THE PROOF and the PROMISE (Transfiguration Sunday 2023)
2 Peter 1:16-21 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 (NRSV).
Someone (Alan Kay) once said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”. (R. Daniel Watkins. An Encyclopedia of Compelling Quotations. [Anonymous]. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2001). Peter had opponents who accused him of inventing his own prophecy (2 Peter 1:20). Despite what these false prophets say, Peter stays true to his calling to truthfully share the Gospel.
Peter knows that his days are numbered as he hints of the closing chapter of his life in 2 Peter 1:13 -15. He compares his life to at tent. The one thing Peter will not do with the time he has left is compromise the Gospel by mixing or adulterating it with man-made ideas. Peter had his experience of the transfiguration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ against his opponents whose credibility could not hold water!
Peter’s struggle is much like our struggle today to expose myths, and preach the message of the truth on borrowed time.
MYTHS
Are false teachers dangerous to the church? Of course they are. We have to remember that there have been false teachers and prophets in every generation. They have founded their teaching on human wisdom, compromising the Gospel with an ungodly motive.
1) Human wisdom: Isn’t false teaching usually based on human wisdom? God’s infinite ways are far higher than our finite ways (Isaiah 55:9 paraphrased).
2) Compromise: What would have been the reasons that pseudo-Christian teachers and preachers to compromise the message of the Gospel?
3) Motive: Would it have been for wealth, power or both? How many so-called Christians pastors are not preaching the truth? How can those in their congregations know the truth that will set them free if Christ is not the center of the message?
What are the myths that need to be cleared up?
1) Three myths: It is has been said that the false teachers had been trying to create doubts about three things which were the 1) the incarnation; 2) the resurrection; and the 3) and the coming kingdom. Hymaneus and Philetus were noted as examples of the type of people who were doing these kinds of things. (Kenneth l. Barker & John R. Kohlenberger III. eds. Zondervan NIV Bible Commentary. Volume 2: New Testament. Edwin A. Blum. “2 Peter”. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994, p. 1067). What they were doing was “inventing” their own myths which were distorting the truth.
2) Heresy: Although Peter did not mention these two heretics, Hymenæus and Philetus, the Apostle Paul did specifically mentioned them by name because of how they distorted the Gospel. Paul condemned both Hymenæus and Philetus for their heresy . Consider how it is worded in The Passion Translation of 2 Timothy 2:17 “For the words of Hymenaeus and Philetus are like gangrene, they have already spread their poison to many” . Paul turned Hymenaeus over to the devil for blaspheme (1 Timothy 1:20) and also condemned Philetus for distorting the true meaning of life after death resurrection. The false teachers were denying the true Biblical teaching about the resurrection of the body. “They believed that when a person became a Christian, he or she was spiritually reborn, and that was the only resurrection there would ever be”. (Life Application Study Bible Notes). We are reborn in our baptism--- born of God’s Holy Spirit. As Paul said, in our baptism we are buried with Christ and raised with Christ as new creatures in Christ while we are still in this life. We have abundant life in the here and now and eternal life in our resurrection through Jesus Christ in the hereafter.
MESSAGE
How can people get right with God if they have been given the wrong information about God?
1) Heretical evangelism: The message of Peter's rivals was obviously not based on the truth. So how many people did they lead astray because they distorted the truth? How could they ever know how many would be led astray through their misinterpretation? How many people are being led astray today because of false teachers and prophets?
2) False teachings: False teachers and prophets were “inventing” distortions about the gospel by spreading their own rumors that were based on false information. Some of Peter’s critics even doubted the second coming of Jesus Christ because it had not happened yet.
“[F]alse teachers are the danger for the church today, and believe me, they are dangerous. What is a false teacher? A false teacher is one who knows the truth but deliberately lies for some purpose. It is either for some selfish reason, or he wants to please people, or he does it for money. There are many teachers like that today. They preach and say what people want them to say, although they know what the truth is …” (McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (2 Peter) (electronic ed., Vol. 55, p. 45). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.).
3) Gospel truth: Peter confronts some of the claims and accusations of his false prophet critics. One of the main reasons that Peter wrote this second letter was to address these people---the false prophet critics, who were saying that Peter’s claim about the second coming of Jesus Christ was a myth.
How would you like to have a nickname synonymous with being a liar?
“In England, nearly three hundred years ago, there was a merchant commander named Captain Fudge. This historical figure became famous for his lies and exaggerations about adventures on the high seas. His crew members were so accustomed to his tales that they would call each other "Fudge" when one was straying from the truth. By the mid-1800s, children in America were readily referring to cheating as "fudging." Today many people still use the term when dealing with deception. Exaggerations are just as deceptive as blatant lies. "Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth." (Eph. 4:25) ”. (Raymond McHenry. McHenry’s Quips, Quotes & Other Notes. Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1998, p. 108). The false teachers and false prophets that Peter confronted were not concerned about the serious and spiritual consequences of their actions! Jesus said “Woe to them who lead little ones astray!
Who is the source of our message of salvation?
1) Eye witness testimony: Peter saw the transfiguration of Jesus with his own eyes after Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him up on that mountain. They saw Moses, the giver of the law, Elijah the representative of the prophets and Jesus in His heavenly glory! Can you even imagine how awesome that would have been? It was very clear to them that they had a life changing experience. Immediately, Peter wanted to make a dwelling for Moses, Elijah and Jesus because he wanted that moment to last forever. Jesus was the source in this encounter! Jesus is the source of the salvation message!
Peter not only boldly wrote this epistle because he saw Jesus Christ in all of his heavenly, but he also heard God the Father say "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." (2 Peter 1:17)!
2) Peter's scripture based rebuttals: Peter dealt with the other false teachings of these false teachers in other places in 2nd Peter. God is the source of all that Peter teaches about the message of salvation! Peter points out and rubutts the ways of these false teachers. He mentions ….
> that they will deny the Master [Jesus] (2 Peter 2:1).
> that will lead others astray with their immoral ways (2 Peter 2:2).
> that these false teachers are greedy because they were more concerned about money than the truth (2 Peter 2:3).
> that there is a price for rebellion as illustrated in God’s judgments….
A) the judgment of the fallen angels who were cast out of heaven (2 Peter 2:4).
B) the judgment of the ungodly people of Noah’s day who laughed at Noah and God’s warning until the flood came (2 Peter 2:5). T
C) Judgment of the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that were destroyed because not even ten righteous people could be found in these cities (2 Peter 2:6).
Why is the second coming of Christ being delayed? How many are even asking that same question today? Peter gives us the answer that I have quoted many times in 2 Peter 2:9 which says “The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance”.
As someone has said, “To a society accustomed to abundant light at any time at the flick of a switch, the metaphor of light and darkness loses much of its strength”. (Walter Brueggmann, Charles B. Cousar, Beverly Gaventa, & James D. Newsome. Texts For Preaching - Year A. Louisville: Westminster Press, 1995, p. 169). For Peter, the transfiguration becomes a reference point that points forward to His second coming. “The transfiguration … becomes a promise that the glory of Jesus will again be seen when He returns”. (Brueggamnn, Cousar, Gaventa & Newsome, p. 169). The point for Peter seems clear. The first time Jesus came, He came as our Savior and when He comes back, He will come back as our judge.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
