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<td valign="top" ><span>“I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool” (Paul, 2 Cor 11:17)</span></td>
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<p><a href="/recommendedreading/401-music-store-manager.html">Only Jesus</a> (great song by Big Daddy)</p>
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<h1><span style="font-size: 24pt;"><strong>Second Peter &amp; Its Reference to Paul&nbsp;&nbsp;</strong></span></h1>
<h3><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"></span></span></h3>
<h3><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #0000ff;">Let's Begin by Reading Second Peter 3:14-17</span></strong></span></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 14pt; color: #0000ff;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #0000ff;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #000000; font-size: 18pt;" data-mce-mark="1">In the King James, this passage reads:&nbsp;</span><br /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 30px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: system-ui; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial;">14&nbsp;</span></span><span style="line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 30px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px; font-weight: bold;">15&nbsp;</span>And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">brother</span></strong> Paul also according to the <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">wisdom</span></strong> given unto him hath written unto you;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 30px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px; font-weight: bold;">16&nbsp;</span>As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things <span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>hard to be understood</strong></span> [in Greek, dysnoetas], which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 30px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="line-height: 22px; position: relative; vertical-align: top; top: 0px; font-weight: bold;">17&nbsp;</span>Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being<strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"> led away</span></strong> with the error of the<span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong> wicked</strong></span>, fall from <span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>your own stedfastness</strong></span>. (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+3%3A15-17&amp;version=KJV">2 Peter 3:15-17 KJV</a>.)</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Many suppose this supports Paul. However, it speaks several negatives:</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">1. This speaks of "brother" Paul, not "apostle Paul" in verse 15.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">2. In the same verse, it says Paul spoke with "<strong>wisdom</strong> given unto him," not inspiration. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Thus, in the early church, when Paul is quoted, it is not "the Bible" tells us, or "Paul by the Holy Spirit said," as we incessantly are told today. Instead, in the early church, for example, Origen speaks differently that instead we "hear" Paul who "proclaims these things 'according to the <strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">wisdom given him in ministry</span></strong>'...," quoting Second Peter. This is Origen writing around 200 AD found in&nbsp;&nbsp;<span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><strong>Homolies on Genesis &amp; Exodus</strong>, Book 8 (Editor Ronald Heine, 2010) page. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=X_mSBavPcq4C&amp;lpg=PA316&amp;pg=PA316#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">316</a>. </span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">What does Speaking by Wisdom Signify?</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">In the concept of holy scripture in the Bible that cannot be denied without making yourself an apostate, saying someone spoke by wisdom is the same as saying they did not speak by inspiration direct from God. You could not accept word-for-word what they were saying as true. In fact, in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jeremiah+34%3A11-32&amp;version=ESV" style="color: #517291; outline: none; font-family: 'ZapfEllipt BT'; font-size: 24px;">Jeremiah 34:11-22</a>, we learn that unless one says "Yahweh says," we were to reject even what a prophet like Jeremiah commands. God commends the Rechabites for refusing to obey Jeremiah's commands that lacked any direct quote from God Yahweh. </span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">What About Jesus? Why Must We Obey Him?</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">The only exception in the Bible is when God promised "the Prophet" would come, and we must "listen to" him, or otherwise be held "accountable" to Yahweh for disobeying "the Prophet." This is in Deuteronomy 18:15-19. Apostle Peter quotes this passage in Acts 3:22-23 in his second evangelical sermon, and says Jesus was "the prophet" of Deuteronomy 18. Peter says this means -- and we quote --God commands "you listen to everything [the Prophet] tells you." End of quote. See <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+3%3A21-23&amp;version=NIV">Peter 3:22-23</a>, in particular verse 23.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><strong>How would we know Jesus is The Prophet?</strong> </span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Well, Yahweh twice speaks over Jesus from Heaven in front of multiple witnesses calling him his "beloved Son" and says "listen to him." See for example&nbsp;<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=mark%209:7&amp;version=NIV">Mark 9:7</a>. </span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">This "listen to him" statement by Yahweh over Jesus is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 18:15-19. This repeats the unique trait of The Prophet -- He <strong>alone</strong> speaks with <strong>constant inspiration</strong> because of this prior mark on Him directly upon him from Yahweh.