2 Peter 1:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The holy prophets, though they understood, had no need to explain their predictions. This was both because they were serving others, namely us, and so that the coming of the Lord might remain hidden and not be exposed to plots from the ungodly.

It could have escaped such plots by the power of the Lord. Yet the event of the accomplished Incarnation would probably have seemed illusory, if several escapes had taken place in an extraordinary manner.

That this is true is evident from the example of the New Testament prophets. They prophesied and explained themselves, though not all of them did so. For in the New Testament nothing of this kind need be feared.

That the prophets did not foretell in ecstasy is also evident from the following. The prophets of the Old and New Testaments prophesied by one Spirit.

The Apostle Paul says, “If a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first be silent” (1 Cor 14:30). From this it is clear that the prophets prophesied voluntarily, remaining in their natural state.

Therefore, when another inspired man rose up, the one who had been speaking before was commanded to be silent. No one will find this among the possessed. For how will he who does not know what he is doing be silent?

That the Holy Spirit acts in the prophets is stated by the same Apostle Paul: “To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another prophecy” (1 Cor 12:8, 10).

They did not speak by their own power, do not be deceived. Nor did they announce to others what they themselves wished. First, they were directly made wise by the Word. Then, in visions, they were well instructed beforehand concerning the future.

Thus, with firm assurance, they spoke what had been revealed by God to them alone. Otherwise, how could a prophet be called a prophet, if he did not foresee the future by the Spirit?

Therefore we also, having carefully studied their predictions, do not speak from our own invention. Nor do we allow ourselves to replace the words once spoken by the prophets with other new words.

We set forth their writings in the Church and read them to those able to believe rightly. From this comes a common benefit for both speaker and hearer.

For the speaker, the benefit is that, holding in memory what is set forth, he explains it rightly. For the hearer, it is that he applies his mind to what is said.

And so, since even now a common labor lies before us both, I ask you to lift up prayer to God with me. The speaker must transmit without error, and the hearer must receive faithfully what is set forth.

How, then, do you wish to understand the spiritual word arbitrarily? It was not spoken arbitrarily, but by the inspiration of the Spirit, and it itself forbids arbitrary interpretation. The Spirit spoke Holy Scripture, and only the Spirit can interpret it.

Men inspired by God, the holy Fathers, interpreted it. Therefore everyone who desires to acquire true knowledge of Holy Scripture must read the holy Fathers.

If you limit yourself to reading Holy Scripture alone, then of necessity you must understand and explain it arbitrarily. By the same necessity, it will be impossible for you to avoid errors.

For “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, and cannot understand them, because they must be judged spiritually.” “No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God” (1 Cor 2:11, 14).

The Spirit did not reveal this to them, and they themselves tried to discern when salvation would come. Yet to discern this was beyond human power. Therefore it is said further, in verse 12, that “it was revealed to them,” certainly not by their own reason, “that not to themselves,” nor to their contemporaries, “but to us they ministered the things now preached.”

From this it generally follows that even the prophets themselves, though they knew and understood the prophetic word sent down to them, could not give its interpretation or explanation. They knew neither the time nor the circumstances in which the future they foretold would be accomplished.

And if the prophets themselves could not do this, it is still less possible for their readers. Therefore the pious eunuch, the dignitary of Candace, who was reading the book of the prophet Isaiah, answered the Apostle Philip’s question, “Do you understand what you are reading?” by saying, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:30-31).

Therefore, in the interpretation of prophecies, instruction is required. In general, not everyone who has bought a Bible can explain it. It is possible that a man who undertakes this task, being “ignorant and unstable,” will encounter in the Bible something “hard to understand” and “twist” it, that is, falsely interpret it, “to his own destruction” (2 Pet 3:16).

Why does this happen? According to the Apostle Peter, it is because prophecy, and in general divinely inspired teaching, “was never produced by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” We men, however, are often natural and carnal (1 Cor 9:14-34).

In general, the wisdom of the divine Spirit stands so far above human wisdom that it necessarily appears mysterious to us (Prov 1:2; 1 Cor 13:12).

The Apostle explains why the prophets did not interpret their own sayings. At the same time, he shows the difference between true prophecy and demonic or invented prophecy, such as is accepted also among heretics. "The prophets receive prophecy from God, yet not as they wish, but as the Spirit of God acts. They consciously apprehended the prophetic word sent down to them, but did not give its explanation" (Theophylact).

"Was not brought": that is, was not carried. Here the same Greek word is used as in verses 17 and 18, concerning the voice brought to Christ from the majestic glory on Mount Tabor. Such a voice was brought from heaven, from God the Father, to Christ. So the prophetic word is presented here as being brought to the prophet from heaven, from God. Therefore this also is the genuine and true word of God, just as the voice of God the Father to Christ on Mount Tabor was genuine and true.

"They spoke it": this refers not only to spoken discourse, but also to the written word, that is, to the prophetic writings. From this saying it is clear that the prophetic word, written and oral alike, is the true word of God. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit, both in its very content and no less in its outward form.

"Holy men of God" (cf. 1 Tim 6:11) spoke while being moved by the Holy Spirit, or borne, carried away, and caught up (cf. Jn 3:8). The Holy Spirit caught them up and bore them away apart from their own will and desire. He did so according to His almighty and all-powerful will. Thus they could not, even had they wished, go against His desire.

The prophets were therefore passive instruments of the Holy Spirit, Who sovereignly governed their mind and word. Yet they spoke and wrote with full and clear consciousness what the Spirit commanded them. They were by no means unconscious instruments, nor could they be so. Pagan soothsayers, for example, were such instruments. By contrast, under the action of the Holy Spirit their consciousness was illumined, purified, and exalted. Their consciousness acted within them in a higher, indeed the highest, degree.

Of course, they did not know everything, but only what the Spirit revealed to them, and as much as He revealed. If He revealed it clearly, they also spoke or wrote clearly. If the Spirit's own utterances were veiled, they also spoke or wrote in a veiled manner. For this reason the same Apostle says that the prophets sought and searched what pertained, for example, to Christ. They searched what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating (1 Pet 1:10-11).

"That the prophets, while the Spirit of God was acting in them, knew that the word was being sent to them by the Spirit of God is clear from this. They submitted voluntarily and spoke what they wished, while they kept silent about what they did not wish. It is not so with false prophets. While under this action they did not possess consciousness. Driven into frenzy, like drunken men, they did not know what was happening to them. The prophets did not prophesy in ecstasy, as is clear from the following. The prophets of the Old and New Covenants prophesied by one Spirit. The Apostle Paul says: if a revelation is made to another sitting by, let the first keep silence (1 Cor 14:30). Hence it is clear that the prophets prophesied voluntarily, remaining in their natural state. Therefore, when another inspired man rose, the one who had spoken before was commanded to be silent. No one will find this among those possessed by demons. For how shall one be silent who himself does not know what he is doing?" (Theophylact).

This whole saying contains a clear and firm proof of the full and indisputable truth of all Holy Scripture. From it there also necessarily follows this conclusion: Scripture must be interpreted not arbitrarily, but according to the sense of Scripture itself, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Thus it is evident that Christians possess undoubted truth. In the Old Testament it was a light shining in darkness. In Christian teaching it shines like the morning star (see Rev 22:16). Its light will later give way to the radiance of the true Sun of righteousness, when the day of Christ comes.

Until that time, no prophecy will be fully disclosed by itself (cf. 1 Pet 1:10-11). Since prophecies were spoken by the action of God, their full disclosure will also be according to the will of God.

Blessed Augustine says, “We walk in the day when compared with unbelievers; but compared with that day when the dead shall rise, we are still in darkness.” From this it is clear that, in explaining Scripture, one must heed the voice of the Church, which is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim 3:15).

If the prediction has not been fulfilled exactly, then it is a false prophecy, not a true one. Or, at the least, it has not been proved true.

The prophets themselves teach us to judge prophets in this way: “When the word comes to pass, the prophet whom the Lord has sent in faith will be known” (Jer 28:9).