The Prophecy of the Scripture

HOW WE GOT THE PROPHECY OF THE SCRIPTURE
By Askakido
Chapter One in “Essays in Biblical Research”


In our quest for understanding of the Word of Truth, there are three scriptures that I would like you to take a look at. These three will be the beginning of our study on the integrity of the Word of God.


2nd Peter 1:20-21 (KJV)

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, 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 Spirit.”

2nd Timothy 3:16-17 (KJV)

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

2nd Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”


We would like to think that these three verses are simple, and that we have learned everything that can possibly have to say the first time we read them. We would like that, but it is not so!

It is quite possible that this is the first time you have ever seen these grouped so closely together.

As workmen of the scriptures, as those who endeavor to re-search the scripture, that is to search them again and again, there is one important thing that we must know first. The Bible tells us what that one thing is, right there in 2nd Peter 1:20-21.


2nd Peter 1:20-21 (KJV)

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation, 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 Spirit.”


Let’s take a closer look at this verse and see what it says in a greater depth than just a quick scan will tell us. Let’s search this scripture again and again until we are sure we have extracted every bit of meaning out of it that we possibly can. In doing so, we will learn far more than the average “lay person” knows about this verse.

You may read the entire lesson at the Teacher's Corner at One Saint by following this link:
http://www.onesaint.org/teachers-corner.html

Please enjoy, and thank you, Askakido! :study:

Very thorough.

One cannot sanely argue with the points of Askakido's essay.

The autograph of Scripture, prophecy or otherwise was not spoken/written in English, (KJV or otherwise) ~ it was written in Hebrew and Aramaic in the OT and Hebrew and Koine Greek in the NT.

The beauty of Hebrew and especially Koine Greek are the moods, tenses and voices in the construction that enable a reader to render the exact thought the writer intended to convey. It is not so in English and most modern languages.

To get to the accurate heart of the matter requires diligence in study. It's not difficult ~ either get yourself under the authority of a good pastor/teacher and stay under Acts 17:11 ~or~ the tools are easily and freely obtainable on the Internet to do your own word studies.

So much for exegesis ~ the other legs of study are isogogics and categorical study.

Isogogics = study of the customs, culture and mores of the time a passage was written to further understand the shaded meanings that eclipse us today when such context is ignored.

Categories are simply, precept upon precept, line upon line ~ using the whole of Scripture to develop a full understanding of any given doctrine/topic.

Thanks for sharing this one, Annie!

You are welcome, Jarhead! Lucky for me, it is all Greek at this point... lol... I am really wanting to begin with either the Greek, the Hebrew or the Aramaic. Beginning at the Greek, I think, may be best. This lesson is my first experience working with Greek - just a teeny bit - an iota (Greek). :)

Thank you, Askakido, for your wonderful lesson! And thank you Jarhead for taking things a bit further here regarding: "exegesis ~ the other legs of study are isogogics and categorical study."

In my opinion, Greek is the most useful for the volume of Christian doctrine in Paul's letters.

Hebrew is most excellent as well.

Only some of the Books of Daniel and Ezra were originally written in
Aramaic. Genesis, Numbers, Job and Jeremiah also contain Aramaic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Daniel

But quite honestly, learning Koine Greek requires a serious language course for a few years ~ it's much easier to use a good reference tool that supplies the usage, context and grammar for you.

This is a place to start: http://bible.cc/genesis/1-1.htm

Thank you so much for the links, Jarhead, there reading now... :study: Begin at the beguine! :)
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from biblos:

alpha: alpha
Original Word: ἄλφα
Part of Speech: Indeclinable Letter (Noun)
Transliteration: alpha
Phonetic Spelling: (al'-fah)
Short Definition: the first letter of the Greek alphabet
Definition: alpha; the first letter of the Greek alphabet.

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And look at that beautiful Greek font! :D

I finished reading this piece. Quite indepth, very cool to read the original Greek words and meanings. Thank you for posting Anne, and thank you Askakido for this.

Learning to transliterate from the Greek letters to the English letters is about a 15 minutes a day for about a month, at which time one would be capable of seeing the Greek letters and transliterating them down into some convention of English letters. There is really the easy part.


