Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does 2nd Peter Chapter 1 mean?

Peter’s second letter seems to have been written to the same audience as 1 Peter. The words are directed towards Christians scattered by persecution. Second Peter is undoubtedly written to believers, but the focus of this particular letter is not persecution itself, as 1 Peter was. Instead, Peter begins by addressing an issue which remains a focus of the church even today: whether or not believers will be productive and effective servants of God through our knowledge of Him.

Peter starts by saying that no Christian—no one who knows God through faith in Jesus—is missing anything we need to lead the godly lives we are called to. By the grace of God, all who trust in Christ have been made partners in God’s nature and purpose. Every believer has been freed from the corruption in the world caused by sinful desires. In other words, we are fully equipped. None of us can offer the excuse that we didn’t have what was needed to continue the mission.

And what is the mission? Peter describes it as making an effort to add a very specific set of Christlike qualities alongside the faith that believers already have. This all begins with the goodness—or virtue or “moral excellence”—of Jesus. These qualities also include knowledge, self–control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. If we have these Christlike qualities and continue to abound (or grow) in them, we are leading the life God calls us to. Specifically, we are being effective and productive in the knowledge of Jesus we have been given.

If we fall short in these qualities, we still remain God’s children through faith in Christ. Our eternal salvation is not bought, or kept, by our own efforts. However, failing to take on these traits means wasting the knowledge of Jesus. We become ineffective and unproductive servants. In fact, this makes us so nearsighted that we can seem like unbelievers who are, in fact, spiritually blind. Worse, when we fail to live up to the life we are called to, we can become forgetful. Specifically, we forget that we have already been cleansed of the sins which may now occupy us again. We have forgotten who we are in Christ.

Peter urges us to demonstrate the reality of our place in God’s family. We do this by eagerly exercising these qualities in our lives as we look forward to the day when Jesus will warmly welcome us into His kingdom. As Peter writes, he knows his readers are already aware of things, but he intends to keep reminding them. He will keep stirring them up, so that they will continue connecting what they know in Christ with how they live. He is preparing them to keep going after his death, which will come soon.

Peter reminds the reader, as well, that he was told by Jesus Himself that he would die. And yet, Jesus also allowed Peter to see the transfiguration: the moment when Jesus was revealed in His glory and the Father’s voice declared Jesus as Son. According to Peter, his personal, eyewitness testimony to that event confirms all of the prophecies about the Messiah, including His return as judge and king.

Chapter Context
Peter begins his letter by urging his Christian readers not to be unproductive in their knowledge of Jesus. Rather, they should work to add all of Christ’s qualities to their lives. Then Peter begins to lay a foundation to support his attack on the false teachers in the church. He also introduces ideas supporting his declaration that the Day of the Lord is coming. Later chapters will use the background of this first chapter to support those arguments.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

This letter begins in the style of the time by identifying the author. He uses both his given name in its older Jewish form, Simeon, as well as the name given to him by Jesus: Peter. Peter further identifies himself as both an honored servant / slave of Jesus, as well as Christ’s apostle. “Apostle” was an official position in the early church filled by those who had been specifically chosen and commissioned by Jesus to fulfill His mission. Thus, Peter declares that he is under the authority of Christ, as well as having authority from Christ to deliver the commands and instructions which will follow in this letter.

Peter writes to Christian believers. Every saved Christian has received a faith of the same kind as, and of equal standing to, that of Peter and the other apostles. There is only one faith in Christ—not multiple faiths, not better and lesser faiths—and that one faith is something we receive by the righteousness of Jesus. Peter is making a critical point here. Nobody is righteous because they were smart enough, or special enough on their own, to have faith in Christ. Leaders within the church are not morally or spiritually more valuable than others. It is only by Christ’s righteousness that we receive this precious, enormously valuable faith. Jesus secured this faith for us.

Peter adds another declaration here in calling Jesus “our God and Savior.” This phrasing leaves no doubt that Jesus is, in fact, God. Elsewhere, Peter attests to the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Here, though, he reinforces the truth that Jesus is fully God.

Context Summary
2 Peter 1:1–2 serves as Peter’s opening greeting to his readers. He identifies himself both by the older form of his Jewish name—”Simeon”—and the more well-known name which he was given by Jesus. He writes to believers, those who share his faith because of Jesus’ righteousness, wishing them grace and peace in the knowledge of God and Jesus.

Verse 2. May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Peter continues his opening greeting to his readers. While verse one used a common form of introduction, this verse is not a frequent greeting of the time, even among believers. His desire is for the readers to have grace and peace in abundance, meaning “more than enough.”

