“For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Peter 1:17 Mean?
Peter is establishing the credibility of the gospel by pointing to his own eyewitness experience of the Transfiguration. He was there when God the Father spoke audibly over Jesus: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." He heard the voice. He saw the glory. This isn't secondhand theology — it's testimony.
The phrase "excellent glory" (megaloprepes doxa) means magnificent, surpassing glory — the visible manifestation of God's presence. Peter experienced what most people only read about: the shekinah glory of God, the audible voice of the Father, the unveiled majesty of Christ on the mountain.
"My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" echoes the Father's words at Jesus' baptism (Matthew 3:17) and intensifies them. This declaration — spoken over Jesus in the presence of witnesses — is the Father's public affirmation of the Son's identity and the Father's delight in Him. Peter carries this memory as the foundation of everything he preaches.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you ever had a moment where God's reality felt undeniable — your own 'mountain' experience?
- 2.How does hearing the Father's delight in Jesus shape your understanding of how God feels about you?
- 3.Why do you think Peter chose personal testimony over theological argument when combating false teaching?
- 4.What would change if you truly believed the Father delights in you — not just tolerates you?
Devotional
Peter says: I was there. I heard the voice. I saw the glory. And the voice said: this is my beloved Son.
In a letter written near the end of his life, when false teachers are spreading doubt, Peter doesn't reach for a theological argument. He reaches for a memory. The most powerful thing he has isn't a doctrine — it's an experience. I was on that mountain. I heard God speak.
There's something deeply personal about the Father's words: "my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This is a Father delighting in His child. Not evaluating, not assigning tasks, not expressing conditional approval — delighting. Before Jesus went to the cross, before He completed His mission, while He was simply standing on a mountain, the Father said: you are my beloved. I am pleased with you.
If God speaks that way about His Son, what do you think He says about you — a daughter adopted into the same family? The delight of the Father isn't reserved for Jesus alone. It's the atmosphere of the relationship you've been invited into.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
For he received from God the Father honour and glory,.... Not as an inferior from a superior, for he was equal in glory…
For he received from God the Father honour and glory - He was honored by God in being thus addressed. When there came…
For he received honor and glory - In his transfiguration our Lord received from the Father honor in the voice or…
Here we have the reason of giving the foregoing exhortation, and that with so much diligence and seriousness. These…
For he received from God the Father honour and glory The Greek construction is participial, For having received …, the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture