Introduction Have you ever experienced the frustration of being in an organization or workplace where it is unclear who is actually in charge? Decisions need to be made but the trigger is never pulled because nobody knows who can do it without getting into trouble. Other times it seems that one person should have authority on paper but it turns out that someone else is really in charge, though unofficially. We might refer to this as the difference between formal and functional authority. Formal authority is who everyone claims is in charge, but functional authority is the one everyone actually looks to for decisions. Many Christians struggle with this distinction in the way they view the Bible. On one hand, a professing Christian will say they believe the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative word of God, but when you look at this individual’s life it is apparent that something else actually has authority. They will not obey what the Bible says until they get “permission” from the other thing that really directs them. These individuals affirm the formal authority of Scripture while denying its functional authority. 2 Peter 3:1-10 addresses the role Scripture plays in Christian living, and the apostle Peter reminds us that Scripture must have functional authority in our life to be helpful. Peter unpacks three things that need to happen for Scripture to have functional authority. “1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.” Scripture Must Determine What We Do
First, Scriptural will only have functional authority if it affects us in our decisions (v1-2). Peter explicitly states that his aim in writing was to see the “stirring up [of their] sincere mind by way of reminder (v1).” His expectation is doctrine affects those who believe. The idea of “stirring up” conveys the picture of being awakened from sleep (inactivity). Peter wants to see the faith of these professing Christians “do” something. To that end, Peter wants to remind them of two things: (1) the predictions of the holy prophets and (2) the commandment of our Savior. The predictions of the prophets refer to the teaching that God will visit His creation and render judgment to each one according to his works. Malachi 4:1-3 provides a concise summary of the Day of the Lord: the evildoers will be judged and those who fear the Lord will be saved. This prediction is meant to elicit a response from those who are wise enough to listen (namely, repentance of sin and faith in Christ). The commandment of our Lord is clearly explained in 1 John 3:23 as a call to believe in Christ and love one another through action. The Christian life is really about two things: growing in our love and knowledge of God, and loving one another well. Love is giving for the good of the other, so Christian love is giving our time, talents, and treasure first to the Lord and then in service of people. Taken as a whole, Peter’s point is that we must grow in our love of God and others in light of the certain, coming judgment. Scripture Must Determine Where We Stand Second, Scripture will only have functional authority if you stand on it, especially when it is opposed (v3-7). The very real opposition and mocking of God’s word is not a modern phenomenon; it has been going on since Genesis 3 with Satan’s famous question, “Did God really say?” Satan assured Adam and Eve that death would not be the result of their disobedience, despite God’s explicit warning that it would be. Peter alerts his readers that there will be people who come with a message that undermines the teaching of Scripture, and these individuals will be “following their own sinful desires (v3).” These are people who stand on what they believe (perhaps better to say want) to be true and reject what God has revealed to be true. We already were told that these scoffers reject God’s word (they are not merely confused). They are slaves of their own sensual desires, and they are actively seeking to recruit others to their position. The scoffers raise the question, “Where is the promise of His coming (v4).” The accusation behind the question is plain: God’s promises of death for sin and life for obedience are not to be taken seriously! The message is people need not concern themselves with the commandments and warnings of God, just do what you want. The scoffers ground their argument in their opinion that “all things are continuing as they were from the beginning (v4).” In other words, the scoffers claim God is a non-factor in our lives because they perceive no evidence of God actually interfering in human history. Peter counters this argument by demonstrating God has acted in human history. God created the world by His word (v5); God judged the world by His word and water in the flood (v6); and God sustains the world and preserves it for the judgment of fire to come by His word (v7). God’s word has power, and it is to be taken seriously. All of this boils down to the issue of whether or not we believe God’s word is knowable, trustworthy, and binding. Satan and his followers dismiss God’s word, especially when it is inconvenient; Christians stand on God’s word even when it is challenged. Christians stand on the word of God not because we always have all the answers or because everything in Scripture makes total sense, but because we trust the God who gave it to us. Everyone has to stand somewhere, and Christians determine that standing with Christ is our surest hope. Scripture Must Be Rightly Understood And finally, Scripture will only have functional authority when understood in what it teaches (v8-10). The scoffers questioned the reliability of God’s promises given the perceived delay in the fulfillment of those promises. Christians rally to Scripture when it is challenged, but Peter acknowledges that the scoffers have raised an issue that could prove problematic to the faith of believers if left unaddressed; specifically, how do Christians handle the perception of God’s slowness in fulfilling His promises? Honest wrestling with Scripture will raise questions, but not all questioning is equally valid or good. Questioning can be evidence of faith or unbelief, depending on the aim of the questions. Faith asks questions to understand and apply biblical truth; it seeks to put all of the pieces of the puzzle together in order to see the big picture, and confusion arises when we cannot see how the pieces fit but we know they must. Unbelief asks questions to muddy the waters and blur the lines in order to provide cover for their disobedience to God’s commands. The unbeliever is not trying to argue their choices are good so much as they are trying to make it difficult to prove their decisions are wrong. Faith asks questions to search for truth. Unbelief asks questions to accuse, excuse, and cast doubt. So the question of how we interpret the fact God has not come back yet can be asked out of faith or unbelief. The scoffers raised this question to destabilize confidence in God’s word. Peter rejects that purpose in questioning, but he does open an “in-house discussion” with believers who desire to understand why God has waited to bring fulfillment to His promises. Peter’s short answer is that God does not view time the way we do because to Him “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day” (v8). The slightly longer answer is that God is determined to save sinners and is exercising patience in order to bring in all of His people. Peter states, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise...but is patient toward you, not willing that any should perish” (v9). The scoffers see God’s delay as proof of His irrelevance; Christians understand God’s “delay” is a matter of God’s patience in bringing in the full number of the elect. God is unwilling to leave any of His children behind. The delay is proof of God’s kindness and patience when properly understood, it is not evidence of His weakness or wavering in fulfilling His promises. Final Thought Our world is full of chaos and contradictory advice. Stability and confidence come for those who anchor themselves in the Word of God and follow it. Peter was no stranger to turbulent times, and his own faith serves as an example for us. When Jesus’ ministry was in full swing and garnered a lot of controversy, many questioned whether sticking with Jesus was the smart move. At one particular point, Jesus taught hard and confusing things and many walked away because of it (John 6). Jesus asked Peter and the others if they too would walk away. Peter’s reply was wonderful, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69). Peter acknowledges two things in this reply. First, he was very confused about what Jesus was teaching, just like those who walked away. Second, Peter differed from those who walked away because he was convinced that Jesus was trustworthy despite the confusion. Christians do not have the answers to all the questions scoffers might throw our way, but we do confess our confidence in Jesus when we do not know what is going on. We will never have all the answers, but we follow the One who does.
1 Comment
Jon Volovski
9/5/2023 05:38:10 am
Keep up the Good Word!
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AuthorI am follower of Jesus Christ by God's grace, married to Kelsey, father to four children, and pastor of Lighthouse Church (EPC). Archives
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