Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. James 3:1

Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 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.

2 Peter 3:13-16 KJV

Peter is speaking here of our present as well as our future as believers, and he says that Paul speaks to us of these same things. About the future Peter speaks of new heavens and a new earth. These things are only part of our blessed hope. Paul speaks of other things, namely of resurrection which is for all the dead in Christ and of the accompanying catching up of those who are alive and remain on earth at the time of this resurrection of the dead who are in Christ. These things are also part of our blessed hope and pertain to our salvation.

But Peter also tells us that if we are looking for these things we should “be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” The implication here is that Paul also speaks of these things, and that especially those things that Paul speaks of concerning these things are twisted by unlearned and unstable men.

So what is it that we should take away from what Peter says here? We see every day men, who are considered to be learned and stable within their own theological structures, yet, who disagree as to the truth of what both Peter and Paul say on these things. The fact that they disagree in some way supports what Peter is saying, because someone has to be wrong when there is disagreement over truth. And being wrong over these things Peter says can lead to destruction. So just what does Peter mean here by destruction? — because we don’t see one side or the other of those, who disagree, destroyed in this life. Perhaps it would be good if we did, because then we would know which side was right and which was unlearned and unstable in God’s sight. So what does he mean by destruction?

James also states something very similar concerning straying from Truth or twisting scripture. He says:

My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20 NASB

Straying from Truth, is it no problem as most believe today to do so? — or is it the big deal that these two Apostles make it out to be? Let’s read this James passage again in the KJV.

Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

James 5:19-20 KJV

Same meaning? — right? Brethren who are among us turning from the truth? This truth that they have turned from must be the truth taught in scripture. I don’t know if you find it this way or not, but I find that today’s theologians prefer their own pet scriptures to the exclusion of certain others. Is this possibly what these Apostles are speaking of? If we cannot deal with all scriptures without twisting some, will it not be that the scriptures themselves will judge us?

And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

John 12:47-48 KJV

So we say, “Doesn’t this just apply to Jesus words?” I don’t know — does it? — or is it all of the word, since He is The Word?