590 lines
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590 lines
63 KiB
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<td valign="top" >Ebionites "thought that it was necessary to <strong><em>reject all the epistles of [Paul], whom they called an apostate from the Law.</em></strong>" Eusebius, <em>Church Hist</em> 3:26 325 AD</td>
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// ]]>
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<h3>Recommendations</h3>
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<p><a href="/Audio/music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
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<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/justjesus0ece-20">Just Jesus: His Living Words (2011)</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://astore.amazon.com/jesusonchurchstructure-20">Jesus' Words on Church Structure</a> by S. Rives</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.jesusfocusedpublishers.com/"></a></p>
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<a href="/JWO/jesuswordsonly.html"><img alt="JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsOnS-cropsmall.jpg" width="116" height="117" /></a> </div>
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<a href="/JWOS/jesuswordssalvation.html"><img alt="JesusWordsSalv-crop2" src="/images/stories/JesusWordsSalv-crop2.jpg" width="114" height="146" /></a> </div>
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<h2><strong>Second Peter & Its Reference to Paul</strong></h2>
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<h3>The Argument for Paul from 2 Peter 3:15-17</h3>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Those who seek to claim Paul is as inspired as Moses or Jesus rely upon 2 Peter 3:15-17 which says some twist Paul like they "do other Scripture" to their destruction. Even though the same passage is otherwise very unflattering to Paul -- denigrating his writings as "difficult to understand," as well as only calling Paul a "brother" (not an apostle) who had "wisdom as God gave him" (rather than inspiration) -- those desirous of retaining Paul as inspired focus on the "other Scripture" reference as a positive. They read far too much into this, as we shall see.</span></p>
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<h3>Is Second Peter Truly Canonical?</h3>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The first question is whether anyone, including those endorsing Paul or those disputing Paul's validity (as myself) can truly rely upon 2 Peter 3:15-17 as inspired writ.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin, one of the leaders of the Reformation of the 1500s, disliked Second Peter's criticism of Paul, and for this reason Calvin concluded it could not have been written by Peter.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin regarded the fault Peter found about Paul as "difficult to understand" in 2 Peter 3:15-17 outweighed any positives stated by Second Peter. The words attributed to Peter implies, as the Bethel Church of God explains:</span></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span>Based on the above texts, as well as others, there is<strong><em> only one way to understand Paul’s Epistles.</em></strong> They <strong>must be interpreted</strong> by the clear texts in the Bible,<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> texts that are </strong></span></span><em><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>not</strong></span></em><span><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> difficult to understand</strong></span>. ("<a href="http://www.bethelcog.org/church/understanding-paul/understanding-paul-1">Understanding Paul</a>," Bethel Church of God (2012).)</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Thus, Calvin disliked this implication because it means to interpret Paul, you must begin by excluding Paul from consideration. You would then have to start with Jesus and the apostles whose words are clear, and only then would you see how and to what extent Paul is compatible. Then if Paul's words are at odds with Jesus or the apostles, then one must dismiss those words of Paul as "difficult to understand." Paul would become essentially irrelevant if we heeded 2d Peter 3:15-17. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"> But Calvin adored the doctrines he found in Paul of predestination of the lost, sovereignty of God over evil (<em>i.e.</em>, God makes all evil happen and no man has free will), and once you experienced regeneration, you could commit no sin that would cause the loss of salvation ("once in grace, always in grace"). Most of those doctrines can only be articulated from very vague and difficult to understand passages in Paul.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin acknowledged therefore that if Peter truly criticized Paul as "difficult to understand" this undercuts Paul's inspiration and anyone's right to meaningfully use Paul to interpret Christianity. Calvin realized Second Peter is a profound and deep cut on Paul. Thus,<strong><em> Calvin concluded Second Peter was not written personally by Peter</em></strong>, relying principally on this issue of the criticism Second Peter contains of Paul.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Calvin's introductory comment to 2d Peter is at <a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_vol45/htm/vii.htm">http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_vol45/htm/vii.htm</a>. Calvin says "doubts...ought not keep us from reading it...." "there are probable conjectures by which we may conclude that it was written by another than Peter." "If it be received as canonical, we must allow Peter to be the author." However, in this introduction, Calvin never tell us it is canonical, and this is because he later disaffirms any true apostolic support for its supposed inspiration.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">When it comes to the key passage that says "Paul is difficult to understand" which leads into it saying that Paul's words are misconstrued as "other Scripture," Calvin realizes that to take the good of this Epistle<strong><em> requires taking a very bad pill which undermines Paul</em></strong>. So Calvin disaffirms the entire Epistle was written by Peter. Calvin writes:</span></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And yet, when I examine all things more narrowly, it seems to me more probable that <strong><em>this Epistle was composed by another according to what Peter communicated, than that it was written by himself, for Peter himself would have never spoken thus</em></strong>. (<a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_vol45/htm/vii.iv.iv.htm">Bible Study Guide</a>.)</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The importance of this comment is explained by the famous William Barclay. He records that in the commentary, Calvin recognized 2d Peter criticizes Paul, and thus Calvin finally came down with the view that Peter did not write this epistle:</span></p>
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<div style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">"With its <strong>reference to Paul and its tinge of criticizm of him</strong>, this is one of the<em><strong> most intriguing passages in the New Testament</strong></em>. It was this passage which made reformer John Calvin certain that Peter did not write himself 2 Peter because, he says,<em><strong> Peter would not have spoken about Paul like this</strong></em>." (William Barclay, <em>The Letters of James and Peter</em> (Westminster, John Knox Press, 2003) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=YU9dnW6EfwUC&pg=PR3&dq=William+Barclay,+The+Letters+of+James+and+Peter+Westminster+John+Knox+Press+2003&ei=XCz8S6DgJ4KOlQTU8YXSCQ&cd=1#v=onepage&q=calvin&f=false">401</a>.)</span></div>
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<p> </p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">So if 2d Peter is inspired, it conveys several direct criticisms / subtle put-downs about Paul. And 2d Peter's<em><strong> anti-Paul slant</strong></em> is precisely the primary reason why Calvin did not accept 2d Peter as actually written by Peter. It supposedly got garbled somehow. Calvin first doubted it in the introduction to his commentary on Second Peter. Then Calvin in the main commentary disaffirmed Second Peter as having a truly reliable source -- Peter himself as author, reviewer or editor. Thus, Calvin can only be construed as having knocked away any canonical basis for Second Peter's joinder to the Bible if you want to keep Paul as an inspired figure.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">While I truly wish 2d Peter were canonical so I could exploit fully the important flaw in Paul identified in 2d Peter, there are good reasons to agree with Calvin that Second Peter is a fabrication. For example, why did its author mispell the name of Simon Peter as<strong><em> Simeon Peter</em></strong>? In 2 Peter 1:1, it is "Simeon Peter," unlike in 1 Peter and everywhere else in the NT except Acts 15:14. ("<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorship_of_the_Petrine_epistles#Theory_of_Silvanus_as_author">Authorship of Petrine Epistles</a>," <em>Wikipedia.</em>)</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"> Hard to dispute that! For why would Peter spell his own name differently in two different letters that he both supposedly wrote?</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Many other reasons are discussed below why Second Peter is a pseudograph, and only emerged in the NT canon at a very late stage --- 367 A.D.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The five-volume <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Interpreter's_Dictionary_of_the_Bible">Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible</a></em> (published by Abingdon Press of the United Methodist church with 8400 articles by 900 scholars "in service of the church") contains J.B. Meyer's article which explains his view that it is falsely attributed to Peter after setting out the facts: </span></p>
