2 Peter 1:16-21
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
“In the beginning God” is how the book of Genesis begins (Genesis 1:1). It tells us that the One True God created everything that is ex nihilo, meaning “out of nothing.” He didn’t use pre-existent materials. He didn’t borrow ideas or materials from another universe, or being. Genesis 1-2 tell us, that in six days, God spoke and created everything that is. The writer of Hebrews elaborates on this, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:3).
The Word of God, not only brought the world into existence, but also is effectively working in the world now in the hearts of people, revealing to them who the God of the universe is. The great truth of the matter is that God has spoken. God has spoken in the past through prophets and through miraculous acts that He performed through people that He has interacted with in real. He has ultimately spoken in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1-2).
The questions that these truths bring to our minds are, “How do I know that God has spoken?” and “How do I know what He has said?” The amazing answer to these questions is a book that we call, “the Holy Bible.” “Bible” comes from the Greek word biblion which means book. “Holy” marks it out as both pure and unique among all books that exist. The Bible is comprised of 66 books, written by 40 human authors over the course of 4,000 years. The books contain a consistent theme – the fall and redemption of God’s creation for His own glory in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
The Apostle Peter wrote approximately 2,000 years ago about how the books of the Bible came to be. He first recounts his own eyewitness experience when he, James, and John went up with Jesus on a high mountain and saw Jesus “transfigured” before them. He was glorified before them and Moses and Elijah, two prophets from the Old Testament, were present. The voice of the Father rings out from heaven and instructs the three disciples to listen to Jesus. The event foreshadowed Christ’s eventual Second Coming in glory that He had promised. Peter writes to Christians facing false teachers who were denying that promise. In this passage, we can draw out three truths about the Bible that reveal that it is God’s perfect, inspired Word.
First, God’s Word is confirmed. The events of Scripture are real, recorded, eye witnessed, historical events. Peter, James, and John did not hallucinate the exact same event. They saw Jesus glorified and heard the voice of the Father. People have tried to disprove the events of Scripture and have never been able to disprove any part of the Bible. It has withstood all scrutiny and stands as true.
God’s Word is also sure. Peter moves from that experience to talk about all of Scripture. He tells us that beyond His eyewitness testimony, we have “a more sure word of prophecy.” The “more sure Word” are the Scriptures. Personal experience can be valuable, but personal experience is never the ultimate test of truth. The ultimate test for truth is what is objective and unchanging. God’s Word, the Bible, is unchanging. It is fixed and solid. Whatever we experience in life, we must always be careful to weigh it by the Scripture and submit to what God has said.
Lastly, God’s Word is divine. The Bible did not come from human authors, merely. “Private interpretation” does not mean that we should not interpret (understand, study, and explain) the Bible. Instead, Peter is telling us that Scripture did not come from the writers’ own imagination or ideas. The Holy Spirit “moved” (or “carried along like ship’s sails by the wind”) men to write what is in the Bible. Therefore, God’s Word is written by men, but it is the very Word of God. The doctrine of Inspiration is that God breathed out the words of Scripture. He used the personalities, experiences, styles, and situations of the various authors in the process, but every Word of the Bible is the Word of God.
The Christian does not need to shrink back in fear without confidence when the Bible is securitized by the culture. The Bible will withstand all scrutiny because it is the Word of God. The questions are, “Do I believe it?” and “Do I obey it?” The Creator of the universe has spoken to us through His Word. If we truly believe that to be true, we should seek to completely orient our lives around it.