3 positive arguments why we can count on the Bible’s testimony
I. Because It Is Eyewitness Testimony
1 Peter 1:16 - For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ…
A. Eyewitnesses of the transfiguration
2 Peter 1:17-18 - For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”…and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
B. The close connection between the transfiguration and the second coming
Matthew 16:27-17:2 - For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light…behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
Mark 9:1-2 - And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them…
Luke 9:27 - But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.
Psalm 2:6-7 - But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain. I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You.”
II. Because It Is Prophetic Testimony
2 Peter 1:19-21 - So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
A. The transfiguration proves there is a second coming
B. We must pay careful attention to it
C. We need it until he returns
1 John 3:2 - Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
III. Because It Is the Holy Spirit’s Testimony
2 Peter 1:20-21 - But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
A. Because the Bible is not a product of human will
B. Because the Bible is a product of the Holy Spirit moving the authors
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
C. Because the whole story fits together
Welcome back from Labor Day weekend
Last week, Pastor Birk introduced our verse-by-verse walk through the book of 2 Peter, where he discussed the sufficiency of God’s divine power for life and godliness
Building off of this foundation, Peter narrows his focus in on the trustworthiness of the account that the apostles have given towards Christ
Again, this was written in the context of a barrage of false teaching, intent on drawing people away from the true gospel as our first section makes clear
The next natural question is: why should I listen to YOU?
Peter wasn’t the only one who had “opinions” on the application of the Old Testament. Why are so many other people still waiting on the promised Messiah?
Peter wasn’t the only one who had “thoughts” on the end times. If Jesus is really coming, why isn’t he here yet?
Peter wasn’t the only person with a “sense” of justice. How can a God who claims to be good send people to hell?
For preaching purposes, some passages of Scripture are ripe with application
Others serve as narratives that collide with our life and contemporary setting
And some passages are so rich with doctrine that it does the text an injustice if we simply overlook the depths of meaning
So this morning, we’re going to break out our exegetical shovel and get to work digging
I promise we’ll strike gold along the way
Please turn to 2 Peter 1, starting in v 16 (183)
This passage is a continuation of our current series, Growing in Grace and Knowledge
And to prepare us a bit for what we’re about to study, it’s worth visiting the five classical fundamentals of the faith, since our passage deals directing with TWO
The five classic fundamental of the faith are…
1. The inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture;
2. The deity of Jesus Christ;
3. The virgin birth of Christ;
4. The substitutionary, atoning work of Christ on the cross; and
5. The physical resurrection and the personal bodily return of Christ to the earth.
Why are they fundamental?
Because you can’t reasonably be a Christian without being convinced of each
They are also called: first tier matters
In other words, they are of the utmost importance
We can talk about dispensationalism vs covenantalism, cessationism vs continuationism, or Arminianism vs Calvinism and still fellowship with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ
It’s not the case with this list
For instance, if you don’t believe in the inerrancy of Scripture, then you have an authority outside of God’s Word that you’re basing all your conclusions off of
Or if you don’t believe Jesus is God, then His sacrifice on the cross was insufficient, and you’re still dead in your sins
We could go down the list and see that it’s hard or impossible to conclude that someone is a Christian who rejects these fundamentals of the faith
This morning, we will be talking about Hope in the Promised Return of Jesus and the Inspired Word
Our passage will deal with the first and last fundamental of the faith
Please follow along as I read our passage for this morning…
Text
2 Peter 1:16-21 – 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales 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, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— 18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
This is God’s Word, and with the time we have remaining, let’s discuss three positive arguments why we can count on the Bible’s testimony
The first point that comes up in our passage is that we can trust the book in our hands…
I. Because it is Eyewitness Testimony
Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard this name before: Neil Armstrong…
What was he famous for?
Going to Purdue!
No – he was the first man to walk on the moon…
And what a claim that would be! It would certainly beat out all other travel boasting
And it would be almost unbelievable, if it weren’t true
1 Peter 1:16 – For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.
Imagine for a moment that Neil Armstrong was still alive, and he happens to be sitting in the same class that you’re in at Purdue
The professor, who was born well-after the Apollo 11 landing, goes on to say what many of us have suspected since childhood – the surface of the moon is, in fact, made out of cheese…
As delightful as that may sound, Neil stands up and declares, “though it wish it were true, it is just made out of regular-old moon-dust…”
Well you, as the spectator, have a decision to make…
Am I going to trust the learned professor with as many degrees as Celsius, or am I going to believe the guy who walked on the moon…
Do you know there are for more erroneous, and FAR more consequential arguments still active today?
