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This week I had a moving and theological conversation with a 6^th grader who is nearing baptism with us(!). You might think it had to do with VBS, but it did not. Instead, this was with a family who has attended our church for several years. The child has been part of our Children’s Ministry Sunday AM Bible Groups for several years. She has attended a variety of our other CM events. Additionally, she has endured experienced the teaching of Scripture from regular Sunday worship gatherings through singing and preaching.

I asked her about favorite Scriptures and questions she had, and she mentioned the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6). Her question was about if it was ok to add to the end of the prayer: “For yours is the kingdom and the glory, forever. Amen.” Most Bible translations have a footnote to indicate this last statement is in many manuscripts, but not the earliest.[1] What I found to be profound, especially for a 6^th grader, is her understanding and desire not to add to God’s word if it is untrue. Long story short, my advice was that it’s ok to pray that statement, even if it’s not part of the original manuscript – a) nothing unbiblical, b) Lord’s prayer is a model not a formula.

Simply by attending Bible Groups in CM and listening to Sunday sermons, and more importantly, learning from Dad & Mom, a child has learned the significance of Holy Scripture.

Today’s message will help us see the glory of God through the majesty of Scripture. This text reveals key principles about the beauty of the Bible.

EXAMINE               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.

Scripture is powerful because God keeps His promises (1:16-18).

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.

As Peter nears his death, he reminds his audience to supplement their faith with spiritual discipline (2Pet 1:5-15); remember God’s grace does not make effort pointless but possible. We are called to be thermostats rather than thermometers in the way we grow spiritually.[2] Peter reassures them of God’s faithfulness to His promises and his teaching is not false. Peter is not promoting (μύθοις = myths), which were common among ancient religions among Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Romans. ^[3] In these cultures, legends about the origins, morals, and ethical principles were invented not as much to educate but to enrich an undiscovered lineage and entertain the human mind. The modern equivalent of myths would be Marvel stories, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, or The Chronicles of Narnia. While each of these are epic narratives, and some have interesting and intentional spiritual parallels, no one with sound mind is checking their bedroom closets for alternate worlds (Narnia), nor looking for flying heavyweight hammers during a thunderstorm (Thor).

Blaise Pascal said, “I believe only the histories whose witnesses got themselves killed.”[4] Rather than fables or fairy-tales, Peter – and the other apostles or NT writers – were expressing fulfilled prophecy. They knew the promises of their forefathers from hundreds of years prior, and they saw them astonishingly accomplished in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Again, Pascal says the difference about Jesus than any other religious leader is that he was foretold, others were not.[5]

The difference about Jesus than any other religious leader is that his birth, life, death, and resurrection were foretold, others were not.

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Such prophecies like (Top 10… but there are hundreds!)

1. The Christ would be offspring of a mother but not a father, and would crush the head of the serpent, though his heel would be bruised (Gen 3:15; Mt 1).
2. The Christ would be of the genealogical line to bless all peoples and nations of the earth (Gen 12:3; Mt 1; Gal 3:29).
3. The Christ would be born of a virgin mother in Bethlehem with a flight to Egypt (Isa 7:14; Mic 5:2; Hos 11:1; Mt 1:23, ff).
4. The Christ would perform miracles for the blind to see, deaf to hear, lame to walk & leap, and mute to speak (Isa 35:5-6; 61:1- 4; Gospels).
5. The Christ would be a humble servant and not a military power (Zech 9:9; Mt 18-21).
6. The Christ would be betrayed by a friend for 30 pieces of silver (Ps 41:9; Zech 11:12-13; Mt 26).
7. The Christ would suffer between criminals and have his clothing gambled for possession (Isa 50:6 53:12; Ps 22:16-18; Luke 22). Also, that not one of his bones would be broken (Ex 12:46; Ps 34:20; Jn 19).
8. The Christ would be a second Adam and substitution in life and death (Isa 53; Rom 5:18-19; Lk 3; 2 Cor 5:21).
9. The Christ would be buried among the wealthy (Isa 53:9; Jn 19).
10. The Christ would be resurrected and ascend to heaven (Isa 53:10-11; Ps 16:10; 68:18; 110:1; Gospels).

While Peter was a fisherman and likely prone to tell a few fictional tales, he makes it clear that the foundation of Christianity is in the eyewitness verified accounts about the coming of Jesus Christ. Specifically, Peter speaks about being an eyewitness on a mountain to Jesus’ majesty from the glory of the Father, and physically hearing (with James & John) the divine voice speak, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased” (2 Pet 1:17-18; cf Mt 17:1-8; Mk 9:2-8; Lk 9:28-36). While there were only 3 eyewitnesses to the Transfiguration, there were over 500 eyewitnesses to the resurrection (1 Cor 15).

• It is easier to fool a few but having the ability to con a crowd and bamboozle the masses, not to mention adeptness to coordinate completion of hundreds of prophecies, which you had no opportunity to control (ex. where you were born, how you died, or where you buried, OR power to resurrect, etc.) takes either the complexity of world history’s infamous charlatan, or the profundity of deity.
• Apostle John says it best: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— that which we have seen and heard we declare to you.” (1 John 1:1-3)

• Nicean Creed (325 AD): I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Illus: Some of you have likely seen Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” which is of course a musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. It’s a fascinating narrative and vibrantly lyrical, though admittedly with a warning with some elements for mature audiences. One of the songs is called “Non-Stop,” where Aaron Burr questions Hamilton’s persistence to make things happen with his actions and writing. The lyrics go[6]:

“Why do you write like you’re running out of time?
Write day and night like you’re running out of time?
Every day you fight, like you’re running out of time…”
“How do you write like tomorrow won’t arrive?

How do you write like you need it to survive?
How do you write every second you’re alive?

Every second you’re alive? Every second you’re alive?”

Which this song leads to the next of Hamilton singing, “I am not throwing away my shot!”

“Non-Stop” from The Musical: HAMILTON

Peter, along with the other biblical authors, were writing because they had a message like no other to tell, and because they were running out of time to tell it. And, for thousands of years, people of promise have believed God’s words to be trusted not doubted, treasured not overlooked, and esteemed as the final authority for faith and practice.

Some application

• Read 1-2 Peter (8 total chapters) for multiple weeks. The goal would be to catch Peter’s mindset to be enamored with grace and his mission live for Jesus.
  • Or read any Bible book! If you were offered $5 to not read Bible for rest of your life, would you take it? How about $500? $5,000… $5-million? Obviously, your answer reveals your treasure, and how sadly many are willing to trade in temporary pleasure for an enduring promise.
  • “The grass withers and the flowers fall… even the heavens and earth will disappear, but God’s words endure forever.” (Isa 40:8; Mt 24:35)
    
    
• If God is faithful to promises, should we not pray with frequency for items He has promised? Can you imagine a house that lived next to a power plant that gave power to an entire city, but inside the house a family lived in darkness? Although God’s power is accessible, we must attach our prayer life to His promises; otherwise our prayers often go out of alignment with His will. God’s promises are too wonderful and helpful to go unclaimed:
  • Promise of peace and rest for those whose minds focus on God (Isa 26:3; Mt 11:28-30; Php 4:6-8; 1Pet 5:7).
  • Promise of provision for those who seek Him to meet our needs (Mt 6:31-33; 10:29-31; Rom 8:32).
  • Promise of direction to those who follow Him (Ps 37:4-5; Prov 3:5-6).
  • Promise of deliverance from troubles and trials for those who call upon Lord (Ps 27:1; Nah 1:7; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Pet 4:12-13).
  • Promise to forgive sin and save to those who confess and repent, trusting in Christ (Ps 51:16-17; 1 Jn 1:9-10).

For thousands of years, people of promise have believed God’s words to be trusted not doubted, treasured not overlooked, and esteemed as the final authority for faith and practice.

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Scripture is powerful because God’s voice is proclaimed (1:19-21).

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.

Peter becomes poetic in describing God’s promise keeping. First, he reminds Christians that God’s word is more fully confirmed not by his experience but through prophetic fulfillment. Peter’s experience does not make the prophecies true, but instead is filtered through the truth and promises of God. The NT writers did not solely boast of their experience, instead they were quick to quote OT Scriptures and explain how they were fulfilled.

When we hear someone give testimony, we do not automatically take that as truth. Instead, we are to match one’s testimony or teaching with God’s word and discern reality vs error. Thus, Peter calls us to pay attention to the word of God. Paying attention implies being on guard and responding with action. The next chapter (and message) will deal with phony prophets and deceptive teachers who blaspheme truth.

Illus: At VBS we collected offering to sponsor school supplies at BOC. Counting money, we found 2-$20 bills that looked real but were not. The key to spotting counterfeit money is not just observing forgery but being overly familiar with the authentic.

Peter compares God’s word to a lamp shining in a dark place (v.19). That figure of speech recalls OT Scriptures

• Ps 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light unto my path.”
• Ps 119:130 “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”
• Pr 6:23 “For [God’s] commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.”
  
  Peter’s word for ”dark” (αὐχμηρός) implies dry or parched dust from strong heat, thus murky and impeding visibility.[7] Peter recognizes the fallen world that prevents people from seeing the truth until the lamp of divine revelation exposes error and unveils reality. History and present time are moving toward a day dawning to encounter the rising of the morning star – which is the glorious return of Jesus Christ (cf. Rev 2:28; 22:16). Christ’s return will not be discreet or disguised but radiating majesty for all to see.
• Mt 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days… then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
• Cf also Mt 25:31; Col 3:4; Titus 2:13; Rev 1:7; 19:11-16 for a glorious appearance of Christ.
• God’s bow of justice aims upward where He takes the punishment and sends down transforming grace. Therefore, we are to live humbly not proudly (cf Isa 2:12; 13:6; Zep 1:14; 1 Cor 1:8; 3:13; 4:5; Eph 4:30; 1 Thes 3:13; 2 Thes 1:7; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 2:12).