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<p><o:smarttagtype downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/" name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><o:smarttagtype name="time" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><o:smarttagtype downloadurl="http://www.5iamas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"><o:smarttagtype downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/" name="country-region" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"> </o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></p>
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<div class="Section1">
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;" class="Style1"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The author has adopted the name of the foremost apostle Peter, to enhance the authority of his letters - a practice not unknown in the early church. We have evidence of a rich Petrine literature. Fragments of a Gospel of Peter, an Acts of Peter, and an Apocalypse of Peter have survived... Second Peter belongs to this class of literature. Both internal and external evidence show with cumulative force the <em><strong>impossibility of ascribing the letter to Peter</strong></em>, the disciple and apostle... <em><strong>No theory of secretarial aid can explain the differences in style and thought between 1 Peter and 2 Peter</strong></em>.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Hence, this conservative treatise agrees that 2d Peter is a pseudo-graph and not written by Peter.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Yet, you can find arguments for 2 Peter as truly by Apostle Peter at this<a href="http://www.angelfire.com/80s/rjdb/2pet.html"> link</a>, To repeat, <strong><em><span style="color: #ff0000;">I wish these arguments were persuasive and accepted because 2 Peter aids the case against Paul as an authority.</span></em></strong></span></p>
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||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">However, I am forced to concede with defenders of Paul like Calvin that I cannot fully exploit 2d Peter as inspired. Calvin found fault with 2 Peter because it criticized Paul, and thus Calvin dismissed it as truly canonical. Scholarship confirms Calvin's conclusion. Therefore<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> I unfortunately cannot use it to provide an inspired statement that "Paul is difficult to understand" or that Peter truly only regarded Paul as a "brother" (not an apostle) or Peter only thought Paul spoke with the "wisdom God gave him" (rather than inspiration).</strong></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">For the same reason, defenders of Paul who are intent to use the "other Scripture" reference which is part of this very same passage -- misunderstood anyway as explained next -- cannot use it to salvage Paul as inspired. For 2d Peter certainly (sadly) was a pseudograph.</span></p>
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<h3>Scripture Back Then Did Not Mean 'Scripture' As We Use The Word Today</h3>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Even if 2d Peter were inspired (and I wish it were), 2d Peter tells us what people in the 300s were saying about Paul. The first question to interpret is whether this reference to Paul's writings as among "other Scripture" truly meant by "Scripture" what we mean today by the term "Scripture" -- inspired writ.</span></p>
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||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The term "scripture" in this verse was likely a reference to the third part of the three-fold division of the Jewish Bible at that time. It was called the "Writings" or "Scripture" section. In those days, "Scripture" did not mean 100% inspired-writ, which is precisely why a writing such as Daniel's prophecy was put in the third section -- the "Writing/Scripture" section -- before his Messianic prophecy was validated in the time of Christ. Jews did not yet place Daniel in the "Prophets" section, leaving it as an uninspired work which may prove one day to be prophetic but at that time not established to be so. Hence "Writings" or "Scriptures" to a Jew meant this category of writings included in the Bible for safe-keeping / edification, intended to identify it as either entirely not yet recognized as inspired (e.g., Daniel) or partly inspired and partly not, e.g., Psalms. See "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html">Writings Section of Original Jewish Bible</a>." Hence, to say something belonged to that "Writings" section, one would say in Greek that it was "Scripture" -- and thus was used 180 degrees opposite of what we mean today by "Scripture."</span></p>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, Second Peter did not intend to elevate Paul's words to inspired status by placing it among the "Scripture." Rather, it sought that we see Paul's words as on par with the "Writings" aka Scripture / third section of the OT. The Writings/Scripture was regarded as edifying and only sometimes inspired. This third section was distinct from Torah (Law) and Prophets which were regarded as 100% inspired. Thus, it is important that Second Peter does not categorize Paul as a prophet, and instead placed him on par with the "Scripture."<em><strong> It was a slight, not a compliment.</strong></em></span></p>
