The confirmed word

For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.– 2 Peter 1.16-21

Peter was in a select group with James and John who was called up onto a mountain with Jesus. Jesus took them up for what we call ‘The Transfiguration.’ While there they see Jesus transfigured and they here the voice of God identifying Jesus as His Son. 

Peter, James, and John actually heard the voice of God. 

What a momentous event. Surely hearing the voice of God would be the most important thing that would ever happen to them. They had actually heard the voice of God!

But Peter uses that event to tell us that there is something even more reliable than hearing God’s voice. He says that the confirmation, or the assurance of God’s word comes through His written word. The Bible does not come from any human author, but it originates as those authors are moved by the Holy Spirit. 

The wonderful thing about the written scriptures is that we don’t have to depend on our memories. We always have the written word to confirm what God says. We can open God’s word in 5, 10, 20, or 50 years and it will read the same. I’ve seen second century manuscripts in a museum in Dublin. Matt, who reads Greek, was able to read and translate them and they say the same things our Bible says today. 

Thank God for His written word. It is there for everyone and it doesn’t change.