Untitled Sermon

This is about the reliability of the revelation. P,J,J can testify to Christ's glory in the Transfig. But also testifying is the written word of the prophets.

vs 19

We

We have the word of the prophets made more certain. "We" his readers.

Prophetic word

Old Testament prophecies about the kingdom to be established by the Messiah at the end of history. This, as we have seen, is the point at issue in 2 Peter.

Made more sure

"sure" = bebaios: refers to the certainty and reliability of promises and agreements.

lit. from root "strong", like an anchor, firm, secure

"standing firm on the feet"

"reliable, trustworthy, verified, confirmed"

Written Word of the prophets are an even more reliable for belief in Jesus' life than even eyewitness accounts.

"come from man & carried along by H.S."

to carry, bring from one place to another

(Prophets predicted that Messiah would establish a universal and glorious reign. Some early church may have so spiritualized these prophecies that they eliminiated any future reference.

Confidence in the reliability of the prophetic word should lead to a firm adherence to its teaching. Thus, Peter urges, "Pay attention to it"

"pay attention"

move close to, nail to

Give attention to, beware, careful

keep believing

Present Active Tense: not completed but continues on. We must continually pay attention. Its not one and done but requires our on going focus.

Light shining in a dark place

God's word to light is common in scripture.

World: dark place

God's Word casts light on his purposes and plans and so enables believers to live as those "in the day"

Reference to the day of the lord. Day when God will internven decisively in history to save his peple and judge his enemies. God had fulfilled his promise in Jesus' death, burial and resserection and yet, they were equally insistent that past redemptive acts were not all there was to it. More still awaits.

Morning star: used for Jesus in

Light bringer, Christ, the bright and morning star

Christ will dissipate the doubt and uncertainty and fill with illuminiation

Pay attention to the Word like you would a light in the night to get around. Until the day dawns, star rises in your hearts. Christ's return.

Transfiguration event must be mind here.

the Gospel writers tell us, Christ’s “face was changed” (), shining “like the sun” (), and his “clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (; cf. ; ). Bright, shining, or white clothing often symbolizes purity and victory and is associated in Jewish apocalyptic with the coming of Messiah. And Jesus’ shining face reminds us inevitably of the glow on Moses’ face after he had been with the Lord on Mount Sinai (). Unlike Moses’ face, however, which only reflected the glory of God, Christ’s face shone with the glory that was intrinsic to him as both Messiah and God.

Moo, D. J. (1996). 2 Peter, Jude. The NIV Application Commentary (72–73). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

vs 20

No prophecy came about by the prophet's own interpretation.

For prophecy never had its orign in te will of man

but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the H.S.

"prophecy"

Men speaking God's message

Interpretation: "loose or untie"

"Scripture" in the new testament used to refer to holy writings, OT

Basic truth of OT that God spoke through man. , "I have put my words in your mouth."

the issue in verse 20 is the origin of prophecy: It did not come about through the prophet’s own fallible and quite possibly mistaken notions about the visions he saw or the words he heard. Rather, as verse 21 asserts, it came about through the sovereign work of God in his Spirit.

Moo, D. J. (1996). 2 Peter, Jude. The NIV Application Commentary (77). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

God's voice at the transfiguration: God tells us that Jesus is His son, not Peter's idea. The message God gave Peter on the mountain is the same message he gives his readers, "Listen to him." Pay attention!

Same verb used here that was used of God's voice in Transficuration: 'came'

But note what Peter says here: “Men spoke from God.” He is not denying that the prophecies were genuinely the words of the prophets themselves, men who consciously chose their words in accordance with their own vocabulary, style, and circumstances. What Peter does affirm, however, is that the words they chose to use were also the words that God wanted them to use to communicate the message he intended.

Moo, D. J. (1996). 2 Peter, Jude. The NIV Application Commentary (79). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.

We are like Peter and so easily distracted and miss the point even in the face of God's glory. Key is to focus on the right thing. Not us, our opinions, thoughts, ideas, but keep the focus on Christ and who he is. We are so easily distracted by our grand ideas of faith and theology when instead we ought to just pay attention to the truth already revealed. Stop trying to be novel and impress God and others. Just worship!

May have been sparked by false teachers.

False Teachers: spreading heretical teaching about Christ chap 2

Accusing the apostles of making up their teachings. Paul refers to fables and old wives tales: I & II Tim, Titus. Distinguishing himself from these false teachers.

Chap 3: false teachers were denying the coming return of Christ

: there are some things in scripture hard to understand, ignorant and unstable people twist.

Don't be carried away, but grow in the grace and knowledege of Jesus.

Eye witness testimony work together with the written word to form faith foundation. Like adding water to concrete.

Our personal witness along with the Scriptures becomes sufficient for God to use for declaring his grace and truth to others.

Reliability of scripture

-prophecy fulfilled

-eye witness accounts: followers and secular historians

-from God not man: OT, Transficuration,

men are not trustworthy but God is

: the NT apostles are given equeal weight/authroity as OT prophets as speaking form God/Christ

: We speak not in words taught by human wisdom but in words taught by the spirit.

Peter the fisherman uses here a familiar picture of a vessel being blown along as the wind fills its sails. So, although each author of a Bible book or letter used his own individual style of recording and writing, the finished product was not an invention or creation of that particular individual. Although the authors may not have realized it at the time, God the Holy Spirit was working through their minds and personalities as he carried them along to produce the unique Word of God.

Anderson, C. (2007). Opening up 2 Peter. Opening Up Commentary (52). Leominster: Day One Publications.

Ancient jewish and greek thought often thought of revelation from God is possession or frenzy. But actually that was not the case. They rarely dictated or were in a trance like state.

Today the church is being marginalized by secular thoughts and practices.