private_interpretation

Who says we are not to personally, i.e. privately interpret God's Word for ourselves, from our own two hands-on hard work of rightly dividing it (2 Tim. 2:15)? 2 Pet. 1:20-21 certainly does not say that in the ancient Greek texts, from which English "translations" are supposedly translated. The mortal-made concept of outlawing one's own ability to privately interpret holy scripture for one's self simply doesn't exist in the Greek texts. It's a mortal-made religious fallacy.

I believe the phrase private interpretation as "translated" into 2 Pet. 1:20 was and still is motivated by elitism, classism and bigotry in the hearts of those who determined it to be used in their translations. Virtually all Trinitarian-based English translations say something to this effect. The "fudging" of this verse goes back in English translations to at least the 1611 KJV.

2 Pet. 1:19 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) we have (echomen) the (ton) prophetic (prophētikon) Word (logon) steadfast (bebaioteron);

for which (hō) you do (poieite) beautifully (kalōs) paying attention to (prosechontes) [it] as (hōs) a lamp (luchnō) shining (phainonti) in (en) an obscure (auchmērō) place (topō);

[paying attention to it] until (heōs) of which (hou) day (hēmera) it may reflect through (diaugasē), and (kai) [the] light-bearing one (phōsphoros) may rise up (anateilē) in (en) the (tais) hearts (kardiais) of you (humōn);

2 Pet. 1:20 (LIT/UBS4) we knowing (ginōskontes) this (touto) first (prōton), that (hoti) every (pasa) prophecy (prophēteia) of a writing (graphēs) is caused to come to pass (ginetai) absolutely not (ou) over one’s own letting loose (idias epiluseōs);

All of the OT and NT prophets didn't decide out their own free will that they were going to be "a mouth" of God. WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW, and to WHOM, God's Word was released to mortalkind (Heb. 1:1-2) was entirely, and still is entirely under God's control. However, apostle Peter refers to a problem he saw in the early church, that certain people were claiming to be authoritatively speaking for God Himself, when in fact they were not! That's what I believe Peter means here. There were, like today in "Christianity", some, many, tons of them, you fill in the blank with the right amount, of people all puffed up, self-omniscient, self-appointed, who out of their own self-perceived grandiloquence thought everyone MUST pay attention to them and what they say, because they speak for GOD!!!

2 Pet. 1:21a (LIT/UBS4) because (gar) absolutely not (ou) of a mortal’s (anthrōpou) desire (thelēmati) was a prophecy (prophēteia) brought (ēnechthē) [to pass] in time past (pote)!

Apostle Peter's reference to HOW and WHEN God gave His Word to mortalkind, states that it ABSOLUTELY DID NOT HAPPEN BASED UPON THE DESIRE, THE WILL OF ANY MORTALS. That's ALL that these two verses are about, no more and no less. Apostle Peter here says nothing about translation or interpretation, hermeneutics (Gk. hermēneuō, verb, Strong's 2059, used 4 times in holy scripture) of God's Word. But Peter speaks only that WHEN it came to pass, and HOW it came to pass was absolutely not determined by any mortal's willing of it to occur. It certainly was not by the collective will of the children of Israel that God sent prophets to them, of which maybe most of them they killed (Mat. 23:31; Luke 11:47-48)! And when Jesus Christ was sent (Heb. 1:1-2) they killed him too (John 8:40; Mark 15:13-14; 1 Thes. 2:15)!

Peter, in these verses, is absolutely not talking about people privately, or in any other way, interpreting God's Word for themselves. Translation and/or interpretation of God's Word is simply not the subject matter to which Peter here is speaking. In God's Word believers are abundantly encouraged to read, study, and rightly divide it for themselves (2 Tim. 2:15). According to my knowledge and understanding, rightly dividing, i.e., cutting straightly (Gk. orthotomounta) is generally outlining books, and chapters, and verses by their subject matter, and then reviewing all of the passages in God's Word based upon their identical or closely related subject matter so all of the knowledge of God's Word can be duly examined, over which THEN one's own beliefs can be and are built (Rom. 10:17). There is no such thing as one or two verse doctrines. Just like in law where all of the evidence is gathered together to be examined, to more exactly determine the truth of what occurred, likewise ALL of the scriptural evidence must be closely examined as well to arrive at an accurate knowledge and understanding of God's Truth.

