God’s Word to Man
II Peter 1:12-21; Belgic Confession Article 3
Preached by Rev. Keith Davis at Lynwood URC on 7-21-11 (Songs: 192, 249, 411)
Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, the word credibility is defined as the quality or
power to inspire belief; the capacity for belief (call it believability). In our world credibility is
highly valued in every area of life. For one, credibility is tied to our personal integrity.
Boys and girls, the fable of the boy who cried wolf is a good illustration of this. As the fable
goes, a shepherd boy cried wolf several times and each time he cried out, the villagers came
running, ready to help him fight off the wolves and protect the flock. But every time the
villagers arrived, there were no wolves. The boy lied.
But then what happened? On the one occasion when the wolves really did come to attack the
flock, the boy cried wolf again, but no one came to help. No one believed the boy anymore,
even though (this time) he was telling the truth. The boy lost credibility (believability).
Secondly, credibility is important in the world of politics. If a politician makes a big promise but
never delivers, then his word means nothing. He has lost credibility with the people and they
won‟t trust him anymore, and (hopefully) they won‟t vote him into office.
Thirdly, credibility is important in business. Without a doubt it is the single greatest asset a
company can have. Companies want not only brand recognition, but they want people to trust
their product. A factory recall on a certain product can scare customers away forever.
People of God, if credibility is this important in business, politics, and our personal integrity,
then how much more isn‟t it important in the area of faith? The fact is, credibility lies at the
heart, at the foundation, at the core of faith and religion.
For example, if the Bible is really just a random collection of myths, fables and fairy tales passed
from generation to generations, then our faith has no foundation. If the Bible isn‟t credible, then
the Christian faith is sham. Then there is no God, no gospel, and our preaching and faith is
useless.
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But this evening, we‟re reminded that our faith is not a sham. We‟re reminded that our faith has
a firm foundation, that our faith and hope and trust in God is real, because God‟s Word is true,
it‟s authentic. Tonight as we look at the third article of the Belgic Confession, we confess that
God’s Word has Credibility. It has credibility because:
1) It was Given to us by God
2) It was Preserved for us by God
1) It was Given to us by God
Boys and girls, this book which we have in the pews, this book which we call “the Bible” is a
very special book. It is special in the first place because it took so long to write. Usually a book
is written in a matter of a few years. In some rare instances, an author might take many years to
write a book; and in the event of his death, someone else might have to finish it for him.
But the Bible is unusual because 1500 years separated Moses, who wrote the first five books of
the Bible, and John, who wrote the last book of the Bible when he was in exile on the island of
Patmos. Now, that‟s a huge separation not just in years, but in culture and world view.
And that in itself is reason for some to criticize the Bible. Some people say, how can the Bible
claim to have one central theme and a unified purpose when it was written by men like this who
were not only thousands of years apart, but were worlds apart, who came from such different
backgrounds and cultures, who didn‟t even speak the same language.
Besides that, these men were Testaments apart! One man lived before Jesus Christ and the other
after Jesus Christ. There are scholars who insist that when Jesus Christ came on the scene, the
whole message of the Bible shifted, it changed. In fact, some go so far as to say that the God
whom Moses (and other OT authors) describes is actually a different God than the God described
and revealed by Jesus and the Apostles in the New Testament.
They claim that the God of Moses was a wrathful God, a God of swift judgment, a God of
vengeance -- “an eye for an eye.” But they say that Jesus and the apostles describe a God who is
gentle and loving, who is forgiving and accepting, a God who does not judge.
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That‟s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to criticisms of the Bible. There are many others.
Perhaps some of you are familiar with the textual criticism of the Bible; for example if you have
a Study Bible, you can read about the Documentary Hypothesis (a.k.a. Wellhausen Theory).
This theory alleges that the Pentateuch (the five book of Moses) can not be attributed to Moses
but rather to at least four independent sources. That theory is based upon the various titles and
names of God that appear in one section of the Pentateuch over against another.
Others among us may be familiar with the Jesus Seminar, or the Search for the Historical Jesus.
