Remember Christ’s Coming

2 Peter 1:12-21

Main Idea: Believers must be reminded often of the certainty of Christ’s return in order to live godly lives.

1. The Significance of Remembering (1:12-15)
   1. Remembering sustains our godliness (1:12).
   2. Remembering stimulates our passion (1:13-14).
   3. Remembering strengthens our readiness (1:15).
2. The Sources for Remembering (1:16-21)
   1. The apostolic witness (1:16-18)
   2. The prophetic word (1:19-21)

While I was teaching at New Orleans Seminary, a colleague and I met every morning to jog around our seventy-five-acre campus. Because the street that borders the campus wasn’t a formal track or workout area, there were always people moving around it in both directions. The toughest part of that daily routine for me wasn’t the discipline of doing it, or having the stamina to complete the laps, or even the frustration of wondering whether it was doing any good. The toughest part for me was trying to figure out creative ways to greet the same people moving in the opposite direction every time you passed them! I mean, seriously, there are only so many ways to sincerely greet the same people within a ten- to twenty-minute time period!

I noticed that people responded to that awkwardness in one of three ways. Some of these serious health nuts never acknowledged that anyone else was on the planet! They just kept their eyes focused straight ahead like they were on some kind of special ops mission. Others, who are more recreational in their journey, would say a hearty “Good morning” on the first encounter and then would wave or nod at the subsequent encounters. But the social exercisers were the funniest. After their initial greeting of “Good morning” or “Hello” or “Hi,” their courteous demeanor forced them to feel like they had to engage in small talk on the second and third laps. So they would offer comments like “Beautiful weather today, huh?” “Nice shorts!” or “How ’bout those New Orleans Saints?” All three of these responses were simple attempts by human beings to overcome the awkwardness of repetition.

Not only is repetition awkward; it’s often frustrating. Whether it’s having to tell our kids the same thing over and over again or having to listen to the same recorded “options” menu every time we call our cable company, we have a tendency to grow weary of repetition. But even though repetition can be awkward and frustrating, it is helpful, especially if what’s being repeated is something we need. Each time our kids hear our repeated instructions, they probably hear some detail they didn’t hear the first few times. And every time we listen to menu options, we become a little more familiar with them to the point we can navigate them more quickly the next time we call. So repetition helps us remember important things. Consequently, repetition of important lessons isn’t something that should bore or frustrate but something we should welcome.

While figuring out how to greet people doing laps creates some element of tension, choosing how to respond to the awkwardness of repeating gospel truth in our lives and churches is a far tougher and more important assignment. But Peter was up for the challenge. He knew something his readers couldn’t afford to forget. This important truth surfaces in the relationship between two ideas in this passage. In 1:12 Peter says, “I will always remind you about these things,” referring back to the reality that the gospel life implied progressive maturity in Christlikeness (see 1:3-11). In 1:16 he says, “For we did not follow cleverly contrived myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,” obviously referencing our Lord’s second coming. Peter wanted his readers to remember that Jesus is coming again, not just as an entry in their systematic theology but as a motivation for their holiness.

The false teachers of the day mocked the idea that there was a powerful, heavenly Christ who could resource them to live godly lives (2:1-2); and they denied the literal nature of gospel miracles, including a future physical return of Christ (3:3-4). This eschatological skepticism gave them a license for immoral living, something they undoubtedly used to lure Peter’s readers. “With no prospect of future judgment, one did not have to worry much about living a righteous life” (Moo, 2 Peter, 70). So Peter shows us the significance of remembering the second coming for our daily lives and then the credible sources available to us to jog our memories about that glorious event.

The Significance of Remembering

2 Peter 1:12-15

The approach Peter takes to addressing the issue of the second coming is somewhat indirect. His initial concern is the effect that denying the Lord’s return will have on the way believers live their lives. So he determines that before he dies he will do everything in his power to remind Christians of the need to live godly lives if they’re going to be sure of their salvation and confidently enter the eternal kingdom when Jesus comes back (see 1:5-11). As we’ve already noted in the introduction, three times in four verses he stresses his deliberate plan to remind them of this spiritual reality. The first time he says, “I will always remind you” (v. 12). Then he says, “I think it is right . . . to wake you up with a reminder” (v. 13). And finally he says, “I will also make every effort so that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure” (v. 15). Peter obviously felt his readers needed this spiritual truth repeated to them!

