And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation.
2 Peter 1:19-20 (ESV)
Peter is writing largely in response to false teachers who were introducing destructive heresies (2 Pet. 2:1) and twisting the Scriptures (2 Pet. 3:16). Among other things, these teachers were denying that Jesus would be returning (2 Pet. 3:4) and that is the immediate context for this passage.
Peter claimed that the apostles did not “follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 1:16). The word translated here as coming is “parousia.” When used about Jesus, it always refers to his return, a coming that is in the future. The second coming of Jesus is not a myth. It is something confirmed by the prophets.
This prophetic message about the Lord’s return is something we should pay attention to, like a lamp shining in the darkness (Ps. 119:105). Knowing that Jesus is returning for us can give us hope in a world of uncertainty and suffering.
No Private Interpretations
Peter then tells us that no prophecy of Scripture comes from our own interpretation. While some translations understand the interpreter here to be the prophet, it is more likely that the interpreter is the one who is reading the prophetic message.
While Peter is focused here on the Old Testament prophecies concerning the parousia of Jesus, I believe the application is much greater. It is easy to make the Bible say nearly anything we want (2 Pet. 3:16), and many people are guilty of doing that and leading others astray.
As you study the Scripture, seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit who inspired it in the first place (2 Pet. 2:21). As much as possible, seek understanding from the Scripture itself, allowing Scripture as a whole to guide you in understanding smaller passages. And be heedful of Peter’s warning about novel interpretations that were hidden or unknown until you found them.
As humans, we will always fall short of a complete and perfect understanding of the Scripture. And that is reflected in the differing traditions that have developed within Christianity, including the parousia of Jesus. But rather than discouraging us, the differences should inspire us to study the Scripture diligently, diving ever deeper into its truth.
