EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers are to give their attention to Scripture as their means of spiritual growth.
19 We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed,
and you will do well to pay attention to it,
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until the day dawns
and the morning star rises in your hearts.
20 Above all, you know this:
No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation,
21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man;
instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Old Testament prophecies had connected a star with the Messiah
(Num. 24:17).
Revelation 22:16
presents the same idea of a star that represents the return of Christ.
Opponents may have denied that Christ would return,
but the prophecies of Scripture were accurate.
Suggest reasons it might be hard to have a spiritual conversation with an unbeliever.
Suggest the difficulties that arise when there is disagreement about authority or trustworthiness of Scripture.
Rightly interpreting verses 20-21 leads one to two possible options.
Both positions emphasize that the prophetic teachings of the Old Testament are not up for personal interpretation,
but speak truth regarding Jesus that compels belief.
God is the undisputed Author of His Word.
As Paul noted, all Scripture is inspired (or breathed out) by God
(see 2 Tim. 3:16).
He is the Source of all it provides.
However, He did use human beings
in the process of sharing His messages to the world.
They used their own personalities, literary styles,
and vocabularies.
The words were their own words, but they conveyed the Word of the Lord.
The verb that is rendered carried along
was also used of ships that were driven by the wind
(see Acts 17:15-17).
In this case, the Holy Spirit served as the Guide and Director.
While human beings are fallible,
the work of the Holy Spirit ensured that the biblical writers would share the exact message God intended.
He guaranteed the perfection of the Bible’s message by moving the writers in the proper direction.
This is an important point in understanding the trustworthiness of Scripture.
Highlight that we can trust the Bible because it is God’s Word.
Note that His Spirit provided the inspiration
and guaranteed the perfection.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 108 of the Personal Study Guide:
Guide the group to discuss the first set of questions on page 108 of the PSG. Distribute index cards and invite each adult to indicate a response to the first question. Collect the cards and total the re-sponses before moving to the final question. As a group, evaluate the maturity of the group as a whole.
Encourage the group to use the second set of questions during their time with God this week. Re-view the three things God has given us to grow in faith: salvation, historical veracity of Christ, and Scrip-ture.
Close the time by thanking God for fully equipping us for spiritual growth. Commit to being a cata-lyst in each other’s lives that encourages and contributes to a deeper walk with God.
Reinforce the session by sending the group an email or text encouraging them to talk with God about any questions they might have about spiritual growth. Invite adults to share thoughts about how the group can promote spiritual growth during a session, offering a special growth study, or maybe con-ducting a ministry project through the church.
All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. (See Luke 24:44-46;
John 5:39.)
Use other Scripture to help understand a Bible passage.
Peter’s reference to his eyewitness account of Jesus’s transfiguration as a means of validating the historicity and divinity of Jesus is crucial to his refutation of the false teachers who were having a nega-tive impact on local churches. Study the transfiguration accounts in Matthew 17:1-8; Mark 9:2-8; and Luke 9:28-36. Consider additional resources such as a Bible dictionary or trustworthy commentaries for each passage to help you dive deeper into your understanding of this significant moment in histo-ry.