The words “therefore” and “these things” at the beginning of verse 12 refer back to the pathway that leads to entrance into Christ’s eternal kingdom referenced in verses 4-8. The believer’s future hope will be fully realized as godly character is nurtured through strenuous moral effort and built upon God’s glorious promises. Peter’s readers needed this reminder because in their day—as in ours—the “grace card” was being played as an excuse for immoral living (see 2:19; cf. Rom 6:1) and the “knowledge-of-God card” for lack of obedience (cf. 1 John 2:4). Peter wanted to make sure his readers didn’t buy into those deceptive heresies that lured many into a false sense of security. He wanted them to remember the true gospel, one that included progressive spiritual maturity as a validation of true salvation.

However, there’s more at play here than just a reminder about the need to mature in Christ. If—as false teachers maintain—there is no eternal kingdom ushered in by Christ’s return, then Peter’s claim about godly living is bankrupt. If Christ is coming back, however, then failing to progress in spiritual growth will most certainly lead to shipwrecked faith. So Peter suggests three important reasons remembering the nature of the true gospel is so crucial for our growth in Christ and as a defense against false teaching. He proposes that remembering this truth will sustain godliness, stimulate passion, and strengthen readiness in the lives of true disciples of Christ.

Remembering Sustains Our Godliness (1:12)

Peter appears to be paying his readers a compliment when he says about their grasp of the truth, “You know them and are established in the truth you now have” (1:12). The participle “established” (sterizo) means “to firmly establish” or “to strengthen.” The construction indicates a settled condition. Peter’s readers were genuine, maturing believers. Bauckham describes them as “well-grounded in the Christian faith, instructed in it, firmly committed to it, and therefore not likely to be easily misled by false teaching” (2 Peter, 197). These believers were like the Colossians, whom Paul said had

already heard about this hope in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. It is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, just as it has among you since the day you heard it and came to truly appreciate God’s grace. (Col 1:5b-6)

They had received the gospel, and it had taken root in their lives.

Some Bible scholars believe Peter was just being polite here and acting according to the guidelines of classical rhetoric. I’m not sure Peter was that refined. It’s more likely that he truly saw his readers as being grounded in the truth. But he also knew that just because someone was grounded in the truth didn’t guarantee he or she would remain so. And that’s something Peter knew from experience. As previously mentioned, he likely was remembering that infamous occasion when he so passionately claimed to be established in the truth and yet in such a short time he turned around and denied his Lord (Luke 22:33-34). Jesus used a form of this same word to instruct Peter on what to do for others once he himself had regained his spiritual footing: “When you have turned back, strengthen [sterizo] your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Peter knew how easy it was to be spiritually strong at one point and then to crash and burn at another. But he also knew what it meant to rise again to a solid footing.

The lesson here is that being reminded of spiritual truth sustains the godliness that’s already present in our lives. That’s why Peter says, “I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have” (1:12). Being reminded builds godliness up so that it continues to grow and not wither. Yesterday’s godliness won’t suffice for today if left unattended and undernourished. It has to be fed every day. The tendency of the human heart is to be forgetful. So we all need the truth of the gospel to be rehearsed in our hearts and minds. It’s all too easy for seasoned Christians to lapse into serious sin and doctrinal error (M. Green, 2 Peter, 98). Believers are prone “to lose the fine edge of their zeal for godliness, for the world tries to ‘squeeze us into its mold’ (cf. Rom 12:2), and false Christians arise to propagate their own brand of faith without fervor” (Moo, 2 Peter, 62). True godliness will only be sustained when we remember gospel truth, or else it will falter and fade under the assault of false teaching.