Those are seminars and studies where (so called) Bible experts look closely at the content of the
Gospel accounts, and they try to measure or judge the historicity, the probability of the things
Jesus did and the words which are attributed to Jesus.
For example, the saying „turn the other cheek‟ gets a very high rating, with researchers giving it
a 92% probability that Jesus actually said that; whereas any passages where Jesus speaks about
hell or a fiery punishment for sinners is rated with the lowest probability and even an outright
denial that Jesus ever said that.
Besides all the textual criticism of the Bible there‟s an abundance of external criticism as well.
Scientists discredit the Bible by saying that it is written by ignorant people who thought the
world stood at the center of the universe, and that the sun actually moves (rises and sets).
They use the theory of evolution to discredit the historicity and veracity of the Genesis account.
The evidence, we‟re told, is in the fossils, and anyone who actually believes the Genesis account
of creation is not just living in denial, they are flat out ignorant and cannot be taken seriously.
And so it goes. In every generation there are skeptics and unbelievers who challenge and deny
the authority and the credibility of the Bible. And congregation, the reason for these attacks and
criticisms are simple. It‟s because people do not believe that the Bible is a book that was given
to us by God.
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They approach the Bible as if it were just another book, just a piece of ancient literature that we
are free to analyze and criticize; to dissect and examine, that we can take or leave as we see fit.
They do not believe what we hold to be true, what we confess in article three of the Belgic
Confession: this Word of God was not sent nor delivered by the will of man, but that men spake
from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit, as the apostle Peter says.
That article is based in large part on the passage we read tonight. Here, Peter rests his entire
appeal to the church upon the authority and the authenticity of the Word of God which he and the
other Apostles received directly from God.
If you look back to verses 10-11, we hear Peter challenging the saints to be all the more eager to
make their calling and election sure. If they do this, he writes, they will never fall. And in the
very next verse, Peter speaks to them about the promise of the Gospel: and you will receive a
rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And the reason Peter writes with such confidence and certainty is because he knows that the
Word he is passing along to them is right and true. Look at verses 16-18. Peter declares to them:
We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
Here (like the Apostle Paul did) Peter distinguishes himself and his fellow Apostles from the
many false teachers who came preaching another gospel, a gospel of their own. The word for
stories in the Greek is muthois/myths. In other words, Peter is saying that the teachings which he
and the others are passing along to the saints are not things which they have dreamed up or made
up along the way.
These writings and teachings which Peter and the others pass along are not their own personal
opinions; they‟re not passing along a collection of their own wise sayings or reflections on a
good life. No. Peter reveals to them that their words and teachings came right from God.
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Speaking of Jesus he writes, For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the
voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am
well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on
the sacred mountain.
He reminds them that they were eye witnesses to the glorious transfiguration (the unveiling of
the glory of the Son of God) on the sacred mountain, but they were also ear witnesses as well.
For, they heard the voice from heaven, the very voice of the Father Himself – This is my Son
whom I love.
Peter is vouching for the Word of God. He‟s defending the credibility of God‟s Word, of the
Gospel that he preached to them. And Peter‟s not finished yet. In vv. 19ff. he reminds the saints
that they not only have their testimony, but they have the word of the prophets – those servants
of God who (like Rev. Blauw spoke about last week) spoke the very WORD of God to the
people; they were like a light shining in a dark place.
And Peter defends the word and credibility of the prophets. He says, you must understand, no
prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had
its origin in the will of man, but men spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Men were carried along -- not by their own power and wit -- by the Holy Spirit –much the same
way that a ship with sails is born about by the wind. Now, it‟s true, the men who penned the
Bible were human, and it‟s also true that every prophet and author of the Bible wrote from his
own personal perspective and style and experience; Luke tell us that he gathered evidence in
order to write his account – so these men studied and examined and reflected.
Yet that which they wrote was entirely the Word of God. We call that the doctrine of inspiration.