This is what the Berean believers did as is recorded in Acts 17:10-12, given the access they had to the ancient texts of God's Word. The Berean believers were checking out the writings for themselves, "(LIT/UBS4) judging up (anakrinontes) the (tas) writings (graphas) down (kath’) [every] day (hēmeran), [to see] if (ei) those things (tauta) [they heard] may hold (echoi) thusly (houtōs)." (v11)

I see that most all "Christian" denominations as well, not only Trinitarian theology-based ones, use this handy little English "translation" twisting of 2 Pet. 1:20 for their own purposes. This verse reference was used on me recently by an overly religious self-omniscient woman trying to rebuke, shame, and insult me for having the boldness to read and study God's Word for myself, and to come to my own conclusions about what the ancient writers said and meant. What came out of that person's mouth indicated to me what was in her heart (Luke 6:45).

I determine for myself what I choose to believe after comprehensively examining exactly what the ancient writers of God's Word have written. For me this is a huge time saver. I guess that person was a little angered that I determined for myself exactly what the ancient writers wrote and said, over that person's own uneducated opinion which that person tried to spoon-feed to me. Maybe I should apologize to her for not thinking that she was believable resource to me, which apology she wouldn't like either. How arrogant and puffed up can people possible be? According to God's Word, arrogance also is very indicative of something (1 Cor. 4:6, 18-19).

2 Tim. 2:14 (LIT/UBS4) Bring these things under remembrance (hupomimnēske tauta), witnessing thoroughly to yourself (diamarturomenos) in sight (enōpion) of the (tou) God (theou), not (mē) to be word-warring (logomachein) over (ep’) absolutely not one thing (ouden) useful (chrēsimon), upon (epi) a catastrophe (katastrophē) of the ones (tōn) hearing (akouontōn)!

2 Tim. 2:15 (LIT/UBS4) Make haste (spoudason) to stand yourself alongside (parastēsai seauton) to the (tō) God (theō) approved (dokimon), a worker (ergatēn) unashamed (anepaischunton), cutting straightly (orthotomounta) the (ton) Word (logon) of the (tēs) truth (alētheias).

2 Tim. 2:16 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) stand away from (periistaso) the (tas) empty sounds (kenophōnias) [which are] over the threshold (bebēlous), because (gar) they shall beat forward (prokopsousin) upon (epi) more (pleion) ungodliness (asebeias).

2 Tim. 2:17 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (ho) word (logos) of them (autōn) shall have (hexei) a pasturing (nomēn) [and spread] as (hōs) gangrene (gangraina);

of whom (hōn) is (estin) Hymenaeus (Humenaios) and (kai) Philetus (Philētos),

Back to 2 Peter...

2 Pet. 1:21b (LIT/UBS4) BUT (alla), being brought (pheromenoi) under (hupo) holy (hagiou) Spirit (pneumatos), mortals (anthrōpoi) from (apo) God (theou) spoke (elalēsan)!

See that very emphatic coordinating conjunction of antithesis, alla, that signals that apostle Peter is pounding the podium to make his point, and using a giant neon flash card to all those who have just joined us, that no way, no how has any of God's Word come to mortalkind through any mortal's own will/desire!

The same as it is God's prerogative to determine what, where, when, how, and to whom He speaks, it is anyone's prerogative to determine to whom and to what he or she shall pay attention. Is it going to be to other mortal's egomaniacal opinions and guesswork, about which many of them imply they can't possibly be wrong, or to exactly what the meek and obedient ancient writers of God's Word wrote, who were being brought under holy Spirit of God to bring it forth.

This private interpretation "translation" in 2 Pet. 1:20 is yet another one of the countless Trinitarian-based fudgings in their English "translations", this one being a most vicious lie. How many countless thousands of people over time do you suppose have had this lie accusingly shoved into their faces to pressure/threaten them into stopping from studying and rightly dividing the holy scriptures for themselves; to stop them from being taught by God's Spirit working in them, one on one with God their heavenly Father (John 6:45; 1 Thes. 4:9), so the "leadership" can much more easily control and puppeteer them into thinking, saying, and doing exactly what they desire? Well, how many!? (Mat. 7:7-20)

If the concept of private interpretation can't be substantiated and verified in 1 Pet. 1:20 in the ancient Greek texts, then it's a lie which has been "fudged" into English "Translations. It's just that plain and simple, it's a lie. Each believer is required by God to study God's Word for him or herself, and then to decide for him or herself what they believe about it. That's how a person's salvation occurs, through a person BELIEVING God's Word about what he's learned about Jesus Christ (Rom. 12:2, Rom. 10:9-17)! So then, from where do you suppose those Trinitarian "scholars" and "translators" obtained that lie which they still continue to fudge in their translations?

From where does God's Word say lies come? Jesus Christ speaking to scribes and Pharisees enunciated to them:

John 8:41 (LIT/UBS4) You (humeis) do (poieite) the (ta) works (erga) of the (tou) father (patros) of you (humōn).”

John 8:44 (LIT/UBS4) You (humeis) are (este) out (ek) of the (tou) father (patros) [of you], the (tou) diabolical one (diabolou);

and (kai) you desire (thelete) to do (poiein) the (tas) lusts (epithumias) of the (tou) father (patros) of you (humōn).

That one (ekeinos) was being (ēn) a mortal-killer (anthrōpoktonos) from (ap’) [the] beginning (archēs).

And (kai) he has absolutely not stood (ouk estēken) in (en) the (tē) truth (alētheia), because (hoti) truth (alētheia) is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) in (en) him (autō)!

When perhaps (hotan) he speaks (lalē) the (to) falsehood (pseudos), he speaks (lalei) out (ek) of the things (tōn) of his own (idiōn);

because (hoti) he is (estin) a false one (pseustēs), and (kai) the (ho) father (patēr) of it (autou)!

Many "Christian leaders" and other puffed up ones using this lie, which has and still is being fudged into 2 Pet. 1:20 in virtually all Trinitarian-based translations, can effectively control others who have turned over their minds to them, ones who are too busy to take the time to study God's Word for themselves. The devil loves it when "Christians" simply allow him to tell them everything to think, say and do!!!

If someone who is all puffed up and egomaniacal about something hasn't studied very closely and exactly what the ancient writers of God's Word have written, and ALL of what has been written on any given subject, then they are all puffed up and egomaniacal over fragmented knowledge which doesn't fill a thimble. What someone may believe is truth of God because they read it in an English "translation", may actually be a lie from the pit of the heart of the devil, and that person may find themselves working for the devil, as Christ Jesus, and all of his apostles have duly warned us (Mat. 7:15; 24:1-12; 2 Pet. 2:1-9; 2 Cor. 11:13-15). Being all puffed up and egomaniacal, putting on a theatrical show, and ready to fight and word-war over fragmented knowledge, over one verse mortal-made doctrines, isn't being loyal to God and Jesus Christ! I believe they see it as being stupid!

Oddly, I see the ones who are usually insisting they are infallibly correct, ones insisting that they are the ones to which others should listen, they often use this very passage in 2 Peter 1:19-21 to supposedly show biblical evidence to back them up in their denial for anyone else but themselves to have the right to, and then be able to, correctly interpret God's Word for themselves! They deny others the right to study and believe God's Word for themselves, insisting they are the only ones who can do it correctly! I see nothing difficult at all about discerning of spirits in people like this. How can the repugnant odor of elitism, bigotry, egomaniacal self-importance and self-omniscience possibly be overlooked! (1 Cor. 12:4-7, 12c; Mat. 7:15-20)