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Context (2 Peter 1:1-18 Summary)
Peter was talking about genuine biblical God-given and God-persuaded and God-empowered faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, not of the will nor of the flesh of man. It is a faith of equal standing (value) as that of the NT apostles, for it is the same kind of faith that they had which required death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness. It is a faith which produces changed lives – people of God who have become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world by lust.
Then he went on to describe the kind of spiritual character we are to have as followers of Jesus Christ, and of how we are to be those who are applying these spiritual qualities to our daily walks of faith. For we are to be people of God who are living in moral purity, uprightness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and brotherly and sisterly love for one another. And these qualities are to be increasing in our lives, bearing fruit for the gospel, resulting in eternal life with God for those who practice such things.
Then he talked about how he and the other NT apostles did not follow cleverly devised tales when they made known to us the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But they were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For they (Peter, James, and John) were present and they personally witnessed when God the Father spoke from heaven and said about Jesus, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.” So they bore testimony to that fact because they had seen it and heard it with their own eyes and ears.
So, in context, what is “the prophetic word made more sure”? Well, first of all Jesus Christ is the living Word who was with God in the beginning, and who is God, and who is our creator God who came into the world, born as a human baby to a human mother, but conceived of the Holy Spirit. He was prophesied about all throughout the Old Testament, in particular in the books of Prophecy. I realized years ago that about half of the book of Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus Christ and the Messianic age.
And Peter had just spoken about how they had heard the voice of God declaring that Jesus Christ was indeed the beloved Son of God. And this was followed by, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure.” So, Jesus is that Word (John 1:1-36), but there were also many prophecies given about him and about his coming. So Peter was giving evidence and testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ was indeed the one who had been prophesied about and that he had come. He is the one they had been waiting for.
So, when Peter stated that “we have the prophetic word made more sure,” it appears that he was speaking of the prophecies of Scripture regarding the Christ, the Messiah, who was to come, and that he was giving evidence that he had indeed come. And he was saying to the people of that time that they would do well to pay attention to that prophetic word, which is regarding the coming of the Christ, that he had come, which is also to say that they would do well to pay attention to the words of Jesus Christ, too.
And since the Scriptures were authored by God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – this should also be a strong encouragement for us to pay close attention to the Scriptures, as applicable to our lives, as to a lamp shining in a dark place. For Jesus is the Light of the world, and his word, his gospel, is also the light that shines in the darkness. It is the truth that shines in the midst of this dark and evil and sinful world we live in. And it shows us the way to salvation from sin and to eternal life with God.
And we who are mere mortals, who are born into this world with sin natures, in the image of Adam, do not have the right to alter God’s word or to create our own image of God/Christ or our own personal version of the gospel that tickles itching ears. Now this is not saying that God can’t speak personally to us through his word or that we can’t, at times, depending on the passage of Scripture, get more than one message from the same passage, but provided that it is consistent with the context and the Scriptures overall.
What this is clearly teaching is that we can’t make up our own version of God, of Christ, and of his gospel. We can’t alter the character of God nor the teachings of his word to where they fit with our chosen lifestyles or with our own personal theologies, which may be opposite of what the Scriptures teach. We need to be people of God who go into the Scriptures in order to hear the voice of God speaking to our hearts his truths, who desire to know the truth, and without preconceived notions that we are trying to prove.
So many people today are teaching “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” from what the NT apostles and Jesus Christ, himself, taught. For they are listening to other humans, and they have to be ignoring the bulk of the New Testament Scriptures in order to arrive at some of the ridiculous notions that they come up with regarding who Jesus is and what his gospel teaches. But we need to be students of the Scriptures who are reading them in context, and who are listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit to teach us.
So, don’t let other humans, and “Christian” films (movies, TV dramas, cartoons), and social media memes, and “Christian songs” and other literature or media, such as videos (especially the short ones) be your teachers. And I am not saying “don’t listen” to any of these, for there is good stuff out there. But so much of it today is pure deception and mind manipulation and misimpressions, and for the sole purpose to lead you away from the truth to following after the lies. So, pray, and be discerning.
For, the gospel that Jesus taught teaches us that if we are to come after him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to his commands, we have the hope of eternal life. For he said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
When I Go Home
By G. M. Eldridge
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” Revelation 21:4
In the moment He appears
And the light from heaven shines,
I’ll forget ev’ry fear,
Ev’ry pain I’ll leave behind.
Then I’ll see Him as He is
And I’ll know Him as I’m known.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.
Ever present is the tho’t
That a moment waits for me
When unworthy as I am,
His glory I will see.
I will empty all my praise
Before my Father’s throne.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.
If the trial I endure,
And your presence I can’t find,
Be near me, Lord, I pray,
Bring back unto my mind
That your promises are firm
And I’m never on my own.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.
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Peter was talking about genuine biblical God-given and God-persuaded and God-empowered faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, not of the will nor of the flesh of man. It is a faith of equal standing (value) as that of the NT apostles, for it is the same kind of faith that they had which required death to sin and living to God and to his righteousness. It is a faith which produces changed lives – people of God who have become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world by lust.
Then he went on to describe the kind of spiritual character we are to have as followers of Jesus Christ, and of how we are to be those who are applying these spiritual qualities to our daily walks of faith. For we are to be people of God who are living in moral purity, uprightness, self-control, perseverance, godliness, kindness, and brotherly and sisterly love for one another. And these qualities are to be increasing in our lives, bearing fruit for the gospel, resulting in eternal life with God for those who practice such things.
Then he talked about how he and the other NT apostles did not follow cleverly devised tales when they made known to us the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. But they were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For they (Peter, James, and John) were present and they personally witnessed when God the Father spoke from heaven and said about Jesus, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased.” So they bore testimony to that fact because they had seen it and heard it with their own eyes and ears.
“So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:19-21 NASB).
So, in context, what is “the prophetic word made more sure”? Well, first of all Jesus Christ is the living Word who was with God in the beginning, and who is God, and who is our creator God who came into the world, born as a human baby to a human mother, but conceived of the Holy Spirit. He was prophesied about all throughout the Old Testament, in particular in the books of Prophecy. I realized years ago that about half of the book of Isaiah was prophesying about Jesus Christ and the Messianic age.
And Peter had just spoken about how they had heard the voice of God declaring that Jesus Christ was indeed the beloved Son of God. And this was followed by, “So we have the prophetic word made more sure.” So, Jesus is that Word (John 1:1-36), but there were also many prophecies given about him and about his coming. So Peter was giving evidence and testimony to the fact that Jesus Christ was indeed the one who had been prophesied about and that he had come. He is the one they had been waiting for.
So, when Peter stated that “we have the prophetic word made more sure,” it appears that he was speaking of the prophecies of Scripture regarding the Christ, the Messiah, who was to come, and that he was giving evidence that he had indeed come. And he was saying to the people of that time that they would do well to pay attention to that prophetic word, which is regarding the coming of the Christ, that he had come, which is also to say that they would do well to pay attention to the words of Jesus Christ, too.
And since the Scriptures were authored by God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – this should also be a strong encouragement for us to pay close attention to the Scriptures, as applicable to our lives, as to a lamp shining in a dark place. For Jesus is the Light of the world, and his word, his gospel, is also the light that shines in the darkness. It is the truth that shines in the midst of this dark and evil and sinful world we live in. And it shows us the way to salvation from sin and to eternal life with God.
And we who are mere mortals, who are born into this world with sin natures, in the image of Adam, do not have the right to alter God’s word or to create our own image of God/Christ or our own personal version of the gospel that tickles itching ears. Now this is not saying that God can’t speak personally to us through his word or that we can’t, at times, depending on the passage of Scripture, get more than one message from the same passage, but provided that it is consistent with the context and the Scriptures overall.
What this is clearly teaching is that we can’t make up our own version of God, of Christ, and of his gospel. We can’t alter the character of God nor the teachings of his word to where they fit with our chosen lifestyles or with our own personal theologies, which may be opposite of what the Scriptures teach. We need to be people of God who go into the Scriptures in order to hear the voice of God speaking to our hearts his truths, who desire to know the truth, and without preconceived notions that we are trying to prove.
So many people today are teaching “another Jesus” and a “different gospel” from what the NT apostles and Jesus Christ, himself, taught. For they are listening to other humans, and they have to be ignoring the bulk of the New Testament Scriptures in order to arrive at some of the ridiculous notions that they come up with regarding who Jesus is and what his gospel teaches. But we need to be students of the Scriptures who are reading them in context, and who are listening for the voice of the Holy Spirit to teach us.
So, don’t let other humans, and “Christian” films (movies, TV dramas, cartoons), and social media memes, and “Christian songs” and other literature or media, such as videos (especially the short ones) be your teachers. And I am not saying “don’t listen” to any of these, for there is good stuff out there. But so much of it today is pure deception and mind manipulation and misimpressions, and for the sole purpose to lead you away from the truth to following after the lies. So, pray, and be discerning.
For, the gospel that Jesus taught teaches us that if we are to come after him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and walk in obedience to his commands, we have the hope of eternal life. For he said that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven.
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
When I Go Home
By G. M. Eldridge
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes…” Revelation 21:4
In the moment He appears
And the light from heaven shines,
I’ll forget ev’ry fear,
Ev’ry pain I’ll leave behind.
Then I’ll see Him as He is
And I’ll know Him as I’m known.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.
Ever present is the tho’t
That a moment waits for me
When unworthy as I am,
His glory I will see.
I will empty all my praise
Before my Father’s throne.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.
If the trial I endure,
And your presence I can’t find,
Be near me, Lord, I pray,
Bring back unto my mind
That your promises are firm
And I’m never on my own.
Ev’ry tear wiped away when I go home.
