The congregations to whom the apostle Peter writes his second letter were seriously threatened by heresies. False teachers (Peter calls them arrogant scoffers) were lying in wait to infiltrate the congregations and draw them away from the gospel. The apostle realizes that in such a situation the question may come up whether or not the true Word of God has come to us, whether we have really heard reliable truth?

Because Peter anticipates this question, he takes great pains in the first chapter of this letter, to convince his readers of the steadfastness and trustworthiness of the apostolic preaching. When the gospel was preached to these Christians, they did not come into contact with “cleverly invented stories” but with the very trustworthy testimony of the apostles. These apostles are eyewitnesses of Christ’s majesty. Peter himself has been present with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. He has heard the voice of God who indicated Jesus as the Messiah, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

The Christians to whom Peter writes can rest assured. The apostolic preaching was not all about vague speculations and ideas of men but about sure facts. These facts have been ascertained by eyewitnesses. The prophetic word has also received powerful confirmation in these facts. In this chapter Peter’s reference to the prophetic word definitely means the prophecies of the Old Testament.  What the prophets have foretold about Christ has truly been fulfilled in Jesus. The apostles have seen and heard it. The congregations have to hold on to that prophetic word. They should not let false teachers confuse them. Especially in everything that happened to and with Christ, it becomes evident how trustworthy the prophetic word is. The Scriptures are true. The congregations have a confirmation of that in the eyewitness report about the voice that spoke on the mount of transfiguration.

In our text Peter presents his weightiest argument: the prophecy of Scripture is true and trustworthy because it is basically the Word of the Holy Spirit. The prophets did not write on their own impulse but were moved by the Holy Spirit, and so they spoke from God. The Bible is backed up by God’s authority.

Our text clearly points to the Old Testament. But what Peter says about the origin of the Old Testament Scripture, also applies to the testimony of the New Testament. It is the Holy Spirit who speaks in and through the apostles (cf. Jn 15:26; Acts 1:8; 5:32).

In the history of the Christian church, our text has always been considered one of the proof texts for what is called the inspiration of Scripture.  Scripture is inspired by God, or, as Paul literally says in 2 Timothy 3:16, “God-breathed” (theopneust).  This has been a work of God through the Holy Spirit. The word Paul uses indicates this. In our text the apostle Peter ascribes the origin of the prophetic word of Scripture to the Holy Spirit. Speaking the Word of God as well as recording it, has taken place by the operation of God the Holy Spirit.

Through the centuries much thought has been given to this miraculous work of the Holy Spirit. Some were of the opinion that the authors functioned as instruments like funnels, without a will, with their personalities as good as eliminated.

In Reformed circles this view has been rejected, because it is not in agreement with the way the Holy Spirit deals with people and does his work through them.

The miracle of the work of the Holy Spirit is this, that he does not eliminate people but actually involves them with their whole being and personality and makes them function in accordance God’s purpose. In the Canons of Dort we confess in Chapter III/IV that in regeneration the Holy Spirit does not destroy the will of man, but makes his will spiritually alive, heals it, corrects it, pleasantly and at the same time powerfully bends it.

This is how the Spirit also worked when Scripture was originally established.  Peter says in our text that men were “moved,” carried along by the Holy Spirit. But at the same time the apostle says that these men spoke from God.  The Word of God was expressed in human words. Men spoke, in their time, with their aptitude and talent, and in their manner. But in their speaking they were governed and guided by the Holy Spirit.

To what extent the total man was involved in speaking and writing the Word of God, is apparent more than once from Scripture itself. From Numbers 12:14 and Joshua 10:13 we can conclude that the authors of the Bible had to consult historical sources before they started to write. The evangelist Luke tells us that he carefully investigated everything from the beginning before he wrote an orderly account (cf. Lk 1:3). The evangelist John makes clear that he made a conscious selection of all the material that was available (cf. Jn 20:30, 31). When we compare the four Gospels, it becomes apparent that each evangelist described in his own way, the mighty deeds of God in Jesus Christ. Luke, the physician, often tells us exactly the illness one suffered before Jesus healed him.

When the Holy Spirit inspired the authors of the Bible, he did not treat them as “stocks and blocks” but engaged them as men with their personal background, talents, aptitude, and personality. That is how they spoke and wrote.

What was written was the Word of God, theopneust, God-breathed. This is how our Savior honored the Scriptures (cf. Mt 22:43), as did the apostles (cf. Acts 3:21; 4:25). That is why the author of the letter to the Hebrews can quote the Old Testament as follows, “So, as the Holy Spirit says....” (Heb 3:7; cf. 10:15).

Scripture is the book of God the Holy Spirit. He is the Author and the One who speaks. That is the anchor of the unity of the Bible. Today many deny this unity. They view the Bible as a collection of very different writings. They arrive at this opinion because they no longer believe the miracle of inspiration, the way Scripture itself speaks about it.

There are not different people who speak the Word in Scripture. There is only One who speaks the Word: God the Holy Spirit. He moved men, and so they spoke and wrote “from God” -- on behalf of God, with his authority and in his Name.

Therefore the Word of Scripture is steadfast and trustworthy and we do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts (cf. 2 Pet 1:19).