Remembering Stimulates Our Passion (1:13-14)

The idea that “a picture paints a thousand words” was used by Frederick R. Barnard in Printer’s Ink in 1921 to contend that graphics can tell a story as effectively as a large amount of descriptive text. But the opposite is true as well—a word can paint a thousand pictures. In these verses Peter picks up his literary paintbrush to describe the transitory nature of his life. In the language of the New Testament, Peter uses the word for “tent” to describe his body (v. 13), a clear indication that he recognized that his human body was a temporary dwelling place that one day would be folded up. The fleeting nature of life is emphasized again in his reference to “[laying] aside my tent” (v. 14), a clear image of removing a piece of clothing.

So to say “as long as I am in this bodily tent” (v. 13) and “I know that I will soon lay aside my tent” (v. 14) are just the apostle’s way of saying “I don’t have much time left.” And he had arrived at such a conclusion based on a credible source: “. . . as our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made clear to me” (v. 14). Whether this is a reference to his breakfast conversation with Christ on the shores of Galilee (John 21:18-19) or to some special revelation from Christ on another occasion, Peter was convinced that he only had a short time to exercise his ministry of reminding. He communicated this conviction in vivid language that conveyed an utter sense of urgency.

However, we have to be careful not to let Peter’s picturesque language in verses 13-14 distract us from his main point. The focus here is not so much the brevity of time but the function of Peter’s reminders to his readers in that small window. Even though they were already firmly established in the truth, Peter said, “I think it is right . . . to wake you up” (v. 13). The word translated “wake you up” (diegeirein) means to be “stirred” or “provoked.” It’s a strong word intended to convey the idea of persuasively stimulating the believers to prize the gospel in a fresh way. That was the function of Peter’s reminders! He “hoped that his words would stab the believers awake so they would reject what the opponents taught” (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 309). Even when we know the gospel, our passion for it needs to be stimulated afresh every day if we’re to continue in godliness and deflect the fiery darts of falsehood. God wants us to treasure the gospel and rehearse it in our hearts and minds on a regular basis.

Remembering Strengthens Our Readiness (1:15)

For the second time Peter references his impending death (“departure”). This time he intensifies his desire to remind his readers of gospel truth before he’s gone. He says, “I will also make every effort” (v. 15) to make sure you don’t forget. The verb here (spoudazo) indicates more than a casual desire but instead an earnest, intense effort (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 158). Peter also uses the future tense, which is a bit awkward. Consequently, Bible scholars have speculated on the specific subject of Peter’s reminder. Was he referring to some future document, like Mark’s Gospel, or another letter from him that hasn’t been preserved? While arguments for such sources are interesting, it’s far more likely that Peter is simply referencing his current letter and either the fact that it wouldn’t arrive to his readers until sometime in the future (Davids, Letters, 197) or to his desire that it continue to be present as a source of authority in the church (G. L. Green, Jude, 213).

However, a debate over the specific source Peter has in mind once again risks missing the point. We know that his concern is for the memory of gospel truth consistent with that contained in the current letter. Greater emphasis in this verse, however, should be put on the new slant to Peter’s mission of reminding his readers about that gospel truth. He says he wants them to be able “to recall these things at any time” (v. 15). The emphasis here is on the scope of the reader’s remembrance. Here Peter alters the language of memory a bit by using a word that’s fairly common in the Septuagint but found nowhere else in the New Testament. While the construction can simply mean “to call to mind” or just “to make mention of a thing,” it also carries the more solemn idea of “holding things in remembrance” (G. L. Green, Jude, 214). This seems to best capture the spirit of the context. Peter wanted his readers to hold the gospel in remembrance. He was burdened that they would be ready at all times, not simply to “call up” truth that is needed in the heat of the moment but constantly to live with a gospel consciousness so they always are ready to deflect the assault of false teachers.