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||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Our modern use of the word "Scripture" has become more broad than what it meant in the day that Second Peter was written. Our modern misconception was due to a mistranslation of 2 Tim. 3:16. (See <a href="/Recommended-Reading/writings-section-of-original-testament-of-bible-knol.html">Writings Section of Original Jewish Bible</a>.) Modern scholars have finally corrected this. However, this long indulgence in a wrong translation has led to an exaggerated importance of the term "Scripture," and thus improperly gave Paul an equality with the words of our Divine Lord.</span></p>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Also, the fact Paul mentions several times he is not speaking any message from the Lord and other times says he is speaking such a message from the Lord (<a href="/Recommended-Reading/paul-admits-often-uninspired.html">link</a>) would imply Paul had the view of himself as "Scripture" (not Prophetic) just as Second Peter implies -- for sometimes Paul believes he speaks with inspiration (when he says the Lord gave him a message) and sometimes Paul believes not (which should be all times otherwise). For these passages in Paul's own words, see "<a href="/Recommended-Reading/paul-admits-often-uninspired.html">Paul Admits He Often Speaks without Inspiration</a>."</span></p>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, the reference to Paul's writings as "Scripture" in 2 Peter did not have a meaning that it was inspired. This is using the modern meaning of Scripture to apply the same meaning as true when Second Peter was written. This is untrue as a matter of history and as to even Paul's usage of the term "scripture" in 2 Tim. 3:16 when translated correctly.</span></p>
|
||
<h2>What Was The Dangerous Doctrine Deduced By Those Twisting Paul?</h2>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Another reason I wish 2d Peter were inspired is because it identifies what was the aim of those "twisting" Paul as they do "other Scripture." They were trying to find "lawless" positions from what Paul wrote.</span></p>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Let's read 2 Peter 3:16-17 again to see this:</span></p>
|
||
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">16 There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to <strong><em>their own destruction</em></strong>, as they do the other scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the<em><strong> error of the lawless </strong></em>and <em><strong>lose your own stability</strong></em>.</span></p>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Indeed, traditional Christian leaders and most Christians do misinterpret and twist Paul’s writings to their and their followers’ own destruction. Additionally, they are carried away with the error of the lawless - those who oppose the Law given Moses which Jesus specifically endorsed in Matthew 5:17-19. The result is to cause themselves and others to be found WITH “spot or blemish” instead of without!</span></p>
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||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Do not casually miss the enormously important information Second Peter provides in verse 17 - a warning that applies now just as much as then. The LAWLESS (anti-torah) people are the ones Second Peter explicitly warns us about when it says we are not to be "carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability." Furthermore, the stability to which he refers is at least in part the stability provided by reverence and observance of God's eternal Law!</span></p>
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||
<p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Next, I will begin excerpting prior letters and portions of my books that discuss 2 Peter.</span></p>
|
||
<h2><strong>"Brother" Paul & "Wisdom" from God in Second Peter [Email of May 24, 2010 to Shawn]</strong></h2>
|
||
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[Here is an email where I answer this question about why Second Peter refers to Paul as a "brother" and what does "wisdom" from God mean.]</span></p>
|
||
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Shawn<br /><br />You ask why 2d Peter 3:15 refers to Paul as "beloved brother" and says Paul spoke according to the "wisdom given him by God."<br /><br />After one solidly understands, as Calvin did, that 2 Peter 3:15-17 is a strong criticism about Paul as one whose "words are difficult to understand," then one should understand 3:15 is in the same vein. The words were as kind as possible yet represent veiled criticism.<br /><br />First, whoever wrote 2d Peter, and I wish it were Peter, was being kind about Paul. To call him a "beloved brother" when Paul claimed to be an apostle was putting Paul in his place -- gently and kindly. If Paul were an apostle, why didn't Second Peter call Paul an "apostle"? He didn't do so. That, I would interpret, was purposeful. A criticism in line with what else is spoke in this passage.<br /><br />Next, this quote includes the<em> wisdom</em> reference which you quote. I would interpret this as another put down on Paul. It refers to the "wisdom" as God gave Paul, which is something <em>an uninspired person may receive from God</em>. It did not say the "<em><strong>words from God</strong></em> as God gave Paul."<br /><br />Hence, 2 Peter 3:15-17 allows us to infer whoever wrote Second Peter thought:</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">a) Paul is difficult to be understand and those ambiguities have led many to fall from their steadfastness in Christ into "lawless" doctrine;</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">b) Paul is a brother -- not an apostle; and</span></p>
