Take a moment to read 2 Peter 1:12-20

Last Words

Peter doesn’t have a lot of time left. He knows that there will be a day when his jailers will come to get him and this time he won’t return to his cell. I am sure the words of Jesus often rang in his mind, “When you are old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go” (John 21:18). The Apostle John overheard Jesus’s words and recorded them for us. Even when he heard them, Peter knew that Jesus words were a foreshadowing of his own death. A week earlier he had promised to give his life for Jesus and had failed. He had denied Jesus three times. This time he would not fail. History tells us that Peter was martyred under Nero’s reign. Church history says that he was crucified upside down on a cross.

In this part of his letter, Peter says that his goal for as long as he is alive is to remind his readers of the truth of Jesus. He says that he will soon be “put aside” (1 Peter 1:14). Until then, his every word to his readers is “remember these things” (v. 15).

It’s More than a Story

Peter reminds his readers that the gospel story is not an invented story (v.16). He wouldn’t be in prison awaiting execution for an invention. It’s important for us to remember that Peter initially ran away in fear when Jesus was arrested.

How does one move from fear to being willing to die for their beliefs? Peter tells us. He is an eyewitness. He was with Jesus from the very beginning and even though he stumbled the week of the crucifixion, the resurrection was a turning point.

Every word of scripture testifies to Jesus. The prophets weren’t coming up with clever words and interpretations. Prophecy comes from the Lord. Their lives and their words came directly from the Holy Spirit (v.21).

Application:

Peter, like many if not most of the prophets before him, gave his life for the message of God. We can with integrity ask the question, “Did this come from human imagining or did it come from God?” One has to ask this question, especially in a day and age when people say, “God told me!”

How can we know if someone is speaking the truth today?

We have the eyewitness’s testimonies. The reason we have the books of the Bible that we do is because they came from the eyewitnesses. Most of them gave their lives for the gospel story. Even though modern literary criticism is seeking to cast doubt on the authenticity og the Bible, we have church history on our side. The early church vetted every one of these books. They asked the questions, “Who was the author? Were they eyewitnesses or connected to the eyewitnesses? Does it carry the authority of scripture? Is it prophetic (2 Peter 1:19-21)? Was it received (1 Thessalonians 2:13?”

Apart from Bible, believers today have to be very careful about saying “God told me.” If we make such a claim then whatever we are hearing has to be in line with the Word of God. If it’s not, then it’s not from God. It might be from our own mind or even demonic, but it’s definitely not God.

Paul tells us to test everything to see if it is from the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:21). He also tells us to be careful because Satan masquerades as an angel of light (1 Corinthians 11:14). John tells us that there are “many false prophets” in the world (1 John 4:1-4).

How can we know what’s right? The answer: is it in keeping with God’s Word, the Bible?

1. Why is it important for us to distinguish between the Bible and what Peter calls “cleverly invented stories?”
2. What does it do for you to know that the eyewitnesses believed the gospel story so much that they we were willing to sacrifice everything to share it with others?
3. How can you honor God’s Word even more than you possibly do?

What would you say to God based on your reading today? Take some time to talk to God in prayer.

Consider writing down a key verse or verses from today on an index card or small piece of paper and carry it with you today. Look at it as often as you can as a reminder of what we learned today.

Possible Verses: 1 Peter 1:16, 1 Peter 1:20-21