I remember in college, a debate against some guy and the president of Iowa State’s Atheism chapter started to debate
The atheist kept denying the existence of Jesus, saying he didn’t even believe that this guy who we call Jesus walked the earth
Though I was only a spectator, I wanted to ask him: “what year is it?”
At that time, it was about 2008
“what does that number come from?”
“So the man who prompted us to alter the way we view time itself – you don’t actually believe (2,000 years later) that He even existed…”
Frankly, I didn’t even know that was an option!
Tell me the moon is made of cheese before you convince me Jesus didn’t walk the earth
But the people in who were spectators of that debate had a decision as well – trust this guy who had been raised up as the president of the Atheist society and his take on Jesus, or believe the guy who was relying on the WORD…
Peter was getting similar pushback – “you’re just following cleverly devised tales – stories for weak people who need some sort of hope for a life to come…”
First off, you’ll notice he doesn’t say, “I”, but “we”…
WE were not following cleverly devised tales, but WE were eyewitnesses
He’s referring to the apostles – those who were with Jesus during His earthly ministry – the “Neil Armstrong’s” in the debate
And the apostles didn’t just believe Jesus existed – they talk about the POWER and the COMING of Christ
They write about what Jesus DID and what He is GOING to do
And to begin, Peter appeals to being an…
A. Eyewitnesses of the transfiguration
He began by making passing reference to the earthly ministry of Christ (His coming and His power), and now he points to a specific instance of that ministry – the transfiguration…
2 Peter 1:17-18 – For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased”— and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
First – what is the “transfiguration”?
We’ll quote the passages in a bit, but the transfiguration was an isolated time in Jesus’s ministry where he momentarily assumed His glorified state while with Peter, James, and John were with Him on a mountain
They got a glimpse of what Christ was about to look like after He would die on the cross and rise 3 days later and ascend on high
No special effects or tricks could fake what they were witness to – it’d be far easier to prove that the moon landing was faked than to pull off the transfiguration…
And during that time when Jesus was in that state, the Father testified from heaven saying “this is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.”
So they saw the glorified Christ and they heard the verifying testimony from heaven of God the Father
Where is this ultimately leading? What is Peter trying to prove?
In part…
B. The close connection between the transfiguration and the second coming
To get this connection, let’s begin with looking at the actual event…
Matthew 16:27-17:2 – “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light…. behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”
Let me pause here and point out – some people may struggle with that first portion: when Jesus comes, he’ll repay every man according to his deeds…
There are some who don’t like the idea of a God who would punish sinners – even to the point where they would face an eternity in hell
My reply to that is: be FAR MORE SHOCKED that the very God we have so eternally offended would himself take that punishment for all who would call upon His name
We shouldn’t be shocked by justice – it’s a system that was placed in your own heart, according to Romans 2
We should be amazed at the apparent injustice of the offended party becoming the punished party so that the offending party may go free
If that’s where you find yourself this morning—aghast that the God of all creation would punish wickedness—instead of finding fault with Him, see the fault in yourself…
Understand that you have done more than enough to earn the sentence of hell – for a sin against an eternal Being demands and eternal punishment
But then see that Jesus – this One whom Peter testifies about – took that sin upon His cross and paid for it in full
This is no “cleverly devised tale,” but a gospel of true hope, eternal in its implications
Looking back to our message, we see that Mark gives a brief account of the transfiguration…
Mark 9:1-2 – And Jesus was saying to them, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and *brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them;
Luke 9:27 – “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”
Part of the goal of the transfiguration, as each synoptic gospel points out, was that it served as a foretelling of what the second coming would look like
Peter, by mentioning it in his second epistle, is pointing his readers to the hope that is to come through the valid testimony of the apostles
As Pastor Birk mentioned last week, Peter was writing this letter (in large part) as a response to false teaching that had become rampant
Many authoritative figures had conflicting beliefs about who Christ was and where hope resided
The same is the case today…
Countless respectable people, from the staunch atheist to those who would call themselves “pastor” (and everyone in-between) have a set of beliefs that come into conflict with the eyewitness testimony of what is written in God’s Word
Their hope is not in the second coming of Christ – and how could it be? That’s when punishment for those who would contradict the living God will come to pass
Peter is trying to convince each of us: not only is our testimony valid, but our hope in Christ’s return is sure
Where is your hope, Christian friend?
Do you trust God’s Word and look for Christ’s return?
There should be evidence in your life that you believe: “in the end, Jesus will come to make all things right…”
When I’m away from Alexandra – whom I love dearly – what do I want (in respect to our relationship)?
I want to be reunited with her!
Ask anyone who’s in love – they just want to be with the other person
This is basic stuff for the Christian – we want Jesus to return, because He’s all we really want
Eventually my children will grow old and move away, the house I live in will get torn down, the comfort I enjoy will be stripped away (either by time or circumstance) – one thing alone can remain
And praise God that it’s also the one thing that really matters
So we can trust God’s Word because it’s comprised of eyewitness testimonies…
**please remove pictures from Washington
Psalm 2:6-7 – But as for Me, I have installed My King Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.
The second reason we can trust the Bible’s testimony is…
II. Because it is Prophetic Testimony
We especially see this in verse 19 of our passage…
2 Peter 1:19-21 – So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
The “prophetic word” that Peter is referencing here is likely pointing to the OT passages regarding the foretelling of the Christ
It was reliable well before Jesus took on flesh, some 2,000 ago
How much more reliable is it, since the apostles were able to see those specific prophesies coming to stark fruition
In other words, this eyewitness testimony doesn’t just serve to validate the ministry of Christ, but it allows the Christian to confidently look at the OT as God’s infallible word
I can read Romans and Leviticus and conclude – this has the same Author – but more on that later…
We see that…
A. The transfiguration proves there is a second coming
We saw earlier that there was a clear relationship between the transfiguration and Jesus’s second coming
Matthew, Mark, and Luke each cue up the transfiguration narrative with a promise of Christ’s coming
This gives us confidence that Jesus will, in fact, return for those who are His
And this “prophetic word” that Peter is speaking about is not to be neglected
Instead…
B. We must pay careful attention to it
By way of reminder, he says, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place…”
As I mentioned before – there are countless false teachers who would come into contradiction with God’s Word
Do you know what they are?
False lights… Jude describes them as…
Jude 12b-13 – …clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.
What does light do?
It may be more helpful to think about what we lack in the darkness…
In the dark, we have no perception of where things are
We have no idea what’s around us, where we’re going, or how to get there
For a more innocuous example, recount a time when you stubbed your toe or stepped on something hard in the dark (*if time, share football tryout story)
But for an example more realistic to our passage, think of a more dire illustration
We’re barreling through this life at breakneck speed, the course is riddled with obstacles and dangers, and there’s a clear end for each of us (death into eternity)
We need LIGHT
False teachers, like wandering stars, give off a light that presents only a partial picture of our surroundings
Obviously, the closer it adheres to the truth from God’s Word, the brighter it appears
But since it is a false light, it will lead to false ends…
Not so for the Bible
God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, according to Psalm 119
Jesus, in John 9, claims to be “the light of the world”
The Prophet Micah, when he was dwelling in darkness, looked to the Lord as His light (Micah 7:8)
And David, who faced an incredible amount of hardship, said this of the Lord:
Psalm 18:28 – You light my lamp; the Lord my God illumines my darkness.
What’s the application, brothers and sisters?
The question is obvious: what’s illuminating your life?
Are you allowing the Word of God to function as the standard by which you view and navigate life, or are there contradictory theories—FALSE LIGHTS—that are guiding you?
You may tire of the application: “read your Bible” – but why do you suppose it comes up so often?
Do your pastors try to find it in the text, even if it’s not there? Are we only picking passages that talk about it?
Or is it possible that the Lord is constantly bringing it up?
One way to test what illumines your life: do you know what does God’s word has to say about your marriage, and would an onlooker say you have a “biblical marriage”?
What about your work? Your rest? Your friendships? Your conversations? Your trials? Your conduct?
What about your time alone?
Psalm 119:9 – How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.