What Peter does not wish for, at least here, is for that peace and grace to happen in an instant, or without understanding. Peter prays that his readers would have those things in and through knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, Peter’s greeting is a prayer that his readers would find abundant grace and peace in knowing God and Jesus the Lord. Peter identifies knowing God as the right path to peace and grace. This “knowledge” of God is something Peter will build on in the following verses.

Notice, also, that after calling Jesus “God” in the previous verse, Peter here separates the name “God” from “Jesus the Lord.” Biblically, we understand Jesus to be God, but we also understand Jesus to fill a separate and distinct role in the Trinity.

Verse 3. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

Some Christians struggle with sin, spiritual weakness, and apathy. Are such people missing something? Have they been left unequipped by God? What have we not been given in order to lead the life God calls us to? Peter’s answer is simple: We’re not missing anything. We are fully equipped. But we have a choice about whether or not we’ll really use those spiritual tools. This requires effort on our part.

How are we equipped? It didn’t happen naturally. We weren’t born with it. We didn’t earn it through hard work or good behavior. For those in Christ, God’s divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. Like salvation, all of this was ours when we came to know God (through faith in Christ). As Peter will make clear, knowing God, the source of all life, is the only path to being fully equipped to live as God calls us to do.

And how does He call us? By His own glory and goodness, meaning “moral excellence.” Jesus sets the standard for what is good and glorious, calls for us to follow, and fully equips us to make the journey.

Context Summary
2 Peter 1:3–15 urges Christians to understand that they are, right now, fully equipped to lead the life to which God has called them. Since they are equipped, they must use those tools through personal effort. They should strive to add Christ’s goodness and other powerful qualities to their lived-out faith. Growing in those qualities leads to a productive, effective life of knowing the Lord. Lacking Christ’s qualities leads to the opposite. Peter continues reminding the reader of what they already know, in order to keep stirring them up, to ensure they remember all of this after he has died (which will be soon).

Verse 4. by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

In verse 3, Peter reveals that through knowing God, Christians have been given everything we need to lead the life God calls us to. We’re not missing anything. Jesus has showed us His glory and goodness; He calls us to follow His example; and he has equipped us to do so. Here, in this verse, we find that by Jesus’ glory and goodness—because He lived sinlessly and now exists in glory forever—we have been given something of enormous worth: promises.

In human terms, we think of promises as things of limited value. Experience has taught us that those too eager to make promises are usually the least trustworthy. And even when we consider a promise as reliable, we don’t count ourselves as having received anything until the promise is completely fulfilled. The level of value we place on a promise has everything to do with the person making it, and our confidence that it will be completed.

But, in this context, these are not human promises. The God of the universe does not lie and does not fail to keep His word. Coming from Him, a promise is a declaration of certainty. A promise is eternal currency. A promise is a tangible gift.

So what has God promised us? Eternity in His family. An end to our suffering. Transformation by the power of His Holy Spirit. Purpose and meaning forever. These promises of God are of such great value that merely possessing them has already given us the right to participate in the “divine nature.” In other words, we are already partners with Christ in the work God is doing in the world. More specifically, we are, right now, able to begin to answer Jesus’ call to live in His glory and goodness.

More, we have already, right now, been given an escape from the corruption caused by sinful human desires: continual loss of integrity, function, and beauty. As we’ll see later in this passage, Christians have not necessarily lost all desire to sin. We certainly have been freed from the eternal penalty of that sin. And, we have been rescued from our former destiny: to be endlessly decayed and destroyed by it.

Verse 5. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge,

In the previous two verses, Peter summarized the enormous benefit we have received in knowing God through faith in Christ. We have been equipped to follow the example of Jesus’ glory and goodness. We’re not missing anything we need to lead the life He calls us to. More, through faith in Jesus, we have been granted the right to participate, right now, in God’s nature. We can partner with Christ in fulfilling God’s purpose on earth. We have been freed from the corruption of sin.

All of that sounds fantastic, but what does it mean for us today? Why does it seem that many Christians are so far away from participating in God’s nature, not living with Christ’s purpose, joy, and love? Why do some continue to live in the sin from whose corruption we’ve supposedly been freed?

This verse gives us a clue. God has given us all we need to live like Jesus, but now we must actually use those gifts. And that means work. Before we had received God’s gift of grace, we lacked both the ability and the desire to live in Jesus’ glory and goodness. Now that we have been empowered to do so, we must “make every effort” to add the following qualities to, or “alongside,” our faith.