&nbsp;</span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Who Else Says Paul Spoke Only with Wisdom?</span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Likewise, Polycarp (born 69 AD, died 155 AD) talks about Paul only speaking with wisdom. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Who is Polycarp? </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">He was an early enthusiastic supporter of Paul's doctrines. However, listen in this famous quote whether inspiration or wisdom is the source of Paul's words - Polycarp saying:</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 60px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"> "<span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">For neither am I, nor is any other like unto me, able to follow <strong>the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul,</strong> who when he came among you taught face to face with the men of that day the word which concerneth truth carefully and surely; who also, when he was absent, wrote a letter unto you, into the which <strong>if ye look diligently, ye shall be able to be builded up unto the faith</strong> given to you...."</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 60px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">This quote is in the work by J<span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">oseph Barber Lightfoot and J. R. Harmer entitled&nbsp;</span><strong>The Apostolic Fathers</strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><strong>&nbsp;</strong>(London: Macmillan and Co., 1891) at page 178. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">The same authors quote Polycarp as continuing, and saying that - we quote - "when absent, [Paul] wrote letters to them," and "if they studied them, they would find <strong>edification.</strong>"&nbsp; See page<a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=yale.39002014813407&amp;view=1up&amp;seq=593&amp;size=125"> 593</a>&nbsp;of their 1885 edition. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Edification is what you can get from C.S. Lewis. Edification implies the person is not speaking by inspiration, but solely by wisdom.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Please also note that Polycarp in the quote above says - we quote again -- that "he cannot follow" the wisdom of Paul. </span></span></span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">What explains this deficiency in Paul's writings?</span></span></span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">The answer comes from our third observation about this passage of 2 Peter 3:14-17.&nbsp;</span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span data-mce-mark="1"><span data-mce-mark="1"><span data-mce-mark="1"></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">#3. In the KJV, it says Paul speaks sometimes things "hard to be understood." This is more correctly translated as that Paul speaks some "nonsensical" things or things "destructive of good sense." </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">The Greek word is&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">"<em><strong><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=dusnoh%2Ftous&amp;la=greek&amp;can=dusnoh%2Ftous0&amp;prior=kai\&amp;d=Perseus:text:2008.01.0457:section=54&amp;i=1#lexicon" style="color: #517291; text-decoration: underline;">dysnoetas</a>.</strong></em>" Let's see why by examining that word carefullly.</span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">In Greek, dysnoetas has two parts -- the prefix DYS and the word NOETAS. To determine its meaning, you simply have to know the meaning and purpose of each part.</span></span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Liddell &amp; Scott - renown and premier authors of a Greek dictionary say Dys as a prefix&nbsp; means - we quote -- </span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 60px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">"always [understood] with the notion of <strong>hard, bad, unlucky</strong>, etc., ... destroying the <strong>good sense of a word,</strong> or <strong>increasing its bad sense</strong>."&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 60px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">This quote can be found at page 336, column two, top third, in their 1883 dictionary at this page&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Greek_English_lexicon/1FJRAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22destroying%20the%20good%20sense%20of%20a%20word%22&amp;pg=PA336&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;bsq=%22destroying%20the%20good%20sense%20of%20a%20word%22">link </a>.</span><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;"></span></span></span>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Hence, we know at the outset that such a word as dysnoetas is intended in a <strong>pejorative</strong> sense. It has a negative uncomplimentary sense. Think for example of the word <strong>utopia</strong> - an ideal place, versus a <strong>dystopia</strong> -- a nightmarish world where one endures great suffering or injustice, typically such as a totalitarian world. So a utopia when the prefix is changed to DYS is a nightmare world -- the exactly opposite meaning of utopia. See the definition at this <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=dystopia&amp;rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS734US734&amp;oq=dystopia&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57j0l7.1423j0j7&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">link</a>.