Foundations of Truth

Guest (Male): You're listening to Foundations of Truth, the Bible teaching ministry of Dr. Timothy Mann. Our mission is to help you build your life on the unshakable foundation of God's Word. Rooted in scripture, anchored in the grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, each week Dr. Timothy Mann opens the Bible to bring clarity, conviction, and encouragement for everyday life.

Today on Foundations of Truth, we continue our series, Truth in a World of Error, with a message from 2nd Peter. This is the second part of the message entitled "The Trustworthy Word." Here now is Dr. Timothy Mann.

Dr. Timothy Mann: You and I today, we are not eyewitnesses of the Transfiguration, but Peter was there. He faithfully recorded his experience for us in this letter inspired by the Spirit of God. What does that tell us? That tells us that experiences fade, but the Word of God remains.

Experiences are subjective, but the Word of God is objective. Any experience you may have, spiritually speaking, may be interpreted in different ways by different participants, but the Word of God gives one clear message. What we have to remember about our own experiences—and I've had some through the years—is they can be unconsciously distorted, but the Word of God remains and abides forever.

When we study 2nd Peter, we're going to discover that apostate teachers try to turn people away from the Word of God into deeper experiences. I have to tell you, these are contrary to the Word, yet very popular today. These false teachers, Peter says, use feigned words instead of God's inspired Word. He says they teach damnable heresies, destructive heresies.

In other words, without sounding melodramatic, this really is a matter of life and death. If a person believes the truth, he or she will live. If a person believes lies, he or she will die. It's the difference between salvation and condemnation. That's how important this is.

By reminding his readers of the Transfiguration, it is amazing what the Apostle Peter does right here in just these few short verses. He affirms several important doctrines of genuine Christian faith. First of all, he affirmed that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God. The test of any religion, as I said to Joe in our conversation, is this: What do you say about Jesus Christ? What do you say about him? If a religious teacher denies the deity of Jesus Christ, then he's a false teacher.

But the person of Jesus Christ is only one test. We have to also ask, what is the work of Jesus Christ? Why did he come, and what did he do? You see, that's very important. Again, the Transfiguration gives us that answer because Moses and Elijah, the Bible says, appeared in glory and also spoke of his decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

His death was not simply an example, as some would want us to believe. It literally was an exodus. It was an accomplishment, and he accomplished something on the cross, and that was the redemption—the specific redemption—of sinners. The salvation and the redemption of sinners. Not only that, the Transfiguration is an affirmation of the truth of scripture.

As I said earlier, Moses represented the Law. Elijah represented the Prophets. Both of those, the Law and the Prophets, pointed to Jesus Christ. He fulfilled the Law. He fulfilled the Prophets. We believe the Bible because Jesus believed the Bible and said it was the Word of God.

Those who question the truth and the authority of scriptures—by the way, the predominant view that's really come forth in this generation that does have an interest in spiritual matters, and I'm grateful for that—but the predominant view is just that the Bible is the same as any other religious writings. You need to know that. People today do not come from the orientation that they accept the Bible as the Word of God. It's just religious writings.

So those who question the truth and the authority of scriptures, you're not arguing with Moses. You're not arguing with Elijah. You're not even arguing with Peter. You're arguing with the Lord Jesus Christ himself. This Transfiguration event that Peter uses also affirms the reality of God's Kingdom.

The beauty this morning is this: we who have a completed Bible, it's a blessing because we can look back and we can now understand the progressive lessons that Jesus gave his disciples about the cross and the Kingdom. But at that time, those twelve were very confused. They didn't understand the relationship between his suffering and his glory. They didn't understand his teaching between the church and the Kingdom.

At the Transfiguration, our Lord made it clear to his followers that his suffering is ultimately going to lead to glory, and that the cross would ultimately result in the crown that he would have. That was a very practical lesson for Peter, James, and John that they needed to learn because each one of those men was going to suffer.

James was the very first of the apostles to die. John, he lived a long life, but it led to exile and suffering. Peter suffered all through his life during his ministry, and then he laid down his life for the Lord just as he had prophesied. On the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter, James, and John learned that suffering and glory go together, and that the Father's special love and approval are given to those who are willing to suffer for the sake of the Lord. We need to learn that lesson today. The church needs to learn that lesson today.

It's not about a big bank account. It's not about foreign luxury cars. It's not about your health and wealth, although that's very popular. It's about being willing to do God's will, even if that means suffering. Those are the ones who receive the Father's special love and approval.

Peter couldn't share his experience with us personally, but he could share the record of that experience so we could have it permanently in the Word of God. It's not necessary for us to try to duplicate those experiences. You don't have to go chasing after experiences. As a matter of fact, for us to try to do so would be very dangerous. Why? Because the devil very easily can give us a counterfeit experience that can lead us astray. It's happening all the time.

