Can Believers Understand the Bible on Their Own?

But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Peter 1:20–21)

False prophets spoke of their own things, from their own ideas, but no true message from God ever arose from a human interpretation. Interpretation (epiluseos) is an unfortunate translation because in English it indicates how one understands Scripture, whereas the Greek noun is a genitive, indicating source. Thus Peter is not referring to the explanation of the Scripture, but to its origin. The next statement in verse 21, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but (alla, “just the opposite,” “quite the contrary”) men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God, further supports the point of source. What human beings might think or want has absolutely nothing to do with divine prophecy. (See John MacArthur, 1 Peter, MacArthur New Testament Commentary [Chicago: Moody, 2004, 51–57].) . . .

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