2 Peter 1:19

2 Peter 1:19 ‘And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to. lamp shining in. dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.'

‘And so we have the prophetic word' -‘the message of the prophets' (Gspd)/(NEB) (Romans 16:26)

‘made more sure' -‘trusty' (Thayer p. 99); ‘firm, stedfast' (2 Peter 1:10) (Vine p. 96); ‘reliable, dependable, certain, “we possess the prophetic word as something altogether reliable.” (Arndt p. 138). ‘We have the word of prophecy confirmed' (Wey); ‘All this only confirms for us the message of the prophets' (NEB).

Points to Note:

One view is that the words of the prophets are even greater evidence than the Transfiguration. 2. Another view is that the Transfiguration confirmed all the Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament and made it clear that Jesus is the Son of God. Thus Peter is placing complete confidence in the Old Testament Scriptures. ‘Kelly believes that the prophetic word “has been made ‘more sure' in the sense both that God has Himself certified it as true and it is already in process of fulfillment.' (Hamilton p. 87) ‘The prophecies of the Old Testament…which foretold of Christ's coming, deity, and greatness, are rendered more sure and unimpeachable now that He had come and the Transfiguration had taken place.' (Oberst p. 283)

‘to which' -i.e. to the words of the prophets.

‘you do well to pay attention' -‘turn the mind to, attend to, be attentive' (Thayer p. 546); ‘pay attention, give heed to, follow' (Arndt p. 714). Instead of paying attention to the claims of the false teachers, listen to what God has said! The tense is present, indicating the need for continuous or regular action.

‘as to. lamp shining in. dark place' -(Psalms 119:105 ‘Thy word is. lamp unto my feet').

Points to Note:

The Scriptures, even the Old Testament Scriptures are clear and understandable. They were not given to confuse mankind, but rather to enlighten and guide. 2. Without. reliance upon the Scriptures you will end up in darkness. Without the Scriptures, mankind is in darkness (Matthew 4:16; John 3:19; Acts 26:18; Romans 2:19; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Peter 2:9). 3. ‘Dark'-‘squalid, dirty' (Thayer p. 87) ‘it is. subtle association of the idea of darkness with squalor, dryness and general neglect.' (Vincent p. 687) ‘we are on. pilgrimage throughout our lives in this dark world. God has graciously provided us with. lamp, the Scriptures. If we pay attention to them for reproof, warning, guidance, and encouragement we shall walk safely. If we neglect them, we shall be engulfed by darkness. The whole course of our lives ought to be governed by the Word of God.' (Green p. 89)

‘until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts' -‘Dawn'-‘to shine through, it describes the breaking of daylight upon the darkness of night' (Vine p. 270). ‘Morning star'-‘The morning star…is Venus, which catches the sun's rays just before dawn and is. promise of daytime.' (Lucas/Green p. 82)

Points to Note:

Jesus is often referred to as the ‘morning star' (Revelation 22:16; Numbers 2:16; Revelation 2:28). 2. Some say that the ‘day' under consideration is the Second Coming. That we need to take heed to the Scriptures until Jesus comes again. At that point our lamp will no longer be needed (a lamp is no longer required once the sun is up). But it is hard to see how the Second Coming arises in the heart of the believer. 3. Others see the verse as teaching that we need to attend to the Scriptures, because that is the only path to the full and clear understanding of the truth, in contrast to the murky and dark positions being advocated by the false teachers. The Old Testament was. bringer of lighter (2 Timothy 3:15), the full and complete truth was revealed through Jesus Christ (John 1:17; John 8:12; John 16:13).