In other words, we must begin to live as if what we believe is really true.

By faith, we came to Christ. Now, with Christ’s power, we must work to add goodness to our faith, and to add knowledge to our goodness. The next two verses will explore additional ideas about the chain of traits we as Christians should work to build into our lives.

Verse 6. and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

In verses 3 and 4, Peter told us that Christians have, by faith, become participants in the divine nature. We are fully equipped to lead the lives God calls us to. Then in verse 5, he stated that we must “make every effort” to add a list of Christlike qualities to (or alongside of) our faith. Taken together, this list of qualities describe the life of a Christian who is participating in God’s nature. As shown in this list, there is a logical order to these characteristics. Each one is a necessary requirement for the quality which follows.

First, since we have been equipped to live like Jesus, we must work to add goodness, or “moral excellence,” to our faith. This means that we will work to do good, by God’s power, in the world now, as Jesus would in our place. This goodness becomes the foundation for the rest of these qualities.

We are also to add knowledge. This is a deeper understanding of our God, through His Word, and prayer, and so forth, which informs our goodness. Merely wanting to do good is not enough; we must know what good is by knowing God.

Next, we must add self–control. Without the ability to control ourselves, our knowledge of good, and the desire to do it, are both worthless. Self-control is the moment-by-moment restraint of our urges. This is the ability to make the right choice, in those moments when temptation strikes us.

Then we must add perseverance. Perseverance is the ability to practice self–control over time. Our sprints of doing good turn into marathons. Our moment-by-moment, hour-by-hour, day-by-day choices eventually turn into lifestyles. Perseverance is the ability to maintain self-control, even when the pressure of temptation continues to attack us.

Next, we add godliness. This keeps our goodness from being merely human goodness. This is godly goodness. This is a moral excellence which reflects the nature of God Himself instead of the temporary, earth–bound “goodness” of men.

Peter will continue to add links in this chain of spiritual growth in the next verse.

Verse 7. and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

Here, Peter concludes a list of character qualities begun in verse 6. These are traits we must add to our faith, if we are to live with the goodness, or “moral excellence,” in which God has enabled us to walk. This is the very goodness of Jesus. Verses 5 and 6 described certain spiritual attributes, which need to be taken on in a particular order.

Now Peter writes that we must add brotherly kindness, or affection, alongside godliness. The idea is that we become motivated to do good for each other. This is supposed to come from a sense of connectedness. This is the type of connection experienced in the closest of families. And, truly, our brothers and sisters in Christ are our family. Peter calls us to “make every effort” to develop a familial affection for each other. Hard as it may be at times, we should strive to really “like” each other, so that we want to do good for one another.

Then, finally, we come to pinnacle of these qualities: love. God is love, and the goodness of Jesus was motivated both by His love for the Father and His love for us. Peter’s term for “love” here comes from the Greek root word agape, which refers to a selfless, sacrificial concern for the good of others. It makes sense, then, that our ultimate reason to do good is the same self–sacrificing love that Christ showed for us.

Verse 8. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s important to remember that Peter is writing to Christians here. A challenging idea jumps out from this verse and the one that follows: It is possible for a Christian to be fully equipped for a meaningful life of Christlike goodness, and yet to squander that opportunity. It is possible, instead, to choose to be ineffective and unproductive with that precious gift.

This is a sobering thought. This would be something like realizing you’ve had a superpower all along, and have been wasting it. It would be disastrous to leave that ability unused, pursuing lesser things because they were easier or more immediately attractive. How can a Christian avoid that? Peter says that seeking the qualities he listed in the previous verses, and to have them growing in us, is the way to be effective and productive as people who know the Lord.

Prior verses have shown, though, that this isn’t just going to happen to us while we’re sleeping, or not paying attention. Peter has commanded us to go to work, to “make every effort,” to add these qualities alongside the faith we possess.

Verse 9. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Peter’s letter is written to Christian believers. He has said that in our knowing God, through faith in Jesus, God has made it possible for us to possess the qualities of goodness which Jesus Himself demonstrated. Peter listed those qualities, telling us to make every effort to add them alongside our faith. Now he makes a commentary on what it means if we do not have those qualities: goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. In short, it means our whole existence as believers is an exercise in missing the point.

In truth, Peter is even more specific than that. He says that, if we fail to use these tools, we have become so nearsighted that we are as good as blind. We are living as if we were unbelievers, who really are blind, spiritually. Peter’s point seems to be that a Christian preoccupied with the short-term, on what they want out of the moment immediately in front of them, has lost the ability to see life from any kind of eternal perspective.

