20. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.21. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The apostles were convinced of the adequacy and authority of the Scriptures. As our Lord approached the end of His earthly ministry, He began to emphasize the crucial role of the Scriptures. As Peter and Paul approached the days of their departure, they too began to emphasize the importance of the Scriptures to those whom they would leave behind.

"Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." (Ps. 119:11) We need to remind ourselves of the Word; memorize it, review it, and reread it often, for then it becomes part of our lives. Then sin will take a back seat.

Someone said, “The dirtier these pages become, the cleaner your life will become.” The reverse is also true. People who love sin are not very interested in the Bible because they are confronted with the fact all is not right with God. They want to ignore Him and His authority. People, who do not want truth, choose to live in their own wisdom and will not be interested in studying the Bible.

When we see the Old Testament prophecies unveiled, we see how the Holy Spirit put in the hearts of men words they didn’t quite understand in their day and age. It was revealed much later how these verses pointed to the coming of the Messiah.

Likewise, we have a path that points to the return of Jesus Christ. We may not understand the details and to try to persuade others to our view, but we cannot ignore the main message to be prepared. Have your heart ready and your hands working, for the Holy Spirit confirms how we should live our lives when He works in and through us. It is important we share the gospel and truth with our society. Chart your course for life by the Bible.

Jesus explained to the disciples the Scriptures with the new understanding of His revelation; of who He was and how the Scriptures fit together in the larger picture of redemption. Peter was also pointing to the Word confirming what he was saying.

What does the Bible say it?  Believe it. Have you heard of a new teaching?  Then check it out by Scriptures. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and direction and use the Bible as the final authority all of its revelation. Don't take a verse here and verse there and twist it into making say what you want it to say. Read it in the context, as much as possible. Discover the culture to which it was originally read. Pray that God’s Spirit will open your eyes to what is there in the teaching that is clear and plain and repeated. Don't get bogged down with what is isolated, unclear, and confusing passages. Believe strongly what is clearly and plainly revealed and if someone gives you another doctrine do not believe it.

King David says, "The word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." This is a wonder book with 40 writers, over 1500 years, revealing the story of God’s redemption of mankind.

The Constitution of the United States of America has been radically "rewritten," not by the writing of a new constitution per se but by a radical interpretation of the old. The same thing happens to the Scriptures when men with twisted minds try to grapple with the "straight and narrow" of God's Word. At times, the distortion of divine truth may be unwitting since the unbelieving cannot and will not receive divine truth. But some actually distort the Scriptures deliberately. Peter warns his readers against such things.

Tomorrow I will address some important keys for interpretation.