</span></span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Then the conjoined word is NOETAS. It means SENSIBLE. See Francis E. Peter,&nbsp;</span><strong style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Greek Philosophical Terms: An Historical Lexicon</strong><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">(1967) at&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&amp;hl=en&amp;q=noetas+sensible" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">130</a><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">&nbsp;("logoi noeton" = "sensible things");&nbsp;</span><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=JepR6Mj9Hy8C&amp;lpg=PA130&amp;dq=noetas%20sensible&amp;pg=PA128#v=onepage&amp;q=noeton&amp;f=false" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">128</a><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">&nbsp;(noeton = "intelligible") Cf. NOETA = thought.&nbsp;</span></span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Hence, DYSNOETAS means "nonsensical thoughts" or "unintelligible thoughts" to reflect that the writer lacks any sense to what he or she is writing. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">What does that mean?</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">The problem is that writer's words&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">simply don't make any good sense. They defy common sense. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Thus, i</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">t is clear the problem begins with Paul's fault by the word DYSNOETAS used by Apostle Peter, according to its traditional authorship. &nbsp;<strong>Some</strong> of Paul's writings -- not all -- are said to suffer from DYSNOETAS. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">What does that convey in English?</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Well, the English translation as "difficult to understand" is ambiguous. Had Peter spoke in English, such words could support that the fault is solely our own, namely that we are not wise enough or knowledgeable enough to understand. But that is not what the Greek is conveying. In the Greek, if&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">the reader misunderstands,&nbsp;</span><strong style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">the mistake began at least initially with the writer</strong><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">. The writer wrote in words destructive of good sense; they make bad sense; etc.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="color: #494a44; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Hence, Second Peter is a criticism of Paul's content - his writing is sometimes lacking sense, with grave consequences -- a "lawless" life (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+peter+3%3A17&amp;version=NIV">2 Peter 3:17 NIV</a> "lawless") and personal "destruction" of Paul's reader who gullibly reads what Paul writes. (More on that in a moment.) The English translation of "difficult to understand" is therefore incomplete, and potentially misleading. It lacks the full weight of the intended meaning of the word DYSNOETAS.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">This is underscored because then Second Peter identifies a fault in the readers who do not know better when reading Paul. Second Peter then <strong>blames the readers</strong> in part for having an <strong>unstable ignorance</strong>. In other words, they are gullible, credulous, and not questioning what Paul means on the surface, etc. This proves again the meaning DYSNOETAS is Paul's fault. The reader's fault is they they are not "steadfast" in Christ's words, and fall into "lawlessness" -- the NIV correctly rendering "lawless" in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+peter+3%3A17&amp;version=NIV">2 Pete 3:17</a> as what Peter says is where gullible readers end up, on the road to "destruction" -- again Peter's word, not mine.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Of what were the readers ignorant and unstable about in particular? </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">In context, Peter likely means they are ignorant of Jesus' words about righteous law-abiding living where confessing Jesus as Lord is not enough.&nbsp; Jesus in <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew+7%3A21-23&amp;version=KJV">Matthew 7:21-23</a> say many will call him "Lord, Lord" -- but work "anomia" - a Greek word meaning&nbsp; law-lessness / negator of the&nbsp; Law, but Jesus will say "I never knew you" -- in obvious disgust. Just like Jesus says in Revelation 3:1-3 that He will "spew out" of his mouth those Christians who have had "lukewarm works" at the judgment. For more on Anomia, see this <a href="https://www.jesuswordsonly.com/component/content/article/1-jwo/737-anomia-in-nt-means-negation-mosaic-law.html">link</a>. For more on Revelation 3:1-3, see this <a href="https://www.jesuswordsonly.com/component/content/article/2-jwos/732-chapter-24-lukewarm-works-in-revelation-31-3.html">link</a>. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">By contrast, Paul in Romans directly contradicts Jesus, saying - we quote -- you "shall be saved" if you "confess him as Lord with your mouth, and believing...God raised him from the dead." Paul clearly says that <strong>alone</strong>&nbsp;"shall save you." (<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+10%3A9&amp;version=NKJV">Romans 10:9 NKJV</a>) However, this makes no sense. It can only prevail by the ignorance of the reader not knowing Jesus says the opposite. Jesus says calling Him Lord, Lord, but working lawlessness -- such as trusting faith alone in facts about Jesus' resurrection and thereby wallowing in lukewarm works -- is the direct road to rejection, not salvation.