Consider the source i
This last Wednesday I was out canvassing with the evangelism team when I stumbled across a lady pulling weeds in
her flower bed. I introduced myself to her and invited her to church. She asked what a Lutheran was -a question that I am
used to getting so I began to give her my standard outline that answers the basics of what a Lutheran is. “The Lutheran
church believes that all of our teachings come from scripture alone”, I rotely replied and continued to clarify as I have many
time before, “that means that all of our teaching is taken from the bible” ... “Yeah I have a problem with that”, she
interrupted. I was to be honest taken aback by that. Typically I find that people are comforted by the fact that Saving Grace
is a Bible believing, preaching, and teaching church. It is not often that someone has a problem with Scripture alone. “What
is your problem”, I managed to stammer, hoping that it came across like a question, “What is your problem?” and not like an
accusation, “What is your problem!” “Well the bible is an old book written a long time ago by men. And those men wrote to
people living in their time and culture. Plus there is a lot of the bible that is missing.” “You mean the apocryphal books”, I
nerdally asked? “Just something I read”, she dismissed. “Finally the bible is full of contradictions”, she concluded. “Like
what, I probed.” “Well eye for eye and turn the other cheek things like that”, she retorted.
Have you ever had a conversation like that? Have you ever been faced with questions about what the bible is? Is the
bible full of human error? Is the bible out of date? Are there secret lost books that will change everything? And what about
those contradictions? Have you ever been asked questions like that? Have you ever asked those questions yourself?
Today in our second lesson God answers those questions. We take a look at 2 Peter 1:20-2:3 so that we may be
equipped to answer others and be reassured ourselves concerning questions about the bible. Today we consider the
source.
The Second Epistle of Peter from which our text is taken lacks historical information about the time and place of its
writing. The message, however, is quite clear. Unlike the letters that Paul wrote, Peter is not addressing a specific problem
that a specific church was struggling with. Rather Peter is dealing with universal issues that affect the church of all place
and time. So this morning you are not going to hear a specific call to repentance or pronouncement of forgiveness. Neither
in this letter is Peter writing anything new. In the opening verses Peter writes, “I will always remind you of these things,
even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your
memory.” (1:12-13) Today we are reminded; our memories are refreshed as we consider the source of all our teachings.
‎Peter begins refreshing our memories with these words, 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of
Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men
spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. The first question my weed pulling lady had is a common one
that no doubt you also have heard or asked yourself. When people say that the bible is written by men what they typically
mean is that the Bible is as subject to error as anything else that man puts his hand to. We do not deny that the bible is
written by men. For example many times the Apostle Paul writes, “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.” But
that does not mean that we agree with those who accuse the Scriptures of error.
Peter reminds us that the source of our teachings comes not from man but from God himself. prophecy never had its
origin in the will of man, he writes. Let me try to give an illustration. I can write three different letters to three different
audiences. To a group of children I might use a green crayon and use short simple sentences. To a group of blue collar
adults I might use a blue pen and write in clear common language. To a group of intellectuals I might use a dip pen and
write poetry with a calligrapher’s style. I am the source of all three letters. Yet the letters take on the characteristics of the
tool used to write and the vocabulary changes to fit the audience addressed. In a similar way God used different me and
their different characteristics to write to different audiences. But God is still the source of those words. God of whom the
angels sing, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”(Is. 6:3; Rev. 4:8) The source
of our teaching is holy God. Therefore the Bible contains no error.
Having had our memories refreshed that men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit as Peter
reminds us, helps us answer another common question about the bible. My weed pulling lady referred to the bible as an old
book written in a different time to a different culture. I am sure you have heard that too. The basic question is, is the Bible
out of date? Well if we are going to say that the bible is out of date then we are also saying that its source is out of date.
So let’s consider another aspect of the source. In Psalm 90:2 Moses prays, “Before the mountains were born or you
brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” In Revelation 22:13 God
declares, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” The eternal God, the
timeless God is the source of our teachings. God knows the past present and future all at once. He is not surprised by the
fact that women today wear pants. When he said you shall not commit adultery He understands the pressures of this
modern world. The source of our teaching is eternal God. Therefore the Bible is timeless.
