What do Protestants think about 2Peter 1:20-21

[rbarcia]

(20) Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, (21) for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the Holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.

It attacks private interpretation of the Bible. If I’m correct isn’t private interpretation often used in Protestantism?

Sorry if I’m sounding polemical here. It struck me as surprising when I saw it.

The subject is prophecy, not scripture. They got their prophecy from the Scripture. The topic is interpreting prophecy, not scripture. The whole context around the passage is prophecy and the prophet who received it. These prophecies are recorded in scripture. Specifically, the prophecy of Christ coming from heaven.

This talks nothing about interpreting scripture.

 

[truthnlight]

(20) Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, (21) for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the Holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.

It attacks private interpretation of the Bible. If I’m correct isn’t private interpretation often used in Protestantism?

Sorry if I’m sounding polemical here. It struck me as surprising when I saw it.

Look at that very closely. No PROPHECY of the scripture is of any private interpretation. Does that say that the Bible is not to be privately read, interpreted, and understood by the laity? What is the passage really saying?

Verse 19- the prophecy found in the Bible is true, that shines like a light in darkness.

Verse 20- none of the prophecy, or interpretation of that prophecy, recorded in scriptures is devised by the prophet himself. While the prophet wrote it, he is not the author of either the prophecy or the interpretation thereof.

Verse 21- The Holy Spirit is both author and interpreter of prophecies in the Bible, not the prophet.

Chapter 2:1 - Warns against false prophets.

How do you recognize a false prophet? Simple. What they predict fails to come to pass with unerring accuracy. A genuine prophet never fails, because the prophecy and it’s interpretation come from God, not the prophet’s private interpretation, and God does not make mistakes.

 

[truthnlight]

In context, this passage is clearly talking about prophets and their own prophetic interpretations. As an example, the prophets Joseph and Daniel, when they interpreted the dreams of the Pharaoh and King, they were not giving their own private interpretations, they were giving God’s interpretation. As a result they were 100 percent accurate. So when you read in the Bible where a prophet reveals a prophecy or gives an interpretation of a prophetic dream, or prophetic scripture, they were revealed to the prophet by God Himself, through the Holy Spirit, and can be trusted to be accurate.

 

[justasking4]

Based on this self interpretation logic, those who are illiterate are doomed because they cannot interpret Scripture for themselves.

How is it they are supposed to listen to various preachers of the Gospel and follow their interpretations (as it is in the third world these days), and not the Church? Wouldn’t I, as an ignorant illiterate trust the 2,000 yr. old interpretations of a universal church that ushered in civilization and practically invented widespread literacy over one man’s opinion?

I know of a couple that actually entrap Latinos by offering help, then preaching them out of the Church. Oh, you don’t have to listen to the Church, but you darned well listen to them, boy or boy, or you can go take a flying leap. I say this as one who had to rescue just such a person dumped because she wouldn’t fall for such nonsense.

No, I’ll take the Apostles’ and Church Fathers’ interpretation over Ernest Angley’s or Jimmy Swaggart’s any day. I certainly know better than to trust my OWN judgement. Haven’t any of you the same sense? :dts:

You cannot get around interpreting. Everytime you hear a homily from a priest you must interpret. Everytime you read about your church’ doctrines, you must interpret them for yourself. The issue is: how do you know your interpretation is the correct one?

 

[advert123]

THAT MEANS THAT THE HOLY BIBLE IS THE ONLY REAL WORD AND THAT CATHOLICS SAY THE ARE TRUE CHURCH BUT SINS MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE OTHER THAN MUSLIMS

**CATHOLICS ARE TRUE BELIEVERS RIGHT READ THIS

1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

Acts 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

SO ARENT YOU SINNING? AND THIS IS FROM NEW TESTAMENT
**

 

[guanophore]

You cannot get around interpreting. Everytime you hear a homily from a priest you must interpret. Everytime you read about your church’ doctrines, you must interpret them for yourself. The issue is: how do you know your interpretation is the correct one?

I went back some into the history of the posts, and I can see that you have been posting these disingenuous questions for a long time!

 

[pyropam]

As a very recent ex-protestant (now catholic), these are my revelations:

Protestants believe that their preachers are “Holy Men of God that are moved and guided by the Holy Spirit”.

