What is the meaning of 2 Peter 3:16? He writes this way in all his letters Peter has just mentioned “our beloved brother Paul” (2 Peter 3:15) and now points out that Paul’s manner of teaching is consistent across all his epistles. • Paul’s letters share the same gospel Peter preaches (Galatians 2:7–9). • Their unity shows the single authorship of Scripture by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). • Paul’s themes—grace, faith, the return of Christ—mirror Peter’s focus in this chapter (cf. 1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Titus 2:11–13). speaking in them about such matters “Such matters” refers to the previous verses about the Lord’s patience and promise of His coming (2 Peter 3:9, 13). • Paul likewise teaches that God’s patience leads sinners to repentance (Romans 2:4). • He, too, warns of the Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:2) and affirms new-creation hope (Romans 8:18–23). • The apostles stand shoulder to shoulder, reinforcing each other’s message. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand Peter admits that Paul can be deep. • Doctrines like justification by faith (Romans 3–5) or God’s sovereignty (Romans 9–11) stretch the mind (cf. Hebrews 5:11–12). • Difficulty is not a flaw; it invites diligent study (2 Titus 2:15). • Jesus told His disciples that fuller truth would come later (John 16:12–13); Paul delivers that depth. which ignorant and unstable people distort A heart unwilling to submit to truth twists it. • “Ignorant” points to willful neglect of God’s Word (Hosea 4:6). • “Unstable” describes those not rooted in the faith (Ephesians 4:14). • False teachers bend grace into license (Jude 4) or warp freedom into bondage (Galatians 1:6–7). as they do the rest of the Scriptures Peter puts Paul’s letters on the same level as the Old Testament writings. • Scripture—Old and New—is God-breathed (2 Titus 3:16). • Paul himself quotes Luke as “Scripture” (1 Timothy 5:18 with Luke 10:7), showing early recognition of New-Testament authority. • The apostolic witness forms one seamless canon; to tamper with any part is to assault the whole (Revelation 22:18–19). to their own destruction Twisting Scripture is eternally perilous. • Those who reject truth face “eternal destruction” (2 Thessalonians 1:9). • Building on sand ends in great collapse (Matthew 7:26–27). • God’s judgments are certain; His Word will stand when every distortion falls (Isaiah 40:8). summary Peter affirms that Paul’s letters, though sometimes challenging, carry the same divinely inspired truth as the rest of Scripture. Believers are called to patient, humble study, knowing that God’s Word is unified and trustworthy. Those who refuse its authority and distort its meaning put themselves on a path to ruin, while those who receive it grow in grace and stand firm until the day of Christ. |
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