Once a false premise is established as a foundation upon which to build, error’s building blocks fall neatly into place upon that foundation. If kingdom authority is vested in a certain group, obviously the leaders of that group must be God’s sole channel of truth. Since one of the kingdom promises is that a “pure language” would be turned to the people, then they must be the channel through which it is fulfilled.
A text of scripture which is used to support this “channel” doctrine is II Peter 1:20,21 which reads in part, “No prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” This is construed to mean that not all have the privilege of interpreting the Scriptures, but only those specially authorized by God, that he speaks through his “channel” and not by blessing individual Bible study.
The Greek word in this text which is translated “interpretation” is epilusis, which Prof. Strong defines as “explanation.” This may not seem like an important difference until we read Peter’s entire statement, which is: “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: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation [explanation]. 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.”—II Pet. 1:19-21
The word “for” in these verses is very important—no prophecy of the scripture is of private explanation “FOR … holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” The apostle is emphasizing that the prophecies of the Old Testament to which he urges Christians to take heed are not men’s explanations of things which were to come. If they expressed merely human viewpoints, or examinations, it would not be especially important to give heed to them. But, since these prophecies were given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, they are important to everyone who wishes to be taught by God.
Since they were given by the Holy Spirit, it is only by the help of the Holy Spirit that they can be understood. Paul reminds us of this with respect to all the thoughts of God pertaining to his loving purposes when, to the Corinthian brethren he wrote: “The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us by God.”—I Cor. 2:11-13
Thus the apostle makes it clear that all who have received the Holy Spirit are able to understand the precious thoughts of God, which by his Spirit he has caused to be written in his Word. All the Lord’s people have the privilege of assisting one another in the study of the Bible, and each one has an individual responsibility to “search the Scriptures” and to hold fast only to that which is found to be in full harmony with the Holy Word. “Study to show thyself approved unto God,” Paul wrote to Timothy, “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Tim. 2:15) The responsibility set forth in this injunction cannot be delegated to or left in the hands of others.
Paul speaks of “rightly dividing the word of truth.” In the context he mentions some who were then teaching that the resurrection of the dead had already taken place. The Bible surely teaches that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, but the erroneous position of those mentioned by Paul was their claim that it was in the past. They had failed to “rightly divide the word of truth” so did not clearly comprehend the plans and purposes of God.
The Bible also clearly teaches that the time will come when God will turn to the people a “pure lan- guage.” (Zeph. 3:9) But this is one of the precious kingdom promises of the Bible and is not now being fulfilled. The verse preceding this promise reads: “Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.” It is immediately after this that the Lord says, “For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.”
It is clear that the “pure language” is not turned to the people until “all the earth” is devoured by the fire of God’s jealousy. It is true that the gathering of the nations of earth in preparation for the overthrow of this present evil world is in progress, but the symbolic earth has not yet been destroyed. Satan is still the “god of this world.” (II Cor. 4:4) His blinding influences are still causing the proclamation of all sorts of confusing and God-dishonoring teachings, with the result that the people are not yet calling upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent.