Is 2 Peter 3:16 a blanket endorsement of Paul, a partial endorsement, or a veiled warning?

Question

Within the context of 14-18

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Q: What, if any, significance is conveyed by the appellative "our beloved brother Paul?"
Q: What wisdom is given to Paul?
Q: What are "these matters" Paul speaks of?
Q: What things are hard to understand?
Q: Who is ignorant and unstable?
Q: From the statement "knowing this beforehand," what "this" do we know?
Q: What is the error of lawless people?
Q: Is parsing this passage so granularly an example of twisting things to our destruction, i.e, is self-awareness dead?
Q: Does the remainder of the chapter 3 (or the first two chapters) provide additional context for understanding the final words in verses 14 to 18?

Chapter 3

1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Answer 1

This answer is from a broadly evangelical Protestant source. However, only the main question is being answered, as the other nine questions read as if they have been copied from a study-booklet on the second letter of Peter. Pardon me if I am mistaken, but I've got various study-booklets on books of the Bible, and I really thought I was reading just what one of those would list. Also, this site asks for just one question to be posted at a time.

This second letter of Peter was probably written between 65 to 68 A.D., before all of what we call the New Testament writings were completed. There were various letters and gospel accounts distributed to the growing congregations of Christians. As Paul was martyred around the same time as Peter, this lets us know that the Christians then had all of Paul's writings available, plus all of the Hebrew scriptures, which were the "other scriptures" Peter meant. Here is what one Bible commentary says, starting with verse 15, to give context, then going on to verse 16, the verse you ask about:

"our dear brother Paul - Peter expresses warmth in his reference to Paul. The unity of teaching and purpose that governed their relationship, abundantly attested in Paul's letters and the book of Acts, is confirmed here by Peter...

writes the same way in all his letters - Peter may be referring in general to the exhortations to holy living in verses 11-14, [which you quote at the end] which parallel many passages in Paul's writings.

ignorant and unstable people - The ignorant are simply the unlearned who have not been taught basic apostolic teaching and thus may be easily led astray (cf. 2:14).

other scriptures - Peter placed Paul's writings on the same level of authority as the God-breathed writings of the Old Testament (see 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16)." New International Study Bible, 1987 edition. pp. 1863-4

It is worth adding that Galatians 2:1-10 shows how Paul was accepted, and accredited, by the other apostles. This means the answer being offered here is that there were no reservations either from Peter or any of the other apostles, as to total acceptance of him as an apostle, and of all of his writings.

Answer 2

The context of 2 Peter 3:16 is about “the day of the Lord”. It comes as a thief in the night. It brings about the end of the earth with works therein (v 10).

So, how should we live? All these things, the works mentioned in verse 10, are burnt up. Nonetheless, we should hasten the day of God (v 12). But we people believers, according to promise, look for new heavens and earth (v 13).

What promise?

For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Isa 65:17

Therefore, be diligent. Be found of Him, in peace, without spot, or remorse (v 14).

Instead, what were they doing? Grumbling.

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 2 Peter 3:4

What was Paul’s answer? The same as Peter’s.

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; 2 Peter 3:15

The Lord is patient, so too you should be. The point here is that both Jew and Gentile are in view unto salvation. The NT as promised has come; the Old is fading away (Heb 8:13).

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.

Peter gives the naysayers a nod. Yep, Paul is hard to understand, unless

That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 2 Peter 3:2

Peter asserts that the commandment of the apostles is the same as the words of the prophets. Hence, he asserts that both are scripture.

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 3:16

Those who learn apart from the OT prophets and NT apostles (Eph 2:20) may fall away.

So, to answer the OP question is 2 Peter 3:16 a blanket endorsement from Peter about Paul? Absolutely yes.

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Q: What, if any, significance is conveyed by the appellative "our beloved brother Paul?" TO establish the equality between OT prophets and NT apostles (words of God).

Q: What wisdom is given to Paul? To understand the change, the original plan is back into effect.

Q: What are "these matters" Paul speaks of? Day of the Lord

Q: What things are hard to understand? Equality, Day of the Lord, covenants

Q: Who is ignorant and unstable? Those who will not accept all of the Lord's council (words).

Q: From the statement "knowing this beforehand," what "this" do we know? OT prophecy

Q: What is the error of lawless people? Failing to believe and follow the NT and/or local/nation law

Q: Is parsing this passage so granularly an example of twisting things to our destruction, i.e, is self-awareness dead? No

Q: Does the remainder of the chapter 3 (or the first two chapters) provide additional context for understanding the final words in verses 14 to 18? Yes, noted in answer above

Answer 3

This is the critical statement:

¹⁶ … There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures.

"hard to understand" is a translation of the Greek word "dysnoētos".
"dys-" is a "prefix conveying the idea of difficulty, opposition, injuriousness or the like, and corresponding to our mis-, un-".
So rather than "hard to understand", Peter could have meant "misunderstood".

Either way, this is almost certainly related to what appears to be, but isn't, a disagreement between Paul and James, regarding faith and grace versus works.
E.g.:

• Paul: "not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace" (2 Timothy 1:9).
• James: "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20).

Some "ignorant and unstable" people believe Paul taught that only faith counts, whilst others believe that James taught that only works count.

In these and other scriptures:

• Paul attacks those that misrepresent James.
• James attacks those that misrepresent Paul.

Superficially it appears to be a disagreement, but in fact both men are in total agreement.

Peter goes on to say:

¹⁷ You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

Notice that he also refers to these "ignorant and unstable" people as "lawless people". These specific people would be those that incorrectly take Paul's writing as meaning that God's law is no longer in effect. They ignore Paul's other statements, such as Romans 6:15:

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

Peter was not being sarcastic or ironic; he sincerely meant what he said.