Those who set aside the positive traits Peter listed have forgotten that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Again, the idea seems that of overlooking who we are and what our lives are for. We still see participating in sin, or less-than-Christlike behaviors, as normal. Instead, we should see those as things we we’ve been cleansed from, which we have the power to move on from.

Again, it’s critical to remember that Peter is addressing believers: men and women who are saved by faith in Christ and will spend eternity with God. The tragic loss of abandoning these qualities, living only for ourselves, is the loss of opportunity. It’s not a question of losing salvation, but of failing to become who we can be in the here and now, used as God intended to fulfill His purpose on earth.

Verse 10. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

Earlier, Peter has warned believers that living without the Christlike qualities listed in verse 5 through 7 makes us ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of Jesus. Such people have become like spiritually blind unbelievers, forgetting they have been forgiven from their sin. Peter now urges his Christian readers to demonstrate the reality of their calling and election.

It’s important to understand what Peter is not saying here. In no sense is Peter indicating that eternal salvation is based on behavior. Along with the rest of the New Testament authors, Peter has already been very clear that forgiveness of sin is a gift of grace. We cannot earn it, nor can we lose it through our sins, once we have obtained it. We do not have to meet a certain level of holiness in order to keep our eternal destiny.

What Peter does seem to be saying is far more practical. That is, his point relates to how we actually live and behave. In particular, that saved Christians confirm their salvation, for themselves and other people, by possessing these qualities of Jesus. This does not work in reverse: it is not a hard test for salvation. Nor does it imply that salvation is earned by exhibiting these traits.

Rather, the point seems to be that only those who have been chosen by God and called to faith in Christ can truly possess and “abound” in these qualities. Therefore, those who exhibit them have every good confidence in their relationship with Christ. Those who don’t will, at the very least, lack that confidence. If you live as only God’s children in Christ are empowered to live, Peter says, you won’t have reason to doubt or stumble over your faith. Again, his use of the word “fall” is not about a loss of salvation. In context, this is about a season of wasted time, of unproductiveness and ineffectiveness, of near-blindness and indulging in sin we should have left behind.

Peter is speaking most clearly to those who seem to avoid commitment to Christlike living, while still claiming their place in God’s family. This is unproductive at best, and dangerous at worst. Instead, Peter tells the reader to be diligent to demonstrate spiritually mature qualities, as confidence-boosters and evidence of their security in Christ.

Verse 11. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Believers are offered more than just the rewards of heaven. Those who trust Christ for salvation will be richly provided with an entrance to the kingdom of Jesus. Those same believers are also given the chance at living abundantly, in the Christlike qualities of goodness listed in verses 5 through 7.

Scholars and traditions vary in interpreting this verse. Some take this to mean that those who exercise the qualities of Jesus will be more richly welcomed in heaven. That is, there will be extra rewards for those with more faithful lives than those Christians who did not have as much success. Others read Peter’s words to mean that those who do not possess those qualities were not Christians—at all—and will not be welcomed into the kingdom of Jesus—at all.

Still another group claims Peter is saying that those who don’t exercise the listed qualities of Jesus’ goodness may have entered into the front door of Christianity at one point. But—as the claim goes—these people walked away from faith in Jesus and will therefore be unwelcome in His kingdom. Of course, the idea that such people were ever truly saved seems unlikely in light of 1 Peter 1:3–5.

The first interpretation seems the most likely, and the most consistent with the rest of the New Testament text. The second is strained in light of the fact that Christians are still capable of sin and failure, and our works do not maintain our salvation. The third idea’s acceptance hinges quite a bit on what “acceptance” means: salvation, or reward?

Whichever reading is best, we’re left with a thrilling picture. This is the opportunity to be warmly welcomed by Christ as we finish our work on earth and enter into his kingdom. Every Christian should be motivated by that moment, and continue to exercise the qualities of Jesus which have been made available to us in the here and now.

Verse 12. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

Peter knows two things about his Christians readers. First, they know the truth he has been teaching. In fact, they are rock-solid in those truths. Peter uses the Greek word estērigmenous here, which means “fixed,” or “established,” or “strengthened.” These Christians Peter writes to don’t need to know something differently than they already do, in order to live the life Christ.

