GROUNDED IN HISTORY, DIVINE REVELATION, AND HOLY SCRIPTURE

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1 The Transfiguration of Our Lord March 2, 2014 GROUNDED IN HISTORY, DIVINE REVELATION, AND HOLY SCRIPTURE (2 PETER 1:16-21) 16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor 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. 91 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, 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. 02 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. 09 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Introduction: Have you ever asked yourself this question: Why am I [still] a Christian? The Lord has seen fit to bring me into contact with numerous people who question the validity of the Christian faith. Some have grown up in a Christian home (at least in profession) but have turned away or at least have serious doubts. Others have believed in different religions or philosophies that are at odds with the Bible. I have heard lots of tough questions, and they have really helped me to ponder what I believe and why I put my trust in Jesus Christ. In Peter s day, the first century A.D., this Apostle had to deal with critics, and this is reflected in today s New Testament reading. Second Peter was written shortly before his death (1:4), so this epistle was in essence his last will and testament to the Church. (His martyrdom took place between A.D. 64 and 66.) His second epistle focuses on opposition caused by false teachers whose destructive heresies (2:1) could seduce believers into error and immorality. Peter concentrates on knowledge of the truth as the proper response to error.

2 In essence, the Apostle affirms that the best antidote for error is a mature understanding of the truth. Indeed, he seeks to provide a reminder (1:12-13; 3:1-2) of the foundational elements in the Christian life from which they must not waver. This includes the certainty of the Lord s return in power and judgment. Let s see how this man of God answered his opponents, and then consider how this can be applied to our own lives. I. Say No to Myths Grounded in History (1:16) 1:16 The first word of the Greek text is for (gar), which has been omitted by the New International Version for the sake of smoothness of translation. This word for indicates that this passage provides a reason for what is stated in verses 12-15: 90 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 91 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 91 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 91 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. While Peter uses the first person singular I in verses 12-15, he now switches to the first person plural we, which includes his fellow apostles. In other words, this is not the testimony of just one man there are others. This heightens his own credibility what he is affirming is entirely reliable and even verifiable. He is not making this up; he and his companions did not follow cleverly invented stories. Cleverly invented (sophizō) means that Peter did not read his own wise ideas into the truth or artfully put his own spin on the data. His teaching was not a bunch of deceitfully concocted poppycock! Stories (muthos) is literally translated as myths. The old Greek and Roman myths consisted of stories about the gods and goddesses, which were generally not understood to be literally true. They were tall tales told to teach philosophical, religious, and moral principles in a vivid way, much in the same way that we view Grimm s fairy tales. This term muthos could also have quite a negative connotation of being something that is childish, outlandish, and utterly nonsensical. The Apostle Peter is affirming that the Bible does not contain childish stories or fairy tales, but instead that God s Word is firmly grounded in real, live, human history. One example of Christian teaching that Peter s opponents found incredible was the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which here refers to Christ s second coming. (The Greek word for coming, parousia, consistently refers to Jesus second advent at the end of human history.) How does Peter support his assertion that the apostolic teaching regarding such doctrines as Christ s coming are in fact true and reliable?

3 Eyewitnesses (epoptēs) means that Peter, James, and John were first-hand observers of Jesus life and miracles, with particular emphasis upon His transfiguration in this context. As the Apostle John affirms in 1 John 1:1: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched-- this we proclaim concerning the word of Life. What solid testimony! This is totally different from superstitious and foolish Greek and Roman myths! There have been criticisms leveled against God and His Word throughout church history. For example, in the second century writing known as 2 Clement, this statement is made: The Gentiles, when they hear from our mouth the oracles of God [teaching from the Holy Scriptures], they marvel at them for their beauty and greatness. Then, when they discover that our works are not worthy of the words that we speak, they turn to blasphemy, saying that it is a myth and a delusion (2 Clement 13:3). Probably one of the most famous critics of Christianity in the twentieth century was the British philosopher ( ) Bertrand Russell. He even wrote an article entitled Why I Am Not a Christian. I have gone over this article with a group of believers during a Sunday Bible class, and we were surprised by what this seemingly brilliant philosopher had to say. At one point Dr. Russell makes this unsubstantiated comment: Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if He did we do not know anything about Him. Nothing could be further from the truth! Not only does this man ignore the plain historical assertions of the New Testament, we even have neutral and hostile testimony from Jewish and Roman sources that Jesus existed. This rather learned person simply has an irrational bias (rooted in ignorance and arrogance) against any sort of spiritual truth, especially Christianity, as is illustrated in this quote: I think that if I heard a voice from the sky predicting all that was going to happen to me during the next twenty-four hours, including events that would have seemed highly improbable, and if all these events then proceeded to happen, I might perhaps be convinced at least of the existence of some superhuman intelligence. I can imagine other evidence of the same sort which might convince me, but so far as I know, no such evidence exists. Oh, yes, it does, Dr. Russell eyewitness testimony and so much more! II. Say Yes to God s Initiative Grounded in Divine Revelation (1:17-18) 1:17 Not only were Peter, James, and John eyewitnesses of Jesus Transfiguration; they were ear-witnesses too! God the Father Himself has spoken audibly. This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased looks back to Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35, which records this rather magnificent account. These words of

