II Peter 3:16 · Bible study
2 Peter 3:16 Commentary: Paul’s Letters as Scripture, Difficulty and Danger
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Peter affirms Paul’s writings as Scripture while warning that the ignorant twist them to their own destruction.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Peter affirms Paul’s letters as Scripture while warning that untrained readers twist difficult passages to their ruin.
- Key words: δυσνόητα (hard to understand), ἀμαθεῖς (ignorant), ἀστήρικτοι (unstable), στρεβλοῦσιν (distort/wrest).
- Main debate: Whether the relative pronoun (“in which”) refers to the epistles or the subjects, the best reading points to the subjects (the things Paul writes about).
- Theological theme: Scripture’s authority and perspicuity; the reader’s spiritual condition affects interpretation; the canon of the New Testament begins to take shape.
- Best use: A caution against careless or agenda-driven reading, and a validation that some biblical truths exceed human reasoning.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He writes this way in all his letters, speaking in them about such matters. Some parts of his letters are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.
WEB World English Bible 2000
as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
KJV King James Version 1769
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
as also in all the epistles, speaking in them concerning these things, among which things are certain hard to be understood, which the untaught and unstable do wrest, as also the other Writings, unto their own destruction.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
as also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; among which some things are hard to be understood, which the untaught and ill-established wrest, as also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Casi en todas sus epístolas, hablando en ellas de estas cosas; entre las cuales hay algunas difíciles de entender, las cuales los indoctos é inconstantes tuercen, como también las otras Escrituras, para perdición de sí mismos.
Como também em duas as suas cartas, ele fala nelas destas coisas; entre as quais há algumas coisas difíceis de entender, as quais os ignorantes e os inconstantes distorcem, assim como também as outras Escrituras, para a própria perdição deles.
C’ est ce qu’ il fait dans toutes les lettres, où il parle de ces choses, dans lesquelles il y a des points difficiles à comprendre, dont les personnes ignorantes et mal affermies tordent le sens, comme celui des autres Écritures, pour leur propre ruine.
wie er auch in allen Briefen davon redet, in welchen sind etliche Dinge schwer zu verstehen, welche die Ungelehrigen und Leichtfertigen verdrehen, wie auch die andern Schriften, zu ihrer eigenen Verdammnis.
Gelijk ook in alle zendbrieven, daarin van deze dingen sprekende; in welke sommige dingen zwaar zijn om te verstaan, die de ongeleerde en onvaste mensen verdraaien, gelijk ook de andere Schriften, tot hun eigen verderf.
e questo egli fa in tutte le sue epistole, parlando in esse di questi argomenti; nelle quali epistole sono alcune cose difficili a capire, che gli uomini ignoranti e instabili torcono, come anche le altre Scritture, a loro propria perdizione.
Jako i we wszystkich listach swoich mówiąc o tych rzeczach, między któremi są niektóre rzeczy trudne ku wyrozumieniu, które nieumiejętni i niestateczni wykręcają jako i inne pisma, ku swemu własnemu zatraceniu.
как он говорит об этом и во всех посланиях, в которых есть нечто неудобовразумительное, что невежды и неутвержденные, к собственной своей погибели, превращают, как и прочие Писания.
他一切的 信 上 也 都是講論 這事。信 中 有些 難明白的，那 無學問、 不堅固 的人強解，如 強解別的 經書一樣，就 自 取沉淪。
And as he said in all his letters, which had to do with these things; in which are some hard sayings, so that, like the rest of the holy Writings, they are twisted by those who are uncertain and without knowledge, to the destruction of their souls.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · II Peter 3:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Peter here places Paul’s letters on the same level as the Old Testament Scriptures. The phrase “the other Scriptures” (τὰς λοιπὰς γραφάς) is decisive: Paul’s writings are already treated as sacred text. At the same time, Peter candidly admits that some parts of Paul’s letters are “hard to understand” (δυσνόητα, a word used only here in the New Testament). This is not a criticism of Paul’s clarity but an honest acknowledgment that the subject matter, things like Christ’s return, the resurrection, and God’s eternal purposes, exceeds human comprehension. The danger, as Barnes and Gill note, is that people who are “unlearned” (ἀμαθεῖς, not taught by God) and “unstable” (ἀστήρικτοι, lacking spiritual grounding) will “wrest” (στρεβλοῦσιν, originally meaning to twist on a rack, to torture) these difficult passages. They do so “to their own destruction,” a deliberate path that leads to ruin. Calvin, Clarke, and Wesley all stress that the fault lies not in the Scriptures but in the reader’s condition. The passage affirms both the authority of Paul’s writings and the responsibility of every reader to approach them with humility and the Spirit’s help.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Difficulty in subject matter: The things Paul writes about (Christ’s return, resurrection, judgment) are inherently beyond full human comprehension — this is the most common reading among commentators.
- Difficulty due to spiritual condition: The ‘unlearned and unstable’ lack the Spirit’s teaching, so the fault is in the reader, not the text. This view stresses regeneration as necessary for proper understanding.
- Difficulty as a feature of divine revelation: God deliberately reveals some truths in ways that require humility, patience, and reliance on the Spirit — the difficulty serves as a test of the reader’s disposition.
What is clear: Peter unambiguously treats Paul’s letters as Scripture and warns that distorting them leads to destruction.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Status of Paul’s writings as Scripture | Christians agree that Peter here treats Paul’s letters as part of the authoritative Scriptures, alongside the Old Testament. | Some traditions distinguish between apostolic writings and later church writings; others see this verse as establishing a closed canon of apostolic authority. |
| Why Paul’s writings are hard to understand | The difficulty lies partly in the depth of the subjects (eschatology, resurrection) and partly in the reader’s spiritual condition. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions emphasize the need for the Church’s interpretive authority; Reformation traditions emphasize the Spirit’s work in the individual believer. Both agree that humility is essential. |
| The nature of twisting Scripture | Twisting (στρεβλόω) is a deliberate act of violence against the text, not simple misunderstanding. | Some see this as willful heresy by false teachers; others see it as a broader danger for any Christian who reads carelessly or with a hardened heart. |
| The outcome, destruction | Mishandling Scripture can lead to serious spiritual ruin, even final destruction. | Free will traditions hold this as a warning to the individual; Reformed traditions see it as describing the reprobate’s inevitable path. Both affirm the seriousness of the warning. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Peter writes this letter near the end of his life, probably around AD 67. Nero’s persecution is intensifying, false teachers are active within the churches, and the apostles are dying. In the preceding verses (2 Peter 3:14-15), Peter urges believers to live holy lives while waiting for Christ’s return, and he appeals to “our beloved brother Paul” as a supporting witness. Now he goes further: Paul’s letters are not just helpful advice, they are Scripture, ranked alongside the books of the Old Covenant.
The letter collection Peter refers to is still in formation. The Cambridge Bible notes the absence of the article in “all his epistles,” suggesting no complete corpus existed; Peter knew a number of Paul’s letters, probably including Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, and the Thessalonian correspondence. The subjects in common are eschatology, Christ’s return, the judgment, the resurrection, the new creation, themes Paul wrote about in almost every letter.
The word “hard to be understood” (δυσνόητα) reflects a cultural reality: ancient letters were read aloud to congregations, and complex theology could easily be misunderstood. False teachers in Peter’s audience were twisting Paul’s teaching on grace into a license for immorality (see 2 Peter 2:19). The verb “wrest” (στρεβλόω) is mechanical: it evokes a windlass or a torture rack, forcing the text to say what it never intended. This was not innocent confusion but violent distortion.
Most important for church history, this verse marks one of the earliest explicit recognitions that New Testament writings stand on the same authority as the Old Testament. Wesley, Gill, and others note that Peter himself had been corrected by Paul (Galatians 2:11-14), yet he does not hesitate to call Paul’s letters “Scripture.” This unity among the apostles under the Spirit’s inspiration is a foundation of the Christian canon.
Textual Notes
The main textual variant in this verse concerns the relative pronoun that begins the clause “in which are some things hard to be understood.” The majority of Greek manuscripts read ἐν οἷς (neuter plural, “in which things”), referring back to the subjects Paul writes about. A smaller but significant group, including the Alexandrian manuscript and some versions (Syriac, Arabic), read ἐν αἷς (feminine plural, “in which [epistles]”). Barnes, Calvin, and Clarke all note the variant, with most modern editions favoring the neuter. The difference does not change the essential meaning: whether the difficulty resides in the letters themselves or in the topics they cover, the warning about twisting stands firm. No other significant variants are noted in the consulted sources.
Reception History
From the early church onward, this verse became a key witness to the emerging New Testament canon. Irenaeus and Origen cited it to show that apostolic writings carried the same authority as the Law and the Prophets. During the Reformation, both Luther and Calvin leaned on this passage to argue that the central doctrines of Scripture are clear, while some matters remain obscure, and that the humble believer, taught by the Spirit, can grasp what is necessary for salvation. Catholic interpreters in the Counter-Reformation highlighted the mention of hard passages to argue for the necessity of the Church’s teaching office in interpretation. In more recent centuries, the verse has often been quoted in discussions of hermeneutics, serving as a warning against eisegesis and a call to read Paul’s letters with the same reverence given to the Old Testament.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The authority of Paul’s writings. Peter calls them “the other Scriptures,” placing them alongside the Old Testament. This is one of the earliest acknowledgments that apostolic letters carry divine authority. Preach the Spirit’s work through human authors.
- The humility needed to read them. Paul’s letters contain things “hard to be understood.” Difficulty is not a flaw in the text; it reflects the depth of God’s ways. The proper response is dependence on the Spirit, not rejection of the hard parts.
- The danger of twisting the text. The ignorant and unstable “wrest” the Scriptures, that is, they rack them to say what they want. This leads to destruction. The same Scriptures that bring life become a snare when mishandled.
Five-point outline
- Peter links his own teaching on Christ’s return to Paul’s letters, a sign of apostolic harmony.
- Paul wrote “according to the wisdom given to him,” a gift of the Spirit, not personal genius.
