2 Peter

Thursday, 23 January 2020

… for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21

Peter now twice uses the same word that he used in verses 1:17 & 1:18, both of which should have been translated as “borne.” In this case, pherō was translated as both “came” and “moved.” Here, that should follow suit. The reason for this is, as was noted, the Holy Spirit was being referred to. The voice was “borne” to Christ from the Excellent Glory (verse 1:17), and the voice was “borne” from heaven, when they were with him on the holy mountain (verse 1:18).

To be consistent in translation here will then help the reader see what is on Peter’s mind as he more literally says, “…for not at any time was prophecy borne by the will of man.” Obviously, Peter is speaking of true prophecy. If it is true, the Source is from God, and the Holy Spirit is the member of the Godhead by which it is brought forth.

Paul alludes to this in Ephesians 6 when he says, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” He also refers to this process in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 when he says that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

God inspired these “holy men of God” in a unique process which is not fully understood. It should be noted that many manuscripts leave off the word “holy” here, simply saying “men of God.” Despite this minor change, these men were chosen by God and were used to convey to us the words that He intended for us to know His will in the stream of human existence. In order to do this through them, it says, “but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Again, a literal translation will better help understand Peter’s words. It says, “but by Spirit Holy being borne, spoke from God, men.” The origin of the words is God. The third member of the Godhead is the One by which the words are borne, and the men then speak those same words of God. It is an incredible thing to consider.

Though not being fully understood how this occurred, logical assumptions can be made concerning it. The men of God weren’t inspired like artists or poets might be – as if their ideas came from an internal thought process. But at the same time, they weren’t completely controlled in the process either.

A pen or typewriter has no active part in the compilation of a book, but the prophets of the Bible did. Instead of being completely in control of the process, or being completely controlled by the process, the Holy Spirit bore these men along using their individual vocabulary styles, background knowledge, and even personalities. This was a divine process which resulted in exactly what God intended, despite having the unique traits of these men. This is the reason that we can tell differences in authors’ styles and yet see God’s handiwork in each word, sentence, paragraph, page, and book of the Bible.

As an example, if someone plays the guitar, Eddie Van Halen for example, his personal style shows through. Anyone familiar with how he plays will say, “Hey, that’s Eddie Van Halen…” And yet, he may be playing a tune composed by Beethoven. If you’re also familiar with Beethoven’s style of writing, without ever hearing the song before, you could say, “Hey, Eddie Van Halen is playing a tune composed by Beethoven!” Imagine now an entire orchestra playing this music.

Each person’s instrument and his individual style comes through, and is entirely unique. But at the same time, these people were all inspired by the same great master – Beethoven. Divine inspiration does not negate individual style. Rather, it takes it into account and these men of God were moved in a way which reveals that “Every word of God is pure” (Proverbs 30:5).

Life application: We can have complete assurance that the Bible is God’s perfect revelation to mankind. It is for this reason, as confirmed by Jesus’ own words, that we cannot dismiss any part of the Bible. The Bible is a unified whole. It is authoritative in all it proclaims, teaches, and expects for the conduct of our lives.

Heavenly Father, may we never arrogantly assume that we can dismiss parts of the Bible we disagree with. Give us the wisdom to understand that You are the divine Source of all Scripture and that Your Holy Spirit actively ensured that we have in its pages exactly what we need in order to properly live our lives. Amen.

Wednesday, 22 January 2020

…knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 2 Peter 1:20

Peter just spoke of “the prophetic word,” saying that we have it “confirmed.” With that understood, he now speaks of that same prophetic word, beginning with, “knowing this first.”

It is a point which must be first understood before he explains why it must be understood. The explanation will come in the next verse. He then says, “that no prophecy of Scripture is.” The word translated as “is” means to come about, emerge, transition from one point to another, etc. It is not an exact match for the word “is,” and should not be translated this way here. Rather, it should say something like “no prophecy of Scripture comes about.”

With this understood, he then says that such does not come about by “any private interpretation.” There are three possible explanations for this. The first is that it is speaking of the one who issues forth the prophecy. The prophet (Isaiah, for example) is not the sole source of what is penned. The second is that it is speaking of the recipient. The one reading the prophecy (Pastor Imperfect, for example) does not privately make up the meaning for what has been prophesied, claiming his interpretation is the correct one. The third is that it is speaking of the prophecy itself. Therefore, the purpose and meaning of the prophecy comes to be through its own explanation. In other words, a prophecy does not explain itself.