I’m quite sure that some of them are.

I think that one of the main problems here in our country is just this.

By way of RCIA classes and a lot of research, I found the facts about the Catholic Church. Outside of that, I had no revelation of it at all other than what my grandparents always told me, “stay away from those Catholic Churches, cause if they ever get you in the door, you can’t ever get out”. Funny how right they were! Unfortunately, they never came to know why you wouldn’t want to leave… because it is the true Church of GOD.

During my entire first 43 years of life, I was never invited to a Catholic Church.

I would say that this holds true for 99% of the people I knew.

Our protestant pastors were good christian men who just decided one day that God was calling them to preach. Many of them had no formal training to speak of. And contrary to popular Catholic belief, most of these pastors are truly good Christian men (although they may have a poor interpertation of scripture). They are going only on what they are taught.

How can you hold people accountable for what they have not been taught? Why do they visit door-to-door and we don’t?

Have we not all had people from Jehovia Witness visit our home? What about Baptist? Methodist? Pentacostal? Sure we have.

Why do Catholics not just go out and witness to these people? How can we blame them? Won’t we ultimately be held accountable for the people we don’t reach out to?

I have been a witness of the Catholic Faith since last September, I’m just trying to get the word out there, the truth.

Why don’t we quit posting these kinds of things and go out and teach the truth instead of condemning those who don’t understand it.

 

[Salamander]

(1) Isn’t Peter speaking of the Prophets of old? (2) and that he is speaking as an Apostle stating that his position is from God and not men as he was appointed? My “interpretation” here is not anything but common sense. He isn’t given out a secret here, he is just stating the truth: Christ’s Glory is announced ahead of time in the Old Testament and His Glory is NOW evident through the Prophetic Word given to the Apostles-not the Catholic church!

and oh, btw, I’m just a christian.

 

[angelusm]

(20) Know this first of all, that there is no prophecy of scripture that is a matter of personal interpretation, (21) for no prophecy ever came through human will; but rather human beings moved by the Holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God.

It attacks private interpretation of the Bible. If I’m correct isn’t private interpretation often used in Protestantism?

Sorry if I’m sounding polemical here. It struck me as surprising when I saw it.

The answer is simple: they don’t like it so they reject it.

 

[justasking4]

The answer is simple: they don’t like it so they reject it.

Do you read the Bible?

 

[qui_est_ce]

Do you read the Bible?

I read the Bible. In my readings am guided by the framework provided by the Church. Some verses really touch me, speak to me, others not as much.

With the outline provided by the Catholic Christian Teachings, the Bible makes so much more sense.

For example if I read John 6:53-61, I would question “how can this be?” Then at the Last Supper,
Matthew 26:26-18:
" 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, 16 and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
28
for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Now I understand John 6:53:61. Now I understand how Jesus is the new Passover Lamb, that shed His blood. At the first Passover, the Jews had to eat the lamb. The lamb’s blood on the lintels saved the Jews from death. The Supper of the Lamb saves us from eternal death.

When I read the Bible, I might personally interpret some verses, but I cannot interpret them outside the teachings of the the Church. For example, I can’t suddenly decide Jesus did not really mean we should literally feed on Him in John 6:53-61. etc.

 

[justasking4]

I read the Bible. In my readings am guided by the framework provided by the Church. Some verses really touch me, speak to me, others not as much.

With the outline provided by the Catholic Christian Teachings, the Bible makes so much more sense.

For example if I read John 6:53-61, I would question “how can this be?” Then at the Last Supper,
Matthew 26:26-18:
" 26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
27
Then he took a cup, gave thanks, 16 and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you,
28
for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Now I understand John 6:53:61. Now I understand how Jesus is the new Passover Lamb, that shed His blood. At the first Passover, the Jews had to eat the lamb. The lamb’s blood on the lintels saved the Jews from death. The Supper of the Lamb saves us from eternal death.

When I read the Bible, I might personally interpret some verses, but I cannot interpret them outside the teachings of the the Church. For example, I can’t suddenly decide Jesus did not really mean we should literally feed on Him in John 6:53-61. etc.

What do you do with verses the church has never interpreted?

