September 16, 2007
Sun Oak Baptist Church

Introduction

        Context of verses 16-18: in verses 1-11 Peter deals with being certain we are saved; in verses 12-15 Peter deals with the reason why he’s writing this letter; and then in 2 it’s being certain false teachers will be in the church.

        Why do we believe what we believe?

        In verses 16-18: we can be certain of what we believe based on the integrity and validity of the testimony of the apostles. Verses 19-21: we can be certain of what we believe based on the integrity and validity of Scripture.

I. Peter establishes what the testimony of the apostles isn’t.See 1:16a.

        A. Peter and the other apostles did not base the doctrine of the         Second Coming on cunningly devised fables.

                1. “Fables” found 5 times in the NT and refers to a “myth or an                 inventive story” like “Aesop’s Fables.” By the 1st century                 Jewish people had developed a tendency to embrace fables and                 stories about God and actually elevate them to the same level of                 authority as God’s Word. This tendency is not new – we see it                 today.

                2. Application: if someone were to ask us why we believe what                 we believe about the Gospel how would we answer them?                 Would we talk about the exalted nature of Christian teaching?                 Christianity doesn’t have a corner on the market when it comes                 to good teaching.

        B. Peter does not base his testimony on experiences.

                1. Peter doesn’t say: “I was once a fisherman, a man who lived                 a sinful life. But since I’ve become a Christian I’ve had amazing                 experiences.”

                2. Application: if we base the certainty with which we believe in                 the Gospel on something as subjective as “experiences” what                 would we say to the cults?

II. Peter establishes what the testimony of the apostles is.See 1:16b-18.

        A. The testimony of Peter and the other apostles is based on being         eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ. See Acts 10:34-44.

        B. The testimony of the apostles is based on facts. See 1:16-18.

                1. The apostles didn’t just preach the person of Christ – they                 preached certain facts about Him.

                2. See Matt. 17:1. Out of all the facts about Jesus Christ that                 the apostles were eyewitnesses of Peter singles out the fact of                 the transfiguration.

Conclusion

        A. This brings us to a great climax: either we accept the eyewitness         and factual testimony of Peter and the other apostles or we don’t.

        The ultimate question Peter poses here is this: are he and the other apostles credible witnesses or not? Am I prepared to believe their testimony or not?

        B. Have we ever considered how incredibly unlikely it is that the men         who wrote the Gospels were liars, fabricators, or frauds and         deliberately invented the facts to which they testify they were         eyewitnesses? Is it likely that Peter, who denied his Lord before the         crucifixion because he was afraid of death, would later make claims         and statements that constantly exposed him to death and to         martyrdom and indeed, shortly after this very letter was written lead         to his martyrdom?