- Some subjects in Paul are genuinely difficult: the resurrection body, the man of sin, the timing of the end.
- The word for “wrest” shows intentional violence: these readers do not misinterpret by accident.
- Yet the same Scriptures that some twist to their ruin are the means of salvation for those who receive them in faith.
Illustration hooks
- A tool used wrong. A wrench is designed to tighten nuts, but in the wrong hands it becomes a weapon. Scripture is meant to build faith, but mishandled it can destroy.
- Reading a will. Someone who inherits a complex estate document may misinterpret terms if they are impatient or dishonest. The legal text is not unclear, it demands careful attention and honest intention.
- Letter from a loved one. If you care about the writer, you read slowly, ask questions, and assume good intent. The same approach to Paul’s letters preserves their meaning.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why are some parts of the Bible so confusing? Is it my fault?
- How can I know when I am twisting a verse to fit my own ideas?
- What does it mean that Paul’s writings are “Scripture”? Were they written for us the same way as the Old Testament?
Leading a Discussion
This passage brings together two truths that can feel in tension: the Bible is God’s authoritative word, and some parts of it are genuinely hard to understand. Peter does not see a contradiction. Instead, he warns that the problem is often in the condition of the reader, not the clarity of the text. As your group reads 2 Peter 3:16, notice how Peter defends Paul’s authority while honestly naming the difficulty. Discuss what it means to handle Scripture faithfully.
Discussion questions
- What does Peter’s description of Paul as “our beloved brother” (verse 15) tell us about the relationship between the apostles? Why does that matter for how we read their writings?
- Peter says Paul’s letters contain things “hard to be understood.” What kind of things do you find difficult in Paul? Is the difficulty more about understanding what he meant, or about accepting what he says?
- The Greek word for “wrest” means to twist by force, like putting a text on the rack. In what situations today do people twist Scripture, both inside and outside the church?
- How can you tell the difference between someone who is honestly struggling with a hard passage and someone who is “twisting” it?
- Peter places Paul’s letters alongside “the other Scriptures.” What does that imply about how the early church viewed apostolic writings? How does that affect your confidence in the New Testament?
- Why does Peter say the twisting leads to “destruction”? Is this a warning about final judgment, or about the practical damage of false teaching?
- What habits of reading the Bible help keep you from being “unlearned and unstable” in the sense Peter means?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 49:4 | Boiling over like water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed, then defiled it. He went up to my couch. |
| Exodus 23:2 | “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil. You shall not testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice. |
| Exodus 23:6 | “You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. |
| Deuteronomy 16:19 | You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. |
| I Kings 10:1 | When the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning Yahweh’s name, she came to test him with hard questions. |
| II Kings 1:1 | Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab. |
| II Kings 1:18 | Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? |
| Psalms 56:5 | All day long they twist my words. All their thoughts are against me for evil. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that Peter’s remark about Paul’s difficult writings refers to the grandeur of the truths themselves, not to any obscurity in Paul’s style. The real problem, he insists, is often a resistant heart. He rejects any need for an infallible interpreter, affirming that humble seekers can understand enough for salvation.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin clarifies that the "things" Peter says Paul writes about are not limited to the preceding verse but refer to the day of judgment and the future state. He argues that the specific epistle in view is most likely Hebrews, written to converted Hebrews in general.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the Greek text lacks the definite article before "epistles," implying no complete collection of Paul's letters existed yet. He argues the "hard to understand" passages were likely Paul's teachings on Christian liberty, which "unlearned and unstable" people twisted to justify license. Peter's reference to "other Scriptures" shows he regarded Paul's writings as equal to Old Testament Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotators observe that Paul writes about these matters throughout all his epistles, yet some of his passages are difficult to grasp. Unlearned and unstable people twist these hard passages, along with other Scriptures, bringing ruin on themselves.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill argues that difficult passages in Paul's letters do not forbid ordinary people from reading Scripture. Instead, these harder sections should drive readers to greater diligence, prayer, and meditation, since the essential truths of salvation remain clear. Only some things in Paul's epistles are hard, not the whole Bible.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Peter distinguishes Paul's epistles written specifically to his readers from Paul's other letters, showing these warnings are directed to particular churches. The "hard to be understood" passages involve Christ's coming and the delay implied by the man of sin, which some twisted by lacking the Spirit's learning.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry stresses that the apostle's teaching about the coming destruction of the heavens and earth is meant to drive believers toward holy living, not mere speculation. Truths about Christ's return must produce practical godliness, or knowing them is of no benefit.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent notes that the Greek words for "hard to be understood," "unlearned and unstable," and "wrest" appear only in this passage or are unique to Peter's writing. The term for "wrest" originally meant to twist or dislocate, vividly depicting how Scripture gets perverted. He also observes that calling Paul's letters "the other scriptures" places them on equal footing with Old Testament writings.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that Peter wrote near his and Paul's martyrdom, having read all of Paul's epistles without taking offense at Paul's earlier correction of him. Peter treats Paul's writings as Scripture, and warns that the untaught and unstable distort them to their own ruin.