The Greek Grammar is considerably different from the English, and the ordering of the words into a sentence is also vastly different from what we are used to in English sentence word orderings. It takes some serious effort and time to learn Greek at the level of interpretation and translation. And I am not always satisfied with the somewhat reduced vocabulary of the Strong's Greek/English lexicon. So, one of my projects will be to provide a fully word entry vocabulary of the entire LXX as well as the Textus Receptus into a full concordance and working Greek/English transliteration that might aid some in getting a better handle on some of its aspects, and if time allows (Lord willing) a public domain Tri-linear Interlinear for the Greek and English.


Work in editing is in process for the next installment of this Teaching Series. Thanking Anne for her editing aid as well as placing the results on her One-Saint website. I also thank Tryphaena for all the great encouragement in aiding me these past many months, helping me overcome a good portion of the efforts of that stroke many months back.

God Is Good. God Is Great.

You are welcome, Askakido, and thank you, Tryph, for helping Aska during his recovery. There is so much improvement, that I believe you just volunteered to help us learn the Greek, Aska. What a delightful group project for Narrow Road Depot: Greek Class! I carry around my tattered copy of the Greek letters and their transliterations into English, but a good teacher is needed. I learn better up close and in person, and all of the recorded and written lessons out there are just plain lonely.

Just a continuation of my petition in prayer for fellowship and a good mentor.

Here, I think my prayers have been answered! Great Praise and Gratitude to Him who watches over all!

Jarhead wrote:

So much for exegesis ~ the other legs of study are isogogics and categorical study.

Isogogics = study of the customs, culture and mores of the time a passage was written to further understand the shaded meanings that eclipse us today when such context is ignored.

Categories are simply, precept upon precept, line upon line ~ using the whole of Scripture to develop a full understanding of any given doctrine/topic.

Thanks, Jarhead, for sharing these three things in highlight. I had forgotten the term Isogogics is good to be reminded the 'official' term.

Speaking of categories, and 'word searches', the other day I had reason to do a search on the term "Israel" (and not its other parts of speech) from my eSword computer program and quickly found (from the KJV) some 2,301 verses in 2,576. It reminds me of the need to perhaps determine how many difference ways in which this term is used in the Scripture and under the heading of "Israel" set down all the different categories of usages for this term, i.e., now many different meanings there are in use in the Scriptures of the word "Israel".

Isaiah 28 comes to mind as to categories.

Annie wrote:There is so much improvement, that I believe you just volunteered to help us learn the Greek, Aska. What a delightful group project for Narrow Road Depot: Greek Class! I carry around my tattered copy of the Greek letters and their transliterations into English, but a good teacher is needed. I learn better up close and in person, and all of the recorded and written lessons out there are just plain lonely.

Just a continuation of my petition in prayer for fellowship and a good mentor.

Here, I think my prayers have been answered! Great Praise and Gratitude to Him who watches over all!

Cyberspace Tutoring is indeed taxing but better than nothing. The first effort of course is doing just as you have already begun to do, carrying around (and using) your tattered copy of the Greek Letters and how to write them, and then learning their transliterations in the English letters. At the moment I am doing just that as to the Greek LXX of Daniel 9:24-27. This part is as Jarhead has stated, rather easy, (with a bit of practice and re-visiting) to do after the first few dozen verses have been transliterated.

Diligent grammar study is commendable and not to be discouraged. But, I would remind us all that God intended His Word to be read and understood. He has taken utmost care in preserving it and making it available for the believer, equipped with the Holy Spirit to to transfer the Mind of Christ from page to mind/soul that we might 'breathe' it back to Him.

Reading and study. Daily. Continually. We will NEVER "arrive" to a point when that becomes unnecessary. (Even pastor/teachers!)

The biggest factor we can do for ourselves is to realize that all "translations" have the bias of the translators. There are no exceptions. The trick is to use a Bible that is closest to 'word-for-word.'

For this reason, I use the NASB for study and the KJV for personal listening, because overall it is a good translation and its problems are well known and it doesn't 'change' with each update.