4 God are drawn from Psalm 2:6-7; Isaiah 42:1; Daniel 7:14, in order to show that Jesus truly is the Messiah who was predicted hundreds of years beforehand. 1:18 We ourselves heard this is Peter s emphatic way of stressing that he and two others really were there and are in no way making all of this up. That s why he gives Jesus Transfiguration as an example of eye and ear-witness testimony rather than the resurrection they had directly witnessed this event. Peter even refers to the place where the Transfiguration took place, the sacred mountain. This mountain was only sacred because of this dramatic event which occurred there. This was not man reaching up to God; it was clearly God reaching down to man in His special revelation. This account of God taking the initiative to reveal Himself to mankind is the direct opposite of what many people think today. Oftentimes in our society truth is defined by what is true for you but not for anyone else and visa versa. Jesus may work for you, but I have my own way of finding God and that works fine for me. Don t all religions and paths to spirituality lead to the same place anyway, so what s the BIG deal about the Bible? These types of comments reflect a worldview known as postmodernism or relativism or pluralism. This viewpoint does not just deny absolute truth; it says it is impossible to know what is real outside of ourselves period. That which is real is only what is real for me. You can see how this can lead to all sorts of bizarre notions about God, as well as being a license to indulge in ungodly practices and blatant immorality. I have covered this issue of postmodernism in classes here at Our Savior as well as at pastoral meetings and conferences. This perspective undercuts the concept of divine revelation, which is an essential doctrine of the Christian faith. III. Say Yes to the Prophetic Word Grounded in Holy Scripture (1:19-21) 1:19 We have we have the word of the prophets made more certain focuses on the reliability and trustworthiness of Old Testament prophecy. A light shining in a dark place recalls the promise made in Psalm 119:105: Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path. Until the day dawns refers to Christ s glorious second coming, which we eagerly long for and confidently expect. Morning star looks back to Numbers 24:17, which is a prophecy of Jesus the Messiah. In your hearts means that God s Word and the promise of Christ s return are not empty, abstract information. Rather, it is personalized and actualized in our lives in a real way. 1:20-21 No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet s own understanding is the opposite of what has happened with the false teachers that the Apostle Peter was opposing.

5 They just made up what religious hogwash they were doling out! On the contrary, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Holy Scripture is reliable, because its author is God Himself. This concept is brought out so well in 2 Timothy 3:15-17: From infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the person of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Practical Application It is so important for us believers to know what we believe and why we believe it. At times we can be intimidated when people make claims that Jesus never existed, that He was just a good man, or that the Bible is merely a book written by men and hence unreliable. What do we say? What can we do? There is a tremendous amount of material that gives us well-researched, concise, positive answers to questions about Christianity. I have a lot of them myself (books, pamphlets, and DVDs), which I am glad to loan out to others. For example, Dr. Dale Meier, a foremost Lutheran authority, speaks and writes about the authenticity of the Scriptures and evidence for the person and work of Christ. Maybe you have been to one of his seminars or have read one of his books. Other modern apologists (defending, not apologizing, for the faith!) include such people as C. S. Lewis (especially his classic book Mere Christianity), Josh McDowell (some top books being Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter), Lee Strobel (a Pulitzer prize winning researcher who is a former atheist and has written a popular series entitled A Case for ), and so many others. We believers need to be bold in sharing the gospel with others. It is grounded in history with solid eye-and-ear-witness testimony. The Word of God is trustworthy and life changing because of its central figure our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who died and rose for us. Grounded in the truth of the Word of God, Pastor Steve Waterman

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