Carried Along by the Holy Spirit
Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
2 Peter 1:20-21 (CSB)
We live in a world that seeks to unravel and cancel any fact, truth, event, or individual they disagree with or feel judged by. This worldview has been used to attack the truth of Scripture for today's world. People have argued that today's culture is very different from before. They attempt to use Satan's line, “Did God really say?” and then twist the words to meet their agendas. These attempts to silence the truth of Scripture are not new but a continuation of humanity's attempt to ignore the Lord. The apostle Peter confronted the opposition to Scripture, which held that the prophets misinterpreted the revelation of the Lord and, as a result, did not write the truth. Peter clearly states that no interpretation or revelation is the prophet's invention or creation but comes from the Lord alone.
We find that each author used unique language and linguistic characteristics when we engage Scripture. They used cultural concepts that they were familiar with and that the original readers would have understood. Yet, Peter makes it known that the truth is that God himself is the author and that the Holy Spirit carried along the authors as they penned. This does not mean that the men wrote as zombies under a spell; instead, they penned under the Holy Spirit's authority, strength, leading, and work.
Peter’s declaration concerning the work of the Holy Spirit in inspiration reminds us that Scripture is not a collection of opinions given by scholars, theologians, or philosophers. Instead, Scripture is the Word from God written under the empowering and leading of the Holy Spirit. The earthly authors were often nothing more than mere shepherds or fishermen. Yet, the authority and truth come not from their position but from the reign and authority of the Lord. When you consider the Holy Spirit’s work in inspiration and recognize that the Holy Spirit continues today in the work of understanding, how do you find encouragement to trust Scripture completely?
QUESTIONS
Why is the work of the Holy Spirit in interpretation and inspiration critical to Scripture?
How could you explain the work of the Holy Spirit in inspiration of God’s Word to someone?