We need to remember the Apostle Peter's wonderful news at the beginning of this letter where he said those who have "obtained like precious faith with us." That means our faith gives us an equal standing with the apostles. They didn't travel in a first-class seat while we now get to travel in second-class or way back in coach next to the restroom. That is not what this means at all. "Like precious faith with us," that's what he wrote.

Listen, we're not on the Mount of Transfiguration. That's never going to be repeated until we see him face to face someday. It's not going to be repeated. But we can benefit from that experience as we meditate on it and we permit the Spirit of God to reveal to us in our hearts and our lives the glories of Jesus Christ.

We learn two important truths already this morning as it relates to truth in a world of error. One is the contrast: men die, but the Word of God lives. Experience fades, but the Word remains. Then Peter adds a third contrast in verses 19 through 21. This is it: we need to remember that the world darkens, but the Word shines. The world darkens, but the Word shines.

In some respects, I'll admit this morning—I don't have any problem admitting this—in some respects, the world is getting better. I thank God for the advances in medicine, transportation, and communication. I'm grateful this morning that we have air conditioning in here that we can sit in and enjoy as opposed to having to be some other place where even last Sunday it wasn't so cool in here then. I'm grateful for that.

I can speak to more people over the internet, potentially. I can speak to more people over the internet than the apostles preached to in their entire lifetimes. In areas of scientific advancement, the world has made great progress. But the human heart is still sinful and still rebellious toward the Creator. All of the improvements in means have not improved our lives.

Medical science enables people to live longer, but there's no guarantee that they can live better. None whatsoever. Modern means of communication—internet, email, social media—all of this only enables lies to travel faster. That's what that does. Every once in a while I have a conversation with somebody and they'll give some information. I'll say, "Where did you see that?" "I found it on the internet." And you know everything on the internet is true, right? Everything you read is accurate on the internet. Yeah, if you believe that, I've got a piece of property I need to sell you.

Jet planes enable us to get to places faster, unless you have to go to Atlanta. Lord help us, my religion was tested this week. Jet planes enable us to go places faster, but they don't give us better places to go at all. We should not be surprised that the world is engulfed in spiritual darkness. It shouldn't surprise us because in the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord Jesus Christ very clearly warned that there would be counterfeits who would invade the church with their false doctrines.

The Apostle Paul gave a similar warning to the elders at Ephesus. He gave further warnings when he wrote all of his epistles. Even John, who is the great Apostle of Love, warned that anti-Christian teachers would seek to destroy the church. In other words, the apostles did not expect the world to get better and better either morally or spiritually. They all warned that false teachers would invade local churches, introduce false doctrines, and lead many people astray. The world will get darker and darker, but as it did, the Word of God would shine brighter and brighter. The true Word of God would.

Dark Desert Highway: Hey guys, what's up? I'm Dark Desert Highway. Come to my podcast, The Bride of Christ Podcast, to check out over 200 Bible studies that are ready to be listened to.

Guest (Male): Thank you for joining us for Foundations of Truth. Your financial gifts help us keep this program on the air sharing biblical truth around the world. If you'd like to make a financial gift today, you can do so online at foundationsoftruth.net. That's foundationsoftruth.net. Now let's return to today's message. Here's Dr. Timothy Mann.

Dr. Timothy Mann: He makes three affirmations about this word. One is this: it's the sure word, he says. In verse 19: "So we have the prophetic word confirmed." We have a "more sure word," he says. Peter's not suggesting here that the Bible was more certain than his experience on the Mount of Transfiguration. He wasn't saying that. His experience was real and true.

However, the record of the Bible of it is dependable. That's what he's saying. The record of the Bible of his experience is dependable. We've already seen that the Transfiguration was a demonstration of the promise given in the prophetic word. That's what he says. Now that promise has added certainty, if you will. Why? Because of what Peter experienced. The Transfiguration experience corroborated the prophetic promises. It corroborated those.

What happens? The apostates, the false teachers, they would attempt to discredit the promise of his coming. But the scriptures were sure. After all, the promise of the Kingdom was reaffirmed by Moses, Elijah, the Son of God, and the Father himself. Then on top of all of that, the Holy Spirit wrote the record for you to read this morning.

The Bible says in Psalm 19:7, "The testimony of the Lord is sure." It says in Psalm 93:5, "Thy testimonies are very sure." Psalm 111:7, "All of his commandments are sure." Psalm 119:128, "Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way."

It's interesting if you put 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 16 and verse 19 together. He says just the first couple of sentences: "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables... we have the prophetic word confirmed. We have a more sure word of prophecy."

