Christ's Glory and the Prophetic Word

2Pet. 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

So this sure word of prophecy, one of the strongest apologetic for the scripture, of course, is the area of prophecy. The fact that the Scriptures prophesied so many things that have all come to pass and the prophecies were one hundred percent accurate. I mean, all you’d have to do is fail in one prophecy and the whole thing could be discredited. That’s why delving into the field of prophecy is so precarious. You want to become a prophet, it’s a lot easier to become a false prophet than a true prophet cause you may give ninety-nine true prophecies in a hundred; might miss, tough, you’re a false prophet. Oh, but I got ninety-nine right. Yeah, but you missed one. I mean, it requires a hundred percent accuracy.

There are people who are blinded by religious fervor who are willing to overlook the fact that Joseph Smith said that the moon was made out of cheese. And that the Jehovah Witnesses predicted that Jesus was coming in 1917 and then later in 1925. A sure word of prophecy. It’s a dangerous subject to go out on a limb and because the word of God, it’s there. It ventures into that field. That’s because God spoke.

Now, no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation

This is the first principle of truth, that no prophecy is self-originated by the speaker or from a mere impulse of the prophet’s own mind. Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Knowing...

γινώσκω

ginōskō

ghin-oce'-ko

A prolonged form of a primary verb; to “know” (absolutely), in a great variety of applications and with many implications (as shown at left, with others not thus clearly expressed): - allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) known (-ledge), perceive, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.

this...

τοῦτο

touto

too'-to

Neuter, singular, Nomitive or accusative of the he, (she or it); that thing: - here [-unto], it, partly, self [-same], so, that (intent), the same, there [-fore, -unto], this, thus, where [-fore].

first,...

πρῶτον

prōton

pro'-ton

Neuter of foremost, in time, place as an adverb (with or without the); firstly (in time, place, order, or importance): - before, at the beginning, chiefly, (at, at the) first (of all).

that...

ὅτι

hoti

hot'-ee

Neuter of which some, that is as conjugation; demonstrative that (sometimes redundant); causatively because: - as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.

no...

πᾶς

pas

pas

Including all the forms of declension; apparently a primary word; all, any, every, the whole: - all (manner of, means) alway (-s), any (one), X daily, + ever, every (one, way), as many as, + no (-thing), X throughly, whatsoever, whole, whosoever.

οὐ

ou

oo

Also οὐκ ouk ook used before a vowel and οὐχ ouch ookh before an aspirate.

A primary word; the absolutely negative (compare not, lest;) adverb; no or not: - + long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, [can-] not, + nothing, + special, un ([-worthy]), when, + without, + yet but.

prophecy...

προφητεία

prophēteia

prof-ay-ti'-ah

From an inspired speaker (“prophecy”); prediction (scriptural or other): - prophecy, prophesying.

of the scripture...

γραφή

graphē

graf-ay'

From to grave, especially to write; a document, that is, holy Writ (or its contents or a statement in it): - scripture.

is...

γίνομαι

ginomai

ghin'-om-ahee

A prolonged and middle form of a primary verb; to cause to be (“gen” -erate), that is, (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literally, figuratively, intensively, etc.): - arise be assembled, be (come, -fall, -have self), be brought (to pass), (be) come (to pass), continue, be divided, be done, draw, be ended, fall, be finished, follow, be found, be fulfilled, + God forbid, grow, happen, have, be kept, be made, be married, be ordained to be, partake, pass, be performed, be published, require, seem, be showed, X soon as it was, sound, be taken, be turned, use, wax, will, would, be wrought.

One’s own; personal; private. Translated his own 76 times, and private only here.

of any private...

ἴδιος

idios

id'-ee-os

Of uncertain affinity; pertaining to self, that is, one's own; by implication private or separate: - X his acquaintance, when they were alone, apart, aside, due, his (own, proper, several), home, (her, our, thine, your) own (business), private (-ly), proper, severally, their (own).

A release. Only here. It means no prophecy is of personal release or from the prophet’s own mind or from human impulse.

interpretation...

ἐπίλυσις

epilusis

ep-il'-oo-sis

From to solve further, that is, explain; explanation, that is, application: - interpretation.

Peter then wrote about revelation. The statement, No prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation, has been interpreted several ways: (1) Scripture should be interpreted only in context, that is, a prophecy cannot stand alone without other prophecies to aid in its understanding. (2) Scripture should not be interpreted according to one’s own individual liking. (3) Scripture cannot be correctly interpreted without the Holy Spirit. (4) The prophecies did not originate with the prophets themselves. The word epilyseōs (“interpretation,” lit., “unloosing”) and the word ginetai (“came about”) favor the fourth view. The Scriptures did not stem merely from the prophets themselves; their writings came from God. 2Pet. 1:20, then, speaks not of interpretation, but of revelation, the source of the Scriptures.