At the same time, Peter also knows that even Christians who are aware of truth need to be reminded. We need to hear it again and again, to highlight the connection between what we know and what we will do with it. Peter made it part of his life’s work to feed the sheep (John 21:15–19) by reminding them of what they know in Christ and urging them to act on it with God’s power.

This verse also reflects on Peter’s impending death (2 Peter 1:14). Part of his purpose here seems to be reminding the church to hold fast to these teachings, even if Peter is gone. What’s been said in prior verses, then, is not meant as a criticism. It’s simply Peter giving another loving reminder of what we should be, as Christian believers.

Verse 13. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,

In the previous verse, Peter acknowledged that his readers, Christians, already know and are established in the truth. They “have” the truth in knowing the Lord. Now he writes that his mission is to remind them of what they know in order to stir them up. He seeks to motivate them to act on the knowledge God has given to them.

Peter’s point also reminds us that we, as believers, need to keep coming back to the truths we know. We should emphasize the truth over and over, so we’re “provoked” to act on it. The fact that we already know the contents of God’s Word is no reason to ignore it from that point forward. Repeated reminders of the truth not only keep us secure in what we know, it helps us better understand how to interpret it, apply it, and defend it.

Peter’s goal is to keep doing this kind of stirring as long as he lives. Peter knows that he is not long for this world, as he’ll state in verse 14. His purpose so far is not to criticize, but to encourage.

Verse 14. since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

Peter knew that his earthly life was drawing to a close. Most Bible scholars suggest that this letter was written not long before his death. This explains his encouraging tone in the prior verses. There, he has reminded his readers that they already know all they need to in order to live as Christ intended. They are fixed, established, or set in those truths.

In John 21:15–19, Jesus himself describes to Peter how his life would end. This was shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, and part of a difficult conversation. Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. This was an echo of Peter’s three denials of Christ. Each time, Jesus responded to Peter’s assurance that he loved Jesus with a command to care for His sheep.

Jesus told Peter men would lead him where he did not want to go, describing how he would die. He then commanded Peter to “Follow me.” Tradition tells us that Peter was crucified, possibly upside down, for his preaching of the gospel. Peter did indeed follow the path of Jesus all the way to the end.

Verse 15. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Peter knows that his death is near, as mentioned in verse 14. Tradition says that Peter was crucified, though he asked to be hung upside down, since he didn’t feel worthy of dying the exact same death as Christ. This passage is meant to remind his readers of the truths they already know. Losing Peter would not mean losing the truth. Nor would it mean that these Christians would not be able to follow God as they should.

According to Peter, these are facts his readers already know. They are aware of what God wants from His followers, we simply need to be willing to follow them. What Peter describes in verses 5 through 11 is not a new teaching. Nor is it something his readers aren’t already aware of. It’s a fundamental part of their Christian faith.

Peter was planning for their future. He wanted to ensure that after he died, they would hold fast to the vital truths they already knew. In doing so, Peter continues to obey Jesus’ command to feed the sheep (John 21:15–19), right up until his last days on earth. He continues to serve as Jesus served. He continues to follow the Lord.

Verse 16. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

A great number of people believe the claims of Christianity are just fables, folk tales, and legends. Despite the evidence—often, without any at all—these same people are counting on the idea that the Bible is mostly invention with very little truth. Even in Peter’s day, this was a counter to the preaching of the gospel. Arguments over the reliability of the message had already begun. Not only had some doubted what they’d been told, but others were trying to take advantage of the situation by making up their own stories. This is something Peter will deal with in the next chapter: clever lies being told about Jesus.

Peter writes that his personal case for Christ is simple: He saw Jesus’ majesty with his own eyes. He is reporting as an eyewitness. When Peter preached about Jesus’ power and impending return, he wasn’t following someone else’s script; he was speaking from his own experience.

Specifically, Peter will refer to seeing Christ’s “majesty.” Peter was present for an event we commonly call the “transfiguration” (Matthew 17:1–8). This is not the only miracle which Peter saw, nor the only piece of evidence he will use. But, for this event is the clearest example of how he knows—for sure—that what he is teaching is the truth.

Context Summary
2 Peter 1:16–21 focuses on fulfilled prophecies about Christ. Peter points to his eyewitness experience of the transfiguration as confirmation those prophecies are true. As a result, Peter knows that those prophecies yet to be fulfilled will happen one day. This includes predictions of the return of Christ as judge and king, a point Peter will support in the coming two chapters.

Verse 17. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”

Peter’s comments here are the beginning of a single sentence which runs through verse 18.