In all, prophecies of Scripture are not human interpretations but human’s speaking from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (v.21). Scripture is the words and very voice of God.

• Prophets said, “Thus says the Lord…” (cf Jer 14:14; 23:32; Ez 13:2 for those who spoke in the name of God lying visions, worthless divinations, deceit in their own minds, and reckless predictions).
• Jesus said, “I still have many things to say to you… When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak of his own authority but whatever he hears he will speak and declare to you things that are to come.” (Jn 16:12-13)
• In Acts about the early church, “the word of God increased and multiplied” cf Ac 2:42; 4:31; 6:7; 8:4; 9:28; 11:1; 12:24; 17:13; 18:28; 19:20; 20:27; 28:31.
• Paul said, “I delivered to you as of first important what I received [from Christ] (1 Cor 15:3), and later “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2Tim 3:16).
  • BTW: Peter identifies Paul’s writings as Scripture (2Pt 3:15-16).
• Peter claims when he speaks or writes exhorting believers for holy living and of the glorious future which awaits Christians, he is not guilty of embellishment or speculation about circumstances.^[8] Indeed, Peter is speaking in the presence of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit for the voice of God.
  • Note: Scripture arrived by the Holy Spirit filling the apostle and inspiring them to write. (φέρω = fero / carried along, sometimes describing how wind blows a sailing ship across the water).[9] In other words, God did not magically write His words on stone or parchment but used human individuals with their personality and experience to communicate divine truth. Christians believe the canon (standard) of Scripture is closed, and thus no new revelation that is not in accordance with apostolic teaching.
    • Quite the contrast of the Catholic Church who teaches, “The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and the whole company of the faithful. For the Roman Pontiff, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered.”[10] This statement is striking, not only for its elevated position of Peter, but more so for the unparalleled power it extends to every Pontiff successor. Papal infallibility has been fallible – largely on the doctrine of justification by faith, but even further with papal discussions on current social issues of sexuality.
      
      
• We can claim as those in Peter’s original audience: “I would listen to it if it were spoken, but I cannot listen to it because it is written.”[11] Yet, we do not respond in this way to anyone else. Those in business see to verify agreements in writing. Military families with loved ones deployed want to receive letters they can hold and scroll over again and again. Love letters become heirlooms not just about passionate romance but the deeply personal heart of individuals. The sure myth is that we need a sign from the sky when we have already received God’s word in the Scriptures (cf also Lk 16:31 “If they don’t hear Moses or the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”). God’s voice has spoken and if you receive it, the fog will lift, darkness will be pushed back, your path will illumine, and the dawn’s morning star will warm your heart. The world is a dark and depressing place without the light and love of Jesus, which is only known through the Scriptures. 

• Further, since Scripture is the words and voice of God, what is something you need to come to a decision on the authority of Scripture and Lordship of Christ?
  • O: Is there an OFFERING withheld?
  • B: Is there a blemish or BLINDSPOT you need to confess?
  • E: Is there something that needs to END and stop?
  • Y: Is there something you need to say YES?

God’s voice has spoken and if you receive it, the fog will lift, darkness will be pushed back, your path will illumine, and the dawn’s morning star will warm your heart. The world is a dark & depressing place w/o the light & love of Jesus, which is only known through Scripture. 

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Let’s return to our 6^th grader with the last book of the Bible: Revelation. Jesus gives a final promise and principle from Jesus.

Principle: Heed the whole book.

 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book – if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of this book, God will always take away their share in the tree of life and in the holy city.” (Rev 22:18-19)

Promise: Jesus will return. You can trust Him.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning start… I am coming soon.” (Rev 22:18, 20)

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[1] My favorite website on textual variants is http://ehrmanproject.com/, specifically a friend Dr. Ed Gravely.

[2] https://growinggodlygenerations.com/2017/09/25/we-are-thermostats-romans-121-8/

^[3] Richard J. Bauckham, 2 Peter, Jude, vol. 50, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1983), 213. Also Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on James, 1 & 2 Peter, vol. 13, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2014), 304–306.

[4] Penses, no. 593 https://ccel.org/ccel/pascal/pensees/pensees.x.html

[5] Ibid. no. 599.

[6] https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/linmanuelmiranda/nonstop.html

[7] https://biblehub.com/greek/850.htm

^[8] Michael Green, 2 Peter and Jude: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 18, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987), 102.

[9] https://biblehub.com/greek/5342.htm / Also John MacArthur commentary on 2 Peter 1:21.

[10] Catechism of the Catholic Church, Part One, The Profession of Faith, 881, 882 (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1994), pp. 233, 234.Quoted in David R. Helm, 1&2 Peter, Preaching The Word, 2 Peter 1:21, p.211.

[11] Charles Spurgeon, “Chastisement Now and Afterwards,” preached on September 6, 1863, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. XXL (Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1988), p. 375.