Sermon Tone Analysis

Alêtheia Christian Fellowship ~~ 102608 ~~ 2 Peter 3b

 

*2 Peter 3:10 ~~ *But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.

*2 Peter 3:11&12 ~~* *11*Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, *12***looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

 

*2 Peter 3:13&15a ~~* *13*But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

*14*Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, *15a*and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation

 

*2 Peter 3:15b&16 ~~* *15*bjust as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, *16*as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

*2 Peter 3:17&18 ~~* *17*You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness, *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.

By: Bob Deffinbaugh , Th.M. (Bio)

 

13 But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, 15 and regard the patience of our Lord to be salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, 16 as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall from your own steadfastness, 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.

Introduction

 

Peter believes the Scriptures play a vital role in the life of the Christian (see 1 Peter 1:22–2:3; 2:8; 3:1; 2 Peter 1:3-4, 12-21; 2:21; 3:1-7, 14-18).

And he does not cease challenging us to turn our attention to the Scriptures.

Even while Peter points us to the Word, he warns that some will seek to turn us from the truths of the Scriptures by perverting the teaching of Scripture.

He does not look for false prophets to arise, apparently because prophets are no longer necessary.

After all, God has spoken fully and finally in Christ (Hebrews 1:1-3; 2:1-4).

But he does warn us false teachers will arise.

They may not claim to reveal new truth from God on the level of Scripture, but they will seek to distort the Scriptures, twisting them to teach something vastly different from the intended meaning of the Bible.

In these closing verses of his second epistle, Peter draws our attention one final time to the Scriptures and the crucial role they play in our lives.

He wants us to know that Paul’s letters are part of the inspired Word of God and that Paul is not one of the false teachers, although some distort his words to mean something far from what he intended.

If Paul is blamed for teaching error, Peter wants his readers to know Paul is not the one at fault.

Paul’s teaching is in agreement with the revelation God gave through the Old Testament prophets, with the teaching of our Lord, and with the writings of the other apostles.

We sometimes hear someone say, “Your interpretation of Scripture is but one of many interpretations.”

If we want to convince someone our interpretation of the Scriptures is correct, they might respond that the Bible is capable of meaning whatever one wants it to mean.

This, of course, could be said of any writing.

We must not wrongly conclude that men’s failure to interpret Scripture accurately proves God did not clearly reveal Himself and His message to men in the Bible.

Neither is it true that the meaning of Scripture is so obscure it is virtually impossible to discern.78

There is one correct interpretation of Scripture, and the rest is often the result of Scripture twisting, whether intentional or not.

Our purpose in this concluding lesson of Second Peter is to note the characteristics of Scripture twisters so we may be alert to their presence among us.

Further, we will identify the most common ways men twist the meaning of Scripture to help us avoid those errors in our study and interpretation of the Bible.

In this way, we will be able to sharpen our interpretive skills and “accurately handle the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

What We Should

Know About Scripture Twisters

 

From Peter’s warnings in his epistles and what we are told elsewhere in Scripture, we can summarize what we should know about Scripture twisters:

 

(1) We should expect Scripture twisters to arise within the church.

We can expect to arise from within the church those who will twist the meaning of Scriptures as they interpret, apply, and teach the Bible.

Peter warns us concerning false teachers in chapter 2, verse 1. Paul warns of the same danger in Acts 20:30.

False teachers will arise from among the saints, twisting the truths of God’s Word and thus leading some astray.

(2) We should also know the most likely areas for error to be introduced.

Peter informs us that Scripture twisters deny a coming day of judgment (3:1-4), even though their judgment is sure (2:1, 3, 9, 12, 17).

It would seem from 2 Peter 2:1 that Scripture twisters twist the Scriptures concerning the person and the work of Jesus Christ in that they “deny the Master who bought them.”

In addition, Scripture twisters undermine the Biblical teaching on holy living (2 Peter 2:2; contrast 3:11, 14).

(3) Those who twist Scripture will twist any or all of the Bible, but they will often base their teachings on an obscure or problematic text.

Peter acknowledges that some of Paul’s writings are “difficult to understand” (verse 16).

These seem to be the starting point for the truth twisters.

