Introduction:  It is interesting to note the importance that Peter places on this "more sure word of prophecy." The first two evidences he mentions are brief. They heard the voice which lasted only a moment. Then they saw the excellent glory for only a few sacred minutes. Today, we cannot hear the voice or see the glory, but we can examine the Word of Prophecy. Both the sight and the sound were experienced only by Peter, James, and John, while the Word of Prophecy has been preserved for all to examine. In other words, the things which Peter heard and saw while on the Mt. of Transfiguration have served to confirm the prophetic doctrines concerning Jesus Christ and His teaching.

I.           THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WORD (V.19)

A.        The Reliability Of The Scriptures.

The prophetic Word (Scripture) is more complete, more permanent, and more authoritative than the experience of anyone. More specifically, the Word of God is a more reliable verification of the teaching about the person, atonement, and second coming of Christ than even the genuine first-hand experiences of the Apostles themselves.

B.        The Revelation Of The Scripture.

·         "A light that shines in a dark place"

It is like a torch illuminating a murky room (Ps. 119:105) "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." God's Word provides illumination to walk without stumbling. 

God is light and His Word is light (Isa. 9:2) "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined." The coming of the Messiah is synonymous with the coming of light to remove the darkness of captivity.

·         "Until the Day Dawns"

(Lk.1:78) "Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us." "Dayspring" = Dawn (a new day). Even though things in this world may get darker and darker, God's people are looking for the return of Jesus Christ and the dawning of the new day of glory. It is always darkest before DAWN.

·         "And the Morning Star Rises"

To the Church, Jesus Christ is the Bright and Morning Star (Rev. 22:16) "I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the bright and morning star."

1. "The root and offspring of David" - Christ is the source (root) of David's life and line of descendants, which establishes His Deity. He is also a descendant of David (offspring) which establishes His humanity. This phrase gives powerful testimony to Christ as the God-man.

2. "bright and morning star" - this is the brightest star announcing the arrival of the day. When Jesus comes, He will be the brightest star who will shatter the darkness of man's night and herald the dawn of God's glorious day.

3. (Rev. 2:28) "and I will give him the morning star." - Although the morning star has already dawned in our hearts, someday we will have Him in his fullness.

·         "which you do well to heed"

Listen to this word of prophecy, until its light is replaced by the brilliance of the return of Christ.

·         "in your hearts"

Refer to the glow of anticipation in our hearts when we see clear signs that the day of Christ's coming is approaching. Seems to reference 2 Cor. 3:18 "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

1. "we all" - not just Moses, or prophets, apostles, and preacher, but all believers.

2. "with unveiled faces" - believers in New Covenant have nothing obstructing their vision of Christ and His glory as revealed in Scripture.

3. "beholding as in a mirror" - Paul's emphasis here is not so much on the reflective capabilities of the mirror as it is on the intimacy of it. Mirrors in Paul's day were polished metal and this offered a far from perfect reflection. Though the vision is intimate, believers do not see a perfect representation of God's glory now, but will one day.

4. "being transformed" - a continued, progressive transformation.

5. "into the same image" - as they gaze at the glory of the Lord, believers are continually being transformed into Christ-likeness. The ultimate goal of the believer is to be like Christ and by continually focusing on Him the Spirit transforms the believer more and more into His image.

6. "from glory to glory" - from one level of glory to another level of glory; from one level of manifesting Christ to another. This verse describes progressive sanctification. The more believers grow in their knowledge of Christ, the more He is revealed in their lives.

II.        THE ORIGINATION OF THE WORD (VV. 20-21)

A.        The Priority Of Scripture.

"knowing this first" - a call to recognize His truth as priority. It refers back to v.19 "which you do well to heed" - readers should give attention to the Word.

B.        The Prophecy Of Scripture.

"private" - one's own "interpretation". “Private” has the idea of a loosing (to unloose), as to say that no Scripture is the result of any human being privately, "untying" and "loosing" the truth. Peter's point is not so much about how to interpret Scripture, but rather how Scripture originated, and what its source was. The false prophets untied and loosed their own ideas. But no part of God's revelation was unveiled or revealed from a human source or out of a prophet's unaided understanding.

v.21 QUESTION?  Where did Scripture come from? Prophecy never came by the will of man. The emphasis in the phrase is that no part of Scripture was ever at any time produced because man wanted it so. The Bible is not the product of human effort. The prophets, in fact, sometimes wrote what they could not fully understand, but were nonetheless faithful to write what God revealed to them. NOTE:  1 Peter 1:10-12

"moved by the Holy Spirit" - means they were continually carried or bore along by the Spirit of God. (As a ship is carried by the wind)  The picture is one of God utilizing men in the production of the Word. Though the human writers of Scripture were active rather than passive in the process of writing Scripture, God, the Holy Spirit, superintended them so that, using their own individual personalities, thought processes, and vocabulary, they composed and recorded without error the exact words God wanted written. The Holy Spirit is the divine author and originator; the producer of the Scriptures.

Conclusion:  Since the Spirit of God gave the Word, only the Spirit can teach the Word and interpret it accurately. 1 Cor. 2:14-15, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” GOOD NEWS:  The Word of God was written to common people, not to theological professors. The writers assumed that common people could read it, understand it, and apply it, led by the same Holy Spirit Who inspired it.