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Week 3: Author’s Intent — 2 Peter 1:21
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
2 Peter 1:21
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.
Author’s Intent – The Bible was written by men, who were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). This means both man and God played an important role in writing the Scriptures. Sometimes, you cannot understand the true meaning, unless you know something about the author(s).
To understand the author’s content,
you must understand the author’s intent.
1 Corinthians 15:29
Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead?
John 13:23
The disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.
The more time I spend understanding the author the better able I will be to understand what the author is saying. Is he compassionate or in a rush, is he mad or joking, etc.
2 Peter 1:21
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 1:5-12
To understand the author’s content,
you must understand the author’s intent.
2 Peter 1:13-18
In 2nd Peter, Peter was writing his “last words”; he knew he would soon die.
Matthew 17:2
There [Jesus] was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Matthew 17:5
While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
Peter’s experiences with Jesus were important, but he wants to make sure that we know the written prophetic words (Scripture/Bible) are even more important and reliable.
2 Peter 1:20-21
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.
Prophets (the Bible) does not give human thoughts. It is a collection of God’s words; even though he used humans and their style to write it down every word is reliable.
Proverbs 26:27
Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, And he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.
Proverbs 26:24-27
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips, but in their hearts they harbor deceit.
25 Though their speech is charming, do not believe them, for seven abominations fill their hearts.
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception, but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly. 27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it; if someone rolls a stone, it will roll back on them.
The question, when reading the Bible, is not, “What do I think this means?” but “What was the author trying to say?” My interpretation is only true if it matches what the author intended.
