How does Peter say the Scripture was given, and what does it mean to be inspired?
Peter says Scripture did not come by the will of man or by men dreaming it up, but holy, set-apart men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. To be inspired means being moved by the Holy Spirit, making Him the author, so there is no confusion or contradiction when Scripture is compared with Scripture.
Les explains that skeptics and scoffers attribute especially the Old Testament to stories that arose around ancient Israelite campfires, passed down by verbalizing for generations until someone decided to write them down. He calls that ridiculous. Peter says nothing even in the Old Testament came by men dreaming it up, nor by men going out and researching what the tribe of Dan or Benjamin thought. Instead, the Holy Spirit caused them to write—Moses wrote, David wrote, Elijah wrote, Jeremiah wrote—and the New Testament is the same. Peter says they did not come by the will of man, but holy, separated, set-apart men of God spoke as they were moved, or inspired, by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit is the author of this book, there is no confusion. The scoffer claims it is a book of contradictions, but it is not; everything fits if you compare Scripture with Scripture. Les then moves back to Genesis chapter 3 to begin comparing Scripture with Scripture.
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.