You can go down to Barnes & Noble, you can go to Books-A-Million, you can even go to the Christian bookstore. You can go into those inspirational sections, and there are many books today by popular writers that claim to be based on the Bible, but the writer often so twists the scriptures that these verses quoted end up meaning only what they want them to mean. Cunningly devised fables. Yet there is the danger of spiritual death between those covers for anyone who would believe those spiritual lies.

We have a more sure word. Not only that, he says it's a shining word. He calls the world a dark place. Did you see that? You do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place. That's a word that literally means murky. It's the picture of a dank cellar. I grew up in a house that had a basement, but it's interesting, in our basement we had a dirt floor, dirt walls. We did have some concrete blocks that held it up, you know, our house didn't collapse or anything. But when you would enter our basement underneath our house that I grew up in, it had that smell—that musty, earthy smell, kind of a "something doesn't smell right down here" smell.

Or if you've ever gone into a swamp someplace. That stagnant water, it just has a bit of a smell. I'll tell you how you can identify with it: if you have a sprinkler at home and you water your yard from those sprinklers, you notice that smell sometimes, that sulfur, musky smell. It's a picture of this dismal swamp. What Peter's saying is human history began in a lovely garden, but the truth is that garden today is a murky swamp. It's a dark place now.

All you have to do when you look at this world system out here around us today, that's an indication of the spiritual condition of your heart, of my heart, without the grace of God. Without redemption. The world system is a reflection of the depravity of man. We still see beauty in God's creation, but we see no beauty at all in what mankind is doing to God's creation. There's no beauty in that.

Peter didn't see this world as the Garden of Eden, and nor should we. But what he's saying is God is light and his word is light. The Bible says in Psalm 119:105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path." When Jesus Christ began his ministry, the Bible says in Matthew 4:16, quoting the Old Testament, "The people which sat in darkness saw a great light." And his coming into this world was a dawning of a new day, it says in Luke 1:78.

We as Christians, we as genuine followers of Jesus Christ, we are to be what to the world? Light. Light to the world. It's our privilege and it's our responsibility, according to Peter, to hold forth the Word of Life, which is God's light, so that men and women may see and be saved. That's what's supposed to happen.

As believers, what Peter tells us is we must heed this word. It's not only in our best interest and not only our privilege, it really is our mandate, our responsibility to govern our lives by what it says. Because here's what happens: for unbelievers, this world, things will get darker and darker until they end up in spiritual darkness forever. But God's people are looking for the return of Jesus Christ and the dawning of that new day of glory.

What happened is the false teachers scoffed at the idea of Christ's return and the dawning of a new day. But Peter affirmed the truth of the sure Word of God when he says—and we'll get to it in chapter 3—"the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night." But before the day dawns, the Day Star shines brightly as the herald of the dawn. To the church, in Revelation 22:16, Jesus Christ is the bright morning star. The promise of his coming for us shines brightly no matter how dark the day may be. It's the promise of his coming. He's the Sun of Righteousness, the Bible says, which is going to bring healing to believers but judgment to unbelievers.

The fact is how thankful we ought to be this morning for God's sure and shining Word and how we ought to heed it in these dark days. Then he says it's a spirit-given word in verses 20 through 21. By the way, for those of you who care about this kind of thing, that give consideration to theology and doctrine, this is one of two important scriptures affirming the divine inspiration of the Word of God. The other is 2nd Timothy 3:14-17.

But what Peter is doing here, Peter is affirming that the scriptures were not written by men who used their own ideas and words, no matter what this world says, but yet by men who, he says, were "moved by the Holy Spirit." That word translated "moved" means to be carried along. You go down to the beach and you look on the horizon sometimes and you'll see somebody out there with a sailboat, right? And they're moving in either direction, whatever it is. Literally, that's what this word means. It means to be carried along as a ship is carried by the wind.

Scriptures are God-breathed. They're not the inventions of men. Again, what Peter's doing here, he's refuting the doctrines of the apostates. They taught with feigned words. They twisted the scriptures to make them say something else. They denied the promise of Christ's coming. They denied the very prophetic scriptures. But he says it's given of God.

Since the Spirit gave the word, only the Spirit can teach the word and interpret it accurately. Of course, every false teacher claims to be led by God or the Spirit, but sooner or later, what happens is his or her handling of the Word of God exposes them for what they are. Sooner or later.

Since the Bible didn't come by the will of man, it cannot be understood by the will of man. Even religious Nicodemus, who was a leading teacher among the Jews, was ignorant of most of the important doctrines of the Word of God. I need to say this about verse 20: "Knowing this, that no prophecy of scripture is of any private interpretation." Peter is not prohibiting the private study of the Bible. There are some religious groups that have taught that only "spiritual leaders" may interpret scripture, and they've used this verse as their defense.

