Yes — twisting the Scriptures is spiritually fatal, for 2 Peter 3:16 says such people do it 'unto their own destruction.'
In 2 Peter 3:15–16, Peter warns that Paul's writings contain things that are hard to be understood, and unlearned and unstable people twist them — as they do the other Scriptures — to their own destruction. Les Feldick explains this danger is still happening today as people make Scripture fit what they think it should say, turning the gospel into another gospel and bringing God's anathema. The safeguard is to let each part of Scripture stay in its God-given place, especially when it comes to Paul's unique apostleship to the Gentiles.
2 Peter 3:15-16 — Peter explicitly warns that Paul's letters contain difficult matters that unlearned and unstable people wrest, as they do other Scriptures, to their own destruction — the very danger asked about.
The Bible's clearest warning on this subject comes in 2 Peter 3:15–16. Speaking of Paul's writings, Peter says: '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.' Paul himself faced this problem among the Galatians. Galatians 1:6–7 says, 'I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.' The perversion of the gospel was already a real danger in the first century. Galatians 2:11 also shows how even the apostle Peter had to be confronted on this point: 'But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.' The pressure to distort the grace message was real even among the apostles.
Les Feldick teaches that Peter's warning in 2 Peter 3 is being fulfilled constantly — people twist the Scriptures so that they fit what the twister thinks they should say, not what they actually say (Clip 2). He explains Peter's own struggle: Peter was steeped in Judaism and legalism, so he found Paul's teaching hard to grasp, especially the truth that he was no longer under the law and was free to eat with and converse with Gentiles (Clips 0, 3). Les notes that the last recorded encounter between Peter and Paul was a confrontation because of that very issue (Clip 0). Les also emphasizes the destructive outcome of twisting Scripture. When people twist Paul's writings, they make it another gospel, and the anathema of a righteous God rests on them — not only on the teacher, but on all those who listen to the twisted teaching (Clip 1). He defines a perversion as anything that has twisted the truth far enough off-center that it will mislead people, and he shows this happened in Galatia when people told believers they also had to keep the Mosaic Law (Clip 6). The safeguard, Les says, is to do what Peter told believers: get back to Paul's epistles, because that is where salvation is revealed for today (Clips 1, 5). Paul must not be treated as just another apostle, because he said of himself, 'I am the apostle of the Gentiles,' and he magnified that office (Clip 4).
Peter himself wrote that Paul's epistles contain 'some things hard to be understood' (2 Peter 3:16). Les Feldick says the reason was that Peter was steeped in Judaism and legalism, making it hard for him to step into the glory of God's grace (Clip 3). Les also points to the confrontation at Antioch, where Paul withstood Peter to the face because Peter could not recognize that he was no longer under the law and was free to eat with and converse with Gentiles (Clip 0).
The Bible says unlearned and unstable people twist Paul's writings — along with the other Scriptures — to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). Les Feldick says this has been happening ever since Peter wrote those words, with people making Scripture fit what they think it should say (Clip 2). He adds that when people twist Scripture, they make it another gospel, and the anathema of God rests on them. The sad part, Les says, is that it is not just their own destruction — the people listening to them are destroyed as well (Clip 1).
Les Feldick says the safeguard is to do what Peter told believers: get back to the writings of Paul (Clip 1). In Clip 5, Les explains that Peter points us to Paul's epistles for salvation — not to the Gospels, not to Christ's earthly ministry, and not to Pentecost. Les also warns that a perversion is anything that twists the truth off-center enough to mislead people (Clip 6), and he stresses that Paul's letters are the very bedrock of the Christian faith (Clip 7). Most importantly, Paul's unique role as the apostle of the Gentiles must be protected; Paul himself insisted, 'I am the apostle of the Gentiles,' and he magnified his office (Clip 4).
Peter's Law-Based Confusion
Les shows the last recorded encounter between Peter and Paul was a confrontation because Peter could not recognize he was free from the law and free to eat with and converse with Gentiles — illustrating exactly why Paul's writings were hard even for Peter.
Twisting Brings Destruction and Anathema
Les applies Peter's warning to today, explaining that twisted Scripture becomes another gospel, and the destruction falls both on the teacher and on those who listen.
Unlearned and Unstable Twisters
Les emphasizes that Peter wrote about people who twist the Scriptures, and that is exactly what has been happening ever since — people making Scripture fit what they think it should say.
Peter's Judaism and Legalism
Les explains that Peter's difficulty in understanding Paul came from being steeped in Judaism and legalism, which made it hard for him to step into the glory of God's grace.
Paul's Unique Apostleship
Les shows how subtle changes to a verse can change Paul's whole position, and that Paul insisted he was the apostle of the Gentiles and magnified his office.
Go to Paul's Epistles
Les makes Peter's instruction practical: for salvation today, do not go back to the Gospels or to Pentecost — go to Paul's epistles, which are still being twisted to people's destruction.
Perversion Defined
Les clarifies that a biblical perversion is anything that twists the truth off-center enough to mislead people, using the Galatian error as an example.
Paul's Letters Are Bedrock
Les notes that even though some people question whether Paul's letters should be in the Bible, they are the very bedrock of the Christian faith.
2 Peter 3:15-16: 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.
This is the central warning about the danger of twisting Scripture, directly stating that unlearned and unstable people wrest Paul's writings to their own destruction.
Galatians 1:6-7: I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
This shows that the danger of perverting the gospel was already present in Paul's day and is the root of what became 'another gospel.'
Galatians 2:11: But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
This illustrates the real-life pressure to distort the grace message, even affecting Peter, which Les uses to show why Paul's writings were hard for Peter to grasp.
Yes. Peter writes that unlearned and unstable people wrest Paul's epistles, along with the other Scriptures, 'unto their own destruction' (2 Peter 3:16). Les Feldick emphasizes that this destruction extends not only to the one doing the twisting but also to those who listen to the twisted teaching (Clip 1).
Les defines perversion as anything that has twisted the truth far enough off-center that it misleads people (Clip 6). He points to the Galatians as an example: someone came in telling them they also had to keep the Mosaic Law, and that was a perversion of the gospel of grace (Clip 6).
Les says Peter's instruction is to get back to the writings of Paul, because that is where salvation is revealed (Clips 1, 5). Paul must be recognized as the apostle of the Gentiles, and his letters are the bedrock of the Christian faith (Clips 4, 7).
Watch the Teaching: Why the Gospels Aren't for the Church — 2 Corinthians 5