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Second Peter then correctly says this error of the reader of Paul leads them to accept Paul's sometimes nonsensical words, and adopt "<strong>lawless</strong>" principles. Then Second Peter says this is "to their own destruction," and thereby lose their "steadfastness" in Christ. (2 Peter 3:17-18.)&nbsp; </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">However, had they not been ignorant, such as being familiar with passages like Matthew 7:21-23, they would not have been misled into a life of "lawless" principles, and "destruction" in how they understood Paul's sometimes DSYNOETAS.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Where can other Christian writings in Greek help prove the meaning of dysnoetas? </span></span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"></span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">The Greek word&nbsp;<strong><em>dysnoetas</em></strong></span><em style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">&nbsp;</em><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">was used to mean "nonsense" by another Christian early writer -- Lucian -- referring to a false prophet. Luciean said this false prophet replied to Lucian's inquiries with multiple responses which Lucian said were "silly and nonsensical" -- dysnoetas</span><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">&nbsp;-- every one." See Lucian's work&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.tertullian.org/rpearse/lucian/lucian_alexander.htm" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;"><span data-mce-mark="1"><em>Alexander the False Prophet</em></span></a><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">, para.&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0457%3Asection%3D54" style="color: #517291; font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: large; line-height: 21px;">54</a><span style="font-size: 24px; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">.</span></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Then Who Is to Blame for Paul's Dysnoetas?</span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Peter thus lays at Paul's feet PART OF THE BLAME for the loss of stedfastness in Christ and falling into a lawless and destructive life of error.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Second Peter explains this clearly. It says that many construe Paul's DYSNOETAS -- nonsense -- in his writings to support the "error of the lawless" and thereby "fall away from their steadfastness in Christ." (2 Peter 3:18.) These LISTENERS are criticized for a different fault than Paul's fault; the listeners' fault which leads them away from Christ's teaching when reading Paul's writings is they are "<strong>ignorant and unstabl</strong>e," and this results in them "perverting" the truth to support "lawless" teaching to their own "destruction."&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Why did these listeners to Paul end up there? What exactly is their contributing fault? For being "<strong>unlearned</strong>" and "<strong>unstable</strong>" -- they are not firmly rooted in Jesus' words. For had they been STABLE, and STUDIED Jesus' words -- "stedfast in Christ" as Peter explains, Paul's nonsensical words would not have thrown them off, causing them to lose their "steadfastness" in Christ.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"> Hence, Paul's words contribute to their loss of salvation, but Peter's message is&nbsp;<strong>we can protect ourselves from Paul's "nonsense" by not being "ignorant" or "unstable."</strong>&nbsp;Instead, Peter implies we must endeavor with a greater effort than these destroyed brothers to keep "stedfast" in Christ - obviously remaining in Jesus' teachings. This will protect us from Paul's &ldquo;sometimes&rdquo; nonsense.&nbsp; &nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Earlier Paulinists Knew Dysnoetas Was Bad.</span></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">Prior to the KJV downplaying DYSNOETAS in English translation, the reformers knew the meaning. They rejected Second Peter. For the negative analysis above on what DYSNOETAS means was effectively first brought forth by&nbsp;<strong>Calvin,</strong>&nbsp;one of the founders of the Reformation at Geneva. Calvin did so in a famous and blunt way. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 24px;">I have had Calvin's discussion set forth below in this online article on 2 Peter 3:16 for over eleven years now. See&nbsp;<a href="#calvin2dpeter" target="_blank">link to discussion below</a>. Calvin in the 1500s saw Second Peter as highly critical of Paul in saying some of Paul's writings are DYSNOETAS.&nbsp;<strong>Calvin concluded that Second Peter 3:16-17 was an anti-Paul remark</strong>&nbsp;and this alone justified rejecting Second Peter as canonical. Calvin explained that Apostle Peter would never speak this way about Paul's writings, i.e., calling them DYSNOETAS, and hence&nbsp;<strong>Calvin concluded that Second Peter was not authentically written or reviewed by Apostle Peter</strong>. </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Now we move to our fourth observation about Second Peter 3:1-47.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">#4. Paul is lowered not raised by equating him with "other <strong>graphe</strong>" -- other writings. It is not the term "holy writings," which is how Paul himself referred to an inspired writing. Even if the text refers to a "writing" in the Bible, it does not change the meaning of a "writing" as always inspired, just as we use the word "writing" to signify any kind of writing -- inspired or otherwise.