Peter’s purpose here has an earthy implication. He doesn’t want Christians to have a mere intellectual recollection of gospel truths. He’s concerned—along with other biblical writers (see comments on 1:1-2)—that believers can functionally forget even the most basic truths of the gospel even though they can recite them in their minds. In other words, believers can experience functional amnesia when it comes to living out the gospel. Gospel truth might be remembered mentally yet never become a vital part of a Christian’s life. It’s possible to remember that Jesus died for your sins but never to embrace that truth in such a way that it overcomes your feeling of guilt over the past or dread of the future. It’s possible to remember that Jesus calls you to holy living but never to allow holiness to grip your conscience or inspire your hands and feet. We are called to remember the gospel in a tangible and practical sense, and the repetition of its truths—in both word and ritual (e.g., baptism, communion)—is a necessary component of our readiness for vibrant Christian living (Moo, 2 Peter, 66).

The Sources for Remembering

2 Peter 1:16-21

In verses 16-21 Peter raises the stakes on the importance of godly living by unpacking for his readers the certainty of “the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (1:11). The doctrinal issue of Christ’s return in glory and judgment at the end of history was the most important gospel truth his readers needed to remember under their circumstances. He felt it was so important that he somewhat bookends his letter with the subject (1:16-21; 3:1-18). Maybe above all other gospel truths, Christ’s return provides the greatest motivation and highest accountability for growing in spiritual maturity and living a godly life (1:3-11). “Living a godly life is optional, to say the least, if one’s heavenly destiny is not involved” (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 312). But because heaven is a reality for every true believer in Christ, godly living is the only option.

After underscoring the importance of recounting the truths regarding the relationship between godly living and entrance into Christ’s kingdom, Peter turns his attention to establishing the veracity of Christ’s coming. Peter chose this doctrinal issue over all others simply because the false teachers were attacking his readers at precisely this point (see 3:3-4; Moo, 2 Peter, 69). So he identifies two sources his readers have available to them to spiritually jog their memories about the certainty of Christ’s coming, all to the end that they would pursue godliness as they wait for him. The two sources are the apostolic witness and the prophetic word. Together they provide a solid footing—the eyewitness accounts of Jesus’s apostles combined with the messianic foretelling of the Old Testament prophets. These two sources also countered the accusations of the false teachers against the teaching of Peter and the other apostles.

The Apostolic Witness (1:16-18)

The transfiguration of Christ (Matt 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36) serves as the backdrop of 2 Peter 1:16-18. On that mountain God the Father gave divine witness to the glory and majesty of God the Son, including his fulfillment of and superiority over both the law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah). The event also foreshadowed the revelation of that same glory and majesty in Christ’s return. It’s no accident that the transfiguration accounts in all three Synoptic Gospels are prefaced by Jesus’s declaration that some of his apostles were about to witness a preview of his second coming (see Matt 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). The theophany that took place at the transfiguration no doubt was an advanced screening of our Lord’s return and God’s coming kingdom. Here Peter recalls the event because it represented and anticipated Christ’s powerful coming (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 316).

That’s exactly where the rub had come with Peter’s opponents. This cosmic testimony of Christ’s return flew in the face of the false teachers who derided “his ‘coming’ that he promised” (3:4). They held fast to the stability of the world, the impossibility of sudden interventions, and the constancy of the natural order (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 313). But in Peter’s mind there was no doubt that “one historical event calls for another” (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 159). Consequently, he wanted his readers to know they could be confident of the gospel truth that one day Jesus would return with the same “honor and glory” (v. 17) that he had received from God the Father on that holy mountain.

To strengthen the faith of his readers, Peter uses the transfiguration as one example of the validity and credibility of the apostolic witness to the gospel as well as to one of its crucial components. While his reminder about the apostolic proclamation of Christ’s return is grammatically at the center of verse 16, Peter’s major point is the contrasting qualifications at play. He and the other apostles made known the return of Christ by being “eyewitnesses,” something the false teachers couldn’t put on their resumes (Moo, 2 Peter, 71). He denies the accusation of his critics that he and the other apostles were simply blind followers of “cleverly contrived myths” (v. 16), or fictitious stories, when it came to their gospel. Instead, he counters that they actually “heard this voice when it came from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain” (v. 18). The apostles had been there; they had seen it with their own eyes and heard it with their own ears.

