Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

1:16 cleverly devised myths. "Myth" translates Greek mythos, "a story without basis in fact, a legend." The gospel of Christ was no myth, because the apostles were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Peter had observed the "majesty" of Christ firsthand at the transfiguration. He knew that Christ had come in power; he was no mere literary character invented for a mythological narrative. But Jesus' transfiguration also functions as a prelude and anticipation of his coming in glory. Readers learn from 3:3-4 that the false teachers believed that the second coming was also a myth, but Peter refutes this, underscoring the certainty of Christ's return.

1:17 Majestic Glory. A name for God the Father emphasizing the transcendence of his glorious presence (see Ex. 33:12-23; 34:29-35; 2 Cor. 3:12-18). At the transfiguration, God displayed the honor and glory of his beloved Son, a declaration by the Father of Jesus' divine sonship (cf. Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1; Matt. 3:17; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22).

1:18 we ourselves heard. Peter emphasizes his own eyewitness status, and that of the other apostles, with regard to the transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-8); he personally heard the voice of the Father declare Jesus to be his Son. If someone else had written this letter in Peter's name (see Introduction: Author and Title), that person's claim of eyewitness status would have been a lie.