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Non-inspired writings are simply called <span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1"><strong>graphe</strong> in the Bible unless the context implies a reference to the Law or Prophets. Paul is thus equated by Second Peter with non-inspired writings, as Second Peter makes no implied reference to the Law or Prophets. It is a modern phenomenon that we hear the word&nbsp;<strong>writing</strong>&nbsp;when given as the capitalized synonymn&nbsp;<strong>Scripture</strong></span>, and we imply into it <span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1"><strong>Holy Scripture</strong> -- a meaning far removed from Second Peter's intent. This is&nbsp;</span>more fully explained below.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Observation # 5. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">The unstable "wrest" from Paul's "nonsensical" writings an "error" which the "lawless" (Greek, athesmon) prefer, and thereby fall from their "steadfastness" in Christ. This is all toned down by translators. Yet, we can find it under the covers by using an interlinear Greek New Testament, and double-checking the key words.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Second Peter 2:18-22 Earlier Describes Paulinism In Veiled Terms As A Teaching of Nonsense</span></strong></span></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Then we can see a parallel of Second Peter's talking evidently of Pauline teachers like the Nicolatians mentioned in Revelation. Second Peter levels a critique in chapter 2, &nbsp;verses 18-22, about "false teachers" who for gain "arrogantly use <strong>nonsense</strong>." Obviously, Pauline teachers are understood.&nbsp; Listen intently. We quote:</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 30px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">18 They arrogantly use <strong>nonsense</strong>&nbsp;[Greek, <a href="http://biblehub.com/greek/mataiote_tos_3153.htm" style="color: #0092f2; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px; text-align: justify;" title="mataiot?tos: of vanity.">mataiot?tos</a>, synonymn to&nbsp;<strong>dysnoetas</strong>]&nbsp;to seduce people by appealing to their sexual desires, especially to sexual freedom. They seduce people who have just escaped from those who live in error.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">19&nbsp;</span>They <strong>promise these people freedom</strong>, but they themselves are slaves to corruption. A person is a slave to whatever he gives in to.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 30px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 30px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">20&nbsp;</span>People can know our Lord and Savior&nbsp;<strong>Yeshua</strong>&nbsp;Christ and escape the world&rsquo;s filth. But if they get involved in this filth again and give in to it, they are worse off than they were before.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">21&nbsp;</span>It would have been better for them never to have known the way of life that God approves of than to know it and <strong>turn their backs</strong> on the holy life God told them to live.&nbsp;</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">22&nbsp;</span>These proverbs have come true for them: &ldquo;A dog goes back to its vomit,&rdquo; and &ldquo;A sow that has been washed goes back to roll around in the mud.&rdquo; (Names of God Bible,<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Peter+2"> 2 Peter 2:18-22</a>.)</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 14pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1"></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Second Peter in chapter two is clearly saying ones who <strong>knew Christ</strong> and thereby <strong>escaped the world's</strong> filth were <strong>promised freedom from legal constraints</strong> on behavior by false teachers who "arrogantly used <strong>nonsense</strong>." Now they have been duped by this false promise, and are worse off than when they did not yet know Christ, and had thereby escaped the world and been washed clean of sin. This is because their <strong>disobedience</strong> -- given license by the false teachers who speak nonsense -- has led them to return to their filfth and vomit.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Don Flemming comments on 2 Peter 2 in a very telling way in his highly regarded commentary - the <strong>AMG Concise Bible Commentary</strong> (Chatanooga, Tennessee, 1994). He writes: </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 60px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">"In it, he [Peter] opposed the <strong>false teachers who claimed that faith was not related to behavior</strong>, and therefore <strong>immoral practices were not wrong</strong> for those with higher spiritual knowledge."</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding-left: 60px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">More precisely, Flemming means these teachers said immoral practices had no serious risk of loss of salvation for those with "faith" -- the higher spiritual knowledge. This is Paul's doctrine in many places, such as 1 Corinthians 8:7-8.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p>
