2 Peter 3:16 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.
First, please note that he said that those who twist the scriptures do so to their own destruction. When one writes about false teachers, false doctrine, and actually name the false teachers of doctrine, the ignorant and unstable become upset with it. They fire angry emails and comments, asking what any of us have done lately for the Lord. They charge one with failing to pray for these misguided souls. They claim the false teachers are just making a temporary mistake and all will come out right in the end if we but have patience and love. They don't like us giving the wayward soul rug burn on their feet. Instead, we should just leave them to their delusions, and just pray for them. Discussion is argument, after all...
Not so. We should be concerned about those who twist scripture into tangled masses of unrecognizable heaps of text.
2 Peter 2:1-3 KJV] 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Forums are a great place where we can speak what we think is truth, and others may challenge our statements and usage of scripture, and open up avenues by which we can work collectively toward an understanding of the truth. When one enters into a teaching situation over others, and with error, far too many people don't take that seriously enough. John MacArthur once said, "It has been said that by distorting the scriptures, the false teachers were simultaneously securing their own destruction, (cf. 2:2, 3-12, 3:7; Jude 10, 13; Rev 22:18-19) as well as the spiritual demise of their followers. That’s why Peter warns his beloved readers beforehand, so that they might be on their guard against the error of such unprincipled men (Phil 3:2; 1 Tim 4:1-7, 6:20-21; 2 Tim 2:15-19; Titus 1:16, 3:10)."
Here is John MacArthur defining spiritualization/allegorization: "What do you mean spiritualize or allegorize? Well, you use Scripture like some kind of story and make it mean whatever you want."
Here is Matt Slick defining allegorization: "o allegorize means to use a symbol as representing a more complex idea."
MacArthur, again, "Third, don’t spiritualize the straightforward meaning of a Bible verse. The first sermon I ever preached was a horrible sermon. My text was “An angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone” (Matthew 28:2). My sermon was “Rolling Away Stones in Your Life.” I talked about the stone of doubt, the stone of fear, and the stone of anger. That is not what that verse is talking about; it’s talking about a real stone. I made it into a terrific allegory at the expense of its plain meaning. On another occasion I heard a sermon on “they cast four anchors…and wished for the day” (Acts 27:29 KJV); the anchor of hope, the anchor of faith, and so on. Those Acts 27 anchors were not anchors of anything but metal. … Don’t spiritualize the Bible; study it to gain the right meaning."
The Bible does have some allegories within it that can be explained as they are. There’s –
I welcome your thoughts.
MM
First, please note that he said that those who twist the scriptures do so to their own destruction. When one writes about false teachers, false doctrine, and actually name the false teachers of doctrine, the ignorant and unstable become upset with it. They fire angry emails and comments, asking what any of us have done lately for the Lord. They charge one with failing to pray for these misguided souls. They claim the false teachers are just making a temporary mistake and all will come out right in the end if we but have patience and love. They don't like us giving the wayward soul rug burn on their feet. Instead, we should just leave them to their delusions, and just pray for them. Discussion is argument, after all...
Not so. We should be concerned about those who twist scripture into tangled masses of unrecognizable heaps of text.
2 Peter 2:1-3 KJV] 1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
Forums are a great place where we can speak what we think is truth, and others may challenge our statements and usage of scripture, and open up avenues by which we can work collectively toward an understanding of the truth. When one enters into a teaching situation over others, and with error, far too many people don't take that seriously enough. John MacArthur once said, "It has been said that by distorting the scriptures, the false teachers were simultaneously securing their own destruction, (cf. 2:2, 3-12, 3:7; Jude 10, 13; Rev 22:18-19) as well as the spiritual demise of their followers. That’s why Peter warns his beloved readers beforehand, so that they might be on their guard against the error of such unprincipled men (Phil 3:2; 1 Tim 4:1-7, 6:20-21; 2 Tim 2:15-19; Titus 1:16, 3:10)."
Here is John MacArthur defining spiritualization/allegorization: "What do you mean spiritualize or allegorize? Well, you use Scripture like some kind of story and make it mean whatever you want."
Here is Matt Slick defining allegorization: "o allegorize means to use a symbol as representing a more complex idea."
MacArthur, again, "Third, don’t spiritualize the straightforward meaning of a Bible verse. The first sermon I ever preached was a horrible sermon. My text was “An angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone” (Matthew 28:2). My sermon was “Rolling Away Stones in Your Life.” I talked about the stone of doubt, the stone of fear, and the stone of anger. That is not what that verse is talking about; it’s talking about a real stone. I made it into a terrific allegory at the expense of its plain meaning. On another occasion I heard a sermon on “they cast four anchors…and wished for the day” (Acts 27:29 KJV); the anchor of hope, the anchor of faith, and so on. Those Acts 27 anchors were not anchors of anything but metal. … Don’t spiritualize the Bible; study it to gain the right meaning."
The Bible does have some allegories within it that can be explained as they are. There’s –
- Nathan’s parable of the rich man who killed a poor man’s beloved pet lamb, 2 Samuel 12:1-4
- Jesus’ parables have a wide range of degrees of allegorical symbols, many of them explained in the text just after the recording of the parable itself.
- In Galatians 4:21-31 Paul uses the story of the children of Sarah (Isaac) and Hagar (Ishmael) and the images of Jerusalem above and Mount Sinai as a double allegory, which Paul then goes on to explicitly explain. “Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants…(v. 24)
I welcome your thoughts.
MM