2 Peter 1:15

Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty... And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place... knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation, 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 1:15-21)

Why every Christian theology begins—and our whole faith stands—on the eyewitness-confirmed word of God.

Why Theology Always Begins with the Bible

If you ever pick up a Christian theology book as more than just a doorstop and read it, you'll find that virtually every one begins in the same place: with what theologians call Bibliology, the doctrine of Scripture. The reason is simple. The whole of the Christian faith—all we believe and practice—is founded upon the Bible. You don't begin theology with the study of the Father, the Son, or the Spirit, because we learn about God in the Scripture. You must first establish the truth and veracity of the Scriptures.

And if you turn to a chapter on Bibliology, within the first pages you'll almost always find a citation of this very passage—2 Peter 1:16-21, especially verses 20 and 21: "holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." This is an essential text for establishing the doctrine of the Bible. But we won't get to verses 20 and 21 for a while. We start in verse 15, where Peter says, "Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease."

The Bible Is the Taproot of the Christian Faith

What is one simple but important truth Peter wanted his people to know? It's point number one: the Bible is the taproot of the Christian faith. It is not merely important or valuable—it is essential. There is no Christian faith without the Bible. That's why theology books always begin there, and why so many throughout the last 2,000 years have given their lives to translate the Scriptures so others could know God.

If you are going to be a deeply rooted and fruitful follower of Jesus, you must be deeply rooted in the Bible. That means more than a sprinkling of Scripture during 75 minutes on a Sunday morning. You will never grow to your full potential in Christ by simply coming to church. The Bible needs to become more of your life than the time we gather together. This is true for every Christian, including pastors.

So Much Access, So Little Literacy

It's easy to lose sight of this because many of us own several Bibles in different sizes, colors, and translations—and in our day you can get virtually every English translation on a smartphone for free. We have more access to the Bible here in the United States than perhaps any people at any time in history. Yet research over the last fifteen to twenty years shows that Bible literacy has decreased substantially in the very nation with the most access.

You don't become deeply rooted simply by having a Bible. It doesn't happen by osmosis. A Bible on your nightstand while you sleep won't help. We must abide in His word and have His word abide in us. That means spending time in it. A brother here at the church told me before the first service that for many years he has memorized a passage of Scripture every week. Occasionally coworkers ask, "What are you doing?" "I'm memorizing Scripture, because God's word needs to abide in me, that it can transform the way I think and live." Having access doesn't mean we consume it. This is a collection of 66 books, written by 40 authors over 1,500 years, in three languages, on three continents—and yet it carries one cohesive, consistent message of redemption.

Words Worth Writing in the Cover

This week my kids started school, and my wife brought home two Bibles for our oldest two, Ethan and Addison, asking me to write in the covers. I wrote: "A great man once said, this book will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from this book." Then I copied the introduction found in the Gideon Bibles you sometimes see in hotel drawers:

"The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts binding, its histories true, and its decisions immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, the Christian's charter... Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end... It is given to you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and remembered forever."

I believe those things are true. But simply having access does not guarantee the Scriptures will be those things to us if we don't take time to abide in them. As a pastor this is increasingly difficult, because studying and teaching is my vocation. The temptation is to read only so I can teach. So I keep a reminder on my phone every morning—just to read the Bible, not to prepare a study, but to spend time with God through His word, because this is how He has revealed Himself.

The New Testament Was Written by Eyewitnesses of Majesty

A few weeks ago, while I was teaching on the Scriptures, a family member brought a guest to church who later texted me: "I've never heard these things. How do I know the Bible is right? How do I know it's true?" Peter presupposes that question and addresses it. In verse 12 he says he will not be negligent to remind us of these things, "though you know them and are established in the present truth." We've heard much of this before, but it's good to be reminded—because I don't know about you, but I forget very easily.

Then verse 16 gives the reason: "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty." Point number two: the New Testament was written by eyewitnesses of majesty. The Old Testament was written by holy men of God who prophesied of the majesty that was to come; the New Testament was written by those who saw the fulfillment.

What we study verse by verse is not the creative writing of first-century Middle Eastern storytellers who brainstormed how to picture a "Christ figure." They didn't sit around inventing a myth. The Greek word for "fables" here is muthos—myths. These are not myths. Throughout history great minds have set out to discredit the Bible and, examining the evidence, became followers of Jesus. Josh McDowell wrote Evidence That Demands a Verdict, examining the evidence from a legal perspective. About twenty years ago Lee Strobel, the legal writer for the Chicago Tribune and not a Christian, put the claims of Scripture through the legal process and ultimately came to faith. His first major book, The Case for Faith, asked whether the evidence holds—and he found that it does. The apostles and New Testament writers have been examined for centuries and found truthful.

The Power and Coming of Our Lord

Peter says, "we are making known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." There are at least two ways to understand "coming." It could refer to His first coming 2,000 years ago, of which Peter and Paul were eyewitnesses. Or it could refer to the second coming, prophetically foretold but not yet happened. Either way, the Scriptures reveal the coming of God incarnate to earth—God became a man. That is a heavy statement, one that needs to be substantiated, verified, and corroborated. So Peter says: we did not follow cunningly devised fables, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

When did Peter see this majesty? Verse 17: "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. And we heard this voice... when we were with him on the holy mountain." Peter is referencing the Transfiguration, recorded in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9, where Peter, James, and John saw Jesus manifested in glory and heard the Father speak.