The third problem that my weed pulling lady had was that she assumed that there was a large portion of the bible that
was missing. The implication of course is that there are secret books forgotten books that contain new and exciting
teachings that will change everything. And maybe you have heard this before too. I would be surprised if you hadn’t. I
remember not too long ago the lost gospel of Judas was found. Never mind that it had been found 30 years before that and
never mind it was declared heresy about 1900 years before that. In other words don’t worry if you have never heard about it
before, this lost heresy will be found in another 30 years or so.
The idea of lost teachings is an old idea to be sure. As Peter writes this letter he tells us that there were false prophets
among the people who try to exploit the people with stories they have made up. Now we do not claim that the bible contains
every work of God in human history. For example we read in John 20:30, “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in
the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.” There are things that Jesus said and did that are
not recorded for us. But that does not mean that God is hiding something that is necessary for our salvation from us.
There is a striking difference between the motives of false prophets and God. Peter writes, “they will secretly introduce
destructive heresies,” and “in their greed these teachers will exploit you.” The motivation of those who come up with new
teachings has nothing to do with salvation, its just business. These false teachers do not care about you. They care only
about themselves.
There is a drastic difference in their motives and God's motives. God does not write the bible so that he can get
something from you he writes it so that he can give something to you. That John passage goes on to say, “31 But these
are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in
his name.” The source of our teaching is faithful God. Therefore, the bible is sufficient for salvation
The forth most popular accusation made against the bible is that it contradicts itself. And while the words before us this
morning do not speak directly to that, it is interesting to note that although Peter does not quote the Old Testament in his
second letter as he did his first he does seem to paraphrase the epistle of Jude. This is not plagiarism and it is not unique
to Peter. The Bible often quotes itself and connects one passage to another. It is one of the many ways we see unity in the
Bible .
The reason many people see contradictions in the Bible is because there are two drastically different teachings in the
bible. In fact they are polar opposites. They are known to us as the law and the gospel. The law tells us what a holy God
demands and how we have failed to keep his demands. It speaks of hell and punishment. The gospel speaks of God's love
and the salvation of all who believe. It speaks of heaven and blessings. The contradiction in the law that kills and the
gospel that saves is solved in a cross that was raised. There God's wrath against sin is seen in perfect harmony and unity
with his love for sinners. There Jesus fulfilled the punishment of the law that we might receive the promises of the gospel.
The seeming contradiction my weed pulling lady pointed out is answered by Jesus in Matthew 5:38ff. in the law we
read about eye for an eye and life for life. But in the gospel we turn the other cheek. The source of our teachings is a holy
and loving God. Therefore, the bible is consistent.
I spent maybe 5 or 10 minutes answering my weed pulling lady’s questions. In the end, I finished my conversation with
her by inviting her to church and bible class. I asked her, “Why don't you just come to my church this Sunday, just come
and see.” And I told her that I taught a Bible information class on Thursdays at 7pm that I thought she would really like. I
told her that she did not have to join my church or even agree with me but that I wanted her to come and see.
Typically the problem that people have with the bible is more basic then they even realize. Typically the problem people
have with the bible is they have not really studied it. So instead of trying to argue the validity of canonization, or dwelling on
the accuracy of the modern day Hebrew text to the one found in the Dead Sea scrolls. My advice to you is to simply invite
people to come and see. Invite them to listen to and study the bible. Invite them to consider the source of all our teachings.
Let God answer their questions as they read, "‎20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about
by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they
were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Having considered the source this morning not only equips us to answer others but it sure is encouraging for us. Being
reminded that the source of our teachings is: without error, timeless, sufficient, and consistent, encourages us when we
read those great gospel passages like: Isaiah 53:5, “by his wounds we are healed.” or John 3:16, “for God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only son” or Mark 16:16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” Or
Revelation 20:20 where Jesus says, “I am coming soon.” How blest are we to have our memories refreshed as we
consider the source of these promises and others like them. Amen
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2 Peter 1:20-2:3 Pentecost 2
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June 26 2011
Pastor Harmon Lewis @ Saving Grace, Mobile, AL