Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Testimony of Scripture – Part 2*

/2nd Peter 1:19-21/

 

 

September 30, 2007

Sun Oak Baptist Church

 

 

*Introduction*

 

          A.

Please turn with me in your Bibles to 2nd Peter 1:19.

I also encourage you to take out your sermon notes.

If you are visiting with us we are grateful the Lord has brought you here and trust your time with us this morning will be a blessing to you.

B.

In verses 16-21 Peter is defending the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ.

We have seen that his defense is based on his and the other apostles’ eyewitness testimony of Jesus Christ and second, Peter’s defense is based on the testimony of the Scriptures.

In over 350 specific prophecies OT prophets foretold Jesus’ first coming and history that is confirmed outside of God’s Word proves that Jesus Christ came and that history is based on the testimony of literally thousands of eyewitnesses (including the apostles).

Prophecy also foretells Christ’s Second Coming – it’s not “if” Jesus is coming again – it’s only “when.”

The focus of our time in God’s Word this morning will be on verses 19-21 and here’s one of the points I believe Peter is driving home here:  we can trust the testimony of Scripture; we have the /“prophetic word confirmed.”/

Stand with me in honor of God’s Word.

*Read 1:16-21 and pray.*

C.

Not only are verses 19-21 critical to Peter’s defense of the doctrine of the Second Coming of Christ, by extension they are critical to confirming the trustworthiness of the rest of God’s Word – if the prophets are wrong why trust any of God’s Word.

These verses also happen to be one of the key passages dealing with the doctrine of inspiration – how we got the Bible.

Here’s Peter’s argument:  we can trust the testimony of Scripture and I am summarizing what Peter says in verses 19-21 with three (3) statements and we can think of these three (3) statements as three (3) columns holding up a bridge called “trustworthiness” that take us from why Peter is writing this letter that he covers in verses 1-15 into the body of the letter.

Chapter one (1) is the on-ramp of this bridge and verses 19-21 is the bridge that takes across into the letter and the three (3) columns holding up the bridge is prophecy /confirmed/; the interpretation, or really the “determination” of prophecy /clarified/; and the inspiration of prophecy /explained/.

*I.

Last week, we examined the trustworthiness of prophecy (of Scripture) /confirmed/.*

See 1:19.

* *

          *Read 1:19.*

Remember the word “prophecy” here refers to the “foretelling of the future” that OT prophets did, but by extension, to the people of Peter’s day “prophecy” referred to all of Scripture – all of the OT.

So column #1:  the trustworthiness of prophecy /confirmed/.

A.

Just to quickly review:  last week we saw that the trustworthiness of prophecy confirms the testimony of all of Scripture.

The trustworthiness of prophecy, the act of the OT prophets foretelling future events and even more importantly their fulfillment, confirms the testimony of all of Scripture.

*Read 1:19a.*

By the time Peter wrote this letter hundreds of specific prophecies regarding the nation of Israel had been exactly fulfilled.

Since we can trust prophecy we can trust all of His Word.

B.

And secondly, last week we also saw what a Christian’s attitude toward Scripture should be as a result of it being trustworthy.

*Read 1:19b-c.*

Since the Word of God is absolutely trustworthy a Christian’s attitude towards it should be such that it is a priority in their lives.

Look at verse 19:  God’s Word is /“a light that shines in //a dark place.”/

No matter how dark the world may seem, no matter how hopeless things are – we have a light.

Psalm 119:105:  /“Thy Word (oh Lord) is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”/

C.

And so first of all one (1) column holding up “The Trustworthiness of Scripture:” the confirmation of prophecy.

*II.

Secondly, this morning, let’s look at the interpretation of prophecy (or Scripture) /clarified/.*

See 1:20.

*Read 1:20.*

Column #2 of this bridge clarifies how prophecy originates – how prophecy is interpreted, or a better word here would be “determined” – how prophecy is determined.

As I mentioned last week, in part because of confusion caused by the word “interpretation” here, this verse is considered one of the more difficult verses in the NT to understand, but let me assure you, it’s not.

The way I’m going to approach unpacking what Peter says here is first of all, to deal with what Peter is /not/ saying, what this verse is not saying, and then we’ll look at what he /is/ saying.

* *

          A.

So, what isn’t Peter saying in verse 20?

 

                   1.

One of the most common misinterpretations of this verse is held by the Roman Catholic Church.

a.

