Ignorant and unstable

I admire Peter for giving props to a man who, in the viewpoint of the world I work in, could be considered a competitor. In 2 Peter 3:15 he uses Paul as an expert witness to his point that God's patience will bring salvation.

That verse is followed by these (vv16-18): "He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen."

I chuckled when I read this, remembering the struggles I had in Greek class trying to translate Paul when I wasn't always clear exactly what he meant in English. As Peter points out, Paul's letters do contain some things that are hard to understand; in fact, most of scripture does.

That can be a problem, because even though I tend to have a high opinion of myself, the occasional reality check reminds me that a lot of folks might sometimes put me in the group that Peter calls ignorant and unstable. And Peter says that people like that, like I sometimes am, will distort those hard things, trying to twist them into something understandable and doable. And, Peter warns, all they do is destroy themselves.

So Peter ends his second letter with an admonition, and a warning. The warning is to look out, because those persuasive, attractive alternate interpretations can easily seduce me away from the truth. If that happens, I too will be destroyed.

The admonition is a very familiar one; I'm beginning to think of it as the universal antidote, the cure for almost everything spiritual that ails me. Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus, Peter says. Then all will be well.

Grow in grace, meaning be more and more gracious to others, and rely more and more on the grace of God. Grow in knowledge, so that I can cling to God's promises secure in my understanding of His power and love. Those characteristics will enable me to spot the lies, and armor me against the allurements in them.