They begin with a problematic passage, developing their unorthodox doctrines, and then turn to the clear, emphatic texts, denying what they dogmatically teach.

False teachers do not stop with Paul’s writings but distort the Scriptures as a whole.

Problem passages written by Paul are only the tip of the iceberg.

These perverters of Scripture do not stop here; they are not content unless they have twisted “the rest of the Scriptures” as well.

Since the Scriptures agree, then one who sets aside the teaching of one author must, to be consistent, set aside other texts as well.

(4) Those who twist Scripture are described by Peter as “untaught and unstable.”

The term “untaught” is rendered “ignorant” by the translators of the King James Version.

The two terms “untaught” and “unstable” are introduced by a common article.

This seems to indicate these two terms are to be viewed as interrelated.

Like “love and marriage,” these terms go together “like a horse and carriage.”

In other words, those who are “untaught” are “unstable,” and those who are “unstable” are also “untaught.”

In the Book of Ephesians, Paul emphasizes the other side of Peter’s words.

Paul indicates the one who is stable is the one well-taught in the Scriptures.

Both James and Peter make closely related statements:

 

11 And He gave some [as] apostles, and some [as] prophets, and some [as] evangelists, and some [as] pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all [aspects] into Him, who is the head, [even] Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

17 This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, (Ephesians 4:11-17).

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

7 For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 [being] a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-8).

8 For if these [qualities] are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 For he who lacks these [qualities] is blind [or] short-sighted, having forgotten [his] purification from his former sins.

10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

(2 Peter 1:8-11).

(5) Scripture twisters have ulterior motives which are far from pure.

The teachings of the Scripture twisters is self-serving and often rooted in greed and the desire for monetary gain (Titus 1:11; Jude 11, 16; contrast Acts 20:33; 1 Thessalonians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 3:3; 6:3-5).

For some, their twisted teaching is rooted in the ambition to have a personal following (Acts 20:30).

Then there are those who twist Scripture to indulge their fleshly lusts (Titus 1:10-16; 2 Peter 2:10-22; Jude 18).

Their approach to Scripture is not at all like that of David:

 

17 Deal bountifully with Thy servant, That I may live and keep Thy word.

18 Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy law (Psalms 119:17-18).

Instead, they are “following after their own lusts” (2:3).

They exploit their victims out of greed (2:3) and not out of a genuine love and concern (see 2 Peter 1:12-15; 1 Thessalonians 2:3-12).

(6) The appeal of Scripture twisters is in providing a pretext for self-indulgence and sin for their followers, as well as themselves.

They entice those who are immature and vulnerable (2 Peter 2:14, 18; see 2 Timothy 3:6-7).

While teachers of biblical truth call for the saints to “abstain from fleshly lusts” (Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:16, 24; 1 Peter 2:11), Scripture twisters assure men Christians can indulge the flesh (Jude 4) with no consequences.

(7) Those who twist Scripture may include both teachers (Romans 1:18-32; 2 Timothy 3:8, 13) and their pupils (verse 16; 2 Timothy 3:6-7; 2 Peter 2:14).

While the context of chapters 2 and 3 is false teachers, Peter’s words in verse 16 should not be restricted only to false teachers but to any who are “untaught” and “unstable,” who wish to justify their ungodly conduct.

(8) Those who twist Scripture do so to their own destruction (verse 16; see also John 5:39; Acts 5:20; Romans 2:7-8; Philippians 2:16; contrast 1 Timothy 4:16).

It is little wonder that Scripture twisters deny the second coming of our Lord and the judgment to come.

After all, His coming is a day of judgment for them.

But Peter’s teaching is clear.

Those who distort the truth of God’s Word do so to their own destruction (3:16; see also 2:1, 3, 9-13, 20-22; 3:7).

Sharpening our

Sensitivity to Scripture Twisters

 

Peter’s words are written so Christians will be on their guard, alert to those who twist the Scriptures.

He expects the saints not only can, but should, be able to discern those who pervert God’s Word.

Peter is not speaking only to church leaders or Bible teachers here; he is speaking to all the saints.

Every Christian should be able to recognize those about whom Peter warns us.

Peter indicates how Christians can be prepared to spot false teachers and turn from them: