“Established in the Truth”
(2 Peter 1:12-21)
Series: You’d Better Know the Truth (2 Peter)
Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD
Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson
- Take your Bibles and join me in 2 Peter, chapter 1.
Ordinarily, I would give out the page number of the church Bible but as we don’t have our church Bibles here at the Park, there seems little need to tell you that 2 Peter is on page 817, but it is, in case you are interested!
We are studying the Book of 2 Peter, verse-by-verse through the book, believing this is the best way to preach, to study, to learn the Scriptures. Our series is entitled, “You’d Better Know the Truth” and that is because Peter’s main theme in this short letter is that Christians be prepared to recognize false teachers, knowing the truth and living the truth for the glory of God.
In the opening verses of this letter, Peter writes about what it means to be a Christian. He describes Christians as those who are “Partakers of the Divine nature (verse 4).” And then Peter talks about growing as a Christian. We studied that last week where Peter teaches, having become a Christian, we are to add to our faith the virtues of goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (verses 5-7). He says living this way indicates that we truly are Christians and that we are growing.
Peter goes on to say that if a person is not growing in his faith he has become “shortsighted, event to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins (verse 9).” Little wonder, then, that Peter begins in verse 12 of our text this morning, “For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things.” I want to remind you of these things so that you don’t forget.
- Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.
12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent (a reference to his body), to stir you up by reminding you,
14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.
16 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.
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.”
18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
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 rises in your hearts;
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
- Pray.
Introduction:
The passage this morning is all about the truth. At the end of verse 12 Peter describes Christians as those who are, “Established in the present truth,” standing firm in the truth of God’s Word. That’s what we mean by “the truth” this morning; we are talking about God’s truth in God’s Word.
Skepticism about biblical truth is found in every generation. People who doubt the authority and reliability of God’s truth as recorded in the Bible are not only the skeptics of today, but the skeptics of yesterday. In fact, doubting the authority of God’s Word began thousands of years ago, in the Garden of Eden. You’ll remember when the serpent tempted Eve to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good evil he caused Eve to doubt God’s truth. Eve said to the serpent, “God said we’re not to eat of this fruit or we will die,” and the serpent replied, “Has God really said that? Surely not!” And so Satan tried to instill doubt in the minds of those who hear God’s Word and he works the same way today. Nothing has changed.
Peter is writing to Christians in order to equip them to recognize false teachers and false teachings. We need this same help today. There are false teachers and teachings everywhere. So inasmuch as Peter is writing to Christians 2,000 years ago, he is also writing to Christians today. What are his main points in this passage? First:
I. God’s Truth is to be Reviewed by All (12-15)
In verses 12 and following, the word “Remind” is used in three different ways at three different times. God’s Truth is to be Reviewed regularly. Look at verse 12:
12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things (the things of the previous verses, the importance of knowing and living the truth, growing in Christ), though you know and are established in the present truth.
It’s as though Peter says, “Look, I know you already know all this, but I want to remind you of its importance.” Verse 13:
13 Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,
There’s the second reference to reminding. Peter says, “I believe it is right for me to remind you of these things. In fact, I feel it is right to remind you frequently, indeed “as long as I am in this tent,” he says. That’s a reference his body. Peter is referring to his body as a tent. That’s a wise way to look at our bodies.
Many people are consumed with their bodies, trying their best to preserve their bodies from age, sickness, and even death, hoping against hope that their bodies will last like a well-built castle. Peter thought of his body as a temporary house, a tent. That’s an important reminder for us today, especially this Memorial Day weekend, as we reflect on the many who have died before us. We too one day will join them. That’s what Peter says in verse 14:
14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.
Peter is probably referring to that conversation he had with Jesus in John’s Gospel, chapter 21, where Jesus spoke to Peter about the way he would die and how his death would glorify God (John 21:18-19).
Peter died as a martyr, he died for his faith. Church tradition tells us he was crucified under the reign of Nero and that Peter requested that he be crucified upside down, the reason being that he did not feel he was worthy to be crucified in exactly the same way as his Lord Jesus Christ.
So Peter knows he is going to die soon and he says, “I want to remind you of the importance of knowing and living the truth.”
This is instructive. Knowing he will soon die, Peter’s focus is on others and that others live the truth. He’s getting ready to die, even to be martyred, but Peter’s not concerned so much for himself as he’s concerned that those he leaves behind will know and live the truth. Dads, moms, grandparents, can you think of any better legacy to leave your children and grandchildren? Peter is like John who said, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (3 John 4).”
So twice Peter says, “I want to remind you all about these things.” Now a third time in verse 15:
15 Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.
So you see the word “remind” in three forms; verse 12, “remind,” verse 13, “reminding,” and verse 15, “reminder.” Peter reminds Christians of God’s truth for their regular review and so our first sermon point is Peter’s point, “God’s Truth is to be Reviewed by All.” We must regularly review God’s truth.
Why? “That’s easy,” someone says, “so we don’t forget!” Yes, that is what Peter warns against back in verse 9. Don’t become shortsighted in this world, seeing only the things of this world, forgetting you were cleansed from your sins to live for God’s glory.
But think about this for a moment. Can a Christian really forget the fact that his sins were forgiven? I mean, if you approached a Christian who wasn’t growing spiritually or wasn’t living as he should and you said to him something like, “Hey, don’t you remember that Jesus died for your sins?” That person would probably say, “I know! You don’t have to tell me!”
The problem is not that this person has failed to remember the facts of Christ’s death and resurrection. The problem is that this person fails to experience the freshness and power of that truth and so there is no power in his life, no fruit in her daily living. Regular review of the truth takes the truth from the head (facts) and moves it into the heart (feelings). You’ve got to have both–head and heart–to worship and you’ve got to have both–head and heart–to grow in the Lord.
See Peter says in verse 12, “I know you are already established in the truth; my goal is to, verse 13, “stir you up by reminding you” of the truth. It’s as though Peter says, “I know you’ve already got it in your head. I just want to remind you what’s in your head so you keep on feeling it in your hearts.” I want to “stir you up by reminding you.”
That’s the point of the Lord’s Supper. Jesus says, “Do this in remembrance of Me.” How probable is it really for us to forget the facts of Christ’s death? Not very probable. But it we do not regularly review those facts, it is probable that we will fail to appreciate the significance of Christ’s death, no longer feeling the joy of those facts, no longer apprehending and appreciating and experiencing the power of Christ’s death.
It’s the same thing in preaching. I do not preach merely to dispense facts. Preaching and teaching is about worship. It is about our hearing the truth and feeling the truth. We are, to use Peter’s words, “stirred up by reminders” of the truth.
It’s the same with your regular devotion time, your quiet time, your daily Bible reading. You’re not just learning factual information. You are reviewing the facts of the biblical truth so that you may feel the truth afresh and anew.
God’s Truth is to be Reviewed by All. Number two:
II. God’s Truth is Reliable for All (16-19)
In verses 16 and following Peter emphasizes the reliability of God’s truth. Look at verse 16:
16 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.
Peter says, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables.” The Greek word is, mu/qoiß, from which we get myth or legend, a false story with no basis in fact. Biblical truth is not a myth. Peter says the Apostles were eyewitness of Christ’s “majesty,” a majesty revealed to them during Christ’s transfiguration.
That’s what Peter’s talking about there in verses 16 and following. He’s referring to the transfiguration of Christ referenced in the Gospels (Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36). He is probably referring to the transfiguration here because the transfiguration is a prelude to Christ’s second coming and one of the teachings of the false teachers was that Christ’s second coming was a myth (2 Peter 3:3-4). Verse 17:
17 For He (Christ) 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.”
18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
So Peter is saying, “Look, we Apostles are eyewitnesses of Christ’s glory. I was there on the mountain with James and John. We know what we saw. I was so stunned by the whole thing that I didn’t even know at the time what to say. We’re not making this stuff up. It happened.” Verse 19:
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed (made more sure, NASB), which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
Peter says in verse 19, “We have the prophetic word confirmed,” or, “made more sure,” or, “made even more reliable.” That is, the truth about Christ as foretold in the prophets was solid truth and Peter did not doubt it, but when he saw Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, and saw standing on either side of Christ Moses and Elijah, then the prophetic word was “made even more certain” to Peter.
