A Warning to Believers

 

The Festival of the Transfiguration of our Lord dictates that we leave behind the assigned readings for the season of Epiphany and concentrate, instead, on the event itself. In the Year of Matthew, the Second Reading appointed for this day is II Peter 1:16-21, where we hear from the author regarding his witness of the Transfiguration.  Clearly this text functions as a warning to believers to be on the watch for false teachers.  It will be the preacher's task to do the same.

(The following questions are part of a method which has been developed to explore the function of the Word in the text.   This is a central concern of Law and Gospel preachers because the way the Word works is the way the sermon must work.  For more on this method see my brief guide, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted, available from wipfandstock.com or amazon.)

1.  How does the Word function in the text?  The Word is functioning to warn believers about two ever-present dangers:  "cleverly devised myths" and scriptural interpretation that is merely "a matter of one's own interpretation."  This warning is the Word functioning as Law, warning us of the dangers of falling away from the faith.

2.  How is the Word not functioning in the text?  A Gospel function is hard to discern here.  The most that can be said is that we are told of the voice from heaven declaring Jesus God's beloved Son and the promise of the Holy Spirit speaking from God.  These are certainly pieces of good news.

3.  With whom are you identifying in the text?  We are the ones being warned here.  Certainly false teachers who form fanciful tales and false interpretations are not confined to the first century; they have been present in all ages.  We do well to heed this warning.

4.  What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text?  The call to obedience (i.e. to faithful living in the light of the Gospel) is not present here.  If anything this is a call to faith.

5.  What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text?  The language  in this brief text suggests several couplets that may be helpful in forming a sermon.  Some ideas:  led astray/led to Christ; malignant tales/gospel testimony; ignorance/knowledge; darkness/light.

6.  Exegetical work:  Pheme Perkins does a  nice job in laying out the primary issues in this passage.  She writes: "Although 2 Peter has begun to speak of the charges against Christian teachings made by others, the focus of the entire first chapter remains the faith of those who believe. The small lamp that shines in the darkness will eventually bring them to their own vision of the majesty and glory of the Lord.  Second Peter has distinguished the divine revelation found in scripture, both the prophets and the gospel, from competing forms of religious and philosophical propaganda.  As long as believers hold fast to the apostolic tradition, the gospel, and the prophets, they can anticipate a vision of the divine glory that carries with it participation in God."  (Interpretation series, First and Second Peter, James, and Jude, p.177).  

7.  Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic?  Henry Mitchell was the first to emphasize the need for celebration in a sermon. While this text is strictly a warning, the promise of the Holy Spirit, the guidance of the prophetic word, and the eye witness accounts of the apostles are certainly worth celebrating.  After all, this is how the faith has come down to us.

Blessings on your proclamation!