These verses are radiant with at least three magnificent descriptions of the awesome display of Christ’s greatness that the apostles saw and heard that day. First, Peter identifies the nature of the event—it was “the power and coming” of “his majesty” (v. 16). The terms “power” (dunamis) and “coming” (parousia) are best interpreted together (Bauckham, 2 Peter, 215). While parousia usually refers to the future return of Christ, here—combined with the divine dunamis that Jesus has as the resurrected Lord—it’s best translated and understood as the “powerful coming” exhibited on this occasion as well as the one to come. Peter saw Jesus’s powerful coming at the transfiguration as a precursor to the ultimate demonstration at his second coming. The word majesty (megaleiotes) is most often used in reference to God (e.g., Luke 9:43). But here—in the context of Christ’s “powerful coming”—it has to be understood as a reference to Jesus’s deity (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 314; cf. 1:1).

Second, Peter describes what happened at the transfiguration—Christ “received honor and glory” from “the Majestic Glory” (v. 17). The word “honor” denotes the exalted status being bestowed on Jesus, while “glory” indicates the heavenly radiance most often seen in the Bible as belonging to God (cf. John 1:14; 1 Pet 1:7; Jude 25). The title “the Majestic Glory” is likely a circumlocution used to refer to the Divine Being without mentioning him by name. But here it seems to be more than a roundabout way of showing reverence for God. In fact, the title seems to connect verses 16 and 17 together. While the word for “Majestic” in Greek is different from the one used for Christ in verse 16, the idea is the same. The “Majestic Glory”—the one to whom all majesty and glory belongs—is here bestowing “majesty” (v. 16) and “honor and glory” (v. 17) on Christ Jesus! Could there be any stronger statement of the deity of our Lord and its place in the gospel (cf. John 1:1,14; Col 1:15-20)?

Third, Peter reports what God said about Jesus—“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased” (v. 17). The first part of this sentence is probably best understood as reading, “This is my Son, my Beloved.” It serves as a heavenly expression of the deep and abiding love the Father has for the Son. The latter part of the sentence indicates the good pleasure the Father has in the Son (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 161). Together, the pronouncement attested to God’s affirmation and affection for Jesus Christ in both his person and his work.

This text is a reminder that our faith isn’t rooted in fairy tales and fiction. While the source of most world religions can’t be traced to historical facts, Christianity is lashed to the eyewitness testimony of those who had a complete knowledge of the historical Jesus (cf. John 15:26-27; Acts 1:21-22; 2:42). Peter and the other apostles didn’t have to fabricate stories about Jesus; they had actually seen him and done life with him. Having such a knowledge passed along by firsthand account ought to edify us as Christ’s disciples. And Peter’s reminder of Jesus’s glory and majesty should compel us to godly living and sustain us in the face of falsehood and worldliness until we see him face-to-face (Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 3:1-3).

The Prophetic Word (1:19-21)

True to his promise to “make every effort” (v. 15) to remind his readers about the validity of Christ’s return, Peter offers them two verifications of that claim. He’s already reminded them about his own eyewitness account of the transfiguration. Now he puts a second credible source of authority on the table—the Old Testament Scriptures. In these verses Peter refers to the Scriptures variously as “the prophetic word” (v. 19), “prophecy of Scripture” (v. 20), and “prophecy” (v. 21). When we come to 2 Peter 1:19-21, we find ourselves at one of the most potent places in all of the Bible regarding the inspiration of Scripture. Few passages magnify the supernatural origin and nature of God’s Word as clearly and succinctly as this one.

As we unpack what Peter says about the Old Testament Scriptures, let’s keep in mind that the truth found here is equally applicable to all of Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments. It’s true that Peter was referring in this letter to the Old Testament Scriptures, but God—at the same time Peter was writing—was sovereignly in the process of using him and other godly men to pen what eventually would become the New Testament Scriptures. Even in this letter Peter includes the writings of the apostle Paul in the category of the “Scriptures” (2 Pet 3:16). Regardless of whether Peter knew his own letters would one day be included in that same category, he evidently was conscious that God was in the process of expanding his written revelation. Truly the apostolic witness exemplified in verses 16-18 was used for this purpose (cf. John 15:27; Acts 1:21-22). That makes this an important text for contemporary Christians regarding our view of the entirety of Scripture contained in the Bible. So consider in this passage a reality, a reason, and a response for all followers of Christ concerning our approach to Scripture.

First, the reality is that Scripture is superior to our personal experience. In verse 19 Peter says the Scriptures are a more “strongly confirmed” (bebaioterion) source of authority than even the personal experience and eyewitness testimony he’s just finished recounting. That’s an amazing claim! For most people nothing is more authoritative than their personal experience. How often do we hear someone say something like, “I know that’s true because I’ve experienced it”? Peter indicates that such a contention is limited at best. Satan can create experiences and feelings, and he can manipulate circumstances in our lives. So the objective constant of Scripture must be seen to be on a higher plane of authority than personal experience.

Such a contention is consistent with the normal tendency of first-century Jews. They would believe prophecy before they would believe a voice from heaven! So Peter—a Jewish Christian and an apostle with deep regard for Old Testament prophecies—essentially says to his readers, “If you don’t believe me, go to the Scriptures.” He obviously had complete confidence that Scripture was a reliable source of authority (M. Green, 2 Peter, 108–9). Furthermore, Peter wasn’t comparing the Old Testament Scriptures to the transfiguration as a reliable source of authority. He was comparing the Old Testament Scriptures to his eyewitness experience. And so should we. Whenever Scripture contradicts our personal experience, we should always put our trust in Scripture. That’s part of walking by faith and not by sight!

Second, the reason Scripture is superior is because of its supernatural origin. I’m skipping ahead here and addressing verses 20-21 first simply because they provide the rationale for the counsel found in the second half of verse 19. In these verses Peter is calling attention to the divine source of Scripture. He’s continuing his case for the authentication of Christian teaching, namely the return of Christ. He’s already provided authentication through his eyewitness of the transfiguration (vv. 16-18). Here he authenticates Scripture by citing its divine origin and authority. Essentially he’s saying, “The same God whom the apostles heard speak in the transfiguration spoke also through the prophets” (M. Green, 2 Peter, 112). In verse 20 he tells us Scripture is authoritative, and in verse 21 he tells us why.

In a backdoor kind of way, Peter tells his readers they shouldn’t listen to anyone who tries to make Scripture say whatever they want it to say. Why? Because that not only changes its meaning, but it cancels out its authority. A proper understanding of the prophets’ words wasn’t derived “from the prophet’s own interpretation” (v. 20). This is the only time the word “interpretation” (epilyseos) is used as a noun in the New Testament, but the verb form shows up in Mark 4:34 and Acts 19:39. In both places it means to unravel a problem (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 164). This was a clear prohibition against interpreting Scripture on a personal whim, which is exactly what the false teachers were doing by denying Christ’s coming. They were negating the authoritative word of the prophets by unraveling the words of Scripture to an end that was convenient for their own agendas. None of us has the right to make Scripture say whatever we want it to say!

verse 21 spells out for us the gravity of unraveling Scripture to this end. It has everything to do with Scripture’s origin. Peter continues by saying, “because no prophecy ever came by the will of man” (v. 21). To say it another way, Scripture didn’t originate with humans. Consequently, people have absolutely no right to twist it to say whatever they want. And the stakes keep getting higher in this verse as Peter reveals by whose will prophecy of Scripture actually was produced. It came “from God . . . by the Holy Spirit” (v. 21). Peter clearly identifies God as the origin and source of Scripture, making it a superior source of authority over everything else, including personal experience. Think about what this says about the false teachers’ tweaking the Old Testament prophecies about the coming kingdom. God spoke, but they unraveled his words to make them their own. In so doing, they put “new” words—their own words—in the mouth of the God of the universe!