The answer to Peter’s statement comes from both the preceding verse and the verse which follows. Peter has said that the prophetic word is confirmed. The example he gave occurred at the coming of Christ, in His transfiguration. The event explained the prophecies which spoke of Him. Peter will next say that “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Peter has said that the ultimate Source of prophecy is the Holy Spirit. Here he says it “comes about,” meaning there is a transition from one point to another. After this, he speaks of those who receive it. And so, this is referring to the one who issues forth the prophecy – the prophet.

It may be true that the meaning of prophecies is not subject to any interpretation someone wishes to identify it with, but that is a problem not being addressed here. He has shown that what was spoken about was of divine, not human, origin, and that the fulfillment of those prophecies is a specific person, event, time, etc. Those things are concrete and are thus not open to any of various interpretations. It doesn’t mean there might not be incorrect interpretations of the prophecy, but that is not the fault of the prophecy. Rather, it is the fault of the person who is not schooled in how the prophecy was actually fulfilled, or will actually be fulfilled if it is yet future.

The word translated as “interpretation” is an interesting word, only found here in Scripture. It signifies a solution, explanation, or interpretation. It refers to the untying of knots, and thus, there is an unveiling of an issue.

Because of the meaning, one might make the claim that this is then speaking of the person receiving the prophecy, such as Pastor Imperfect. It is not up to his own private interpretation to decide the meaning of the prophecy. There is a knot and it must be untied, but he cannot do it. Rather, it must be the Holy Spirit who does this. This would then add a note of “super spirituality” to anyone who claims they have properly deduced the meaning of the prophecy. “Certainly, Pastor Imperfect is a man filled with the Holy Spirit.” But this is not the intent of the words.

If the event has a concrete fulfillment, then God has revealed its fulfillment already, or He will reveal its fulfillment in the future event itself. A prophecy about Christ on the cross (such as in Psalm 22) is fulfilled in Christ’s crucifixion. There is no need to give Rabbi Ridiculous any credence when he says it is a future prophecy metaphorically speaking of the nation of Israel. The interpretation is fixed in the fulfillment.

Rather, this is what Peter spoke about in his first epistle –

“Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, ¹¹ searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. ¹² To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.” 1 Peter 1:10-12

The prophets who received the prophecies could not make the claim upon their own prophecies, stating what its fulfillment would be. They received the word, saw the knot, tried to unravel it, and could not. They, and indeed even angels, desired to know what the prophecies meant. But until God’s timing came about, the meaning of the prophecies remained His alone.

Life application: “Private interpretation” means “own interpretation.” In other words, what is contained in the prophecies of the Bible is of divine origin and not of man or demon. In contrast to this are countless prophecies which come to us from an almost unlimited number of sources.

We have prophecies or predictions from other religions such as Islam, Buddhism, etc. There are also those from Nostradamus, horoscopes, tarot cards, palm readers, and even generated by computers for example. The list is long, and these “prophecies” always lacks one essential element that the Bible contains – divine inspiration.

Not only do they lack divine inspiration, they are forbidden by God. Although part of the Old Testament Law, the same prohibitions apply to us today concerning these types of activities as it did when recorded in Leviticus –

“And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.” Leviticus 20:6

Any prophecy which is not specifically of God is not to be trifled with. The reading of Tarot cards and Ouija boards, for example, relies on a manipulation of the created order in anticipation of helpful clues about one’s personal future.

The same is true with daily horoscopes. To view these as innocuous and fun is akin to taking hot coals and placing them in your own lap – the result is detrimental to one’s well-being. It is shocking that Christians – true believers who have called on Jesus as Lord – participate in these activities. One cannot be held guiltless when they hold Jesus with their right hand and hold out their left to a palm-reader. We need to have single-hearted devotion to the Lord lest we find ourselves subdued and torn away by a lesser master.

Further, as prophecies are things which belong to God, and which then are fulfilled in a concrete way at a set time by God, it is presumptuous and sinful to think that future prophecies can be determined by us. We may know they are going to come about, such as the rapture. This is because it is clearly detailed in Scripture. However, like the prophet who is on the “before” side of the event, we too cannot unravel the knot of “when” the rapture will occur. To attempt to do so is to diminish the very premise which Peter writes about here. Do not be deluded by people who think so highly of themselves that they think they can speak for God about something which He has reserved to Himself until He reveals it to the world.

O God, we pray today that Your face would be turned toward us, not against us. We pray that our hearts and souls would be directed completely and solely toward You and that You would keep us from those prophecies which are not of divine origin. Help our doctrine to be pure and our hearts to be steadfast – directed to You alone. Amen.

