2 Peter 1:19-21 The Divine Origin of Scripture

1. 2 Peter 1:19-21 The Divine Origin of Scripture “So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

2. Verse 19: So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. Context: In Verses 12-15 Peter endeavors to preserve and remind them of the Truth that he (an Apostle) had taught them. The NT was in the process of being written. His teaching of the Millennial Kingdom had not been taught to them by “cleverly imagined fables”, but a) he saw the Messianic glory of Christ at the Transfiguration (V. 16-17a); b) he heard the Father’s Voice (V. 17b-18); c) the event confirmed OT prophecy (V. 19).

3. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “So” [καὶ] – CC • “we have” [ἔχομεν] – VIPA1P • ἔχω – to have, to hold • Present tense • “made more sure” [βεβαιότερον] – APMAMS (comparative pronominal adjective) • βέβαιος – “stable, fast, firm; sure, trusty”

4. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “We have the prophetic word confirmed…” (FW Grant) • “It must be understood in the sense of attesting, or confirming the word of prophecy. The transfiguration confirmed the prophecies in the Old Testament.” (Gaebelein) • See Matt. 16:28; Dan. 7:9-14

5. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “the prophetic word” [τὸν προφητικὸν λόγον] – DAMS/AAMS/NAMS • προφητικός – “proceeding from a prophet; prophetic” • ὁλόγος – word • “The prophetic word was a current expression embracing the OT as a whole and not simply the prophets proper.” (R&R quoting Kelly) • OT Scriptures referenced in 2 Peter 2 (false prophets of OT, rebellion of angels, flood of Noah, salvation of Noah, destruction of Sodom & Gomorrah, rescue of Lot, Balaam and his donkey, Prov. 16:11

6. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “to which” [ᾧ] – APRDMS (relative pronoun) • “you do well” [καλῶς ποιεῖτε] – AB/VIPA2P • καλῶς – “beautifully, finely, excellently, well” • ποιέω – “to do, to make”

7. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “to pay attention” [προσέχοντες] – VPPANMP (present participle) • προσέχω – to hold the mind towards, that is, pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to (Strong) • Heb. 2:1 • “as” [ὡς] - AB • ὡς – “as, like, even as, etc.”

8. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “to a lamp” [λύχνῳ] – NDMS • ὁλύχνος – “a lamp, candle, that is placed on a stand or candlestick” (Thayer) • “shining” [φαίνοντι]- VPPEDMS • φαίνω – 1) to bring forth into the light, cause to shine, shed light; 2) to shine (Thayer) • Ps. 119:105

9. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “in a dark place” [ἐν αὐχμηρῷ τόπῳ] – PD/ADMS/NDMS • αὐχμηρός – “lit., dry, arid: hence neglected, dirty, dark” (Alford); 1x in NT • ὁτόπος – place • “A peculiar expression. Lit., a dry place. Only here in New Testament. Rev. gives squalid, in margin. Aristotle opposes it to bright or glistering. It is a subtle association of the idea of darkness with squalor, dryness, and general neglect.” (Vincent) • John 1:5 • “Prophecy was a light that shone during the darkness of the night; but there was another light for those that watched.” (Darby)

10. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “until” [ἕως οὗ] – AB/APRGMS • ἕως – “till, until” • ὅς – “who, which, what, that” • “heōshou, usual construction for future time.” (Robertson) • “The ewsou belongs more naturally to prosexontes than to phainonti, because that which follows ewsou relates to the readers, not to the word of prophecy.” (Alford)

11. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “the day dawns” [ἡμέρα διαυγάσῃ] – NNFS/VSAA3S • ἡἡμέρα – day • διαυγάζω – “to shine through; to dawn”; 1x in NT • “The verb is compounded of διά, through, and αὐγή, sunlight, thus carrying the picture of light breaking through the gloom.” (Vincent) • “the fact involved in the diaugasai coming in and putting an end to the state indicated by the pres. participles above.” (Alford) • Rom. 13:12 • Is. 60:1-3

12. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “and the morning star arises” [καὶ φωσφόρος ἀνατείλῃ] – CC/ANMS/VSAA3S • φωσφόρος – a) “light bringing, giving light”; b) “the planet Venus, the morning star, day star”; c) “metaphorically Christ” (Thayer) • “Of which our word phosphorus is a transcript. Lit., light-bearer…” (Vincent) • Num. 24:17 • Rev. 22:16 “… I am …the bright morning star”; diff. words • Reference to the Rapture of the Church • ἀνατέλλω - “to rise, arise, to rise from, be descended from”

13. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “in your hearts” [ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν] – PD/DDMP/NDFP/NPG2P • ἡκαρδία – heart • John 1:4, 9; 8:12; • “The bright morning star is Christ Himself, when (before the day, which will be produced by His appearing) He is ready to receive the assembly, that she may enter into His own peculiar joy. Thus it is said, ‘I am the bright and morning star.’ (Rev_22:16.) This is what He is for the assembly, as He is the root and offspring of David for Israel” (Darby) • MacDonald and Gaebelein agree with FW Grant: “in your hearts” modifies “to pay attention”

14. Verse 19: • So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. • “Peter's point was that until the Lord returns his readers should give attention to the Old Testament and to the apostles' teaching, especially since false teachers were perverting them.” (W. Kelly fr. Constable)

15. Verse 20: • But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation • “But” – not in text • “know this first of all” [τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκοντες] – APDANS/AB/VPPANMP • οὗτος – “this, these” • πρῶτον – first in time or place; first in rank; first, at the first • γινώσκω – to become acquainted with, to know • “Peter told his readers that they were to keep the principle that he was about to spell out as first in priority. The principle was not to be forgotten or reduced in priority, but kept central in his readers’ thinking and mindset. The word translated ‘know’ (ginoskō), in view of the context, indicates the mindset that believers are to continue having with regard to prophetic passages.” (V. Peterman)

16. Verse 20: • But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation • “that” [ὅτι] – CS • ὅτι – “that, because, since” • “all prophecy of Scripture” [πᾶσα προφητεία γραφῆς] – ANFS/NNFS/NGFS • πᾶς – “each, very, all, the whole” • “used with the negative ou in the sense of ‘not even one.’” (R&R) • ἡπροφητεία – “prophecy” • ἡγραφή – “writing, thing written; Scripture” • “Normally, in the NT the word denotes the OT.” (R&R)

17. Verse 20: • But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation • “a matter of one’s own” [ἰδίας] – AGFS • ἴδιος – “one’s own” • “It was the mark of a false prophet to speak ‘his own thing’ of from himself.” (R&R) • “interpretation” [ἐπιλύσεως] – NGFS • ἡἐπίλυσις – “releasing, solving, explaining, interpreting. The word almost comes to mean inspiration.” (R&R) • “The gen. (ablative) here indicates source. Peter is talking about the divine origin of Scripture, not about its proper interpretation.” (R&R) • “It is the prophet’s grasp of the prophecy, not that of the readers that is here presented, as the next verse shows.” (Robertson) • “no … is” [οὐ γίνεται] – QN/VIPN3S • οὐ - no, not • γίνομαι – to become, arise, spring, originate

18. Verse 20: But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation This Verse has been used to support the view that only the Roman Catholic Church should interpret Scripture (false). This Verse has been used to support the view the Scripture interprets Scripture (true principle but not what this Verse says). “Not even the prophets themselves could claim to have that personal power of interpretation and insight, since the Scriptural passages themselves were given by the Holy Spirit’s working.” (Vern Peterman)

19. Verse 21: • for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. • “for no” [οὐ γὰρ] – QN/CC • “The reason for the previous statement that no prophet starts a prophecy himself. He is not a self-starter.” (Robertson) • “by an act of human will” [θελήματι ἀνθρώπου] – NDNS/NGMS • τόθέλημα – “will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure” • ὁἄνθρωπος – human being; man • See Jer. 23:16-17 (false prophets)

20. Verse 21: • for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. • “was ever made” [ἠνέχθη ποτέ] – VIAP3S/Q • φέρω – to carry; to be moved inwardly, prompted; to bear, i.e. bring forth, produce; to bring forward in a speech” • “The word was used of a ship carried along by the wind (s. Acts 27:15, 17).” (R&R) • Aorist = completed action • ποτέ – “once, i.e. formerly, aforetime, at some time” • “prophecy” [προφητεία] - NNFS • ἡπροφητεία - prophecy

21. Verse 21: • for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. • “but” [ἀλλὰ] – CC • ἀλλά – but (strong objection) • “by the Holy Spirit” [ὑπὸ Πνεύματος ῾Αγίου] – PG/NGNS/AGNS • ὑπό – by, under • πνεῦμα ἅγιον – Holy Spirit • “moved” [φερόμενοι] – VPPPNMP • φέρω – to carry; to be moved inwardly, prompted; to bear, i.e. bring forth, produce; to bring forward in a speech”; same as Verse 21a • Lit., ones being moved inwardly • Present tense describes the action as it was in progress (R&R)

22. Verse 21: • for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. • “spoke” [ἐλάλησαν] – VIAA3P • λαλέω – to speak • “from God” [ἀπόΘεοῦ] – PG/NGMS • ἀπό – from • ὁΘεός - God • “men” [ἄνθρωποι] – NNMP • ὁἄνθρωπος – human being; man • Verbal, plenary inspiration – that is each and every word was God-breathed. • 2 Tim. 3:16

23. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord