Mission Venture Ministries

“Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21) 

One basic reason why so many people seem to have trouble understanding the Bible is that they try to interpret it to fit their private opinions. Peter’s opponents also denied the divine origin of Scripture. They claimed their writings came from personal visions, signs, and dreams. That prophecy came from themselves, from their own origin or source; however, Peter says that the apostolic writings originated from God and not from a human author. 

Verse 20 is part of a larger context where Peter is addressing the reliability and authority of Scripture. He is emphasizing that the prophecies in the Bible are not clever inventions or mere human guesses about future events. Rather, they are divinely inspired messages that came directly from God through human being. 

This understanding is further reinforced in 2 Peter 1:21, which explains that prophecy never had its origin in human will, but rather, prophets spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. It emphasizes the divine origin of biblical prophecy and, by extension, Scripture as a whole. It asserts that the prophecies found in the Bible are not the result of human interpretation, personal insight, or clever invention. Instead, it underscores that these prophetic messages came directly from God. 

It further clarifies that prophecy never originated from human will, but rather, prophets spoke from God as they were “carried along” or “moved” by the Holy Spirit. This metaphor of being “carried along” is likened to a boat driven by the wind, illustrating how the Holy Spirit guided the writers of Scripture. 

The Holy Spirit governed the human author as he was in the process of writing Scripture as the apostle Paul states in Galatians 1:12 where he said, “I did not receive [the gospel] from man nor was I taught it, but it came through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” The human author was aware of the content he wrote, but the Holy Spirit “revealed it” to him. The Holy Spirit thoroughly originates and oversees the writing of Scripture. 

The Holy Spirit so supernaturally directs Scripture writers that He enabled them to record Scripture with perfect accuracy without circumventing their intelligence, personal literary style, or personality. This understanding of inspiration implies that Scripture’s authority comes from God, not human wisdom or interpretation. 

The Holy Spirit actively participated in the writing process, ensuring God’s message was faithfully communicated. While human authors were involved, the ultimate source of Scripture is divine. The prophets, while remaining human, acted as vessels for God’s words, speaking divine messages as they were moved or inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

The verse underscores the divine origin and authority of Scripture, asserting that prophecies in the Bible are not clever human inventions or predictions, but rather the words of God Himself communicated through chosen individuals. This concept reinforces the reliability and trustworthiness of biblical prophecies, as they are understood to come from God’s perfect knowledge and will, rather than fallible human understanding. 

The phrase “carried along by the Holy Spirit” holds significant meaning regarding the divine origin and authority of biblical prophecy. As we see, this concept emphasizes several key points: 

Divine inspiration: The prophets did not speak or write based on their own will or imagination. Instead, they were divinely inspired, with God as the ultimate source of their messages. 

Supernatural guidance: The Holy Spirit actively guided the prophets, ensuring that the words they spoke were God’s words. This guidance is likened to a ship being driven by the wind, indicating the Spirit’s powerful influence. 

Trustworthiness of Scripture: This divine inspiration guarantees the reliability and authority of biblical prophecies. It assures believers that these words are not mere human inventions or clever predictions, but genuine revelations from God. 

Human involvement: While the prophets were “carried along,” they were not passive instruments. God used their individual personalities and contexts while ensuring the message remained His own. 

Distinction from false prophecy: This concept helps differentiate true, divinely inspired prophecy from false prophecies that originate from human will or deception. 

Confirmation of fulfilled prophecies: The divine origin of prophecy explains why specific prophecies were fulfilled, as they came from God’s perfect knowledge and will. 

This understanding of prophetic inspiration applies not only to Old Testament prophecies but also extends to the New Testament writings, emphasizing the Holy Spirit’s role in the entire biblical canon. 

The Bible does, of course, need to be correctly translated from Greek and Hebrew into English and other national languages, but that is all. God is able to say what He means, and He wants to communicate His authoritative Word to men and women of obedient hearts, who are willing to devote diligent study to all the Scriptures (2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:12-14), obey them (James 1:22), and teach them to others (2 Timothy 2:2, 24-26) carefully, clearly, and graciously. 

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