"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.
And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."
There is always that bit of doubt when you learn something new as to its origins and reliability. You have to wonder is the source is worthwhile and accurate. Who is the audience and what is the author trying to accomplish. What is the bias for or against. Being a history major and learning about research methods and how to use sources makes the process worse.
Yet there is something here that is important. The people reading Peter's letter are told that he isn't telling them stuff he heard. That he witnessed it. There is nothing more powerful than a personal testimony. Sure a historian won't take it by itself, but talking to someone personally about their experience is a good way to learn. Peter's testimony is that Jesus existed, was awesome, was vouched for by God, and died only to rise again all for us as our Savior.
If personal testimony alone isn't enough, Jesus fulfilled every prophecy. Not just a few, but all of them. That the scripture was written by men's hand but under the influence of the Holy Spirit will have to be taken up on faith.
No comments:
Post a Comment