Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Key Observations about the Text

Before we get into the text, I want to show you some key observations that will help us make sense of Peter’s argument.

Similar to last week, these form the backbone of Peter’s argument here.

1st person plural pronouns

“we” “our” - 8x in 4 verses

4x in v.16; 3x in v.18; 1x in v.19

Sensory words

speech

sight

hearing

whole-body

“eye-witnesses” - note that it’s plural

Peter had just finished writing in vv.12-15 that he was always ready to remind them of the things of God, that he considered it right to stir them up by way of reminder, and that he will diligently make it possible for them to recall to mind what he has written.

The things that he is writing are not merely his own ideas or a manufactured story.

And there ought to be no question in the minds of Peter’s audience that what they’re reading is legitimate.

In this text we’re going to see Peter’s defense and the content of the apostolic teaching; the content of their testimony; and the greater witness

Hom.Prop.

- We can have confidence that Peter’s teaching about Christ is reliable, verifiable, and true.

Defense of Their Teaching (v.16)

Peter is very quick to defend the authenticity of what he has previously written by now explaining the source for the apostolic teaching.

“we” - identify

Normally to identify pronouns we would need to go back to previous context or verses to see if the antecedent was already identified.

In this letter, if you follow the 1st person pronouns, you end up back at v.1 without a very clear picture of who is being referred to.

In v.16, we need to move forward into the letter to clearly identify who is being referred to with ‘we’.

v.18 gives the first explicit clue as to who Peter is referring when he wrote ‘we’

What Peter is talking about in this verse is what we call the Transfiguration.

It appears in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9.

Turn to Matthew 17:1-13.

Peter, James, and John (the sons of Zebedee), also called the sons of thunder.

This is the inner circle, the three men that Jesus spent considerable personal time with.

They were with Him during significant personal moments, such as the Transfiguration and the Garden of Gethsemane.

Going back to 2 Peter 1, we can now see in v.16-19 that the pronoun ‘we’ is referring to Peter, James, and John - the inner circle of the Apostles.

Going back to vv.1-4, it appears that it is the Apostles who are in view there as well.

The authority and unique ministry of the Apostles becomes very clear.

The Apostles function in a similar way to the prophets of the Old Testament.

They are the authoritative mouthpiece and representative of Christ for the Church age.

Peter addresses a charge that he and the Apostles were making up stories or tales.

v.16 - NOT THIS - “cleverly devised tales”

“devised craftily”, “concocted slyly”, “formulated or created in an artful way”

The resurrection myth of Matthew 28:11-15 is an example of a cleverly devised tale

Notice also the false teachers (2:1) who introduce destructive heresies

Contrast this accusation with the clear statement in 1:4 - rooted in the ‘promises of God’ - not man’s wisdom/ideas

BUT THIS - “eye-witnesses”

Define - a careful observer; one who has first-hand acquaintance with something, special privilege

Power and significance of an eye-witness

In the Mosaic Law, accusations against a member of the faith community were not admissible as evidence unless there were two or three witnesses.

Deuteronomy 17:6-7

Deuteronomy 19:15

Eye-witness testimony was understood to be a compelling facet of the justice system

Peter explains that he and the other Apostles were eye-witnesses - not just of Jesus in Israel - but specifically of His majesty.

They had experienced first-hand the grandeur, glory, majesty, and overwhelming immensity of Jesus.

Peter defends the Apostles teaching as authoritative and reliable, and in the middle of this line he identifies what the Apostles were teaching.

Content of Their Teaching (v.16)

The content of the Apostle’s teaching - where does it show up, and when was it made known?

‘power of our Lord Jesus Christ’

When did Peter or the Apostles make this known?

[PPT - title ‘power of our lord Jesus Christ’, references below]

Acts 2:22 “22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—”

Acts 2:24 “24 “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.”

Acts 2:33 “33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.”

Acts 3:16 “16 “And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through [Jesus] has given [this man] this perfect health in the presence of you all.”

Acts 4:10 “10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”

Acts 4:30 “30 while You [God] extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.””

Acts 10:38 “38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”

There is no doubt that what the Apostles were proclaiming was the name of Jesus - the power of Christ, the authority of Christ to forgive sins, the deity of Jesus, the power of the resurrection and with it - the certain hope of forgiveness of sins.

‘coming of our Lord Jesus Christ’

When did Peter and the Apostles make this known?

1 Peter has 11 references to the coming of Christ.

There, Peter uses the word ‘revelation’ or revealing of Christ.

Peter has an end-times perspective in his first letter, reminding his readers that the certainty of Christ’s coming ought to motivate them towards holy living.

1 Peter 1:7 “7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”

1 Peter 1:13 “13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Peter 4:7 “7 The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.”

1 Peter 4:13 “13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”

1 Peter 5:4 “4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you [Elders who serve well] will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

And remember, Peter says that he and the other Apostles are eye-witnesses of Christ.

They were not following cleverly devised tales/myths/fables.

We have looked at Peter’s defense of the Apostle’s Teaching, and the content of the Apostle’s Teaching, now we look at the content of their testimony.

IV.

Content of Their Testimony (v.17-18)

Remember in v.16 Peter says ‘we were eye-witnesses of His majesty’.

We’re going to look a bit more at this testimony.

“we” - Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17)

Peter says that these three Apostles were “eye-witnesses” - six eyes that saw Jesus’ majesty

What did they see?

“For when He [Jesus Christ] received Honor and Glory from God the Father....”

This is the event that we call the transfiguration

the root word here is μεταμορφοω - we get our english word metamorphosis directly from this greek word.

It means to be changed, change form, transform

The appearance of Christ was radically changed, so much so that Peter and the others are struck by the splendor and majesty of it.

God in that moment was giving to Christ the honor and glory that was rightfully His, because Jesus is divine!

No man could ever receive this - But the Son of God, the unchanging Christ could rightfully receive this honor and glory.

Peter, James, and John had seen Jesus’ miracles, lived with him for no short amount of time by this point, and clearly knew who He was.

Just prior to this event Peter makes this marvelous proclamation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

But now, in a spectacular event similar to what Moses and Elijah had experienced, the glory of God is revealed.

The Apostles were not merely eye-witnesses, but they were also “ear-witnesses”

Remember, there are three Apostles who can testify to what they heard

What did they hear?

‘an utterance such as this was made to Him by the majestic glory’