Thus in declaring the inspiration of Scripture, Peter first makes an important denial. He denies that Scripture is a product of human initiation and interpretation, unlike all non-Christian religions and philosophies. But then, he makes an affirmation about the origin of Scripture that tells us something about the nature of inspiration. Scripture "came about" (v. 20), he explains, as "men spoke from God" (v. 21). The words of Scripture came from God, and not from the men themselves.

We can learn something about the nature of true prophetic utterances by noting how false prophecies are described and condemned in Scripture. For example, Jeremiah 23:16 says, "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD." False prophets speak "from their own minds," but true prophets speak "from the mouth of the LORD." The New Testament says that "God…spoke through David" (Hebrews 4:7), and that "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth…through Isaiah the prophet" (Acts 28:25).

It was God who spoke, not men – he spoke through men. The implication is unmistakable – the words of Scripture are so much "from God" that it is as if they came straight "from the mouth of the LORD," and in fact, they did. Therefore, we are to make no distinction between the words of Scripture and the words of God.

In fact, we can – we must – regularly and in various contexts use "God" and "Scripture" as interchangeable terms, for this is also the Bible's own practice. Genesis 12:1-3 says, "The LORD had said…," but referring to the same instance, Galatians 3:8 reads, "The Scripture foresaw…and announced…." Exodus 9:13-16 says, "Then the LORD said…confront Pharaoh and say to him…," but referring to the same instance, Romans 9:17 reads, "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh…."

In the Bible, "Scripture" is personified and sometimes used in the place of "God" altogether. This is only right and natural if Scripture is exactly the word of God, so that there is zero difference between them in thought and in authority. And it is only right that we as Christians adopt the same practice. It reflects our belief in the divine inspiration of Scripture to think of God and the Bible as interchangeable. We refer to both as powerful, penetrating, wise, just, pure, and holy. Galatians 3:8, cited above, attributes prescience to Scripture. We can even refer to the Scripture as the judge of mankind: "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him – the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:47-48, NKJ).

All of this does not apply only to the Old Testament, as if the Old and the New are two separate books forcibly put together instead of one organic whole foreordained, developed, and preserved by God. As Peter writes, "I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles" (2 Peter 3:2). The apostles also "spoke from God." Their inspired words were not their own, but came from the mouth of the Lord, and thus carry the authority of God (1 Corinthians 2:13, 14:37).

Scripture "came about" when "men spoke from God," so that Scripture carries absolute authority, and the term can even be personified to be used interchangeably with God. The ramifications for the sufficiency and utility of Scripture should be as obvious as they are numerous. But before we take this next step, we must recall the purpose for this detour into 2 Peter in the first place, which is to explain the human role in divine inspiration and the writing of Scripture.

(to be continued)

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