This is exactly what drew such strong rebuke from God against false prophets in the Old Testament (e.g., Jer 23:16; Ezek 13:3). They spoke their own words instead of his. They twisted his words to fit their own agendas and justify their godless living. But before we rush to cast stones at false prophets in the Old Testament and false teachers in the New Testament, let’s take a look inward. What’s different about the Christian who reads God’s Word in her quiet time but then only draws meaning from a topical devotional book that merely addresses one small detail of the passage, and that out of context? What’s different about a small group leader who reads a Bible passage and then asks his members to share what it means to them without discriminating between their various interpretations? What’s different about a pastor who announces a text for his sermon and then launches off into a tirade on a personal pet peeve that has nothing to do with the passage he read? These are just a few examples of unraveling Scripture incorrectly and thereby undermining its authority and denying its Author. Doing so muffles the voice of God at best and puts words in his mouth at worst. Either way we miss hearing and obeying what God has for us.

How much clearer could Peter have been in authenticating the trustworthiness of Scripture? His readers could have complete confidence that what the Old Testament Scriptures said about the coming kingdom was true. Consequently, they should be compelled to live holy lives as they wait for Christ’s return. Subsequently, we can have confidence in what the Bible says about the second coming as well as what it says about every other subject found on its pages. And its truth should compel us to godly living. As the apostle John says, “And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure” (1 John 3:3).

A final aspect of Peter’s authentication was to show that Scripture didn’t just fall out of the sky or appear under a rock. It actually was transmitted through human instruments. He said that “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (v. 21). The idea of being “carried along” (pheromenoi ) was used to describe a ship being moved by the wind (cf. Acts 27:15,17). The language is describing the prophets as raising their sails and the Holy Spirit filling them and blowing their sails in the direction he wanted them to go (M. Green, 2 Peter, 113).

One of the most important phrases in this passage is “from God” (v. 21). God used human instruments, but the result was a message from him. This truth is foundational to what’s been called the doctrine of verbal plenary inspiration. It suggests that in the original manuscripts of Scripture—throughout all its pages—the Holy Spirit guided the human authors even in their choice of expressions without ignoring or negating their personalities (Hernando, Dictionary of Hermeneutics, 26). The result of this process was that every word of those original manuscripts was perfect and without error, recording the exact message God desired to give to man (Gaebelein, Meaning, 9).

God moved some men who uttered truths out of their own background and life situation without ever losing their consciousness or normal mental functions. This was not an act of mechanical dictation but active cooperation of men with God. The result was that these men spoke from God, not merely about God (Vaughn and Lea, 1, 2 Peter, 164–65). Two implications flow from this reality. First, we must approach the Bible as having a specific message from God for us, not as a book of random subjects intended to address every detail of life. Second, when we read the Bible with integrity today, and when we hear it taught and preached rightly, we can be confident that God is speaking.

Third, our response should be submission to Scripture in view of Christ’s return. Both the superiority of Scripture as well as its divine origin compel us to pay attention to it and obey what it says. That’s why Peter says that “you will do well to pay attention to it” (v. 19). Essentially, this is the main point of the passage. Everything he’s written up to this point leads to this command (Schreiner, 1 and 2 Peter, 321). To “pay attention” (v. 19) means to “pay close attention,” and it implies that one will act on the words by embracing and following them. In so doing the respondent will “do well” (v. 19), Peter says. This expression refers to doing what is right and correct. Obeying Scripture isn’t simply a good thing to do, but it’s the right thing to do (G. L. Green, Jude, 227). We don’t obey what the Bible says simply because it will benefit us; we obey it because obedience to God is what’s right.

But benefit us it does. The exhortation to obey what Scripture says is intensified by the use of a simile: “as to a lamp shining in a dark place” (v. 19). Green likens this to a torch that illuminates a dark room, revealing the dirt inside and making it easier to clean (M. Green, 2 Peter, 109). Peter may be using the phrase “dark place” to describe either the darkness of the world because of sin or the false teaching that his readers were encountering. The latter seems more likely in context. The heresies that Christ isn’t coming back (or has already come back), that there’s no impending judgment, and that people consequently have a license for godless living all serve to dim a person’s view of the realities of life and the gospel. We can find ourselves groping around in darkness without any spiritual awareness or direction.