The Scripture, the Bible, this book we hold in our hands is God-breathed, it owes its very origin
not to man, but to God Himself. That is what Paul meant when he wrote II Timothy 3.16-17: All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work
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What this means, very simply, is that the Scriptures are above reproach, they are above the
criticism and scrutiny of man, because they are not the words of man, but the very WORD of
God to man. This is why we also confess that the Scriptures are not only inerrant (without error)
but they are infallible (not subject to error – incapable of error).
Even as the Apostles wrote and received the Word they were aware of its inspiration and
authority – read II Peter 3:16 and I Thessalonians 2:13. So we say with the apostle Paul in
Romans 3:4 Let God be true, and every man a liar…so that you may be proved right when you
speak and prevail when you judge. You see, this is the only way that our Bible has any
credibility – it is God‟s Word of truth to us.
Yes, the Bible certainly contains the wisdom of Solomon, the theology of Paul, the songs and
poems of David, the dreams and visions of the prophets, and four unique perspectives on the life
and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ, but from beginning to end, it is all the Word of God.
And beloved, this is reason to rejoice, for the Word of God is such a precious gift of His grace.
We rejoice to know that in the Bible, our great and awesome and powerful and loving God is
speaking to us -- to us of all people!!!
In His Word God reveals the truth about Himself, and the truth about us. He reveals to us the
creation, fall and redemption of man, and the way of salvation through His own Son Jesus Christ.
So the Bible is not just another good book to read; it is not „chicken soup for the soul‟ material;
it‟s not just something we read for its therapeutic powers. No – in it we meet the Living God!
And that we read is true spiritual milk, and by drinking it in, by reading it, and reflecting upon it,
and by believing what it says, and putting into practice, we will actually be transformed from the
inside out, as God‟s Spirit works through the Word to change us and reform us. That‟s why we
so frequently emphasize the need to read God‟s Word.
Because we will never grow in our knowledge and understanding and love for the Lord of the
Word, if we do not take up and read and meditate on the Word of the Lord. And when we come
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to read the Word of God, we must always do so with a spirit of reverence and respect; in true
humility and submission, with a sense of adoration and admiration, and with a genuine heart and
desire not just to learn, but to obey; to not only hear, but to do all that the Word calls us to do.
2) It was Preserved for us by God
So that is first -- the Word was Given to us by God. Secondly we consider that the Word was
preserved for us by God. In other words, we confess that God not only inspired men to write the
Scriptures, but God also saw fit to preserve his Word. God saw to it that down through the years,
down through the generation, His Word, the written Scriptures were preserved for the church.
Article 3 goes on to say: that afterwards God, from a special care which He has for us and our
salvation, commanded His servants, the prophets and apostles, to commit His revealed Word to
writing; and He Himself wrote with His own finger the two tables of the law….”
I think this is an aspect of God‟s inspired Word that we often overlook – the careful preservation
of His inspired Word. While we are right to believe that God spoke through the prophets, we
forget how important it was for each prophecy, for each word of God to be written down, to be
recorded for future generations.
Otherwise, we would have no access to God‟s revelation of Himself. Or if we had bits and
pieces of this letter and that, we might be left to wonder what more might God have said to us, or
we might be unclear as to the message of a certain book of the Bible because we were missing
pages. We might also be left to wonder if there are other books of the Bible yet to be found.
This came to mind a little while ago when I saw a special feature on the Discovery Channel.
They were doing a special on the five lost temple shrines in the Himalayas. If you‟ve ever seen
footage of remote Himalayan villages, you‟ll notice that many of the hills and mountain
surrounding the village are dotted with scores – if not hundreds of small caves.
That was where many of the people lived generations before them. But also, that was where the
Buddhist monks would live – it was a very primitive setting, like a monastery. They would go
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into these caves and spend days burning incense and reading and writing (so called) sacred
script.
Tradition had it that there were five hidden caves that contained ancient artifacts and spectacular
paintings by some of these monks -- which dated back over 500 years. Due to the crumbling
mountain side, not many of these caves were accessible to the locals anymore. So this team of
professional climbers and archeologists went up in search of these caves.
