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YOUR QUESTION (No. 55)
Just wondering what you make of Peter's 2nd
Epistle, Chapter 3, verses 15 and 16?
My Answer
You can find some more comments
on 2 Peter 3:15,16 when you read Chapter 2 of Paul:
the Stranger. Here are the verses in question:
[15] And count the forbearance of our Lord as
salvation. So also
our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given
him,
[16] speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are
some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable
twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.
I believe that these verses were inserted into
Peter's epistle by a Paulinist to cause others to do the very thing you
are doing -- conclude that there was no conflict between Peter and
Paul. Let's look at the conclusion of 2 Peter and see the
evidence for
an insertion. The critical verses, in context, are as follows
(RSV):
2Pet.3
[9] The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count
slowness,
but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but
that all should reach repentance.
[10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then
the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be
dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will
be burned up.
[11] Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort
of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
[12] waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the
elements will melt with fire!
[13] But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a
new earth in which righteousness dwells.
[14] Therefore, beloved,
since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or
blemish, and at peace.
[15] And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also
our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given
him,
[16] speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are
some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable
twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.
[17] You therefore, beloved,
knowing this beforehand, beware lest you be carried away with the error
of lawless men and lose your own stability.
[18] But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Do you see the repetition of "therefore, beloved" in verses 14
and
17? It seems an unlikely doubled conclusion. That is a
marker suggesting that Peter intended to close the
epistle beginning with vs. 14. Then, the redactor made his
insertion and thought that he ought to repeat the phrase to make
Peter's conclusion as Peter had intended. Remove the insertion,
and it
reads like this:
[9] The Lord is not slow about his promise as some
count
slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should
perish, but that all should reach repentance.
[10] But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then
the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be
dissolved with fire, and the earth and the works that are upon it will
be burned up.
[11] Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort
of persons ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness,
[12] waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be kindled and dissolved, and the
elements will melt with fire!
[13] But according to his promise we wait for new heavens and a
new earth in which righteousness dwells.
[17] You therefore,
beloved, knowing this beforehand, beware lest you be carried
away with the error of lawless men and lose your own stability.
[18] But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
The expression in vs. 17, "lawless men" may even have been
intended
by Peter as a reference to Paul and his disciples because of their
attitude to the Law. This is not at all certain, because Gentiles
were
commonly designated "lawless men."
You may also wish to see some of the many Jesus / Paul contradictions
listed here to get a basis for seeing Paul as he was.
http://www.voiceofjesus.org/paulvsjesus.html
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