Tuesday, 21 January 2020

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; 2 Peter 1:19

Peter has been speaking of the reliability of the testimony concerning the Person of Jesus Christ. He has reminded his readers of what occurred on the Mount of Transfiguration, and now he states just how reliable these things are, beginning with, “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed.”

The Greek literally reads, “And we have more certain the prophetic word.” It can actually be interpreted in one of several ways. Vincent’s Word Studies provides two views to consider –

“We may explain either (a) as Rev., we have the word of prophecy made more sure, i.e., we are better certified than before as to the prophetic word by reason of this voice; or (b) we have the word of prophecy as a surer confirmation of God’s truth than what we ourselves saw, i.e., Old-Testament testimony is more convincing than even the voice heard at the transfiguration. The latter seems to accord better with the words which follow. “To appreciate this we must put ourselves somewhat in the place of those for whom St. Peter wrote. The New Testament, as we have it, was to them non-existent. Therefore we can readily understand how the long line of prophetic scriptures, fulfilled in so many ways in the life of Jesus, would be a mightier form of evidence than the narrative of one single event in Peter’s life” (Lumby). “Peter knew a sounder basis for faith than that of signs and wonders. He had seen our Lord Jesus Christ receive honor and glory from God the Father in the holy mount; he had been dazzled and carried out of himself by visions and voices from heaven; but, nevertheless, even when his memory and heart are throbbing with recollections of that sublime scene, he says, ‘we have something surer still in the prophetic word.’…It was not the miracles of Christ by which he came to know Jesus, but the word of Christ as interpreted by the spirit of Christ” (Samuel Cox).”

What appears to be the case must be taken in light of what Peter says in the next two verses. He speaks of prophecy and the source of prophecy, meaning the Holy Spirit as transmitted through men of God. But Peter has already shown that the Holy Spirit (the Excellent Glory) was there on the Mount of Transfiguration, carrying the word of the Father to confirm the Person of the Son. Both the written word and the voice, which they heard, testify to the same thing. This was seen in Jesus’ words of John 5:39 –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.”

Therefore, what appears to be the case is that as certain as Peter was, concerning what his eyes saw and his ears heard, so certain also is the word of God which was written about Jesus. The Source of the word ensures that the testimony in the word is as trustworthy as anything that one’s eyes could behold, and that his ears could hear. When reading the word of God, it should be to the reader as if the voice of God is speaking directly to him.

Because of the absolutely trustworthy nature of “the prophetic word,” it is to be given its due respect. In this, Peter says, “which you do well to heed.” As noted by Vincent’s above, the only Scripture that was considered authoritative at the time was the Old Testament writings. And for Jews today who reject Jesus, or who simply have no idea who Jesus is, there must be an “apples to apples” comparison of Scripture.

One cannot be expected to merely take the New Testament to a Jew and say, “Here, read this, accept it, and you will be saved.” It is true that the saving message of Jesus is found there, but to say this to a Jew, without their acceptance of the foundation of their faith – meaning the Old Testament writings which also actually point to Jesus – would be for them to essentially reject what they had been told is inspired all along.

That would be no different than taking the Book of Mormon to a Christian and saying the same thing. There must first be the understanding that what the Old Testament says already points to Jesus. This is what Paul writes about in 2 Corinthians 3. There is a veil over the eyes of the Jews when the law is read. Until they can see that the Old points to Christ and appreciate that fact, the veil remains. This is what Jesus continued to say in John 5:40 –

“But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

The Old points to Jesus. When the Old is read and understood from that perspective, the Jew can then go to the New Testament to see that Jesus is, in fact, the fulfillment of the Old. Then he can find salvation. Unlike the Book of Mormon, which is completely lacking any coherent message in God’s plan of redemption, because it is not God’s inspired word, the New Testament is completely in line with what the Old says. It complements and completes the revelation began in the Old.

Because Jesus can be found in the Old, and when it is interpreted in the light of Christ, it is “as a light that shines in a dark place.” The word translated as “dark” is only found here in Scripture. It is found in poetical literature to indicate dry and parched. The strong heat of the Mideast produces a condition where dust arises which impedes the vision, and everything is obscure. This is what reading the Old Testament without seeing Christ is like. The stories may be fun, curious, exciting, and so on. But without seeing Jesus in them, a person must say, “Why did God even include this here.”

Without Christ as the focus of the Old, there is this type of veil which conceals the light. But once Jesus is seen as the Subject of the Old, the light shines forth. What is otherwise dark suddenly is illuminated. Jesus speaks of this in John 8:12, and Paul says as much in 2 Timothy 1:10.

Once that light of life concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ is understood and believed, a change takes place. Before that, there was only obscurity and darkness. Peter notes that this remains “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” In seeing Jesus in the word, the light breaks forth. Clarity of vision comes about, and the mind sees what was previously concealed. The word translated as “morning star” is also only found here in the Bible. It is phósphoros. It is a compound word signifying the carrying forth of light.

This is certainly a metaphor which speaks of the light of Christ, because it says that this light “rises in your hearts.” In other words, it is what Paul speaks of in Romans 10:9, 10 –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” 

The rising of this light of Christ brings about belief in the heart. From what was once a dark and mysterious book of various stories and records that made no real sense, there is suddenly clarity which reveals light. The light rises in the heart and the soul believes the words which now make sense. In belief, the conversion occurs, and salvation comes to the soul.

Life application: Without the writings of the Old Testament, which are now combined with the New Testament, the darkness around us is like that of the hours before the dawn – the darkest of all. Without the Bible as a guide, we can only grope through life blindly and our footing is completely unsure. But with the words which form the sentences, and the sentences which form the pages, and the pages which fill the books of the Bible, we have a light which dispels the great darkness of this world and illuminates the path for us.

The psalmist understood this truth, looking forward to the great revelation of Jesus Christ –

“Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105

Likewise, as we wait on the return of Christ, we have the same surety as the saints of old as we consider Scripture, but with the added benefit of the Holy Spirit. He authored the words of Scripture, and He illuminates the Bible for us as we rely on His leading. Let us continue to trust this marvelous gift of God, allowing it to lead us on our walk until the day when our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, returns for His people.

O God! We wait with high expectation for the return of our Hope, our Love, our Lord Jesus. Until that glorious day when the skies are illuminated with His splendor, we thank You for the pages of the Bible which give us comfort and hope. We also thank You for Your Holy Spirit Who leads us through this dark world on the path to our final home. Amen.

Monday, 20 January 2020

And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 2 Peter 1:18

Like verse 16, Peter again uses the word “we” to confirm that what was heard wasn’t limited to him alone, but to two others, James and John, who were with him. The fact that he doesn’t even bother to mention them by name demonstrates how well known the account had become. Any forger would have added in some note of explanation, such as “we apostles,” or “the three of us.” However, he simply relays what happened by saying, “And we heard this voice.”

This is referring to the voice which “came to Him from the Excellent Glory.” As noted in that verse, the word “came” is better translated as “borne.” Likewise, he again uses the same Greek word again in this verse. Peter and the other two “heard this voice which was borne from heaven.” As noted, this is an obvious connection to the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost, and thus it is a note that all three members of the Godhead were present at this event.

The voice concerned Jesus, but it was for the benefit of those who heard, in order to convince them that the presence of God was being made manifest. There is a voice, it comes without a visible speaker, and it is spoken to alert the surrounding hearers that God in heaven is presenting revelation for them to hear and understand. This is confirmed by Peter saying, “when we were with Him.”

The Jews who heard the events at Pentecost could make the same claim later – “We were there at Pentecost, with the apostles and disciples of Christ, when there came the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Tongues of fire alighted upon them, and they began to speak in other languages. We were with them when it happened!” In both instances, there was an immediate recipient of the sound, but there are also secondary recipients.

Peter then says that these things occurred “on the holy mountain.” The term is applied after the event, not before. At the time this occurred, the gospels simply say that Jesus led the three “up on a high mountain.” It was just one of many mountains in Israel, and there was no specific holiness attached to it. However, Peter now calls it “the holy mountain.”

The purpose of this is obvious. It is to show that the presence of God sanctified the mountain. The event is what brought the idea of consecration to it. Likewise, the term “holy mountain” is used in the Old Testament to point to the place where the Lord, Jehovah, dwelt. It is His presence which makes the mountain holy, and therefore Peter is establishing that the presence of the triune God, highlighted by the transfiguration of Christ, is that which so sanctified the Mount of Transfiguration.

Life application: On the Mount of Transfiguration, the attendance of Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets – Jesus being the fulfillment of each. Further, Moses’ death is recorded in the Bible, while Elijah was taken to heaven alive. Therefore, these two reflect God’s control over both the living and the dead who are in Christ. A later realization of this will be at the rapture when the dead will rise first followed by those who are alive at the Lord’s coming. We will be gathered together!

Peter’s eyes were directed at the splendid arrival of these two heroes of his past, but God’s response was clear – fix your attention on Jesus. This is what the Bible proclaims from beginning to end. We are to have our thoughts, hopes, aspirations, eyes, and ears fixed on Jesus. Anything else fails to hit the mark.

Lord God, forgive us for directing our attention to lesser things in life. Forgive us for being distracted by fame, notoriety, wealth, or any other fleeting aspect of our human state. Give us the wisdom to look beyond these temporary things to the eternal glory of Jesus our Lord. May He be the focus of all of who we are. To Your glory we pray. Amen.

Sunday, 19 January 2020

For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 2 Peter 1:17

Three corrections need to be made to understand Peter’s words here – “Having received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice was borne to Him by the Excellent Glory.”

“Having received” is an aorist participle, active. It finishes the thought from the previous verse. The phrase “was borne to Him” is unique in Scripture. And finally, the word “by,” rather than “from,” indicates that this is referring to God, the Holy Spirit.

Peter is referring to the Transfiguration which is recorded in all three synoptic gospels –

“While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’” Matthew 17:5

“And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’” Mark 19:7

“And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’” Luke 9:35

Looking at the three accounts in the gospels, and comparing them to Peter’s words, it is evident that what is said in the epistle is not directly copied from one of the gospels. He was remembering the account and wrote the substance of what occurred. However, if this epistle was a forgery, the forger would surely have copied one of the gospels directly. It is a note of the authenticity of the epistle.

It is Jesus who “received from God the Father honor and glory.” What this means is to be taken with what the gospels relay concerning Peter’s words. When he and the other two with him saw Moses and Elijah, he said, “Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (Luke 9:33). As Peter spoke, a cloud overshadowed them, and the voice of God the Father spoke the words which Peter now repeats. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The Father was revealing to these men that the time to “hear the Law and the Prophets” was ending. It was time to now receive the final and full revelation of God in the Person of His Son. Moses served his time, the prophets served their time, but both spoke of Christ to come. A New Covenant was on its way, and it would come through Jesus (see Hebrews 9:15 and 12:24).

The glory that He received is the glory which far surpasses that of the Old Covenant. That is spoken of by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3:7-18. Paul says that the glory of the Old “was passing away” and does not compare to “the glory that excels.” It is this which God the Father was referring to when His voice was borne by the Excellent Glory.

Though the word translated as “borne” is a commonly used word. It is of note that it is the same word used in Acts 2:2 and which is translated as “a rushing mighty wind.” In other words, the Excellent Glory refers to the Holy Spirit who transmits the word of God from God the Father. He does it in written form through men of God (2 Peter 1:21 – where the same word is also used there), and He does it in open displays of glory, such as on the Mount of Transfiguration and when He came to the people of Israel on Pentecost.

At this time, it is seen that all three of the members of the Godhead were present. Peter says the Source is God the Father. The Excellent Glory is the Holy Spirit conveying the word, and Jesus, the beloved Son, is the recipient of the honor conveyed in that word. It is a rather marvelous display of the workings of the Trinity – harmoniously interacting for us to more fully understand God’s nature.

Life application: This same proclamation was made upon Jesus twice during His ministry. The first time was at His baptism and is recorded in Matthew 3:16, 17 (also in Mark and Luke) –

“When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. ¹⁷ And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

As noted, it was also made on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter’s words now confirm what he said earlier – that he and the others were eyewitnesses of the glory of Jesus Christ. Jesus had previously told his apostles, “Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matthew 16:28).

In each of the three gospel accounts, the transfiguration immediately followed this statement, indicating that this is what Jesus was speaking of. The event was like a note of deposit for the apostles to reflect on, and stand by when times would get tough. Peter uses this to assure us that what he says is both true and reasonable.

If you are having doubts about the love of God, the power of God, or the presence of God in your life, take time to consider how He has woven His word together to show you that He is always and intimately with you at all times because of Jesus. The fullness of the Godhead is available to you because of your belief in Christ. Those things which seem to be hindering your walk with Him are actually a part of that walk. Once you realize this, you can truly cast your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Lord, because of the testimony of the apostles and because of the reliability of Your word, we have every confidence that our faith is properly placed in Jesus. In Your word we find comfort, hope, strength, and encouragement enough for every doubt and every trial. Thank You for this wonderful testimony! Amen.