John Calvin Commentary 2 Peter 1:19

"And we have the word of prophecy [made] more sure; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts:" — 2 Peter 1:19 (ASV)

We have also. He now shows that the truth of the gospel is founded on the oracles of the prophets, so that those who embraced it would not hesitate to devote themselves wholly to Christ: for those who waver will inevitably be remiss in their minds. But when he says, “We have,” he refers to himself and other teachers, as well as to their disciples. The apostles had the prophets as the patrons of their doctrine; the faithful also sought from them a confirmation of the gospel. I am more inclined to take this view, because he speaks of the whole Church, and makes himself one among others. At the same time, he refers more specifically to the Jews, who were well acquainted with the doctrine of the prophets. And from this, as I think, he calls their word more sure or firmer.

For those who take the comparative for a positive, that is, “more sure,” for “sure,” do not sufficiently consider the whole context. The meaning is also strained when it is said to be “more sure” because God truly completed what He had promised concerning His Son. For the truth of the gospel is here simply proved by a twofold testimony — that Christ had been highly approved by the solemn declaration of God, and then, that all the prophecies of the prophets confirmed the same thing.

But it appears strange at first sight that the word of the prophets should be said to be more sure or firmer than the voice that came from the holy mouth of God Himself; for, first, the authority of God's word is the same from the beginning; and, secondly, it was more confirmed than previously by the coming of Christ. But the solution of this knot is not difficult: for here the Apostle was mindful of his own nation, who were acquainted with the prophets, and their doctrine was received without any dispute. Since, then, it was not doubted by the Jews that all the things the prophets had taught came from the Lord, it is no surprise that Peter said that their word was more sure. Antiquity also gains some reverence. There are, besides, some other circumstances that should be noted; particularly, that no suspicion could be entertained regarding those prophecies in which the kingdom of Christ had been predicted so long before.

The question, then, is not whether the prophets deserve more credit than the gospel; but Peter’s point was only this: to show how much deference the Jews paid to those who considered the prophets God's faithful ministers and had been brought up from childhood in their school.

To which you do well. This passage is, indeed, attended with somewhat more difficulty; for it may be asked, what is the day that Peter mentions? To some it seems to be the clear knowledge of Christ, when people fully accept the gospel; and they explain the darkness as existing when they still hesitate in suspense, and the teaching of the gospel is not received as unquestionable. This is as though Peter praised those Jews who were searching for Christ in the Law and the Prophets and were advancing by this preceding light toward Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, just as those praised by Luke, who, after hearing Paul preach, searched the Scripture to know whether what he said was true (Acts 17:11).

But in this view there is, first, an inconsistency, because it thus seems that the use of the prophecies is confined to a short time, as though they would be unnecessary when the gospel light is seen. If one were to object and say that this does not necessarily follow because until does not always denote the end.

To this I say, that in commands it cannot be taken any other way: “Walk until you finish your course;” “Fight until you conquer.” In such expressions we undoubtedly see that a certain time is specified. But if I were to concede this point, that the reading of the prophets is not in this way completely cast aside, yet everyone must see how frigid this commendation is: that the prophets are useful until Christ is revealed to us. For their teaching is necessary to us until the end of life.

Secondly, we must bear in mind who Peter was addressing. He was not instructing the ignorant and novices, who were still in the first rudiments, but even those concerning whom he had previously testified that they had obtained the same precious faith and were confirmed in the present truth. Surely, the gross darkness of ignorance could not have been ascribed to such people. I know what some allege: that all had not made the same progress, and that here beginners who were still seeking Christ are admonished.

But since it is evident from the context that the words were addressed to the same people, the passage must necessarily be applied to the faithful who had already known Christ and had become partakers of the true light.

I therefore extend this darkness, mentioned by Peter, to the whole course of life, and the day, I consider, will then shine on us when we shall see face to face what we now see through a glass darkly.

Christ, the Sun of Righteousness, indeed shines forth in the gospel; but the darkness of death will always, in part, possess our minds until we are brought out of the prison of the flesh and translated into heaven. This, then, will be the brightness of day, when no clouds or mists of ignorance shall intercept the bright shining of the Sun.

And undoubtedly, we are as far from a perfect day as our faith is from perfection. It is, therefore, no surprise that the state of the present life is called darkness, since we are far distant from that knowledge to which the gospel invites us.

In short, Peter reminds us that as long as we sojourn in this world, we need the teaching of the prophets as a guiding light; if this light is extinguished, we can do nothing else but wander in darkness.

For he does not separate the prophecies from the gospel when he teaches us that they shine to show us the way. His only object was to teach us that the whole course of our life ought to be guided by God's Word; for otherwise, we must be caught up on every side in the darkness of ignorance. And the Lord does not shine on us unless we take His Word as our light.

But he does not use the comparison, light, or lamp, to suggest that the light is small and meager, but to make these two things correspond: that we are without light and can no more keep on the right way than those who go astray in a dark night; and that the Lord brings a remedy for this evil when He lights a torch to guide us in the midst of darkness.

What he immediately adds respecting the day star does not, however, seem entirely suitable to this explanation; for the real knowledge, toward which we are advancing through life, cannot be called the beginning of the day. To this I reply that different parts of the day are compared, but the whole day in all its parts is set in opposition to that darkness which would completely overspread all our faculties if the Lord did not come to our help by the light of His Word.

This is a remarkable passage: we learn from it how God guides us. The Papists repeatedly say that the Church cannot err. Though the Word is neglected, they still imagine that it is guided by the Spirit.

But Peter, on the contrary, suggests that all are immersed in darkness who do not attend to the light of the Word. Therefore, unless you are resolved willfully to cast yourself into a labyrinth, especially beware of departing even in the smallest thing from the rule and direction of the Word. Indeed, the Church cannot follow God as its guide unless it observes what the Word prescribes.

In this passage Peter also condemns all human wisdom, so that we may learn to humbly seek the true way of knowledge apart from our own understanding; for without the Word, nothing is left for people but darkness.

It further deserves to be noted that he pronounces on the clarity of Scripture; for what is said would be a false eulogy if Scripture were not fit and suitable to show us the right way with certainty. Whoever, then, will open his eyes through the obedience of faith, will by experience know that Scripture has not been called a light in vain.

It is, indeed, obscure to the unbelieving; but those who are given up to destruction are willfully blind. Execrable, therefore, is the blasphemy of the Papists, who pretend that the light of Scripture does nothing but dazzle the eyes, in order to keep the simple from reading it.

But it is no surprise that proud men, inflated with the wind of false confidence, do not see that light with which the Lord favors only little children and the humble. With a similar eulogy David commends the law of God in Psalms 19 and 119.