|
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">c) Paul spoke with the wisdom God gave him, and not by inspiration.<br /><br />"Why be so kind?' is your apparent question if Paul was as much trouble as I contend. 'Why not bluntly call these issues out?'<br /><br />My view is that Jesus told the apostles through a parable how to handle those who are tares sown by the enemy. In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the objective is to leave them in the church and not exclude them. Let the angels make the separation later. We are not so wise to know how to differentiate a wheat from the tare.<br /><br />At the same time, it would be proper for an apostle like Peter to help us identify the proper level of authority of Paul. Peter properly would be saying nicely and without offense, in effect, 'don't follow a mere brother who spoke with wisdom, not inspiration, and whose words are hard to understand. Stay steadfast in Christ.' <em><strong>That is all an apostolic voice like Peter had to say</strong></em>. To go beyond testing Paul's words for validity can end up in unnecessary fault-finding of him as a person, etc. The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares dictates a kinder approach. I think that is what 2d Peter represents. A kind, gentle approach to Paul yet still with <strong><em>3 distinct criticisms</em></strong> which I just mentioned.<br /><br />If you observe how I test Paul, I invest him with all good faith, and I attribute no malevolence to him whatsoever. I don't think he deliberately lied. Yet, his statements were often untrue. There is a difference. Paul was mistaken in his views about his apostleship (<em>i.e.</em>, what a true apostle of Jesus Christ means), the doctrines he taught, etc. Also, he fulfilled the Benjamite Wolf prophecy of Genesis 49 by killing Christians initially and then separating/dividing them between Gentiles and Jews. Paul had no idea that he was fulfilling prophecy, but it does not change the fact God tells us that Paul was the <a href="/JWO/benjamite-wolf.html">Benjamite Wolf</a> -- whom Jesus also tells us was the wolf in sheep's clothing.<br /><br />Did that help?<br /><br />Blessings Doug</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-style: italic;">The Importance of Chapter Two of Second Peter To Understand 2 Peter 3:14-18</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[The following is an excerpt from <em>Jesus Words on Salvation</em> (2009) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=4V8tMJ75bnwC&lpg=PP1&dq=jesus%20words%20on%20salvation&pg=PA501#v=onepage&q&f=false">501</a> <em>et seq</em>. where I discuss how the 3d century church used Second Peter to fight off Marcion's emphasis on faith alone for salvation:]</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">An early answer within the church to this identical quandary of Paul’s <em>belief alone</em> verses (at least as ‘twisted by some’) was to regard such problem verses in Paul as “<strong><em>difficult to understand</em></strong>.” (Self-contradiction causes uncertainty.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Hence, the early church taught these belief alone passages were an impermissible basis to stray from what Jesus — our Sole Teacher (Matt. 23:8,10) and Divine Lord — taught us. Second Peter bluntly provides this solution. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter warned us that Paul says many things that are “difficult to understand” (2 Peter 3:17) and many people twist Paul’s words so that they fall from their “steadfastness in Christ” to their own destruction.<a name="_ftnref1"></a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter continues and makes clear that it is <strong><em>talking about </em></strong>the doctrines of Paul that are a <strong><em>cheap grace</em></strong> — that lead Christians to think accepting Christ one time allows you to sin later and still go to heaven.<a name="_ftnref2"></a> If you follow the belief alone implication that lets go of obedience for salvation, Second Peter says you stop following Jesus. You lose your “steadfastness” in Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In fact, what is remarkable is how <em>clear</em> this is explained in Second Peter 2:20-21. For it unequivocally says in Greek that it would have been better you never had <strong><em>accepted</em></strong> (<em>epi-ginoska</em>, not merely <em>ginoska</em>) the Lord Jesus Christ than to have <strong><em>accepted</em></strong> (<em>epi-ginoska</em>) Him, and then be overcome again later by sinning.