Myth or Reality?
February 6 - 2 Peter 1:16-21
Open It
If you knew you were about to die and had time to make only one phone call or write one letter, whom would you contact? Why?
To what interesting event have you been an eyewitness?
Explore It
What did Peter say he and others had not followed? (1:16)
What gave Peter credibility? (1:16)
What did God say about Jesus? (1:17)
Who heard the voice of God? Where? (1:18)
What did Peter tell his readers that they should do? (1:19)
What did Peter want his readers to understand? (1:20)
What makes prophecy special? (1:21)
Get It
How important to your faith is it that Peter (and other New Testament writers) were eyewitnesses of the life of Christ?
Why is it important to know that our faith is grounded in history?
How do you need to change your Bible study habits in light of Scripture's importance?
How do you think the Bible was written?
How should Peter's statements about the origin of Scripture impact our faith as well as our study of the Bible?
Why is it important to know about the origin of the Bible?
What is unique about Scripture?
How can we be confident that the Bible is the Word of God?
Apply It
What portion of Scripture that you have neglected lately will you take the time to study this week?
How can you read the Bible differently this week in light of its importance?
Notes
2 Peter 1:12-15: Outstanding coaches constantly review the basics of the sport with their teams, and good athletes can execute the fundamentals consistently well. We must not neglect the basics of our faith when we go on to study deeper truths. Just as an athlete needs constant practice, we need constant reminders of the fundamentals of our faith and of how we came to believe in the first place.
2 Peter 1:16-21: Peter is referring to the transfiguration where Jesus' divine identity was revealed to him and two other disciples, James and John (see Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36).
2 Peter 1:16-21: This section is a strong statement on the inspiration of Scripture. Peter affirms that the Old Testament prophets wrote God's messages. He puts himself and the other apostles in the same category, because they also proclaim God's truth. The Bible is not a collection of fables or human ideas about God. It is God's very words given through people to people. Peter emphasized his authority as an eyewitness as well as the God-inspired authority of Scripture to prepare the way for his harsh words against the false teachers. If these wicked men were contradicting the apostles and the Bible, their message could not be from God.
2 Peter 1:19: Christ is the "morning star," and when he returns, he will shine in his full glory. Until that day we have Scripture as a light and the Holy Spirit to illuminate Scripture for us and guide us as we seek the truth. For more on Christ as the morning star, see Luke 1:78; Ephesians 5:14; Revelation 2:28; Revelation 22:16.
2 Peter 1:20-21: "Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" means that Scripture did not come from the creative work of the prophets' own invention or interpretation. God inspired the writers, so their message is authentic and reliable. The biblical writers were God's pen-people, not God's pen! God encouraged the use of the talents, education, and cultural background of each writer (they were not mindless robots); and God cooperated with the writers in such a way to ensure that the message he intended was faithfully communicated in the very words they wrote.