What does it mean when something is private?
Something private pertains to one person alone—it is yours, your privacy. Applied to Scripture, no prophecy is of private interpretation, meaning God's Word is not wrapped up in a single verse. It must be understood by comparing Scripture with Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.
Les explains that when something is private, it pertains to one person—it is yours, your privacy. Carrying that into Scripture, nothing God sent forth to the human race is all wrapped up in just one verse. This is why many people get hung up on the Bible, asking why God did not make it plainer or simpler. But God knew He was not dealing with third graders; He deals with adults who have the ability to search the Scriptures by comparing Scripture with Scripture. When you compare Scripture with Scripture from Genesis to Revelation, you are on as solid a rock as you can get. Peter makes it plain: do not build your eternal destiny on one verse, but on a series of doctrines and teachings that fit from cover to cover. The prophecy, the speaking forth of God's Word, did not come in old time by the will of man.