Peter makes a strong statement about turning away from the holy commandment.

“For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment* delivered to them.” (2 Peter 2:21) *The word commandment does not imply just one command. See Deuteronomy 8:1-6 and 11:8.

“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, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires.” (2 Peter 3:1-3)

Peter pointed out that it is possible to misunderstand Paul’s writings and be “carried away with the error of lawless people”. 

“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, 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. 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.” (2 Peter 3:15-17)

Since no other Biblical author ever seems to be saying God’s law should not be kept, this should lead us to consider carefully the context of Paul’s letters. We will look at often misunderstood passages in coming pages. Spoiler alert: When kept in context, Paul never backs off of obeying all of God’s law and teaching that it is the way and standard of righteousness. When he appears to be saying otherwise, it is in the context of correcting misuse of the law.