FEB 8

2 Peter 3:16
Memorise Deuteronomy 12:32
“…thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it”

In 2 Peter 3:16, Peter knew that there were certain things in the Bible which some would find difficult to accept and understand. In speaking of Paul’s epistles (which he considered as Scripture), he acknowledged that there are certain teachings within that are ‘hard to be understood’. There would then be the ‘unlearned and unstable’ who would ‘wrest’ with these teachings – ultimately to their own destruction. In speaking of these ‘unlearned’, it was not so much that they were uneducated, but rather it referred to their ignorance of spiritual things. They were spiritually undiscerning, and ‘unstable’ in that they were not firmly grounded and rooted on the firm foundation of the Word of God. As a result, they would struggle and fight against the teachings of God’s Word, refusing to humble themselves and submit to it.

Likewise today, many speak against the doctrine of VPP. They find this doctrine difficult to accept, for they feel that this teaching does not seem to tally with the evidence before them. Sadly, many of them are church leaders, pastors and seminary professors. God’s promise that He will keep His words pure forever is not quite good enough for them. Instead they try to seek out errors in the Bible which do not exist or make claims of certain percentages of errors in the Bible (which cannot be substantiated), just to prove that VPP is wrong. They say that when God declares His Word to be perfectly kept, it applies only to those passages which are relevant to doctrinal issues. Such an attitude is tantamount to twisting what God has said. Peter warns that they do so unto their own destruction.

Peter also said in 2 Peter 1:20, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” We do not come to our own conclusions about God’s Word. Neither are we to change its meaning or alter its message in any way. Rather, we are to be transformed and renewed by His Word, acknowledging that certain things may be hard to accept or understand due to our own limitations. When we have trouble with Scripture, the problem is always ourselves, not God’s Word.

Thought: How wonderful to have a Bible, which unlike any other book, never needs correction nor revision.
Prayer: Deliver me from evil, O Lord, when I am tempted to rationalise my doubts by twisting Your words.