<h2 style="font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; background-image: url('data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAsAAAAICAYAAAAvOAWIAAAAxklEQVQYV2NkIAEwTps2TZ2ZmTn4+fPnHQ0NDf9mzpxp/v//f7OMjIzJ06dP1wHKqQP5e9LT0z8yzpgxI4iRkXEtUDErUPEfoOJioGQhUCwWSG8HWnwEiM2BfCu44r9//wqxs7P/AYJcoKIsoIIJQCwEtKEKaOBeIPs0XDGy04GKnwIVyYDEgE4xBJp6HMiMgisGmijJwsLyB2pqGkgx0EQvoMJVQIXdQDc34nNzMMhjQMXFTExM24D0N5yKgaaBFKQiOW8ZANzXfMFoX2hjAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC'); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Second Peter 1:10 Said We Make Our Salvation Secure by "Good Works."&nbsp;</span></strong></span></h2>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Second Peter says "good works" is what "makes sure" your calling and election in 2 Peter 1:10:&nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px 60px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Wherefore, brethren, labour the more, that&nbsp;<strong>by good works</strong>&nbsp;you may make sure your calling and election. For doing these things, you shall not sin at any time. (<strong>Douay-Rheims</strong>.) &nbsp;</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">This is such an anti-Paul remark that the KJV editors did not translate it at all, ignoring it from before their very own eyes. Yet, as explained at this <a href="https://www.jesuswordsonly.com/recommendedreading/867-did-pauline-bias-suppress-good-works-in-2-peter-1-10-is-what-gives-us-security.html">link</a>, in 1611 "good works" was in the Codez Bezae -- the oldest New Testament from about 400 AD -- which the KJV editors otherwise accepted as valid. "Good works" in this verse appears in the final Textus Receptus compilations of what scholars should know was the KJV source for the best Greek sources. "Good works" appears in the oldest New Testament of the Byzantine tradition -- the Alexandrinus. "Good works" was found again in 1859 in the oldest New testament of all time -- the Sinaiticus from 340 AD which was found that year in a monastery.&nbsp; "Good works" was quoted in the early commenators in the era before 325 AD. Ironically, this blindness is perpetuated by all 30 English Bibles quoted of this one verse at this Bible Hub&nbsp;<a href="https://biblehub.com/2_peter/1-10.htm" style="color: #517291;">link</a>&nbsp;other than the Douay Rheims. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; color: #494a44; font-family: Tahoma, Verdana, Geneva, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">So if I doubt the sincerity of the attack on Second Peter as not the work of Peter, it is in part because this ignoring the text proves we&nbsp; have no reason to ever trust a Pauline movement that exhibits no ethical restraint from misrepresenting the "scripture" the way it actually reads.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Second Peter 1, 2 and 3 Are Anti-Paul, not Pro-Paul</span></strong></span></h2>
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; color: #000000; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1">Second Peter thus presents a subtle yet obvious highly negative picture of Paul, not a positive one. Negative references to Paul's doctrine and the impact on believers is reflected in each chapter -- one, two and three. One has to lift completely out of context the word "scripture" in 2 Peter 3:17, and then improperly spin it to ignore or discount these multiple negatives.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 14pt; color: #0000ff;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #0000ff;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #000000;" data-mce-mark="1"></span></span></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt; color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">The Argument for Paul from 2 Peter 3:15-17</span></strong></span></h3>
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<p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">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. The same passage is otherwise very unflattering to Paul -- first denigrating his writings which the KJV translates as "difficult to understand" but using the Greek word&nbsp;<span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">"<em><strong><a href="http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=dusnoh%2Ftous&amp;la=greek&amp;can=dusnoh%2Ftous0&amp;prior=kai\&amp;d=Perseus:text:2008.01.0457:section=54&amp;i=1#lexicon">dysnoetas</a>.</strong></em>" As mentioned above, this is a term used as ridicule meaning "</span>nonsensical." &nbsp;As noted above, in the same pattern of denigrating Paul, Second Peter continues, calling&nbsp;</span><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">&nbsp;Paul a "<strong>brother</strong>" (<strong>not an apostle</strong>) who had "<strong>wisdom</strong> as God gave him" (<strong>rather than inspiration</strong>).</span></span></p>
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<p><span style="color: #000000; font-size: 18pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1"><span style="color: #000000; font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">These multiple negatives make it very hard for those who wish to rely upon the "other Scripture" reference as a positive to accept Second Peter as entirely inspired. Hence, at least one -- Calvin -- who knew what <strong>dysnoetas</strong> really meant -- rejected Second Peter as authentic for using this term in reference to Paul's writings. (We discuss in depth next.) Moreover, those who rely upon the 'other scripture' reference also read far too much into this as a supposed positive, as we shall see.</span></span></p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3><span style="color: #0000ff; font-size: 18pt;" data-mce-mark="1"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;" data-mce-mark="1">Is Second Peter Truly Canonical? And Why Did Calvin Reject Second Peter?</span></strong></span></h3>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">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. The oldest voice on the issue was Eusebius -- speaking in the fourth century A.D. He was part of Constantine's Roman church that was extremely pro-Paul because Paul gave verses that could do away with Jewish traditions. So there is some possible bias by Eusebius' church (not Eusebius himself) to shield Paul from Second Peter. He was writing in the early 300s, as the orthodox historian, and said:</span></p>
