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. 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,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 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, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 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. 2 Peter 1:16-21 (emphasis added).

On one occasion, Jesus took the Apostles Peter, James and John with him onto a mountainside. There, Jesus was transfigured so that his full glory as the Son of God was displayed to his three companions. You can read about this account in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9 in the Bible. The accounts vary slightly, but all agree: Jesus was visibly changed so that his full radiant glory was revealed and the three with him all heard a voice from heaven declaring Jesus to be the Son of God.

Later, after Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension back to God the Father, Peter writes his two letters to encourage the churches who would read them. Among other things, he warns them against false teachers who were distorting the truth of the gospel message of Jesus Christ as he and other Apostles had made known.

In doing so, Peter defends his authority as an Apostle, one who was qualified to declare the truth about Jesus because he was an eye witness. He had seen the glory with his own eyes. He had heard the voice with his own ears. The others had too. They were not making things up. What God had made known through the Old Testament prophets He had now made known even more fully in and through Jesus Christ. And Peter and the others had witnessed this and other events firsthand.

Peter asserts this fact to offer credibility to his message and to discredit the false teachers coming on the scene who wanted to make up their own interpretation of events concerning Jesus Christ. They were not eyewitnesses. They had not seen and heard. Yet they wanted to present their version of “truth” to suit their own ideas of what God was up to.

Peter’s message is what historic, biblical Christianity is founded on: Divine Revelation from God. God had made his character and will known to the prophets of the Old Testament. Peter says they spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. Their oral messages and writings (whether as Mosaic Law, Psalms or Prophetic books) were validated over time and preserved in what we now have as the 39 books of the Old Testament.

And Peter says that now, in his day and personal experience of which he writes, God has made the message even more clear in Jesus Christ.

As one translation puts it, the word of the Prophets made more certain.

But Peter offers a word of admonition or warning as well: You will do well to pay attention to this Word more fully confirmed in the Scriptures. Don’t alter it. Don’t twist it to suit your own fancies or interests. It is Divine Revelation from God himself, and the Christian faith hangs on this sure and certain Word of God. To alter the Word is to alter the faith which it declares. Peter tells them so then, and the same warning holds true today as well: Beware of those who alter or twist the revealed Word of God, the Bible, made fully certain in Jesus Christ.”

Rev. Randy Crane is the pastor at Waldensian Presbyterian Church in Monett. He may be reached at cranes5@hotmail. com.