 

[Mannyfit75]

Protestants will just use their personal, private interpretation to spin it however works for them. Each individual Protestant; each of the numerous Protestant sects.

I can simply put this in short terms. Every Protestant is his own magisterium… whatever he sees fit in Scripture… is his final authority… Then again how to you tell a Protestant who does not believe in OSAS to another Protestant who does not believe in OSAS is not Scriptural? We see pretty clear that Protestantism is just nothing more than different versions of intrepretation of the Bible… there is no one united faith in Protestantism… especially when it comes to intrepreting Scripture…

 

[Salamander]

I can simply put this in short terms…Every Protestant is his own magisterium… whatever he sees fit in Scripture… is his final authority… Then again how to you tell a Protestant who does not believe in OSAS to another Protestant who does not believe in OSAS is not Scriptural? We see pretty clear that Protestantism is just nothing more than different versions of intrepretation of the Bible… there is no one united faith in Protestantism… especially when it comes to intrepreting Scripture…

You are so right on some of this statement, but not “every” Protestant shares each other’s version of the Bible nor do Catholics follow the same teachings. Try using this same logic saying the catholic church is all the same in interpretation and you find the same answer. The only “true” worshippers (church) will worship Him “in Spirit and in Truth”, just as He told the Samaritan woman at the well. We must go “back to the Bible” as our example (“for salvation is from the Jews” and not the Samaritan’s)…not some man-made church or hierarchy. (John 4:22-24). See, my interpretation, or is it?

 

[justasking4]

I can simply put this in short terms. Every Protestant is his own magisterium… whatever he sees fit in Scripture… is his final authority… Then again how to you tell a Protestant who does not believe in OSAS to another Protestant who does not believe in OSAS is not Scriptural? We see pretty clear that Protestantism is just nothing more than different versions of intrepretation of the Bible… there is no one united faith in Protestantism… especially when it comes to intrepreting Scripture…

The same is true in the catholic church for the mere fact it has interpreted few if any verses of Scripture. It seems then there are mini magisteriums in the catholic church also.

 

[qui_est_ce]

What do you do with verses the church has never interpreted?

The Church provides a framework for my personal interpretation, I cannot go outside of that. Give me an example of a verse that you think I might have a problem with.

 

[qui_est_ce]

You know, I never thought about this before but if you look at the verses you just quoted it says personal interpretation of PROPHECY of scripture. Not scripture itself but the prophecy of it. I guess this begs the question… what is considered prophecy of scripture?

Good subject for another thread!

Also, something I have been thinking a bit about… Do you think that God left SOME things in the bible (and for that matter out of the bible all together) kind of vague so that it can mean many things to many people in different situations? Take, for example, the story of the prodigal son. This story has so many situations that it can apply to. The son or daughter ( ) who comes home to God after a life of being without him, someone who has left the church but has returned, or a lesson on forgiveness for those who have wronged us. It’s not necessarily our own PERSONAL interpretation but the interpretation the Holy Spirit gives us so that we may learn what God wants us to learn… Something to think about. As we all know, there are many different things in the bible that seem to have double and even triple meanings and interpretations and fit MANY areas in our lives.

Yes, the parables. I would definately agree with you on that.

 

[guanophore]

What do you do with verses the church has never interpreted?

The Teaching of Jesus preceeded the Sacred Writings. Jesus taught His Apostles everything, and they preached this gospel to the world. Some of what was preached was put into writing. All of what is written must be read in the light of the gospel that was preached by Jesus and the Apostles. The Church has faithfullly preserved and promulgated ALL of the Teachings, and in the light of those we can understand the scripture.

 

[justasking4]

The Church provides a framework for my personal interpretation, I cannot go outside of that. Give me an example of a verse that you think I might have a problem with.

How about I John 5:16-17?
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

What is this sin not leading to death?

 

[qui_est_ce]

How about I John 5:16-17?
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

What is this sin not leading to death?

It refers to Sin. All unrighteousness is sin, but there is mortal sin and venial sin. Mortal sin is deadly. If you die in the state of mortal sin, you will go to Hell. You must go to Confession in order to be absolved. If you die in the state of venial sin, you will go to Purgatory, and people can pray for you. Mortal sin=murder, Apostasy, etc.