It is written in 2 Peter 1:16-21—
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 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.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
I will start this article with the unique attributes that Scripture grants unto itself alone, apart from all other written or spoken traditions, and by noting how that this actively separates Scripture from all other sayings and means of understanding, because these are the true sayings of God.1Book of Revelation 19:9
“And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.” In 2 Peter,21:16-21 we want to give special attention to the phrase “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” What firstly is the reason that this is so? In the next verse v. 21 it is explained that the reason for this being true is because it came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. So we see firstly that if something comes by the inspiration of God3“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” — 2 Timothy 3:16 that therefore, it cannot possibly come by the will of man.4“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” — Matthew 16:175“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 This is why the verse 21 says “but”, in order to explain the reason why we say that it “came not by the will of men.”
The prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. So, because it came by inspiration of God, thus, it cannot have been by the will of man.
Second; We see that as a result of it being not of the will of men, but of God’s inspiration, this means that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. As he says “For” at the start of verse 21— it is to explain why verse 20 is true.6“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man…” In other words, the reason why no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, is because it (alone) is inspired by God; i.e. holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
What does that mean for us? This also means that anything that is not Scripture is of private interpretation and manmade. Otherwise why would Peter present this7the fact that it was inspired by God as the reason why no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation? Things that are not inspired by the Lord are of private interpretation, so Peter said82 Peter 1:20-21 that the prophecy is not of private interpretation precisely because it is inspired by God and did not come by the will of man.
So we understand that. What results from this? The already obvious fact that all manmade things are of private interpretation. But the consequences of this are far-reaching if one considers this carefully. What this means for us is that anything men write or say of their own mind is suceptible to personal interpretation. What you claim someone meant by some manmade saying, even if we agree on the words of what it said, is your personal interpretation only. When we are talking about how to interpret words, I could come along at any time and find an equally arguable interpretation of the same person’s words. This is even more true of manmade sayings that come from far-removed cultures and places and for which the originator may not be disposed to provide any further clarification. Many times, a person cannot even recall themselves fully and accurately their own original meaning.
Does all this conclude us in nihilism? No, because we still have the word of God, as it said. None of these limitations apply to that, since no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. In fact this statement tells us that there is and exists one, precisely one truth where the Bible is concerned, and only in the case of scripture! This is why we need to provide a Biblical basis for our doctrine.
Otherwise, we are utterly adrift with personal interpretations. There will always be another private interpretation of some manmade saying. Anyone who spends a lot of time talking about doctrine from manmade texts but with no Biblical basis will go absolutely nowhere, he or she is doing nothing but spinning their wheels in place and will remain adrift with endless personal interpretations that never reaches any conclusion. The only way to reach a conclusion then, is Biblically.
Also, 1 Peter 1:23-25 says—
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Another attribute of Scripture is now brought out by Peter in this passage. In the first verse,91 Peter 1:23 we notice another contrast is being drawn, between that which is corruptible and that which is incorruptible. The word of God has been cast as the incorruptible, while the rest is marked as corruptible. What does this mean for us? It means that manmade words and sayings are also subject to corruption. They are at risk to change by either malignant or mistaken third parties. If I played a game of “telephone” with even the best-intentioned players, as we know, I would find changes in the message on the other end. We are warned in this passage not to confuse the corruptible with the incorruptible, because the incorruptible refers specially to the word of God.
What can we conclude from this? It follows that if I were to stake my life on the accuracy of a word, I would not do it on any of the words devised by man. I would only believe without reserve in the incorruptible, and the word of God.
Therefore I would be doubtful of anyone’s personal interpretations of a manmade saying, that they claim was authentic, which is not Scripture itself. I would ask myself whether it can really be trusted that not a one word had slipped in somewhere along the line, and whether I would be willing to turn aside from the eternally unchanging word of God, and to entrust a fallible saying that has been subject to the elements of corruption along the way. This is especially true if it might be alleged to be of somehow equal importance to the preserved, sufficient, and necessary word of God that has been received with the unique assurance that its gospel message is incorruptible. It follows that I would be very doubtful of such manmade sayings. I would need to find a Biblical basis for the statement, for a nonbiblical statement is not altogether trustworthy on its own. I would immediately question anything devised by man that pretends to be of weight in the same domain of God’s word, when manmade sayings are warned of, by the apostle Peter, to be corruptible seed, something destined to fall away. Likewise we have what Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 2:13—
For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
So according to Paul, the Thessalonians were not only receiving the very word of God from them,10the apostles and prophets but also, we understand that to receive the word of God is to receive it in a manner different than to receive the word of men. As he says, “ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God”. The word of God is deemed superior as well, in 1 John 5:9.11“If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.”