Our Faith Is in a Living and Glorious Lord

The apostle John writes of this in 1 John 1:1: "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... we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us." Could it be any more explicit? We saw it, we heard it, we handled it, and we declare it. They were not proclaiming a story they collectively invented; they proclaimed what they had seen and heard.

In Matthew 17, after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and was transfigured before them—His face shining like the sun, His clothes white as light—and Moses and Elijah appeared. Peter, of course, answered: "Lord, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them and a voice said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him." God essentially cut Peter off mid-sentence: be quiet, and hear Jesus. The disciples fell on their faces in fear, until Jesus touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid."

Point number three: our faith is in a living and glorious Lord. Why does Peter, some 35 to 40 years after this event, return to it? Because the Christian does not follow myths fabricated by storytellers. We put our trust in the Son of the living God, whose glory was witnessed by eyewitnesses who wrote these accounts down. Peter not only saw Jesus transfigured; he heard the Father, called here "the excellent glory," declare His pleasure in His Son.

The Prophetic Word Confirmed

Verse 19: "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 arises in your hearts." The Transfiguration confirmed the prophetic word. The Bible is living and powerful in part because what it says comes to pass. Just before the Transfiguration, in Matthew 16, Jesus asked, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven." That was a prophetic word. Then six days later, on the mountain, the Father Himself confirmed it: "This is my beloved Son."

Such confirmations fill the Scriptures. If we tried to trace every prophetic utterance to its fulfillment, it would take months and probably years. The first coming of Jesus alone fulfills more than 300 specific Old Testament prophecies—one document I came across cited 355. Going through one a day would take nearly a year, and that's only the prophecies about His first coming.

Believing and Proclaiming Corroborated Facts

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15: "I declare to you the gospel which I preached... that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Peter, then by the twelve... by over five hundred brethren at once... and last of all by me also." Point number four: the Christian believes and proclaims corroborated facts. Not assumed stories, not presumed mythologies—verified facts. He died, was buried, and rose again according to the prophecies of Scripture, and we saw it come to pass. So we have the prophetic word confirmed by eyewitness testimony.

Therefore, Peter says, this is the prophetic word "which you do well to heed." Parents, have you ever said something like that to your children? "I've told you what to do, and you would do well to listen." Another translation says "pay close attention to it." Many of those who witnessed these things suffered horrendous, torturous martyrdom. Standing before their accusers and executioners, all they had to do was recant—simply say it never happened, and go free. Instead they stood in confidence: "We have seen the risen Christ." And so they were burned, disemboweled, beheaded, thrown to wild beasts, and given to gladiators, holding firm their declaration. The prophetic words are like a lamp shining in a dark place. May that light ignite a light in our hearts to guide us through the darkness until the day dawns and Christ returns.

Awaiting the Power and Second Coming

When Peter says "until the day dawns," he references the day the Lord comes again. Someone will object: it's been 2,000 years—do you really believe He's coming again? Peter answers in chapter 3: "Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? Since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." Did he not nail it? We live in such a time, when people mockingly ask where the sign of His coming is, and many are ashamed to confess Christ for fear of being mocked as simpletons in our "progressive" 21st century.

But verse 8: "Do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." It hasn't been long to the eternal God. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise... but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." Point number five: the Christian awaits the power and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

No Prophecy of Private Interpretation

How can we be so certain? Verse 20: "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit." Men did not sit down to postulate how things might come to pass and take educated guesses. It was not by the will of man. Those consecrated to God were moved by the Spirit of God to write prophetic words confirmed hundreds of years before their fulfillment. Those who take time to investigate the claims of Christ find again and again that this is not blind faith or wishful thinking, but trust in things that can be corroborated.

Profitable for Every Good Work

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16 that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God—God-breathed—and therefore useful for four things: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that we would be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Doctrine tells us what is true and right, in accord with reality as God set it. Reproof is like a GPS: it draws the correct line to your destination, and when you wander, in that pleasant British accent it says, "Recalculating"—which is really just a gracious way of saying, "You're on the wrong path." It reproves our wrongness. Correction shows us how to get back to the line. And instruction in righteousness keeps us on the path—until the day dawns when we stand in the presence of God.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Someone objects, "But I'm on this other way." That's fine—it's a way somewhere, but not the way to the Father. So Scripture sets the line, reproves our inconsistencies, corrects our wrong ways, and keeps us on the path. God's word is good.

Closing Prayer

Father, I thank You for Your word. May it become to us alive and powerful, more necessary than our daily food. As we hide Your word in our hearts, cause it to direct our steps, that we would walk in ways pleasing to You. Direct our steps by the light of Your word, bringing us ever closer to Your presence. As we live in a culture that is becoming more and more like the culture of the early apostles—a culture that scoffs at the reality of resurrecting power—I pray we would not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is Your power unto salvation to everyone who believes. Help us not to shy away from the truth, but to declare boldly and plainly, by the power of Your Spirit, that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. We praise You, Jesus.

If you have never put your trust in Jesus for salvation, know that Christ came 2,000 years ago to die for our sins according to the prophetic Scriptures—He died on the cross, was buried, and three days later rose again, seen by witnesses declaring His word is true. If you'd like to receive His grace and forgiveness today, it is a free gift. Pray with me: Dear Jesus, I recognize that I have failed, that I am on the wrong path. I pray that You would come into my life, forgive me of my sin, direct my steps, and help me to follow You by faith. In Jesus' name, amen.