<a name="_ftnref3"></a> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Apostle John likewise used <em>epignosei</em> to refer to a saving <em>epi-gnosis </em>as long as it continues. Apostle John said anyone who “<strong><em>epignosei </em></strong>[continuous tense, <em>present participle active</em>] — keeps on <strong><em>accepting</em></strong> — the Son also has the Father.” (1 John 2:23.) <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">This tells us that Second Peter — which uses the same <em>epignosei</em> — says it would be better to have never had the Son and Father by <em>epignose-</em>ing the Son than to have had them but then be tripped up by a doctrine that licenses sin as salvation-wise safe, and then become lost again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Unfortunately, rather than heed Second Peter, most evangelicals are subjected to translators who torture Second Peter 2:20-21 so it is neutralized from undermining their ‘free to sin and yet be saved’ doctrine. This teaching is known as Eternal Security which they deduce from Paul’s writings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;"><a name="X27525"></a><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Translation Of Second Peter Chapter Two To Obscure Its Meaning</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">For Second Peter is translated typically so that it no longer speaks about those who “accepted” Jesus. Second Peter really says those accepting Him are falling from salvation due to demoralizing doctrine. </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter also clearly specifies what is the wrong demoralizing teaching of those who ‘twist’ Paul. They promise that you have <em>liberty in Christ to sin and remain saved</em>.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt; padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">“(17) These are springs without water, and mists driven by a storm; for whom the <strong><em>blackness of darkness hath been reserved.</em></strong> (18) For, uttering great swelling words of vanity, they <strong><em>entice in the lusts of the flesh</em></strong>, by lasciviousness, <strong><em>those who are just escaping from them that live in error</em></strong>; (19) <strong><em>promising them liberty</em></strong>, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he also brought into bond age. (20) For if, <strong><em>after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the </em>epignosei <em><s>knowledge</s></em></strong> [<strong><em>acceptance</em></strong>]<strong><em> of the Lord and Sav iour Jesus Christ</em></strong>, they are <strong><em>again entangled therein and overcome</em></strong>, the <strong><em>last state is become worse with them than the first</em></strong>. (21) For it were <strong><em>better for them not to have </em>epiginosko <s>known</s><em> </em></strong>[<strong><em>accepted</em></strong>]<strong><em> the way of righteousness</em></strong>, than, after knowing [sic: accepting] it,<strong><em>to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them.</em></strong> (22) It has hap pened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog turning to his own vomit again, and the sow <strong><em>that had washed</em></strong> to wallowing in the mire.” (2Pe 2:17-22 ASV.)</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">The word <em>epignosei </em>and <em>epignosko</em> used in verses 20 and 21 is often mistranslated as <em>knowledge</em> and <em>know </em>respectively. Yet, not one dictionary definition of <em>epignosei</em> includes <em>knowledge. </em>The Greek prefix <em>epi</em> is meant to convey ‘above the norm, over and above.’ The prefix <em>epi</em> thus intends to intensify <em>ginosko</em>. Thus, Vines says its primary meaning is “to know <strong><em>thoroughly </em></strong>(<em>epi</em>, ‘intensive’ [of] ginosko, ‘to know.’”) Thus, the definition is some meaning beyond <em>mere </em>knowledge. Moreover, to suggest these people “escaped...through [mere] knowledge” of Jesus the evils of the world is silly. These people escaped the <em>miasmata</em>, meaning “defilement, stain of guilt” of the <em>kosmos</em>. These must be Christians. Thus, <em>epignosei</em> obviously is intended to convey that meaning. What <em>epignosei</em> means in the <em>LSJ Middle Lexicon</em> is essentially (1) to look upon, observe; or (2) “recognize, know again, to <strong><em>acknowledge or approve</em></strong>...[iii] to <strong><em>come to a decision, to resolve, decide</em></strong>.” The most obvious English synonym that fits the context is “acceptance” and “accept” in verses 20 and 21. Incidentally, Paul uses <em>epignosei </em>in the same manner in Titus 1:1 about what saves. There the KJV translates it correctly as “acknowledging [<em>i.e.</em>, accepting] the truth.” The same is true of 1 John 2:23 which is discussed in the text.