The specific event Peter uses as proof, here, is one of the most unique and profound moments in all of the Bible. We commonly call it the “transfiguration” because Peter, James, and John were allowed to see Jesus “transfigured” from His appearance as a normal man into His true and eternal appearance as the Son of God. This is described in more detail in Matthew 17:1–13, Mark 9:2–13, and Luke 9:28–36.

Peter saw Jesus’ face shining as the sun. His clothes became as white as light. But the part Peter emphasizes here is hearing the voice of God—the Majestic Glory—speaking, declaring that Jesus is His beloved Son and that He, the Father, is very pleased with Jesus. Peter’s argument is that God the Father Himself gave honor and glory to Jesus. And, Peter knew Jesus was the Son of God because he heard God say so.

Verse 18. we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.

This verse concludes the sentence begun in the previous verse. Peter, James, and John were given the privilege of seeing Jesus transformed from his earthly appearance as a man. While they watched, He was “transfigured” into his eternal, glorious appearance as the Son of God (Luke 9:28–36). As Peter writes in this verse, they also heard the very voice of God speaking from heaven, affirming Jesus as His Son.

For Peter, this is the most powerful confirmation of Jesus’ message. Peter heard Jesus’ teachings. He was there for most of Jesus’ earthly miracles. So, when Peter speaks of being an “eyewitness,” who is not making up stories (2 Peter 1:16), there are more things on his mind than this one event. However, the transfiguration was such a powerful experience that Peter sees it as the primary proof of all Jesus claimed to be.

Why were those three disciples allowed to see and hear such an amazing confirmation of Jesus’ deity? Why were they there with Him on the holy mountain? Because Jesus wanted them to tell everyone about it after He was resurrected from the dead (Matthew 17:9). Peter continued to fulfill that mission right up until his final days on earth.

Verse 19. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,

The “transfiguration” was the moment witnessed by Peter, James, and John when Christ was revealed in His bright and shining glory (Luke 9:28–36). The voice of God from heaven declared that Jesus is His Son (2 Peter 1:16–18). The reality of that event confirms the Old Testament prophecies. Peter has the privilege of eyewitness testimony, of both that single event and all of Jesus’ other signs. This vindicates everything which had been written about the Messiah by the prophets of old.

Many of those prophesies were fulfilled with the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Other prophecies are yet to be fulfilled. We still live in a world of darkness. But those prophecies about Jesus, including the ones about His return as judge and king, are a lamp in our darkness. They encourage us, lead us, and educate us. But these lamps, those prophecies, will no longer be needed when the day comes, when Christ returns.

Peter describes Jesus as the morning star, a name also used of Him in Revelation 22:16. Jesus will bring lasting light to the world and also to our hearts.

Verse 20. knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone ‘s own interpretation.

In verses 16 through 18, Peter referred to his witness of the “transfiguration” of Jesus (Matthew 17:1–13). This was Peter’s most powerful personal confirmation of the prophecies in Scripture about the Messiah. Seeing this event proved, in no uncertain terms, that what Peter had heard from Jesus was absolutely true. The confirmation of those prophecies, and the reality of God, also confirms the prophecies yet to be fulfilled. This includes those about Jesus’ return as judge and king.

Peter has been speaking of invented stories and myths, specifically saying his claims are neither of these. Here, Peter emphasizes the fact that the power of prophecy does not come from some human interpretation of events. In other words, the prophecies of Scripture were not “cleverly devised” stories (2 Peter 1:16) or the best guesses of insightful men. These are claims which, if shown to be true, can only be the product of inspiration by God. This is the theme Peter explores in verse 21.

Verse 21. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

In the previous verses, Peter pointed to his personal witness of the transfiguration of Jesus (2 Peter 1:16–18). For him, this was an absolute confirmation of the prophecies of Scripture which pointed to the Messiah. As a result, Peter not only believed in Christ, but he was assured of the other prophecies, which speak of Jesus’ return as judge and king.

Here, he repeats his statement from the previous verse: These prophecies were not invented by human minds. They were not “cleverly devised” stories (2 Peter 1:16) meant to deceive, and they were not insightful human predictions meant to encourage. Rather, these prophecies came straight from the mind of God. The prophets spoke God’s Words as they were carried along (or “moved”) by the Holy Spirit. This is proven, in part, by the fact that they are confirmed. And, more powerfully, by the fact that they are not simply guesses or speculation. These are specific prophecies, which were specifically fulfilled.

In other words, the prophecies of Scripture are the words of God about the actions of God. And God always accomplishes what He sets out to do.

End of Chapter 1.

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