Peter's not writing primarily about the interpretation of scripture. He's talking about the origin of scripture. The origin. It came by the Holy Spirit through holy men of God. Since it came by the Spirit, it has to be taught by the Spirit. This word translated "private," it simply means one's own or its own. I want to try to help you see a proper view of the Bible. I used to look at it another way at one time in my life because I was taught that way: slice and dice and this was compartmentalized here and this was here and there and all this kind of stuff based on that verse "rightly dividing the word."

Here's what I want to teach you: since all of scripture is inspired by the Spirit, it all must hang together. No one scripture should be divorced from others or compartmentalized from others. You can use the Bible to prove almost anything you want if you isolate verses from their proper context, which is exactly what false teachers do.

Peter states that the witness of the apostles confirmed the witness of the prophetic word, and that there is one message with no contradiction. People weren't saved differently in the Old Testament than they're saved now. There's not these arbitrary distinctions where God works one way and then he works another way and then he works another way. No, God has had a purpose and a plan all the way from the beginning—read Genesis chapter 3 verse 15—and his plan has been Jesus Christ and the redemption of his creation.

Therefore, the only way these false teachers can prove their doctrines—or anybody else for that matter, any other so-called systematic approach, if we're not careful—the way that teachers prove their doctrines is by the misuse of the Word of God. Isolated texts, isolated verses apart from their context, is a pretext or a proof text. So when you hear somebody teach something and they quote a verse with it, you need to go to the book, see what it's talking about. Read the context. Get the big picture. Otherwise, you'll get led down a blind alley and that blind alley may be a dead end.

The Word of God was written to common people, not to theological professors. Written to common people. The writers who wrote this book assumed that the common people could read it, understand it, and apply it, all led by the same Holy Spirit who inspired it. I want to say to you in the morning, the humble believer, any person in this room today who is born again by the grace of God, you can learn about God as you read and as you meditate on the Word of God, and you do not need experts to show you the truth. You don't.

Now, that's not to deny the ministry of teachers in the church. I'm not teaching myself out of a job here. That's not to deny that because there are special people who have the gift for explaining and applying scriptures. That's a gift to the church. Nor does that deny the collective wisdom of the church over the ages. These doctrines have been defined and refined. Teachers and creeds and confessions of faith have their place, but they must not usurp the authority of the Word of God over the conscience of the individual believer. They must not.

Until the day dawns—and that day's dawning, it's coming—we must be sure that the love for his coming is like a shining star in our hearts. Unless we love his appearing, we're not going to look for his appearing. The Word is what keeps that expectation bright. In this world of error, what happens? Men die, but the Word lives. Experience fades, but the Word remains. The world is going to grow darker, but the prophetic light shines brighter.

I want to tell you, the believer, the genuine follower of Jesus Christ who builds her or his life on the Word of God, and you look for the coming of the Savior, you are likely not going to be led astray by false teachers. You're going to be taught by the Spirit. You're going to be grounded in the sure Word of God.

So what's Peter's message to us in this current culture and this current day? It's this: Wake up! Remember some things. A sleeping church is the devil's playground. If you're not awake to the truth, it is absolutely... remember what Jesus taught? It was while men slept that the enemy came in and sowed the tares. So be alert. That's the apostle's message: wake up and remember.

I need to ask you, are you placing your confidence in a particular man's opinion, a particular teacher? Are you looking for an experience? Are you trusting in what this world system or this culture is peddling? All of these will leave you very susceptible to being deceived. Trust the Word of God. Apply it to your life and you'll be safe.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening today to Foundations of Truth, the biblical teaching ministry of Dr. Timothy Mann. If you'd like to hear this message again, or you'd like to get more biblical resources or give a financial gift, you can do so online at foundationsoftruth.net. That's foundationsoftruth.net.

Foundations of Truth is made possible in part by the generous support of AMN Plumbing, proudly serving Daytona Beach, Ormond Beach, Port Orange, and New Smyrna Beach communities. Also Cat Care Clinic of Ormond Beach, providing compassionate feline-focused veterinary care. And Luther Rice Seminary, equipping men and women through biblical and theological education. We're grateful for their partnership in making this ministry possible.

Foundations of Truth with Dr. Timothy Mann is supported in part by Cat Care Clinic, located in Ormond Beach, and serving families with thoughtful and compassionate veterinary care for cats. We're grateful for their partnership in helping carry biblical truth farther. We're thankful for AMN Plumbing, a local ministry partner serving the Ormond Beach, Daytona Beach, Port Orange, New Smyrna Beach, and surrounding areas with dependable plumbing service. Their support helps make Foundations of Truth available to more listeners each week. Foundations of Truth with Dr. Timothy Mann is supported in part by Luther Rice College and Seminary, equipping men and women for ministry through biblically faithful theological education. As a leader in online learning, we are grateful for their partnership in helping carry biblical truth farther.