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In 2 Peter 2:20-21, it ordinarily is translated so that supposedly people who merely <em>knew</em> about Jesus fell away by being taught there is a “liberty” to sin as a Christian. Yet, if Second Peter had meant that persons who merely <em>knew</em> about Jesus are at issue, the proper word to use would have been <em>ginoska</em> (know). It certainly would not be <em>epi-ginosko. </em>A Greek would understand the verb <em>epi-ginosko</em> due to the prefix <em>epi</em> is intended to intensify the verb <em>to know</em>.<a name="_ftnref4"></a> Hence, it could only mean <em>accept</em> or <em>acknowledge </em>in this context<em>. </em><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Moreover, it appears suspiciously inconsistent to render 1 John 2:23 to say the one who is “<strong><em>acknowledging</em></strong> the Son also has the father,” but rendering the same word in 2 Peter 2:20-21 as ‘<strong><em>know</em></strong>.’ The effect of the inconsistency is that the reader is misled. The uninformed Christian is led to think Second Peter is concerned about those who never have accepted/acknowledged Christ but merely <em>know</em> about Him. Yet, Second Peter is truly warning those who have accepted Christ unto a saving relationship with the Father and Son that they do not realize that it would be better never to have<span> </span>accepted Christ than <em>to listen to a ‘twisting of Paul’s words,’ and be seduced thereby to think that sinning is salvation-safe. </em>Second Peter means it is not possible for a Christian to safely accept such a liberty to sin even when Paul appears to say so.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">How Could It Be Better Never To Have Accepted Christ?</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Then what does Second Peter mean? Obviously, the only way it would be better never to have accepted Christ is that you not only go to hell, but also you receive extra lashes for <em>knowingly</em> flaunting Jesus’ commands based on being led astray by "hard-to-understand" passages in Paul’s writings. Did Jesus ever teach this extra-lashes principle, thus strengthening this reading? Yes, He did!<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Jesus taught this in Luke’s Gospel. He spoke about what will happen to disobedient servants of His. Jesus says the ones who actually knew His will but did not do it receive more lashes than the ones who are disobedient but ignorant of His will. Both types of disobedient servants are in hell, but the ones who receive a worse whipping are the ones who <em>knew</em> their Lord’s will and still disobeyed:<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0.25in 0.0001pt 0.6in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: "ZapfEllipt BT"; color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">And that servant, who <strong><em>knew his lord’s will</em></strong>, and made not ready, nor did according to his will, <strong><em>shall be beaten with many stripes</em></strong>; (48) but he that <strong><em>knew not</em></strong>, and did things <strong><em>worthy of stripes</em></strong>,<a name="_ftnref5"></a> shall be beaten with few stripes. And to whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required: and to whom they commit much, of him will they ask the more. (Luke 12:47-48.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">What should have been the modern response to Second Peter? It should have put us on alert to any and everything Paul says. There is a fatal and destructive message that can be construed from Paul’s writings due to their "difficult to understand" nature, Second Peter says. This message is identified as a message of “liberty.” In context, it is obvious the misleading message is what we call today faith alone doctrine. This <em>alone </em>part of the<em> </em>label signifies that no disobedience can destroy your salvation. Faith <em>alone</em> supposedly does it all for you. Second Peter yet warns a double dose of damnation for those so duped. For you have accepted the Son, but later became seduced by passages in Paul to break “the holy commandments.” (2 Peter 2:21.) Yet, you knew <em>the Lord Jesus’ will</em> was very different. You knew Jesus said ‘repent or perish,’ and ‘heaven maimed or hell whole’ (Mark 9:42-47). Now, for flagrantly disregarding the Lord’s will, you will suffer a double portion in hell. That’s what Second Peter is bluntly saying.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0.25in 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">Jerome’s Low View Of Paul’s Writings Akin To Second Peter</span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Another confirmation that we are reading Second Peter correctly is to examine Jerome’s comments about Paul. Jerome translated the Greek NT in 411 A.D. into the Latin Vulgate. Jerome in his<em> Commentary on Galatians and Ephesians</em> wrote: “<strong><em>Paul</em></strong> does not know how to develop a hyperbaton [<em>i.e.