So biblical truth about Christ is anchored in the prophetic Word of Scripture. That’s why we spoke earlier and sang earlier of Jesus Christ in all of the Scriptures, Jesus Christ concealed in the Old Testament, revealed in the New Testament, but He is in every book of the Bible. All the Scripture points to Christ. He is the main point.
In the Law He is needed.
In the Prophets He is predicted.
In the Psalms He is worshiped.
In the Gospels He is described
In the Acts He is proclaimed.
In the Epistles He is explained.
In the Revelation He is unveiled in all His glory.
So Peter says in the second part of verse 19 that the truth is something “you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place.” That makes sense, doesn’t it? The Psalmist said to God, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105).”
Do you need help walking through the dark days of this world? God’s Word is a lamp unto your feet, a light unto your path.” Read it and God will guide you. His word is reliable for all.
So again, verse 19, Peter says that the truth is something “you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;”
The two phrases “Day dawns” and “morning star” are references to Christ’s second coming (cf. Revelation 22:16). So Peter seems to be saying that the Scripture, biblical truth, is sufficient to guide us in every way till Christ returns. The light of Scripture sufficiently guides us until the “true Light (John 1:9)” comes in all His glory. And when He comes our hearts leap for joy!
God’s Truth is to be Reviewed by All. God’s Truth is Reliable for All. Finally:
III. God’s Truth is His Revelation to All (20-21)
Verse 20 and following:
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Peter is saying that God is the originator of biblical truth. The prophets and prophecies of the Old Testament are true because God is the One revealing that truth to and through the prophets. This is in contrast to false prophets through whom God was not revealing truth. If you look ahead just one verse in chapter 3 you note the contrast, chapter 3, verse 1, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you,” more about that next time.
For now, the point is that, unlike false teachers who come up with their own ideas, biblical truth is that which originates with God. God is the ultimate author of Scripture. And Peter says in the last part of verse 21, “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” This means that God guided the prophets in the speaking of His Word and, consequently, the writing down of His Word.
So what is true of Old Testament prophecy is true of all Scripture and thus Paul can say in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” that is, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” God breathed His truth through the writers of Scripture, revealing to them and through them all things necessary to be written down.
It’s His Revelation to All. God revealed His truth to and through human writers. So God guided these writers, using their various backgrounds, education, talents and abilities. These writers were not robots, mechanically writing down what God said. Rather, they used their heads and hearts and grasp of language and literature and God guided their writings in such a way that what they ultimately wrote down was exactly what He wanted written down.
That’s what this phrase means at the end of verse 21, “Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” They were borne or carried along by God as God revealed His truth through them.
The word “moved” there is the same word used in Acts 27 to describe what happened to the ship Paul was riding on when he was on his way to Rome and a hurricane developed. You’ll remember the Bible says Paul’s ship was being “driven by the wind (Acts 27:15).” It’s the same Greek word here in verse 21 translated, “moved.” In other words, just as the men on Paul’s ship were working the sails and so forth, using their talents and abilities, so the wind (God!) moved and carried that ship along on its journey. Similarly men write down words of Scripture, being moved and carried along by God so that what they ultimately write down is exactly what He wants written down.
And the Holy Spirit superintends and guides the writers, preserving them from recording error and seeing that they write down nothing but pure 100% biblical truth. So Scripture is fully the Word of God though recorded in the words of men. Isn’t that wonderful?!
God’s Truth is to be Reviewed by All, it is Reliable for All, it is Revealed to All.
So, being established in the truth, do you regularly review the truth?
Like Peter, I want to “stir you up by reminding you” of this glorious truth. Read the truth every day. You don’t need something “new.” False teachers are always promising some “new experience,” some “new idea.” But “I heard an old, old story how a Savior came from glory; How he gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me.”
That which you know to be true in your head, review every day and feel in your heart, and walk in victory.
- Let’s pray.
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