what scriptures do Christians most often misinterpret and why?
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
This is the most misused scripture in the bible because people think it's saying a scripture cannot be privately interpreted by someone but that is not what it actually is saying. It's saying the prophets did not personally invent the prophecies they wrote. It actually has nothing at all to do with someone interpreting scripture in a way that is private to them in difference to how others interpret it.
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 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.
The old English used doesn't bring forth very well what the Greek actually says:
2Pe 1:19 And in the written word of prophecy we have something more permanent; to which you do well to pay attention--as to a lamp shining in a dimly-lighted place--until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
2Pe 1:20 But, above all, remember that no prophecy in Scripture will be found to have come from the prophet's own prompting;
2Pe 1:21 for never did any prophecy come by human will, but men sent by God spoke as they were impelled by the Holy Spirit.
Clarke:
2 Peter 1:20
Knowing this first - Considering this as a first principle, that no prophecy of the Scripture, whether that referred to above, or any other, is of any private interpretation -
proceeds from the prophet’s own knowledge or invention, or was the offspring of calculation or conjecture. The word ep???s?? signifies also impetus, impulse; and probably this is the best sense here; not by the mere private impulse of his own mind.
Gill:
is of any private interpretation:
not that this is levelled against the right of private judgment of Scripture; or to be understood as if a private believer had not a right of reading, searching, examining, and judging, and interpreting the Scriptures himself, by virtue of the unction which teacheth all things; and who, as a spiritual man, judgeth all things; otherwise, why are such commended as doing well, by taking heed to prophecy, in the preceding verse, and this given as a reason to encourage them to it? the words may be rendered, "of one's own interpretation"; that is, such as a natural man forms of himself, by the mere force of natural parts and wisdom, without the assistance of the Spirit of God; and which is done without comparing spiritual things with spiritual; and which is not agreeably to the Scripture, to the analogy of faith, and mind of Christ;
though rather this phrase should be rendered, "no prophecy of the Scripture is of a man's own impulse", invention, or composition; is not human, but purely divine:
"no prophecy in Scripture will be found to have come from the prophet's own prompting" which obviously means true prophecy is not invented by the prophet but comes from God. This has nothing to do with how people interpret what scripture or scriptural prophecy means to them. This scripture is one of the most misused scriptures in the entire bible.
