The Sure Word in a Deceptive Age (2 Peter 1:16-2:3)

The Word: 2 Peter 1:16-2:3 (LSB)

For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised myths, but being eyewitnesses of His majesty.

For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

And we have as more sure the prophetic word, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation.

For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.

And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.

And in their greed they will exploit you with false words, their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Introduction

Every believer faces this question, whether consciously or not: “Whose voice do I trust?”

We scroll through countless voices — influencers, pundits, even preachers — each claiming to reveal truth. But, as Solomon wisely observed in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “there is nothing new under the sun.” Our day is not too unlike the day in which Peter wrote this epistle to his fellow Believers. The early church, like us today, was besieged with false prophets and self-appointed apostles, those who claimed to have greater knowledge and insight into God’s will.

In this passage, Peter draws a clear line in the sand: there is one truth that stands forever, one rock upon which we may stand firm — the Word of God — but there are many voices who will seek to twist and distort it. Beware and take heed; always test the spirits of those who teach you and test them by Scripture.

The Word of God is not one light among many; it is the only sufficient, infallible light.

The Word Confirmed (2 Peter 1:16-18)

“For we did not make known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, following cleverly devised myths, but being eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2Pt 1:16)

Peter starts with confidence: this Good News is no legend.

Paganism and false teachers were commonplace in Peter’s day. Pagan priests would pedal legendary stories of gods and heroic figures participating in miraculous events and performing extraordinary feats as fact. False teachers would claim the words of Apostles like Peter and Paul to be similar myths while lauding their own secret knowledge as the true revelation of God. Here, Peter flatly denies their claims that his testamony is a clever ruse. His claim to authority is grounded in being an eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, of having been present when those miracles occurred and when Jesus taught the not just the masses but the more select group of Disciples.

The testimony of the Disciples which we have recorded here in this book, the New Testament, is a consistent and cogent retelling of the of the life of Jesus Christ from the varied perspectives of its authors, all of whom where, like Peter, eyewitnesses, or had taken down the accounts of eyewitnesses. Whenever false teachers claimed to have greater knowledge than Peter or Matthew or John or James, they only ever had to remind their audience ‘I was there, I walk with He who was both God and man’.

So to is Peter proclaiming the second coming of Christ.

Peter’s defense of his own witness also becomes a defense of Scripture itself—the same Spirit who revealed Christ to him gave us the Word. Peter’s witness confirms the prophecies of the Old Testament as well as the words of the writers of the Gospels, thereby giving both the Old and New Testament greater credence to the non-Believer.

In this verse, Peter is proclaiming that the whole of Scripture, Old and New Testament, prophecy and history, is an accurate representation of fact that had either already come to pass or else is simply waiting to occur.

“For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased’— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.” (2Pt 1:17-18)

He remembers the high mountain. He remembers Jesus praying, how His face shone like the sun (Matt 17:2) and clothes became a dazzling white (Luke 9:29). Beside Him appeared the Law-giver, Moses, and the greatest Prophet, Elijah (Mark 9:4). Then, suddenly, the Voice of God, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!” (Luke 9:35)

He is saying:

I was there.

I have seen with my own eyes the Glory of God made manifest in His Son, Jesus Christ!

The words spoken on the mountain at the Transfiguration of Christ are similar to those spoken at His baptism in the Jordan River. In Matthew 3:16-17, we are told “After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John the Baptist] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon Him, and behold, there was a voice out of the heavens saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” In both instances, the Father affirms that the Son is both of identical nature and essence with Him. The Father confirms the bond of love and holiness shared within the Trinity. So to does it express the Father’s complete satisfaction in everything Jesus did, said, and is.

When Jesus shown forth the greatness of God (Lk 9:43) at His transfiguration, His divinity was affirmed by the presence of Moses and Elijah and was witnessed and attested to by not just Peter but also James and John (Lk 9:28-36). Peter’s audience, both then and now, therefore have no reason to doubt or deny that Jesus Christ will return in judgment and to reign (Rev 22:20).

Our faith is anchored in revelation, not imagination. Christianity is truth, not wishful thinking. Its accounts of things past are historical, not mythical. And its accounts of things to come are equally sure.

The Word Inspired (2 Peter 1:19-21)

But as reliable and helpful as Peter’s eyewitness account was, he boldly declares that Scripture itself is even surer than what his eyes had seen.

“We have as more sure the prophetic word.” (2Pt 1:19)

Experience fades, memory falters, but the written Word endures eternally.

As reliable and helpful as Peter’s or the other Disciple’s recounting their eyewitness of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ where when speaking to crowds or writing letters, the ‘prophetic word’ of the Scripture is ‘more sure’. Throughout the Bible, God Himself repeatedly emphasizes that His inspired Word is inerrant, infallible, and the all-sufficient source of truth.

In Psalm 19:7, we are told that the testimony of God is sure.

In Proverbs 6:23, we are told that “the commandment is a lamp and the law is light”.

In Daniel 10:21, God’s revelations are described as the “writing of truth”.

In John 17:17, Jesus, in praying for his Disciples, states “Your word is truth”.

The phrase ‘the prophetic word’ in Peter’s day embraced the entire Old Testament, extending beyond just the passages of predictive prophecy to include the whole of the inspired Word written down to date which anticipated the coming of Messiah. In Romans 16:25–27, Paul writes:

“Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the Gentiles, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

Jesus Himself affirmed that the whole of the Old Testament foretold His coming when he said, in John 5:39, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness about Me.”