Now keep this in mind:  when I say “Roman Catholic Church,” I’m not talking about the people that attend those churches; I’m not talking about the sweet lady that lives next door to us that has been a Catholic all of her life; I’m not talking about my wife’s parents – when I say the “Roman Catholic Church” I’m using it as a collective term that refers to the priests, Cardinals, the scholars that define Roman Catholic doctrine and finally the Pope – it’s a collective term.

The Roman Catholic Church, the leaders in that Church that interpret Scripture and define the Church’s doctrine, teach that what Peter is saying here is that any interpretation of God’s Word that involves “private judgment,” meaning a judgment or interpretation that is reached outside of the Church, must be excluded; it’s not valid – it can’t be possibly be correct.

For example, if a person attending a Roman Catholic Church reads their Bible, and determines on their own that it is wrong to pray to Mary, or that they shouldn’t have to go to a priest to get forgiveness of sin, or pick any other Catholic doctrine – their priest will tell them they are wrong.

And the reason they will give them is that the Church has interpreted and established these doctrines – the Church has determined the validity of these and other doctrines.

“Young man,” a priest might say, “according to 2nd Peter 1:20 understanding the Scripture, understanding what the Bible teaches, is not a matter of private interpretation.

Only the Church (again in terms of its traditions, scholars, priests, Cardinals, and Pope) can correctly interpret Scripture – no portion of Scripture, young man, including prophecy, is of any private interpreta­tion.

b.

Now in contrast to this position, Protestants (including Baptists), teach the universal priesthood of all believers.

We are all “priests.”

Jesus Christ died to pay the penalty of our sin so that we can go to God directly.

Rev.

1:5-6:  /“To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father.”/

Numerous chapters in the Book of Hebrews establish the priesthood of all believers.

So anyone can go to the Bible and God will speak to them; God will teach them; God has given us His Word and we don’t need the church to tell us what it says.

c.       Now:  granted, a person might be incorrect in a particular interpretation that we have, or we might misunderstand a particular portion of Scripture they could go to their pastor to help explain it, but this pastor (and any other pastor I fellowship with) won’t tell you to believe what he says because that’s what the church tells you to believe – this pastor will do all he can to answer your question directly from the Word of God.

 

                             d.

So first of all, Peter is not saying that the interpretation of Scripture can only be determined by a select few – or only by a “church.”

2.       Secondly, Peter is also not saying that the prophets themselves were not capable of understanding their own prophecies.

Turn over to 1st Peter 1:10.

a.

Let me say that again:  another common but still incorrect view of verse 20 is that it is saying that the prophets themselves, the holy men that God called to prophesy, were not capable of understanding their own prophecies.

People that hold to this view say that because prophecy isn’t a matter of private or personal interpretation men like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Zechariah and the other prophets couldn’t understand what they were prophesizing about and they use verse 20 and 1st Peter 1:10-12 to support this position.

*Read 1:10-12.*

b.

Flip back to 2nd Peter.

Some people hold the view that the prophets themselves couldn’t understand their own prophecies and they use 1st Peter 1:10-12 and verse 20 to support this conclusion.

But again:  this is not what Peter is saying here.

There are other positions on the meaning of this verse as well, but all I wanted to do is give us a taste of what verse 20 is not saying.

So now let’s look at what verse 20 is saying – what it means – the correct interpretation.

B.

There are basically two (2) keys that unlock the meaning of this verse – and these two (2) keys apply to interpreting any literature, including the Bible.

One key is the meaning of some of the original Greek words Peter uses and the second key is the context – what Peter says before and after verse 20 and how it fits into the overall message of the letter.

1.

The first key to unlocking the meaning of verse 20 are some of the Greek words Peter uses.

a.

For example, the word “is” in verse 20 isn’t the best translation of the Greek.

The word “is” here can also mean:  “arises, originates, or comes into existence.”

In other words, the best translation here is not:  “/Knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture is/… /– /a better translation would be:  “/knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture originates or comes into existence…”/

 

                             b.

The other word that is a stickler here is the word “interpretation.”

This word can also be translated “expound or determine.”

c.

So look at verse 20 and follow along as I plug these definitions into verse 20:  /“Knowing this first that no prophecy of Scripture comes into existence as the result of any private determina­tion.”

“No prophecy of Scripture originates or comes into existence as the result of any personal or private determina­tion or decision.”/

2.

Now hold that thought and let’s look at the context.

a.

The preposition “for” at the beginning of verse 21 grammatically links verse 20 to verse 21 – meaning verses 20 & 21 go together.