EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 11/03/2025 8:20 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “Peter’s Eyewitness Experience”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2 Peter 1:16-18
Message of the verses: “16 For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this was made to Him by the Majestic Glory, "This is My beloved Son with whom I am well-pleased" —18 and we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.”
“15 And I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind.” Now I wanted to begin this SD with the last verse in the previous chapter we looked at before going to these verse’s as we begin this 4th chapter in MacArthur’s commentary on 2 Peter, and the reason has to do with the first word in verse 16 as For is the casual term that links this passage to the previous one and explains why Peter reminded his hearers of the truth. It is clear that Peter was absolutely convinced of the truth he taught because he had personally experienced it while he was with the Lord. Peter also spoke for the other apostles and New Testament authors when he asserted the following “we did not follow cleverly devised tales. All of the authors of the New Testament received supernatural revelation (John 15:1; 1 John 1:1-3) which verified that what they were taught and were subsequently preaching was the truth (Matt. 13:11, 16-17; cf. Matt. 11:25-26; 1 Cor. 2:10).
John MacArthur writes that “Peter’s opening assertion answers the accusation of his critics that he taught carefully crafted lies only to attract gullible followers and made money off them. False religious teachers commonly sought the power and popularity that brought not only money (cf. Mic. 3:11), but also sexual favors (cf. Jer. 23:14).” “14 “Also among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: The committing of adultery and walking in falsehood; And they strengthen the hands of evildoers, So that no one has turned back from his wickedness. All of them have become to Me like Sodom, And her inhabitants like Gomorrah.” “However, Peter refuted his accusers by saying he and his fellow apostles did not follow the deceptive approach of false teachers.
“Cleverly devised stems from sophizo (‘to make wise’) and connotes sophisticated, subtly concocted ideas. The expression also refers to anything clandestine or deceitful. Seeking to devour the sheep, the false teachers would disguise their lies (cf. 2:1) to make them appear as diving truth (Jer. 6:14; 14:14; 23:16, 21, 16; Cf. Matt. 7:15).” “15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
I will end this SD with one more paragraph from John MacArthur’s commentary as when he writes the Greek words and the definition of them, it is best for me to quote what he has written in order for the readers to best understand these important truths.
“Tales (mutho, from which the English myths derives) refers to legendary stories and heroic figures participating in miraculous events and performing extraordinary feats. Those tales characterized pagan mythology and its worldviews. Paul used muthos, which always has a negative connotation in the New Testament, much as Peter did, to refer to the lies, fabrications, and deceptions of all false teachers (1 Tim. 1:4; 4:7; 2 Tim. 4:4; Titus 1:14). Peter flatly denied that he was drawing upon such fictitious stories when he made known his teaching. Undoubtedly, false teachers had told his readers that Christian faith and doctrine was just another set of myths and fables.”
Lord will we will continue to look at more of these Greek words and how MacArthur explains their meanings, as this is very important to do.
11/3/2025 8:56 PM
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