What does 2 Peter 3:16 imply about the authority of Paul's writings? Full Text of 2 Peter 3:15-16 “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom God gave him. He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Immediate Literary Context Peter is wrapping up a letter that has addressed scoffers, the certainty of divine judgment, and the promise of a new heavens and new earth. By pointing his readers to Paul, he shows that the apostolic witness is unified: both apostles teach the same hope, the same warning, and the same gospel. The Phrase “the Rest of the Scriptures” (hai loipai graphai) 1. Graphē is the standard New Testament term for inspired, canonical writings (e.g., Matthew 21:42; 2 Timothy 3:16). 2. By placing Paul’s letters alongside “the rest” of the graphai, Peter puts them inside the category, not outside it. The implication is canonical parity with the Law, Prophets, and Writings already revered by first-century Jews and Jewish Christians. 3. This is the only place in the New Testament where one inspired writer explicitly labels another’s epistles “Scripture.” The recognition comes from an apostle who was an eyewitness of the risen Christ (2 Peter 1:16). Apostolic Affirmation of Divine Origin Peter attributes Paul’s insights to “the wisdom God gave him,” echoing Paul’s own claim: “The things I am writing to you are the Lord’s command” (1 Corinthians 14:37). Inspiration is therefore not self-asserted only; it is corroborated by a fellow apostle. Early Canonical Reception • P46 (Chester Beatty papyrus, c. AD 175-225) contains nine Pauline letters, demonstrating wide circulation within a century of composition. • The Muratorian Fragment (c. AD 170) lists thirteen Pauline epistles as authoritative. • Clement of Rome (c. AD 95) cites 1 Corinthians; Polycarp (c. AD 110) cites Ephesians, Philippians, and 1 Timothy; both quote Paul as normative for the church. These data show that the church did exactly what Peter’s statement presupposes: it read Paul as Scripture. Theological Weight of the Recognition Because Paul’s letters are Scripture: • They are profitable “for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). • Their doctrinal claims—Christ’s bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15), justification by faith (Romans 3-5), creation of a literal Adam (Romans 5:12-19), the return of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4)—carry divine authority. • They define moral norms (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) and ecclesial practice (1 Timothy 3:15) as binding on all generations. Warning Against Distortion Equals Normative Authority Peter says that twisting Paul leads to “destruction,” the same outcome reserved for those who mishandle the Law (Deuteronomy 4:2) or the Prophets (Jeremiah 23:36). To corrupt Scripture is to reject God’s voice; therefore Paul’s words speak with God’s voice. Unity with the Old Testament Narrative Paul’s letters repeatedly ground doctrine in the historical Genesis record—Adam as a real person (Romans 5:14), Eve’s creation order (1 Timothy 2:13), a recent global Flood as typology of baptism (1 Peter 3:20-21, presupposed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 10:1-2). Peter’s endorsement amplifies Paul’s authority to interpret those events, reinforcing a young-earth, global-Flood chronology consistent with Jesus’ affirmation of Genesis (Matthew 19:4). Coherence with Intelligent Design and Miraculous Worldview Paul insists that “God’s invisible qualities…have been clearly seen” in creation (Romans 1:20). Molecular information systems and irreducible complexity, detailed by contemporary design theorists, echo Paul’s claim that creation is a divine self-revelation, placing humanity under moral obligation. Peter’s recognition of Paul legitimizes this apologetic use of nature. Practical Pastoral Function • Peter directs believers to reread Paul for perseverance under scoffing (3:3-4). • He models inter-apostolic humility, acknowledging another’s letters as equally binding. • By exposing the unstable, he equips the church to discern false teachers who downplay apostolic authority. Comprehensive Implication 2 Peter 3:16 presents Paul’s epistles as God-breathed Scripture, equal in status to the Old Testament, preserved, circulating, and universally binding. Rejecting or distorting them is tantamount to rejecting the Lord Himself, for through those writings Christ speaks to His church until He returns. |
    |