The light that only Scripture provides will be necessary “until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (v. 19). Both images here naturally refer to Christ’s return and the brilliance that will characterize it. In Greek literature the “morning star” was used to refer to royal and divine people. In the Old Testament the Messiah was symbolized by a star (Num 24:17) and the rising sun of righteousness (Mal 4:2). In the New Testament Jesus himself is called the “morning star” (Rev 2:28; 22:16). The phrase “in your hearts” likely refers to our re-creation in Christ Jesus, that inner transformation that’s already begun through the work of God’s Spirit as we learn and obey Scripture (2 Cor 3:18). When Jesus returns, this process will be completed. As the apostle John says, “When he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). As believers in Christ we look forward to the day our lives will be illuminated by the radiance of his presence in all of his glory. Until he returns, we’ve been given the divine flashlight of Scripture to transform us into his image and light our path as we walk with him (cf. Pss 19:8; 119:105; Prov 6:23).

Conclusion

I used several different homiletics textbooks in the seminary classroom for about five years before I coauthored the book I currently use. The first semester I required my new book I remember telling my students on the first day of class, “You’re liable to hear some of the same things in my lectures that you read in that textbook because everything I know is now in that book!” There was a lot of truth to that. I had incorporated into that book the combination of all the lessons learned in my educational journey, my decade of pastoral preaching experience, and my five years of teaching experience. Why did I feel I needed to give that disclaimer? Because I know some students get frustrated—or even insulted—when a professor says the same things in class that they read in their textbooks. Our tendency is to avoid repetition, or at least push back against it.

However, God knows we need to be reminded of gospel truth. For believers today the same two sources—the apostolic witness and the prophetic word—remain as the solid and enduring sources of what we believe. This dynamic duo has been supernaturally recorded to form the two testaments of our Bible. The dominant component comprising the Old Testament is the written record of the message of the prophets. And the New Testament is largely the witness of the apostles to the life, ministry, and teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ. Together they form the sixty-six books of our Bible and serve as the inspired, inerrant, infallible, sufficient, reliable, and resounding reminder of the glorious gospel of grace!

In these two testaments God has given us a textbook for “life and godliness” (1:3), which contains “very great and precious promises” (v. 4) intended gradually to make us “share in the divine nature” (v. 4) as we wait for “the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 16). And he makes no apology that the Bible is a book of repetition, whether it be the prophets’ reminders about the Mosaic law in the Old Testament, the Gospel writers’ reverberation of Jesus’s acts and teachings in the New Testament, or the apostolic witness to the same. The Bible says the same thing over and over again from Genesis to Revelation. It gives testimony to the gospel, God’s redemption of his creation.

Within that witness is contained the weighty doctrine at hand in 2 Peter. The importance of remembering the certainty of the second coming of Jesus Christ can’t be overstated. This doctrine is a key component of the gospel and one of the primary motivations for godly living. Christ’s rule and return, including his final judgment of all people, truly is one of those “very great and precious promises” (v. 4) that’s foundational to the Christian calling. While we navigate the ups and downs of daily life in our journey through this world, let’s set our gaze toward the east and think often of Christ’s return. And may the reality that he may appear at any moment compel us to holy living and progressive spiritual maturity.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Why do we constantly need to be reminded of the truth of the gospel?
2. What are practical ways that we, like Peter, can “wake up” one another? How can we “wake up” ourselves?
3. How can we practically avoid “functional amnesia”?
4. What is the significance of Peter’s and the other apostles’ eyewitness testimony?
5. What part does ancient eyewitness testimony play in modern-day evangelism?
6. How should personal experience be balanced with the Word of God? How does Peter balance it?
7. How does a Christian leader avoid carelessly using Scripture that results in one’s “own interpretation” or faulty interpretation? What steps can be made to avoid this at all cost?
8. How does the true teaching that Jesus will return in glory spur us on to godliness?
9. How does verse 21 speak to the doctrine of inspiration? Why is this important?
10. What implications does divine inspiration carry, specifically in how we read and apply the Bible?