Is the NASB perfect? No ~ but the closest I am apt to get without personally doing the job myself ~ which I am neither qualified nor have time to do. Overall, though, I have found very little "wrong" with it. Trick is to be aware through a systematic study of the whole Bible, that you can negotiate the passages with understanding.

Diligent grammar study is commendable and not to be discouraged. But, I would remind us all that God intended His Word to be read and understood. He has taken utmost care in preserving it and making it available for the believer, equipped with the Holy Spirit to to transfer the Mind of Christ from page to mind/soul that we might 'breathe' it back to Him.

I believe what you say, Jarhead, and have had the experience as well, especially when I pray before I begin my study, that reading the Word of God can stand alone to boost knowledge, reverence, love and and even practical application. I have to admit, however, Askakido, that using this 'parsing' method of study is wholly satisfying, and a delight, when a puzzle can be solved, confusion is cleared, or there is a more in depth understanding from doing so. Both, are immensely satisfying to my spirit, and generally fill me with grace. Is this not the desired result of a focused study of the Good Book, no matter the translation, no matter the method?

I continue to read the NASB version, Jarhead, taking to heart your suggestion of so long ago.

No worries, Askakido, your hands are full of important work. To add a course in Greek here at NRD is entirely your choice, and we will be grateful with that, whatever it is. I just thought it a good idea.

Thank you so much for the graphic, Jarhead, very helpful!

We look forward to Lesson Two, Aska... Now, I turn to a little editing...

Annie wrote:

Diligent grammar study is commendable and not to be discouraged. But, I would remind us all that God intended His Word to be read and understood. He has taken utmost care in preserving it and making it available for the believer, equipped with the Holy Spirit to to transfer the Mind of Christ from page to mind/soul that we might 'breathe' it back to Him.

I believe what you say, Jarhead, and have had the experience as well, especially when I pray before I begin my study, that reading the Word of God can stand alone to boost knowledge, reverence, love and and even practical application. I have to admit, however, Askakido, that using this 'parsing' method of study is wholly satisfying, and a delight, when a puzzle can be solved, confusion is cleared, or there is a more in depth understanding from doing so. Both, are immensely satisfying to my spirit, and generally fill me with grace. Is this not the desired result of a focused study of the Good Book, no matter the translation, no matter the method?

I continue to read the NASB version, Jarhead, taking to heart your suggestion of so long ago.

No worries, Askakido, your hands are full of important work. To add a course in Greek here at NRD is entirely your choice, and we will be grateful with that, whatever it is. I just thought it a good idea.

Thank you so much for the graphic, Jarhead, very helpful!

We look forward to Lesson Two, Aska... Now, I turn to a little editing...

Please do not misunderstand. As I said, in-depth grammar study is fine. The objective is to appropriate the 'Mind of Christ' (the very Word of God) that we might THINK with it. We are 100% surrounded by the enemy camp here in Cosmos Diabolicus. Not to mention the enemy within, the old sin nature.

God has not left us bereft and it does NOT take mastery of Greek and Hebrew to achieve the goal. Yes, it helps and is commendable. But whether you realize it or not ~ the scriptures, are a provision of Grace all the way. The Holy Spirit inspired their writing and guided their preservation and inclusion into the accepted Canon of Scripture.

Scripture study is not exclusive to 'students of the original language.' They are meant for typically normal people, even children. The system is designed to work in combination with the spiritual gift of pastor or teacher. It's an authority thing. That's why pastors/teachers are judged much harsher ~ it is their responsibility to teach. They are gifted with the spiritual ability to actually STUDY and then teach. The flock gets fed and GROWS spiritually.

The way I see it ~ strictly for myself ~ I would rather spend an hour studying under the authority of a spiritually gifted teacher than spend the same hour scratching on my own. Time is short. I will undoubtedly pick up a 10 to 1 advantage of finding 'nuggets' under teaching than I will under independent study.

Ephesians 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Oh no worries, Jarhead, I do understand. Perfectly. I am thinking fairly well these days, too. I am also very grateful for those who have decided to mentor me. The benefits are rich. The reward, outstanding. The outcome, eternally satisfying.

In His Name We Pray!