2 Peter Chapter 1

16 “
For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you
about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honour and glory from
God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory,
saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
18
We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we
were with him on the sacred mountain.
19
We also have the prophetic message as something completely
reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a
light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning
star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no
prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own
interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the
human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Peter does not validate the gospel from second-hand stories that
were manufactured and devised by people but offers three
testimonies: the testimony of their first-hand experience, the
testimony of the heavenly voice of God and the prophetic scriptures
of the Old testament that predicted the advent of Christ.

Eyewitness accounts that are immediate always carry great weight

and authenticity rather than reported events and hearsay. Peter
states they both heard and saw – clear definite sensory experiences
and not just visions or dreams. In addition, God himself, the Father,
declared that Jesus was his Son who enjoyed his full affection and
approbation. These are weighty testimonies that validate the gospel
and the ministry and person of Jesus.

The prophecies of the Old Testament themselves carried a weight of

certainty and authority. They predicted the coming saviour of Israel
and the world. Their words were God’s words and considered as
scripture as these prophecies were recorded usually with the
preamble “Thus says the Lord”.

The chief point of their prophetic utterances was the coming of

Christ and when Jesus came, the fact that he came made the Old
Testament prophecies even more certain. Jesus proved the reliability
of their prophecies and of scripture itself. The scriptures were made
more “certain” the word meaning a reliable foundation that one
could walk on, utterly dependable and steadfast. Jesus upholds the
certainty of scripture. We have therefore the apostolic testimony of
what they saw on the mountain, the divine voice testifying to Christ
and the dependable Old Testament predictions strengthened by the
appearance of Christ.

We have a variety of modes of communication – voices, visions, and

written texts. Peter seems to concentrate on the written word and
has an elevated view of the Bible. Prophets were usually in a
heightened state as God’s Spirit “filled” them, and they were able to
speak of future events and address the issues in their own era with
timely messages to preserve the religious life of Israel. Peter excludes
any human element in the production of these texts.

This elevated view of the written word that he held, did it extend to
those letters the apostles wrote to the churches that addressed
pastoral issues, and some were even personal letters? Were they
aware that they were writing scripture? Peter answers in the
affirmative. He wrote in the third chapter of this epistle, that Paul the
Apostle’s letters are in the same category as scripture. The authors of
the New Testament were therefore like the prophets of old, not
writing from their own volition, but borne by the Holy Spirit in their
gospels and epistles. Therefore, scripture is not a collection of myths
or fables, nor is it the production of human intellect, but they are an
expression of God’s direct communication to the Church.
It appears that the patience of Peter’s audience was wearing thin,
and that hope was being extinguished. The early church members
suffered persecution and held an eager expectation for the coming
kingdom. The delay dampened their hopes. Likewise, we must not
lose hope. The Old Testament prophets were made sure by the
appearing of Jesus, and the New Testament prophets will one day be
vindicated when Jesus comes again. Hope extinguished is a great
enemy, but a lively hope and trust in his promises are the heart and
soul of a Christian like a lighted lamp in the mind of a believer.