According to 2 Pet 1:19, in what way are Christians to be devoted to the word?—As a lamp shining in a dark place. Elsewhere the word of God is likened to a light or lamp, as in…
Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path;
119:130 The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple;
Prov 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life.
However, the Word is not only a light or lamp, it shines in a dark place. If you find yourself in an unfamiliar cavern, a light is extremely valuable; for a child who doesn’t like the dark, a nightlight becomes just as mandatory as a bed for falling asleep at night. In the context of the NT, darkness is Satan’s domain in this world, including both the sinful practices & beliefs. The Christians in time of Peter’s writing may have the darkness of false teaching all around them, but he reassures them that the Word will give them light. Christians may live in the world, but we don’t have to be lost in darkness—we have divine revelation from God. Thus if we trust that the word will enlighten us with all the knowledge we need and we come desperate for it in self-distrust, we will be protected from the darkness.
The word enlightens the way in the darkness
