

Notice Peter doesn’t say, “I was an eye-witness.” Instead, he says, “We were eyewitnesses.”

He is referring to an event that took place in Mark 9:2 “Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them.”

Peter argues that Christianity stands or falls on the facts of history:

Peter, James, and John saw the majesty of Jesus’ transfiguration.

They heard the voice from heaven.

Jesus’ majestic transfiguration is a foretaste of the glory and power of Christ that will be revealed when he comes back again in power and glory.

Peter’s argument: The reason why you can be assured that there will be a powerful second coming of Jesus is because there was a powerful first coming of Jesus.

Christianity isn’t based on myths or secondhand stories—it’s grounded in eyewitness testimony from multiple reliable sources.

“The most important claims of Christianity are historical claims.” Kevin DeYoung

Luke 1:1–4 “1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.”

Luke 24:18 “18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?””

John 20:30–31 “30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Acts 10:39–41 “39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.”

1 Corinthians 15:5–6 “5 and that [Jesus] appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.”

The Bible is a historical reliable document. Norma Geisler writes,

“As to the historicity of the Old Testament, in general, world-renowned archeologist William F. Albright (1891-1971) wrote, “There can be no doubt that archeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition”

“Even usually liberal sources are now admitting the overall historical reliability of the Old Testament. Excerpting from his book Is the Bible True? Jeffrey L. Sheler notes for U.S. News & World Report: In extraordinary ways, modern archeology has affirmed the historical core of the Old Testament – corroborating key portions of the stories of Israel’s patriarchs, the Exodus, the Davidic monarchy, and the life and times of Jesus.” (U.S. News & World Report, October 25, 1999)

Yes, You can trust the Bible because it is a historical reliable document.

The apostles were eyewitness of the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.

Besides? What would Peter and the other apostles gain from making up stories? Riches? Comfort? Prosperity? They all ended up being mistreated, persecuted and brutally murdered.

You can completely trust the Bible as a solid foundation for your life in matters of truth and practical living.

Evidence number 2:

A Reliable Document: The Word of God

2 Peter 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.”

Peter also declares that we can have assurance that Jesus is coming back again because we have “the prophetic word more fully confirmed.” He is talking about the Scriptures.

What an amazing declaration. Three affirmations (and three denials?)

(1)The Bible is the Word of God

Peter uses three different interchangeable terms to refer to the word of God in our passage:

the prophetic word (v.19)

prophecy of Scripture (v.20)

prophecy (v.21)

I want to point out a very important word Peter uses in v.20. The Greek word for Scripture is graphe, is a reference to the writings that is the whole Old Testament not just certain portions. The word of God is inspired by God.

Listen to Paul’s view on the inspiration of Scripture.

2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God.”

PLENARY INSPIRATION: All Scripture is inspired. Every single word. Both the red letters and the black letters.

Jesus had the same view. Jesus affirmed that the Scripture was the Word of God, and as such, it is authoritative, decisive, and binding. He trusted the Scriptures completely. You’ll never find him once contradicting or questioning the Scriptures. Rather, you’ll find Jesus quoting the Scriptures saying, “It is written...”

• He referenced the people and events of the Scriptures as factual history (Adam & Eve, Noah and the flood, Sodom & Gomorrah, Jonah, and the big fish.)

• John 10:35 states that “Scripture cannot be broken.” God’s Word is the last word.

• John 17:17 “17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”

• John 5:39 “39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,”

(2) The Bible is both human and divine.

God used humans to write his words. How?

Dictation theory: God directly dictated the exact words of Scripture to the human authors, who recorded them in a passive, mechanical way such as moving their pens.

The Apostle Peter would argue against this view. The Word of God was spoken and written down by means of concursive operation

Concursive inspiration (Lat. concursus, running together):

God used the intellect, skills, life experiences, and personalities of imperfect humans to speak and write down what was entirely perfect, God’s Word.

(3) The Bible is without error

The source of Scripture is God himself; He is the author.

Men don’t create revelation; they simply receive it and spoke from God as they carried along by the Holy Spirit.

You can completely trust the Bible because the author is perfect. Therefore the Bible is without error, it is perfect.  

The logic:

(1)  God cannot err. The reason is because “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19), and “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18)

(2)  The Bible is the Word of God (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16)

(3)  Therefore, the Bible cannot err.

Jesus prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)

The psalmist declared, “The words of the Lord are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.” (Ps. 12:6).

 What if the Bible is only 99.9% truth with only one mistake?

Illustration: Tylenol bottle. 

The Chicago Tylenol murders were a series of poisoning deaths resulting from drug tampering in the Chicago metropolitan area in 1982. The victims consumed Tylenol-branded acetaminophen capsules that had been laced with potassium cyanide. Seven people died.

What if 1 out of 100 were poisoned, would you buy it?

What if the Bible was 99% true?

Objection: We don’t have the original writings, can we trust the copies?

Yes. Textual Criticism: The scholarly process of attempting to establish or restore the original wording of a text.

5,800 Greek NT manuscripts

In comparison with the average classical Greek writings, we have roughly a thousand times as many NT copies.

The NT was copied by hand. Inevitable this led to textual variants.

A textual variant is any place among the manuscripts in which there is variation in wording, including word order, omission or addition of words, even spelling differences.

John vs. Johnn

Jesus vs. Christ Jesus

Our joy vs. Your joy

The New Testament has been copied with 99.5% accuracy. Basically this means is that the vast majority of these textual variants are insignificant in that they don’t change the meaning at all. 

No core doctrine is jeopardized by any of these textual variants.

You can completely trust the Bible as a solid foundation for your life in matters of truth and practical living.

The Goal of Revelation Is Not Just Information but Also Transformation

2 Peter 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,”

Be in the Word. Pay attention to it. Biblical literacy matters, because as the author Jen Wilkin reminds us, “The heart cannot love, what the mind does not know.”

The ultimate goal is for Jesus, the morning start, rises in our hearts.

You can completely trust the Bible as a solid foundation for your life in matters of truth and practical living.