</em>, a change of normal word order for emphasis], nor to conclude a sentence; and having to do with rude people, he has <strong><em>employed the conceptions</em></strong>, which, if, at the outset, he had not taken care to announce as spoken after the manner of men, <strong><em>would have shocked men of good sense</em></strong>.” (Gaussen: 119 quoting <em>Comm. Galatians </em>Bk 11, titl. Bk 1, i.1; and <em>Comm. Ephesians </em>Bk. 11: 3.1.) Gaussen interprets the implication of Jerome's commentary as follows:</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt; padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Such being then the traces of infirmity which we can follow in the Scriptures, <em><strong>it remains impossible to recognize in such a book an inspiration</strong></em> that goes even to the lesser details of their language. (Louis Gaussen, <em>Theopneusty, or, The plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures </em>(1843) at 100 -- at this google-books<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=bMUVAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA100&ots=J8ArAKHXtE&dq=%22employed%20the%20conceptions%22%20Gaussen&pg=PA100#v=onepage&q&f=false"> link</a>.)</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">In other words, unless you read Paul with extreme care, he is unintelligible and appears contradictory of good sense. One can untangle it, Jerome seems to imply. Yet, Jerome also implies it is very difficult treading to do so. Obviously, basing doctrine on Paul was regarded as precarious in the early church. As Gaussen says, <em><strong>Jerome's words</strong></em> implied<em><strong> Paul is useable for edification</strong></em>, but placed Paul's words <em><strong>outside the realm of truly inspired writ</strong></em>.</span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">[PS Gaussen goes on to defend the full inspiration of everything in Scripture as we have assembled it, for he felt there is nowhere one can draw a line to keep any of it as inspired once you go down this road. I disagree. Regardless, my point of referencing Gaussen is solely to see Gaussen recognizes Jerome's remarks from 400 AD are a criticism on viewing Paul as inspired.]</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 12pt 0in 4pt; line-height: 15pt;"><strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;">What Do We Do With Paul’s Cheap Grace Verses? </span></strong><span style="font-size: 11pt; color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Then what of the cheap grace verses in Paul such as Romans 4:5? For the one following Christ, this is no problem. For we follow Christ, and always remember His words are above all — as the great prophet John the Baptist said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Thus, we can take the wise path laid out by Second Peter. It warned us that we can never safely reject Jesus’ doctrine. If we do so, even if it is in reliance on Paul’s “difficult to understand” cheap grace verses, we will fall from our steadfastness in Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 12pt;">Second Peter was telling us that twisting the costly-grace Paul to become the cheap-grace Paul is a waste of a Christian’s time and energy. Study the Master — your one and only Teacher (Matt. 23:10) — just as the Master taught. To spend time trying to make the Master who taught a costly-grace Gospel to match a disciple (Paul) when the disciple cheapens the price of salvation is to invert their relationship. Such an approach makes the disciple the Master, and the Master his inferior, as Kierkegaard warned. God forbid!</span></span></p>
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<p> </p>
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<h2>Study Notes</h2>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;">"<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authorship_of_the_Petrine_epistles">Authorship of the Petrine Epistles</a>," <em>Wikipedia</em></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;">It is possible that Silvanus, a companion of Paul, wrote both epistles.</p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span>"Most scholars today conclude that Peter was not the author of the two epistles that are attributed to him...." </span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;">The first epistle was physically written at least by Silvanus. In 1st Peter, the author admits this in <span style="line-height: 14pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">1 Peter 5:12: "By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand."</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in; line-height: 14pt;"><span>Where else do we read about Silvanus? We find Paul talks often of him as a companion:</span><br /><br /><span>2 Corinthians 1:19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and <strong><em>Silvanus</em></strong> and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.</span><br /><br /><span>1 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and <strong><em>Silvanus</em></strong>, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.</span><br /><br /><span>2 Thessalonians 1:1 Paul, and <strong><em>Silvanus</em></strong>, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:</span><br /><br /><span>Silvanus was clearly Paul's partner. Hence, Silvanus clearly wrote 1 Peter and could have written 2d Peter as well, and tried to have Peter call Paul a "brother" and that Paul had at least "wisdom" that God gave him.</span></p>
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