By: Louis Rushmore

 A person from a university in Nigeria asks what “private interpretation means.” “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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” (2 Peter 1:20-21). The word “private” means “pertaining to self” or “one’s own” (Biblesoft’s). The word “interpretation” means “explanation” or “application” (Biblesoft’s). Vine observes, “…the writers of Scripture did not put their own construction upon the ‘Godbreathed’ words they wrote.” Second Peter 1:20-21 contrast uninspired interpretation with divine inspiration (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown). Scripture is not the proper object of “conjecture” (Clarke). Consequently, Scripture is “sure” and worthy to be heeded (2 Peter 1:19) for what it teaches without combination with human ideas (Matthew 15:9).

Works Cited

Biblesoft’s New Exhaustive Strong’s Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. CD-ROM. Seattle:  Biblesoft and International Bible Translators, 1994.

Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary, Electronic Database. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1996.

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary. CD-ROM. Seattle: Biblesoft, 1997.

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words. CD-ROM. Nashville: Nelson, 1985.

Author: Louis Rushmore