— 1 John 5:9 Notice, the witness of God is greater. In any case the exceeding importance of the word of God will get its own page in a future update, as I don’t have space to continue here.
What is all this to say? It is retained from the previous article that a Biblical basis will be required to stand the test of time. Taking any other approach is willfully subjecting oneself to the carefree happenstance of whatever one happens to stumble upon, in terms of a hodgepodge of partially corrupted word-of-mouth witticisms in the world that happen to be bandied about which may contain falsehoods.
Did I add that all of this shows that men’s words are fallible as well? Oh, well this constitutes another challenge to the non-Biblical approach. If there was ever a person I had met whom I thought of as the most trustworthy, I still can say, that even the thoughts behind their words were completely ill-informed, incompletely formulated. I should “trust but verify” what they say. That goes for my words to myself as well. The only tool I have to verify anything for truth as a value judgement is by finding its Biblical basis. That’s the only tool anyone really has. Psalm 19: “who can understand his errors?” I am not forced, however, to hear my own words, because there is another signal that gets through. It is a forever broadcast, if you like, that can be heard anytime when and if it is being listened for. This truth is reflected in Proverbs 30:5—
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Also Psalm 118:8—
It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.
And also asked in Psalm 11:3,
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
But if we needed another reason to ask for a Biblical basis, what would it be. Consider now Romans 10:17—
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
In this one precept you see the source of which all faith can possibly come. These are far-reaching statements in absolutes. If any faith is going to be increased, it can only be from the presence of the word of God.12“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
— Romans 10:17 This is another perfectly valid reason to expect a Biblical basis.
Now I have heard it argued that the existence of false interpretation of the true sayings of God13as it is called in book of Revelation 19:9 is a barrier to the truth. Some, as though they had not yet grasped the doctrine so clearly stated in 2 Peter 1:20, will try to argue that all interpretations of Scripture are somehow on equal footing. So they will say that the most popularly accepted views must be the correct ones. But this is not so, since the truth is not a democracy. It is something we rely on, not that which relies on us. And this is built on a false premise that all ideas are on equal footing. So finding a crowd to follow is not right. We have to turn our thoughts and prayers skyward, to ask for knowledge.
The way to have the truth discerned requires the saved person to first believe in the word of God. See John 16:13-14—
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
1 Corinthians 2:9-14—
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
And so it can be seen from this Scripture that the Holy Spirit was sent from God to us, in order to teach the true interpretation of the word of God to those that believe. The reasons I say that the indwelling14John 14:16-17
“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” of the Holy Ghost is for the believer are the following Bible passages—
Luke 11:9-13—
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Acts 5:32—
And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
1 John 2:27—
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22—
Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.
Ephesians 1:13-14—
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
Ephesians 4:30—
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
1 John 3:24—
And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
Romans 8:11—
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
And one of the reasons I say that the Holy Spirit specifically interprets Scripture are, one, John 16:14 adds that– …whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
And again, John 15:26—
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Also John 14:26—
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
And for all these reasons I conclude along with the Bible that the word of God effectually worketh also in you that believe,151 Thessalonians 2:13 and that, the reason why some nonbelievers claim that all ideas are on equal footing, is because they are reasoning only in their natural mind, according to 1 Corinthians 2:14 (quoted above)16“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
— 1 Corinthians 2:14 and, as it is written also in Hebrews 4:2—
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
And lastly, 1 John 2:19 has some more to add to this, which says: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.” And 2 Thessalonians 2:10, which says “because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.”
Therefore there is one interpretation which is taught by the Holy Spirit to the believers, for there is only one highest Teacher.17“But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.” — Matthew 23:818“Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;” — Psalm 94:1219“As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten:” Book of Revelation 3:19