Look to the Word, brothers and sisters…
C. We need it until He returns
We are to pay attention to this prophetic Word…
1 Peter 1:19b - …until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.
The Word of God is awesome – those who love Christ know this to be the case
That’s what makes the end of verse 19 seem almost irreverent…
The word of God is this lamp that allows us to see our surroundings in the dark, but there is a light coming that, by comparison, shines like the morning star…
We have a room in our house that has a series of windows that face east
At night, if I don’t flip on the light switch, I can see virtually nothing
But in the morning, when the sun is just above the horizon, I’ll open up those windows
Do you know what effect that light switch has at 8:00 in the morning on a sunny day? Almost nothing…
Right now, we know Jesus through His Word
But a day is coming – we can see it like the glow before a brilliant sunrise – when Jesus will be with His people and make Himself known to us in a what currently unimaginable
John talks about this in his first epistle…
1 John 3:2 – Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
It’s hard to imagine – a world that will be utterly devoid of death, pain, suffering, sorrow, loss, sin, regret, and all things bad
And even more difficult to imagine is an existence where the Word of God will seem like a lamp in comparison to the surrounding glory of Christ
But until that morning star dawns, we need to look to the lamp of God’s Word to light our way in this dark world
And the final reason why we can trust the Bible’s testimony is…
III. Because of the Holy Spirit’s Testimony
The testimony of an eyewitness is powerful – much like Neil Armstrong saying that the surface of the moon is made up of dust
And the testimony of a prophetic witness is even more validating, like being handed a sample of the moon’s surface for you to look at and touch – see: not cheese!
But the testimony of the Holy Spirit is more powerful than being transported to the surface of the moon itself…
2 Peter 1:20-21 – But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
It’d be one thing to have an eyewitness account of what Jesus said and did while on earth
But to have the testimony of GOD HIMSELF puts all else to shame
2 Peter 1:20-21 is often considered one of the most vital passages regarding the validity of the Bible
Because if it’s true – and I believe whole-heartedly that it is – then the book you’re holding – and NO OTHER BOOK – is God’s Word
How can this be?
A. Because the Bible is not a product of human will
Peter is building off of everything he’s already said
We can trust that God penned the OT, because look at what it perfectly said of Jesus!
And we can trust what is said of the things to come, because of the power and coming of Christ
Time would fail us to rehearse all of the OT prophesies regarding Jesus, but our conclusion at the end would be this: no human could have thought, guessed, or dreamed this up
The perfect accuracy of each prophesy shows that the One holding the pen is none other than God Himself…
B. Because the Bible is a product of the Holy Spirit moving in the authors
2 Peter 1 gives us the detailed mechanics of what Paul discussed in 2 Timothy 3…
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
You and I get things wrong all the time
If you don’t agree, then let’s see how your March Madness bracket turned out this last NCAA tournament…
God, on the other hand, doesn’t make any mistakes
It is a perfect light, illuminating our surroundings in a perfect way
Those existing within darkness cannot accurately describe their surroundings
It would be as though you were led into a pitch-black room and asked to provide pain-staking detail, simply by looking
But the One who created the room is able to perfectly describe every aspect of it, shedding light for the rest of us
That, in itself, is its own validation
Pragmatically speaking, how do I know God’s Word to be God’s Word?
It’s perfect on how it describes the human condition, historical events, and all other things pertaining to life and godliness
In other words, it could only have been written from an outside looking in perspective – and God ALONE bears that vantage point
But beyond that, we know the Holy Spirit is the ultimate author
C. Because the whole story fits together
Peter, through the Holy Spirit, is trying to convince us that the Word of God is something we can place our hope in
Beyond that, he’s trying to highlight our need to navigate our lives based on what it teaches
So why is he talking about the second coming of Christ – doesn’t that seem beside the point?
Here’s the reason: it all fits together
Moreover, the second coming is the climax of the story—the event that every Christian is grounding their hope in
It makes sense that Peter would point to this event as the validating reason to trust in the Word
And this is to say nothing of the congruency from one book of the Bible to the next – the indwelling Spirit confirms in the Christian that He is the author of each of its 66 books
We have that same natural intuition as well:
This author writes: Then NEW troubles came! From above! And below!
A Skritz at my neck! And a Skrink at my toe!
And now I was really in trouble, you know.
The rocks! And the Quail! And the Skritz! And the Skrink!
I had so many troubles I just couldn’t think!
Though I doubt many of you have read the book “I Had Trouble In Getting To Solla Sollew”, it wouldn’t take long to guess that it’s an excerpt from a Dr. Seuss book…
Romans and Leviticus, by way of content and purpose, have very little in common
But when we read either of them, we know that the Author is One in the same: the only One who has that external vantage point – and it’s a more distinct signature sound than any Dr. Seuss book
So trust in the eyewitness accounts of Christ – those who lived life with Him and sat under His direct teaching
Look to the prophetic Word, as you would a light in the darkness
And trust that the divine Author of the Word is good on His promise: Christ will come back, and we will live with Him forever in the unimaginable light of His glory…
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