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<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">"One epistle of Peter, that called the first, is acknowledged as genuine. <strong>But we have learned that his extant second epistle, does not belong to the canon</strong>. Yet as it has appeared profitable, it has been used with the other scriptures." (Eusebius, <strong>History of the Church</strong> 3:3:1, in Schaff, Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II, Vol. I at <a href="https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf201.pdf">254</a>.)</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Similarly, <a id="calvin2dpeter">Calvin,</a> one of the leaders of the Reformation of the 1500s at Geneva, disliked Second Peter's criticism of Paul. For this reason Calvin concluded it could not have been written by Peter, as mentioned above.</span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Calvin regarded the fault Peter found about Paul as DYSNOETAS 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-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Based on the above texts, as well as others, there is<strong> only one way to understand Paul&rsquo;s Epistles<em>.</em></strong> They <strong>must be interpreted</strong> by the clear texts in the Bible,<span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><strong> texts that are </strong></span></span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #ff0000;"><strong>not</strong></span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;"><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>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">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 DYSNOETAS.&nbsp; Paul would become essentially irrelevant if we heeded 2d Peter 3:15-17.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;"> 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 Paul's teachings.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Calvin acknowledged therefore that if Peter truly criticized Paul as DYSNOETS&nbsp; 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> Calvin concluded Second Peter was not written personally by Peter</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: 18pt;">Calvin's introductory comment to 2d Peter is at this<a href="http://www.biblestudyguide.org/comment/calvin/comm_vol45/htm/vii.htm">link</a>.&nbsp;Calvin says - we quote - "doubts...ought not keep us from reading it...." "there are probable conjectures by which we may conclude that <strong>it was written by another than Peter</strong>." Calvin continues, and we quote: "If it be received as canonical, we must allow Peter to be the author." </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">However, in this introduction, Calvin never tells us it is canonical. This is because he later disaffirms any true apostolic support for its supposed inspiration.</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">When it comes to the key passage that says Paul sometimes writes things DSYNOETAS,&nbsp;Calvin disaffirms the entire Epistle was written by Peter. Calvin writes:</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">And yet, when I examine all things more narrowly, it seems to me more probable that <strong>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</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: 18pt; color: #0000ff;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times;">Barclay Also Realized Second Peter Intriguingly Critizes Paul</span></strong></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;" data-mce-mark="1">The importance of Calvin's comment is explained by the famous William Barclay. &nbsp;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>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="text-align: left; padding-left: 30px;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">"With its <strong>reference to Paul and its tinge of criticizm of him</strong>, this is one of the<strong> most intriguing passages in the New Testament</strong>. It was this passage which made reformer John Calvin certain that Peter did not write himself 2 Peter because, he says,<strong> Peter would not have spoken about Paul like this</strong>." (William Barclay, <strong>The Letters of James and Peter</strong> (Westminster, John Knox Press, 2003) at <a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=YU9dnW6EfwUC&amp;pg=PR3&amp;dq=William+Barclay,+The+Letters+of+James+and+Peter+Westminster+John+Knox+Press+2003&amp;ei=XCz8S6DgJ4KOlQTU8YXSCQ&amp;cd=1#v=onepage&amp;q=calvin&amp;f=false">401</a>.)</span></div>
<p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #0000ff;">From all this, our conclusion is as follows&nbsp; --</span></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; color: #0000ff;">Second Peter Clearly Contains Several Put-Downs of Paul</span></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">So if Second Peter is inspired, it conveys several direct criticisms / subtle put-downs about Paul. And 2d Peter's<strong> anti-Paul slant</strong> is precisely the primary reason why Calvin did not accept 2d Peter as actually written by Peter. &nbsp;It supposedly got garbled somehow.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Thus, whoever wrote Second Peter, the author was sending us strong caution about Paul's writings. By our reading Paul's words gullibly and ignorant of Jesus' words, we can easily be carried away with the lawless into a life of error and destruction, and lose our steadfastness in Christ. </span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><span style="font-family: 'times new roman', times; font-size: 18pt;">Hence, Second Peter is truly one of the most negative works in the New Testament about whether Paul's writing are even edifying. They are dangerous to read ignorantly and as one not firmly rooted in Jesus' words because sometimes - not always - Paul's writings are DYSNOETAS. Meaning, nonsensical.</span></p>
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