And gradually they did discover several of these sacred temple shrines. But in one particular
cave, the archeologists hit the jack-pot. They found a Buddhist temple with beautiful paintings
on the walls, an altar in which they burned their incense, but the most intriguing find – certainly
the most exciting to the team was that the floor of this cave, this abandoned temple was strewn
with ancient sacred script.
And although the team could not remove any of the pieces, they painstakingly took photos of as
many pages as they could find; and they said how anxious they were to show their findings to the
people in the village and to the other Buddhists priests so they could search the script so as to
find additional teachings left by these monks many years ago.
As I sat there watching, I said to myself, is that how the great god Buddha takes care of his
people? He leaves pieces of ancient teachings, pages of sacred writings strewn on the floor of a
cave, covered by guano (bird feces), hidden in caves for centuries?
Beloved, this is why we can be so thankful that our God has preserved His Word. If anything
that documentary proved what an amazing miracle it is that we have the written Word of God
with us today – that we hold in our hand a copy of a book that was written over a span of 1500
years, and we can be confident, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that what we read is God‟s Word to
us, preserved for us.
We don‟t have to wonder if the book of Genesis is missing a few chapters, or if there are a thirty
or forty more Psalms of David sitting somewhere in a dark cave gathering dust. We have the
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promise of God, and the testimony of the early church that the written Word we have today is the
same Word that God entrusted to His prophets to write, and that he entrusted to His people to
preserve. What an amazing display of God‟s providence and provision!
And now we come to the conclusion and say OK. That‟s amazing and all, but so what? What
does this mean to me? This is what can take home with us. We need to see that God gave us His
Word for a very specific purpose – for a saving purpose. God gave us His Word so that we can
both read about and hear the Gospel.
Romans 10 says How can they call on the one they have not believed in? How can they believe
in the one whom they have not heard? What good would it have done if Christ died to take
away our sins, but we never heard about it? How could we believe in our Savior if we never
even knew who He is or what He has done?
So in giving us the WORD, God has given to us not only Himself, but He has also given to us
salvation in and through his Son, Jesus Christ. This was not a knowledge we possessed, for as
the II Timothy 3:15 says the Scriptures make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
And so we‟re reminded again that the Bible wasn‟t written to satisfy our every curiosity and to
solve all mysteries. The Bible wasn‟t written to answer our every question. No, the Bible was
written for our good -- to bring lost sinners to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, we must be careful to avoid a minimalist view of the Bible – as if the only passage in the
Bible we really need to know if John 3:16 or Romans 5:8. The rest of the Bible is not that
important. No. For Paul also writes in II Timothy 3 that the Scripture is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correction and training in righteousness!
It‟s for this reason that God gave us not just one book of the Bible, not just a few verses here and
there, but God gave us the full counsel of His Word – all 66 books of Old and New Testament.
So that w, by the faithful reading and careful study might not only grow in our faith and
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knowledge and understanding of God, of this world, and our ourselves, but that we might grow
in our love and devotion and zeal for the Lord almighty and for Jesus Christ our Savior.
And so that is why we need the Word – the whole unadulterated Word of God, from Genesis to
Revelation, so that by reading God‟s Word we ourselves might know right from wrong, truth
from error, that we might not only be comforted with the Gospel promises, but that we ourselves
might also be instructed, trained, rebuked, and corrected.
And how much don‟t we need that everyday – how often don‟t we find ourselves reading a
passage of Scripture and being convicted that this is what we have left undone, or we feel exactly
like David did when Nathan said to him Thou art the man!
That‟s why we need the Scriptures. And so we can be thankful that the Word we have is a Word
from God, and therefore we can be confident that is a complete word, and a truthful Word, and a
perfectly preserved Word.
Essentially, that is why the Word of God has credibility. Above all else, it‟s because it is the
Word of Almighty God, and He does not lie, He does not deceive. His Word is truth, and He has
given it to us so that we might live and walk in the light of His truth. Amen.
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