II Peter 1:16-21

II Peter 1:16-21 (NRSV)

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 had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” ¹⁸ We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

¹⁹ So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. ²⁰ First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, ²¹ because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

 

            II Peter 1:16-18 has the theme of the transfiguration of Jesus guaranteeing the return of Jesus. The author begins by saying that “we” do not follow cleverly devised myths (like Gnostics) when “we” made known to them the power and (second) coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. It seems doubts about last events have arisen. Rather, “we” had been eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus, the witness countering others who devise myths. He received honor and glory from God the Father when a voice from the Majestic Glory declared Jesus to be “my Son, my Beloved,” with whom the Lord is pleased. “We ourselves” heard this voice from heaven, while with Jesus on “the holy mountain,” connecting the transfiguration with the events with Mount Sinai. The author seems to assume detailed knowledge of the transfiguration story. The author also assumes that the reality of the transfiguration story lends credibility to the notion of the second coming. The return of Christ has its root in this historical event. The denial of the second coming is an attack on the majesty and glory the Father gave to Jesus. Barth finds it strange that he does not point to the resurrection here, rather than viewing the Transfiguration as more important.[1] He also finds it noteworthy the prophetic word through Moses and Elijah acquired genuine relevance for those who had their origin in the appearance of Jesus. The appearance of Jesus found its confirmation in the character of a prophetic word pointing to the future and became an indispensable light on their path. The disciples did not come down the mountain as innovators, but in the company with the ancient witnesses, accredited by the fulfillment of the long-prepared history of the covenant. In that company, they moved afresh to meet the coming Lord. Thus, to many people today, the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ is a fable, but for this author, the eyewitness account saves it from being such.[2]

            II Peter 1:19-21 has the theme of protecting believers from false teaching through an inspired text, the Bible. The author begins by saying that ‘we” have the prophetic message “more fully confirmed.” They will do well to pay attention to this, just as they would pay attention to a lamp shining in a dark place. Barth will stress that the matter of the Word seems complicated by the fact that it comes in the form of the human word of prophets and apostles. The divine Word meets us in the thick of the fog of our own intellectual life, taking on the same form as our ideas, thoughts, and convictions. Yet, the Word is a light that shines in a dark place, but it needs no explanation because it simply shines.[3] They should do so until the day dawns and the morning star rises in their rises in their hearts. The most important thing to understand is that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation. The reason is that no prophecy comes by human will. Rather, the Holy Spirit moved men and women to speak from God. Barth takes this to mean that we allow scripture to interpret itself. We allow it to control our exposition. What he finds decisive is the role of the Holy Spirit, where this Spirit is almost the author. He thinks that the Holy Spirit and the Bible have a relation in which the whole reality of the unity between finds a safeguard in a proper view of inspiration. The unity is a free act of the grace of God, and therefor for us its content is always a promise. He goes so far as to say that his view of inspiration is one the reader can judge in light of this passage, combined with II Timothy 3:16-17.[4]

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[1] Church Dogmatics III.2 [47.1] 478.

[2] Church Dogmaitcs III.2 [47.1] 494.

[3] Church Dogmatics I.2 [21.2] 716.

[4] Church Dogmatics I.2 [19.2]  504-17.