Peter, in this portion of the verse, is telling his readers not just to rely upon the words of men but to judge their truthfulness against the Word. So to does John warn us in his first epistle when he says: “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1Jn 4:1)

“You do well to pay attention [to the prophetic word] as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.” (2Pt 1:19)

Peter compares God’s Word to “a lamp shining in a dark place” which recalls the words of the psalmist in Psalm 119:105, “your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” The Word of God is the light that not only illuminates our way through this dark and fallen world but also calls others back to the narrow path.

He also reminds us that we should use Scripture as our guiding light until the second coming of Christ, when “the day dawns and the morning star arises”. At Christ’s second coming, He will replace the perfect temporal revelation of Scripture with the perfect eternal revelation of His person, which will be forever written on the hearts of His glorified saints.

“Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2Pt 1:20-21)

Peter here reminds us that the Scripture’s authority, the entirety of the Old and New Testament, rests in its divine origin. The Spirit is the source of it and the Spirit bears witness of its truth inwardly — the Word came into being by God’s sovereign will, is self-authenticating, and absolutely authoritative.

The Word is not shaped by or subject to what human beings might think, feel, or want. It is not answerable to societal norms or social preferences, nor is it answerable to philosophic or scientific inquiry. It is source of truth because it’s source is only true constant, Yahweh, the eternal and unchanging God and creator of all things, seen and unseen.

The Word Defended (2 Peter 2:1-3)

After affirming the sufficiency of God’s Word, Peter gives us a warning:

“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.” (2Pt 2:1)

Where truth exists, deception follows.

False teachers twist the Word to suit their appetites, and Peter describes them vividly:

They “secretly introduce destructive heresies.”

They “deny the Master who bought them.”

They exploit believers “in their greed with false words.”

Their danger is subtle — they appear spiritual, eloquent, and persuasive. But beneath the surface lies avarice, pride, and covetousness.

Today’s false prophets may not wear robes; they wear microphones. They promise blessing without repentance, salvation without subjugation to Christ, spirituality instead of right relationship. Too often, it seems, their pews and church coffers overflow. They appeal to our biases — our desire to hear what we already want to believe. They use seemingly innocuous phrases like ‘people can come to Jesus in every direction’, ‘love is love’, or ‘God wants you to live an abundant life’.

But listen closely to their messages, test their spirit against Scripture, the whole of scripture and not just its parts.

Though God does call people to Him in many and various states and stages of life, there is only one way to Him. In Matthew 7:13–14, Jesus tells says: “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Salvation is only found in and through Christ. It is recorded in Acts 4:12, that Peter when speaking to the Sanhedrin, said: “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.” Jesus, Himself, proclaimed in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” Universalism, my friends, is a sure path to damnation. I’ve heard it said rightly that ‘the way to Hell is paved with good intentions’, the statement may not wholly square with Scripture but it is close. In Mark 10:18, Jesus tells us no one is good except God alone while Isaiah, in Isaiah 64:6, tell us “all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”

“And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.” (2Pt 2:2)

Love is not just love, the English language is too coarse to capture its shades and hues, the Greeks had it much better with their five distinctions:

There is Eros, or sensual desire, which the Bible clearly states ought to be confined to marriage (Heb 13:4) between a man and a woman (Mt 19:4-6)

There is Xenia, or hospitality, which the Bible warns should not be extended to false teachers (2Jn 10-11)

There is Philia, or friendship, which the Bible tells us we ought not extend to the world (Jm 4:4)

There is Storge, or familial love, which, as Christ proclaimed, must be seconded to or even forsaken if it conflicts with honoring and serving Him (Lk 14:26)

And lastly, Agape, that selfless, preferential love, a ‘love for what and whom God prefers’ is the only kind of love that is unqualified by the Bible.

“And in their greed they will exploit you with false words, their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.” (2Pt 2:3)

God does want you to live an abundant life, but an abundant life is not measured by material gain but heavenly rewards.

In Matthew 6:19–21, Jesus told us not to store up for treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But to store up treasures in heaven.

In Luke 12:15, Jesus tells us to be on guard against every form of greed and that life does not consist of our possessions.

In 1 Timothy 6:10, Paul warns us that the love of money is the root of all evil.

In Hebrews 13:5, we are told to be content with what we have because Christ will never desert or forsake us

The trustest measure of abundance, my dearly beloved, is our relationship with God. Our greatest wealth is in knowing that our God, our Savior is always and ever with us. We store this true wealth in heaven where one day soon we shall be in His presence where He will wipe away every tear, where there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying, nor pain (Rev 21:4). But to obtain this true wealth and experience its abundance in this life and the one to come, you must believe, repent, and bow the knee to Jesus Christ not only as Savior but Lord of your life.

Conclusion

This passage which we have studied emphasizes the authority and sufficiency of God's Word, contrasting it with the false teachings and deceptive prophecies that arise in the church and society.

It urges us, as Christians, to discern truth from falsehood in a world filled with conflicting messages, encouraging us to rely on Scripture for guidance and wisdom.

It is important for us to weigh all doctrines, teachings, and prophecies against the truth of Scripture. To best do this, we must develop a deep understanding of the Word, which can only be gained by spending time in it, in both the Old and New Testaments.

If there is nothing else you take away from this message, please remember this: In a world of uncertainty and false teachings, we must anchor ourselves in the sufficiency of God's Word to faithfully discern truth and live out our faith. So, whose voice will you trust? The world’s, or the Word’s?