Inspiration (Part 3)
The Bible Stands: A Study Of The Authoritative Word Of God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 27:40
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Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to 2 Peter 1:12-21
Last week I said that Inspiration is the first “link in the chain of communication ‘from God to us.’”
A General Introduction to the Bible, “Definitions of Revelation and Inspiration”
We looked at 2 Timothy 3:16 and considered four key terms:
All Scripture is inspired - not some, not most.
Scripture - The writings were inspired. What the penmen wrote on paper was exactly what God intended for them to write.
Inspiration - The Word of God was breathed out by God. These writings did not come from man; they came from the mouth of God.
Profitable - Scripture is useful in every way to make a man or woman of God mature and fully equipped.
Introduction
Introduction
Context of 2 Peter
Peter wrote this final letter to address several needs. By this time, many of the early church leaders were scattered because of persecution or had even been murdered. “Peter sensed a need for a permanent written record of his teaching.” - Dr. Joel Spencer, 2 Peter, class notes
Read 2 Peter 1:13-15
Traditional sources indicate that Peter was martyred AD 67-68. 1 Peter is usually dated around AD 64, so this second letter was probably written between 64-68. It was certainly in the final years of Peter’s life.
The apostles and other church leaders were being killed off, so Peter intended to warn his readers of the growing problem of false prophets.
Chapter one first outlines the marks of a genuine Christian who is growing in Christ. False prophets would not have those characteristics.
Chapter two is entirely dedicated to the subject of false prophets.
Chapter three is about future judgement, particularly the judgment that awaits those false prophets.
Who received this letter? In chapter 3:1, Peter indicates that it was written to the same people as 1 Peter.
Just before Peter begins his warning of false prophets, he takes considerable time to elevate the importance and primacy of the written Word of God and details how it was given.
Read 2 Peter 1:12-15.
In verses 12-15, Peter told his readers that he was writing these thoughts down so that it would be a permanent record long after his passing. Peter tells the readers multiple times that he wanted them regularly to go back and remember or rehearse the things he had written.
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Majesty of God’s Word - 2 Peter 1:16-19
Read 2 Peter 1:16-19
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It was superior to the Jewish myths and legends
Judaism was full of myths, tales, and stories of all kinds. There were many other writings by famous rabbis and teachers that they revered besides the Old Testament. The false prophets capitalized on this heritage of Judaism and based their doctrine on many myths of their own.
Application: man’s pride tends to seek an insider knowledge of God. Our flesh likes to think that we know something about God that others don’t have. Our flesh likes to think that we have a superior understanding of God or a superior access to God over everybody else.
You don’t have a monopoly on God and I don’t either. God’s stock market has no insider trading. All believers have the same Holy Spirit indwelling them and all believers have the same message written to them, so don’t deceive yourself into thinking that you’ve got what nobody else has. That’s just pride.
False prophets love to do that very thing, however. “Listen to what God has told me” or “buy my book and you’ll have the latest revelation from God.” That appeals to our pride! We want the latest and great! We want the inside scoop on God, but all that the false prophets are doing is making a profit off of their listeners.
Read 2 Peter 2:3.
Peter rejected all of that and declared that the apostles’ testimony and the faith of his readers wasn’t based on any of that. God’s Word was superior to all of those legends that circulated among the Jews.
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It was superior to Peter’s personal experiences
Peter could have made a good living for himself by doing book tours and sharing presentations about his experiences alongside the Christ, but he didn’t do that. He exalted the Scriptures over his experiences. He told his listeners, “the word of prophecy, the Scriptures, that’s what you better pay attention to. Just like the sun rises at dawn and brings light to darkness, so the Word of God is the light to the dark souls of men.”
Across the New Testament, we are told that it is by the preaching of the Word that God speaks and works in men’s lives today.
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For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
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But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
Application: People today are seeking to know God through every means except the preaching of the Bible - the one place that God says to go.
Don’t turn on the TV to know God and study the Bible
Don’t get on Youtube or social media to know God and study the Bible
Get in your local church or get alone with your Bible and let the Holy Spirit teach you.
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Delivery of God’s Word - 2 Peter 1:20-21
Read 2 Peter 1:20.
Peter establishes that the prophecy (the declarations) of Scripture (the divine writings) is of divine origin.
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Private: personal, belonging to oneself
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Interpretation: a loosening of something, a release of something, (in context, an explanation of something)
The declarations of the divine writings did not originate in the personal explanations of the prophets, they proceeded from God Himself. Peter then details how this happened in verse 21.
Read 2 Peter 1:21.
How was God’s Word first delivered to mankind? Holy men of God submitted to the Spirit of God and thereby became the mouthpieces of God.
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Moved: to bear along, to be conveyed or carried by something
The word “moved” is translated “driven” in Acts 27:17.
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Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven.
Paul’s ship was carried along by the storm.
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Moved: to bear along, to be conveyed or carried by something
In the same manner, the Holy Spirit moved those men of God to write the exact words that He intended them to write. Thereby, the Scriptures were “God-breathed.” The very words that they wrote were exactly the words that God wanted them to write.
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The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, And his word was in my tongue.
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Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.
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God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
On the basis of these Scriptures, we believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Word of God.
Verbal: meaning, the very words
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Plenary: meaning full, complete - both Old and New Testaments are fully and equally inspired.
We do not preach exclusively one testament over the other. We do not preach exclusively the words of Jesus. We do not preach exclusively the Pauline epistles, nor do we exclude any one of these.
We believe that all Scripture is God-breathed, therefore, all of it is useful for preaching and for personal study and application to make a man of God mature in Christ.
Application: Get all of God’s Word that you can get! Get it through your local church! Get it through personal study, because it is trustworthy!
