2 Peter 1:20

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A Paper
Presented to
Dr. Larry Waters
Dallas Theological Seminary
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In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Course
BE107 Hebrews, General Epistles, and Revelation
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by Lindsey A. Stanley
March 2016

Second Peter 1:20 says, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes
from someones own interpretation.1 At face value this verse appears to say that prophecy is not
of opinion, but rather based on a revelation of God. Verse 21 explains this thought further by
saying, For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, acknowledge
several interpretations of this verse, including:
(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 ones 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 epilyses (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. Verse 20, then, speaks not
of interpretation, but of revelation, the source of the Scriptures.2
Walvoord and Zuck make a strong case for supporting the argument that the origination of
prophecy is the main issue addressed in verse twenty. Although it is important to have a proper
interpretation, this passage is establishing truth and the sovereign power of Gods truth as the
basis of prophecy. If each prophet shared their opinions or their personal interpretation of
what God laid on their hearts to share, it would be very difficult for the readers to trust the

1
2

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 2 Pe 1:20.

Kenneth O. Gangel, 2 Peter, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the

Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 869.

integrity of what the prophets had shared. Knowing that prophecy is directly from God,
unbiased and untainted by human error, validates each message of those who prophesied.
Warren Wiersbe contributes to this thought in his commentary Wiersbes Expository
Outlines on the New Testament, by saying, Prophecy did not come by the will of men, so it
cannot be interpreted by the natural mind. The Spirit gave the Word, and the Spirit must teach us
the Word (1 Cor. 2:916; John 14:26; 16:1314). We thank God that our Bible is sure! We can
trust it because God gave it to us.3 Remembering the major role of the Holy Spirit is key to
understanding this passage, and to having a proper understanding of every passage in the Bible.
God is the establisher of truth and is the one who enlightens the minds of readers.
There are two conclusions readers can take away from this passage: (1) God is the
establisher of absolute truth, and (2) the Holy Spirit does the work of enlightening the minds of
readers. It is also important to interpret Scripture with Scripture. Outside sources can be
extremely helpful when studying Scripture, but it is of utmost importance to compare passages of
Scripture to gain a proper and non-contradictory understanding of Scripture.

Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbes Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor
Books, 1992), 759.

Bibliography
Kenneth O. Gangel, 2 Peter, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the
Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985),
869.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2001), 2 Pe 1:20.
Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbes Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor
Books, 1992), 759.