In order to safeguard ourselves from false teaching it is essential that we have a correct knowledge of who Jesus is. But how can we know that what we have been taught about Him is true?
One way to do this is to consider the character of those who teach us. In chapter 1, verses 5 through 7 of his second inspired letter Peter writes that the followers of Christ must add to their faith the character qualities of moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. If a teacher does not exhibit these qualities in increasing measure, then Peter says that such a person is nearsighted and blind even though he may claim to have insight.
Another way to evaluate what we are taught is to consider the motivation of the teacher. In verses 12 through 15 Peter writes, “Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth. I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you; knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.”
In this passage Peter shows absolutely no concern that people remember him. Instead, he is very concerned that they remember the things he has taught them. When a messenger is anxious to secure his own fame then it is wise to evaluate his message with skepticism. When, on the other hand, his primary concern is the well-being of the people he teaches then we can have greater confidence in his message.
Peter writes that he will make every effort to see that even after his death people will be able to remember the teaching about Jesus. How did he accomplish this? He did it in at least three ways: 1) By writing his two letters to stir up their memories. 2) By giving them standards by which to judge spiritual teachers. 3) By encouraging the collection and wide distribution of the inspired writings which we call the New Testament. For example, in the next section of this letter Peter briefly mentions the time when Jesus was transfigured. But the readers of this letter would not know what he was talking about unless they already knew about the incident. This event is recorded in three of the four gospels. According to Church tradition, Peter encouraged Mark to write the gospel which bears his name. Of the four gospels it is thought to be the first written. But Mark does not record all of the words which God spoke at the time Jesus was transfigured and which Peter quotes in his letter. The words which Peter quotes are preserved in full only in the Gospel of Matthew. From this we speculate that at the time Peter wrote his second letter at least two of the four gospels had been written and distributed among Christ’s followers. Also, in chapter 3, verses 15 and 16 Peter mentions the letters written by the Apostle Paul. He calls them Scripture, that is inspired by God. It is obvious that Peter expected the followers of Jesus to read Paul’s letters and to obey them.
The motivation of a teacher is not enough to ensure that the message he teaches is true. There have been many teachers who have taught falsehood out of sincere motives. In verses 16 through 18 Peter gives us another criterion by which to judge his message. He writes, “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.”
As already mentioned, Peter is referring to the time when Jesus was transfigured. What Peter is saying is that people can believe his teaching about Jesus because he was an eyewitness of what happened. He did not hear these things from someone else. He was there, personally.
But how do we know that Peter did not just make up this story and the other things he says about Jesus? The answer is very simple. Peter was not alone when these things happened. There were other eyewitnesses as well. This is why Peter says “we were eyewitnesses” instead of “I was an eyewitness.” The gospels tell us that one of the other people who witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration was the Apostle John. John wrote, “That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life. (1 John 1:1) We can have confidence in what the Apostles have told us about Jesus because they speak from their own experience.
The Apostles were not the only ones who witnessed the events of Jesus’ life. The Apostle Paul writes, “Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to over five hundred brothers at once, most of whom remain until now, but some have also fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all, as to the child born at the wrong time, he appeared to me also.” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8) In this account Paul is challenging his readers to investigate and verify the things he has taught them about Jesus by checking with the other witnesses. It is also important to note that the Apostles first preached about Jesus in Jerusalem, the very place where those most opposed to Him were. Yet none of Jesus’ enemies could say that what the Apostles taught about him was false. They could not deny the testimony of those who witnessed the events of Jesus’ life.