The apostle Paul could teach the full counsel of God because he was given the full counsel of God. Unlike Peter and the eleven and all Jewish writers before Paul, it was Paul alone who was given the full counsel of God (Acts 20:27; Ephesians 3:1-11).
Peter wrote, more like pleaded with his readers that they must go to Paul’s epistles for the things regarding salvation. These are Peter’s last Holy Spirit-inspired words he would write before he was martyred.
‘and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things (What things? Salvation!), in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. You, therefore, beloved, since you know this (Know what? What he is telling his readers to do and where to go for salvation!) beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; ‘
II Peter 3:15-17
Why not admonish his readers to refer back to the sermon on the mount? Or refer back to the Lord’s earthly ministry? “Regarding Salvation”. Remember, these are the apostle Peter’s very last words he would write before he is martyred and his Holy Spirit admonishment is to read Paul’s letters for salvation.
This is in no way a suggestion just to read Paul’s epistles and forget the rest of the Bible. NO WAY! Peter isn’t suggesting that nor does any other author of Scripture. I believe that we should study all Scripture to exhaustion. But what the apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 3:15-17 couldn’t be more clear. If you seek salvation you must read Paul’s letters. And if you don’t understand Paul’s epistles don’t try twisting them to fit your theology or you are doomed.
The Answer to the Question Why Did Peter say Read Paul’s Epistles?
First, the apostle Peter writes his last letter, 2 Peter sometime around 67-68 AD. This is 17 years after the Jerusalem council (51AD), and the Jerusalem council is crucial to why Peter writes what he did in 2 Peter 3:15-17. The Jerusalem council is where God revealed to the apostle Paul to go up to Jerusalem and explain to Peter and the leaders of the Jerusalem church how things would be moving forward. What things specifically? That salvation was for both Jew and Gentile by faith alone in the finished work of the cross apart from practicing the law and temple worship. And it was the apostle Peter who stood up during this council and said this:
‘But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”’
Acts 15:11
Peter didn’t stand up and tell Paul to take a hike. No one at the Jerusalem council told Paul to get out of here with these new revelations. Not one of the Church elders said we’ve been practicing the Mosaic law for 1500 years so thank you Paul but you can leave now. Why? Because they all recognized that Paul had been given new revelations from the ascended and glorified Lord Himself. But it was incredibly hard for Peter and the others of the Jerusalem church to just drop their Judaism (understandably). As we see Peter not long after the Jerusalem council has fallen back under the law and it is the apostle Paul that confronts Peter to his face, upbraided Peter and all that were doing the same.
‘Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I (Paul) withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him (Peter), so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I (this is Paul speaking to Peter) said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. “But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not! For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor. For I through the law died to the law that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”’
Galatians 2:11-21
Wow! Today, we would say ‘he really told him off, and Holy Spirit inspired to boot!
From the time of the Jerusalem council and Peter’s last letter (about 17 years), he came to understand (remembering what was revealed to him by Paul at the Jerusalem council) that the law was fulfilled at the cross and there was no need to practice the law or temple worship. So after Peter’s great ministry with the Lord and through the early chapters of the book of Acts, after witnessing and performing countless miracles, witnessing the incarnation, walking with the resurrected Lord, and witnessing His ascension. The apostle Peter’s last epistle and last words admonish his readers to read Paul’s epistles for things regarding salvation.
Please take more than a moment and meditate on this truth.
100% Unashamed of the gospel of grace.
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