Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 2 Peter 1:16

"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty." — 2 Peter 1:16 (ASV)

Here Peter links himself with the other apostles (“we”—cf. comment on v.18) in certifying that their message is based on their own eyewitness experience of Jesus and on the hearing of God’s attestation of him. Peter denies that they have followed “cleverly invented stories” (lit., “myths”; GK 3680)—the words refer to fables about the gods. The NT always uses this word in a negative sense and in contrast to the truth of the Gospel (see 1 Timothy 1:4; 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:4; Titus 1:14). It is likely that the false teachers claimed that the Incarnation, Resurrection, and coming kingdom that the apostles spoke about were only fabricated stories. These teachers may have been men like Hymenaeus and Philetus, who said that “the resurrection has already taken place” (2 Timothy 2:17–18). Apparently they denied a future aspect of eschatology or else reinterpreted it so that it lost its intended meaning. Peter’s specific point was the second coming of Jesus. He sees his preaching of the Second Coming as based on his eyewitness observation of the transfiguration of Jesus (cf. vv.17–18 with Mt 16:28—17:5). When Jesus returns, the kingdom will be visibly inaugurated in power. The dead will be raised, and judgment will occur. The “power” (GK 1539) he will then manifest embraces destruction of the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:8) and his hosts (Revelation 19:11–16), calling out the dead by his voice , the final judgment , and the consummation of the kingdom (Revelation 11:15–18). “Eyewitness” (GK 2228) seems to be a favorite term used by the false teachers, and Peter uses their own vocabulary against them (a verb form related to this word is used in 1 Peter 2:12; 3:2).