2 PETER 3:16, Wresting the Scriptures,
By Elder Adam Green
“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 Pet. 3.16).
What does it mean to “wrest” the Scriptures? In order to understand this, we must first establish the relationship between Scripture and doctrine. Paul said that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine.” We get our doctrine from the Scriptures.
The articles of faith of a church show what that church believes the Scriptures teach. By reading the Bible and comparing Scripture with Scripture, we distill from the Bible what its teachings are on the fundamental points of doctrine. Doctrine, then, comes from Scripture. We learn what sound doctrine is by reading the Bible. We should derive God’s doctrine from the Bible; we should not attempt to inject our doctrine into the Bible.
To wrest something is to twist it. To wrest the Scriptures is to twist or turn them from the meaning that really is in them to that which someone would like to make it appear is in them. Wicked men sometimes wrest the Scriptures. They have done that in order to gain control over others, to rule them by fear and ignorance.
Often, however, good men also wrest the Scriptures. Perhaps we all do it at times. Peter did not characterize the men he mentioned in our text as wicked men, but as unlearned and unstable men. When a man – even a good man – believes strongly about some religious principle, he may feel so strongly about it that he may take texts from the Bible and twist their correct meaning in order to make it appear that they support what he thinks the Bible means, even without realizing it or intending to do so. Bad men may do this maliciously, and good men may sometimes do it ignorantly or through the weakness of the flesh.
Whatever our religious opinions, we need to let the Bible say what it says. We need to learn what God was teaching in His word. When we start with our own preconceived ideas and try to make the Bible fit our ideas, instead of honestly allowing the Bible to teach what it does teach, then we are wresting or twisting the Scriptures to fit our own ideas. This is what Peter is teaching us to avoid.
We need to let the Bible say what it says. When we begin to twist the Bible to fit our own ideas, we are on very dangerous ground. We do not need to be afraid of what the Bible says, for it is always right. If we disagree with the Bible, then we are wrong, purely and simply. If we contradict the Bible, then we are wrong. If we disagree with the Bible, then we need to change our views.
I believe that the Scriptures teach what Old Baptists have preached. If I did not believe that, I would not be an Old Baptist. I believe that what the Old Baptists have taught is right and I have no fear of having to change my mind about that. We may be sure, however, that if we were to begin twisting what the Bible says to fit our theories, then we would be wrong. There is no escaping that fact.