Qumran Bet wishes to inform you that we do not accept the NT nor do we see any
Savior but YHWH however we all must start somewhere. May what is written here
help you on your journey.
3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our L-rd is salvation; even
as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto
him hath written unto you; 16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in
them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood,
which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the
other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
My reply was this. One does not have to decide on who wrote 2 Peter,
nor believe that Peter, the apostle, wrote 2 Peter himself, to accept the
message within 2 Peter, especially if there is alignment with Torah.
I. Greeting 1:1,2
Now we turn to the "meat" of 2 Peter, chapter 2. The author warns the
reader that there were "false teachers" presently among them and
there will be "false teachers" in times to come. Notice this is
"among" believers. Then he, the author, moves on to describe the
fate of these false teachers and compares them with the "ungodly" of
times past, Noah and Lot's time.
Starting in verse 2:12 and on, we find in very, I mean, very descriptive
language, a cataloging of the things done by these "false teachers",
their fate and we also see "name calling" done by the author that will
be helpful in our assessment of the epistle later on. Pay very close
attention at these verses please. It says:
2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and
destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall
utterly perish in their own corruption;
14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin;
beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous
practices; cursed children:
15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following
the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of
unrighteousness;
16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s
voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a
tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure
through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that
were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants
of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he
brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through
the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again
entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them
than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of
righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy
commandment delivered unto them.
3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by
the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the
Lord and Saviour:
This is the second time the author makes reference and points to the
Hebrew Bible, in particular, to the Prophets (see 1:19).
2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as
there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in
damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring
upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their
pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil
spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words
make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
In 3:10, we see a description of "the day of the L-rd" at the time of the
end, not the end time, when total destruction is described. In 3:11,12
the reader is confronted by,
The next verse, 3:13, once again the reader is pointed to the promise
of YHWH found in the Prophets:
3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens
and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Isa 65:17 For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the
former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
We are at the brink of the "magical verses" I talked about at the
beginning of this post, 3:15,16. Have I asked you, the reader, for
patience yet? I ask of you for even more now.
Verse 3:14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be
diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and
blameless.
We see that the author begins by pointing to the account of "ye look
for such things". Reference is made to the "new heavens and new
earth" of verse 3:13 (above). He, the author, calls the reader to make
haste, to exert one’s self, endeavor, give diligence to be found "without
SPOT and BLAMELESS". What does the phrase "without spot and
blameless" mean? Yes, we could go outside 2 Peter and define those
two terms by other writings. Should we do that? 2 Peter tells us what
these are, we need not go outside the epistle that defines them. Oh
yes, where is it? I had already written it, but here it is again:
Are spots and blemishes" referring to sins or people? The words "they
are" are added in the KJV, but are we able to come to an answer with
what I am about to address. Is the author saying the false prophets
have these spots and blemishes or is he calling someone "spots and
blemishes"?
In the reading of the Greek, we can tell these are not adjectives
describing the false teachers, but in fact the author is "name calling"
them "Spot and Blemishes". Some may not believe these are nouns
for the false teachers but that conclusion can only obtained if one goes
to other writings where these words are used differently and in
different context. Here in 2 Peter these are "names" for the false
teachers among them, who by their conduct damage others morally
and wreck them, as it were.
Is it any wonder that in verse 3:14 the author exhorts the believers to
be "found without spot and blameless" (the same Greek word is used
for "blameless" as for "without blemishes").
Jude 1:11 Woe unto THEM! for THEY have gone in the way of Cain, and
ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the
gainsaying of Core. 12 THESE are SPOTS in your feasts of charity, when
THEY feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are
without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth,
without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; (c.f. 2 Peter 2:13)
Now let's turn to verse 3:15, the verse that brings Paul into this picture:
3:15 And account that the longsuffering of our L-rd is salvation; even
as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto
him hath written unto you;
Because the author calls Paul "beloved" should not misguide any to
say, "You see!, he is fully endorsing Paul". Well, he is, but about "the
longsuffering of our L-rd is salvation" and nothing else.
Besides, the term "beloved" is used in 2 Peter six (6) times. Once about
"Jes-s" (1:17) in reference to the "Transfiguration" incident, once about
Paul (3:15) and four times to the readers of the letter (3:1, 8, 14 and
17). Does that mean the author endorses the readers more than Paul
since he called them "beloved' four times, three times more than Paul?
Non-sense.
Continuing,
But a difference about the writings of Paul is made. Paul epistles speak
of the things the author of 2 Peter wrote about ("the longsuffering of
our L-rd is salvation"). But the author also tell us something else about
Paul epistles. That there were "some things hard to be understood".
Are those things hard to be understood the same as "these things" of
verse 15? No. With the phrase, "in which are some things", a
difference is made between the longsuffering of the lord and the things
hard to be understood, "which they that are unlearned and unstable
wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."
There is another point of interest in this verse (3:16). The use of a word
already seen earlier in 2 Peter. This is the reference to the "unstable",
those who "wrest" or "twist" the things hard to understand, in the
epistles of Paul, to their own destruction. We saw earlier what the
"false teachers" and/or the "spots and blemishes" do among the
people:
2:14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin;
beguiling UNSTABLE souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous
practices; cursed children:
Again,
These "false teachers" and/or the "spots and blemishes" allure, entice,
deceive. Isn't this interesting? The very people the "false teachers" are
reported to deceive, are the same people the author of 2 Peter says
are twisting Paul's epistles. But, wait a minute. If the false teachers are
beguiling unstable souls, and the unstable are twisting Paul's epistles
to their own destruction, how can the epistles of Paul be of any good to
them? He is a false teacher. He doesn't bring clarity to the people,
rather, he brings confusion. His teachings are not safe, since they
could lead any unlearned, at best to confusion, at worst to destruction.
It is these souls that the author has concern for, and warns,
Concluding:
3:17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware
lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your
own stedfastness.
2:19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the
servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is
he brought in bondage.
This my beloved brothers and sisters I did for many years, being
overcome by Paul's writings and his "things hard to be understood". I
will not be beguiled by Paul's boastful words but may YHVH's words
overcome us all and not those of man. IF Paul taught Torah, I have no
need of Paul since Torah is available to me, Praise be Yahh!
To do what most do with the words from those verses, I dare not do any
longer to my neighbor. Why? Because I will not just take a few verses
and "twist" them to favor my "doctrines" against anyone, specially the
teachings of Paul. By quoting verses like those to anyone, it would be
calling the other person unlearned, dumb, unstable, without
understanding, in not so many words. What an insult to a person it is
to use this words against. At the same time, when one uses those
verses, the one who quotes them, set themselves above the other
person. As if all knowledge and interpretation has been given to that
person and of course, to Paul as well.
Shalom.
Ethienne