2 Peter 1:19-20 English Standard Version

Christ’s Glory and the Prophetic Word

¹⁹ And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.

What stands out here are two distinct issues. The prophetic word is fully confirmed, meaning that what has occurred has been witnessed over and over again. The second part is that some of the readers of this letter may not have been a witness to that prophetic word yet. “Until that day dawns” speaks to a coming event, one which will be personal because it occurs in the reader’s heart.

How do you tell believers that are inexperienced that there is more to this life in Christ than what they have seen? You cannot be specific because what Christ does in each of us is personal.  Pay attention to the light is an encouragement to the novice that a new day is about to dawn in their hearts.

The issue of a personal interpretation speaks to a unity of the Spirit in which the Spirit confirms that which is happening in our hearts is a common reality for those who have placed their faith in Christ. It is common knowledge that the promises of God are confirmed in the Spirit by a yes and amen but we do not all receive those promises at the same place in our walk with Christ? Some things take time.

The last verse of this opening chapter of 2 Peter is “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

While we may or may not be carried away as some have experienced, the Spirit in us can and will confirm it is of God. Hearing that is also a matter of experience. If a believer is not quite there yet, the dawn is coming. His promise is yes and amen.

2 Peter 1:16-18 English Standard Version

Christ’s Glory and the Prophetic Word

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths 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, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

Leaving the prophetic word for later, let us focus on Christ’s Glory. Here Peter relates to an eyewitness account, one shared with John and James. This is Peter’s telling, John and James are not there to confirm. By two or three witnesses shall the truth be known. Peter’s telling is a personal matter.

Some of us have seen Christ’s glory first hand. It is our witness and so often we had no one there to confirm what happened. This is our witness and it is important but how can we be a witness to His glory without it sounding like a “cleverly devised myth”?

How does anyone’s words carry weight? First of all there has to be a relationship between the speaker and the hearer. Those hearing our witness must discover us to be honest God fear witnesses that would never dream of lying about something so important.

At the time of this writing Peter had already established his credentials. These are his words in addressing this epistle. “To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:” v1

A faith of equal standing indicates that Peter knows his audience and has established a relationship with them. It is then by the power of the Holy Spirit that he feels free to share such important eyewitness accounts that if shared with unbelievers they could be received as myth.