The Authority of Paul's Epistles

Periodically I encounter resistance against the authority of the Apostle Paul’s epistles. This resistance comes primarily from educated people with college degrees—usually from Adventist schools. The context for this resistance is usually my quoting the clear passages on law in Paul’s writings. For example, the books of Galatians, Colossians, and Romans explain that in the New Covenant, the law is no longer our standard of righteousness and practice. In order to avoid the implication of these statements of Paul’s, people remind me that even Peter had problems with Paul’s writings and quote, “in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort.” They conclude that because I use Paul’s writings to explain that the law ended with the inauguration of the New Covenant, I am one who is misunderstanding Paul and distorting the gospel. Several have even said they think Paul did not clearly understand the teachings of Christ, and his writings on law, therefore, cannot be taken at face value and are less reliable than the rest of the Bible. 

What about these charges? Can the writings of Paul be trusted? First, let us look at what Peter said about Paul in context.

“Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction (2 Peter:3:14-16 [14] Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. [15] 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; [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.
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Note three things here. First, Peter calls Paul “beloved”. Peter, the one who “presided” at Pentecost in Acts 2, who oversaw the Samaritans receiving the Holy Spirit in Acts 8, and who preached the gospel to Cornelius’ household and witnessed the first Gentiles receiving the Holy Spirit in Acts 11—this same Peter whom God appointed to “launch” the church would not have called Paul “beloved” if he were teaching another or a distorted gospel. Second, Peter says that Paul wrote “according to the wisdom given him.” Peter clearly believed and stated that Paul received his wisdom from God. Again, Peter would not have endorsed Paul’s revealed wisdom if Paul were “off” in his teachings. Third, Peter says that some who are “unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures”. Peter includes Paul’s writings and lists them with “the rest of the Scriptures.” Furthermore, Peter ends this passage by saying that those who distort Paul’s writings as they distort the rest of Scripture do so “to their own destruction.” 

Far from diminishing the authority of Paul’s writings, this passage from 2 Peter, therefore, clearly endorses them as part of Scripture!

It is my settled conclusion that no honest student of Scripture can in any way diminish the Scriptural authority of Paul’s teachings. To do so one must discredit Luke’s accounts of God’s apostolic appointment of Paul in the book of Acts. Deductively, if one considers the book of Acts to be in question, then one must also discard the book of Luke written by the same author. As you think about the evidence of Paul’s inspiration, remember also that Peter, the leader of the disciples’ group when Christ was on earth, endorsed Paul’s writings as written with the wisdom of God and saw his writings as part of Scripture. 

—Dale Ratzlaff(1936–2024, Former Adventist Pastor, Evangelical pastor and Founder, Life Assurance Ministries).