2 Peter 1:11-21

(2 Peter 1:11-21)

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.  Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.  Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.  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.  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.  And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.  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:  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.  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.

 

The text can be divided into three parts. The first part is a verse from 1 verses 12 to 15, explaining why Peter gives counsel to the Saints. Peter told his classmates not to forget what they already knew, but to encourage them to remember again. Peter trusted and loved his classmates.『Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.』 Peter said that in order to always remember the precious truths of the gospel, he said it once more. It means that you should always remember in your head. We need to constantly reconsider, confirm and check the words of eternal life and the truth of salvation. Moreover, Peter had in mind that his death was imminent.『Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.』 The expression of the tabernacle of the flesh was a favorite expression of the early Church leaders. In 2 Corinthians 5:1, ``For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.』 When the tabernacle of the flesh falls, there is a body of spirit (a place of spirit) that comes from the kingdom of God.

 

The second part is from verses 16 to 18, which is about sharing the gospel of life with another sure testimony of what Peter experienced on the Mount of Change with Jesus. At that time, in difficult and difficult circumstances, there were people who doubted the authority of the Word of God and the teachings of the apostles. There were people who said it was a crafted story. To such people, Peter is proclaiming the authority of his message, introducing the most important events he has met, lived with, and experienced in person the Son of God.

 

『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.』

 

Peter reintroduced Matthew 17:2-5.『And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. 』 On Mount Byeon, Peter, who witnessed the glorious appearance of Jesus, was once again able to testify of Jesus and to testify to the Saints. God was pleased with Jesus Christ and confirmed that He is the Son of God. Jesus is the Messiah Savior promised in the Old Testament. Anyone who enters into Jesus Christ enjoys the privilege of being a child of God and is saved eternal life, salvation. This remarkable declaration was made directly by God the Father and is an event that publicly recognized Jesus as the Son of God.

 

God Himself came to earth to save all mankind, and was lowered and obeyed to death on the cross. Peter lived for three years with Jesus who had completed salvation, and he heard the voice of God at the Mount of Change and rejoiced to describe the relationship between God the Father and Jesus the Son.『 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. 』

 

The third part is from verses 19 to 21, about the prophecies of the prophets. Peter emphasized strongly and clearly to prove through the Bible the truth and reality of the gospel of salvation through Jesus. Before Jesus came to the earth, the Old Testament predicted in advance the birth of Jesus, the coming of the earth, and the crucifixion of our sins, through many prophets. So『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: .』 Peter made us know that "the Bible is like a lamp that shines in the dark, so it is a lamp that illuminates the road ahead of those who walk the path of life."

Peter encouraged people to read, ponder, and engrave the words to make good use of the lamp.『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:』

 

This means that when the "people who were spiritually blind and trapped in the dark" repent and receive the grace and power of the Holy Spirit, they will come to life and realize the will of God. Throughout the Bible, Peter emphasized one thing to note before getting this light, which is not to arbitrarily interpret the Bible.

 

『Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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. 』 Already at that time, there were people who interpreted the Bible in their own way, trying to use it in their favor. Peter warned the heresy and evil crowds from randomly interpreting the Bible, and because the Bible was written by the Holy Spirit, Peter asked people to seek the help of the Holy Spirit.