Chapter
1 2 3
Verse
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

2 Peter 1:21

ESV For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
NIV 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.
NASB for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
CSB because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
NLT or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
KJV For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

What does 2 Peter 1:21 mean?

In the previous verses, Peter pointed to his personal witness of the transfiguration of Jesus (2 Peter 1:16–18). For him, this was an absolute confirmation of the prophecies of Scripture which pointed to the Messiah. As a result, Peter not only believed in Christ, but he was assured of the other prophecies, which speak of Jesus' return as judge and king.

Here, he repeats his statement from the previous verse: These prophecies were not invented by human minds. They were not "cleverly devised" stories (2 Peter 1:16) meant to deceive, and they were not insightful human predictions meant to encourage. Rather, these prophecies came straight from the mind of God. The prophets spoke God's Words as they were carried along (or "moved") by the Holy Spirit. This is proven, in part, by the fact that they are confirmed. And, more powerfully, by the fact that they are not simply guesses or speculation. These are specific prophecies, which were specifically fulfilled.

In other words, the prophecies of Scripture are the words of God about the actions of God. And God always accomplishes what He sets out to do.
Expand
Expand
Expand
What is the Gospel?
Download the app: