“There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction…” — 2 Peter 3:16
God’s Word is not something we get to bend, reshape, or use to fit whatever we already want to believe. The Bible warns us that there will be people who take truth and twist it—sometimes to sound smart, sometimes to gain followers, sometimes to excuse sin, and sometimes simply because they do not want to hear what God has actually said (2 Timothy 4:3–4; 2 Peter 3:16).
Paul said a time would come when people would not put up with sound teaching. Instead, they would look for teachers who tell them what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3–4). In everyday words, that means people can become more interested in a message that feels good than a message that is true. They want their ears scratched, not their hearts corrected.
Peter also warned that some people twist hard parts of Scripture to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:16). That is serious. It means twisting God’s Word is not a small mistake or harmless opinion. When someone changes the meaning of Scripture to fit their own desires, they are not just misleading others—they are putting themselves in danger too.
The Bible tells us to watch out for people who cause division and teach things that go against the truth we have been taught (Romans 16:17–20). Not everyone who sounds spiritual is actually speaking for God. Some people use smooth words, flattery, religious language, and emotional messages to pull people away from the truth. The danger is that deception often does not look evil at first. It can look helpful, loving, wise, or even holy.
That is why we must be careful. Satan himself is described as disguising himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14–15). In other words, lies do not always come wearing a warning label. False teaching can sound peaceful, popular, or inspirational while quietly leading people away from obedience to God (1 Timothy 4:1).
Twisting God’s Word can happen in many ways. It happens when someone adds to what God said, takes away from what God said, explains away what God said, or uses one verse while ignoring the rest of Scripture (Revelation 22:18–19). It also happens when people call evil good and good evil—when they try to make sin sound righteous or make obedience sound hateful (Isaiah 5:20).
Jesus confronted religious leaders who knew the words but did not live the truth. They preached, but they did not practice. They placed heavy burdens on others while protecting their own pride (Matthew 23:1–39). That reminds us that knowing Bible language is not the same as having a heart submitted to God.
So what should we do? We should love the truth more than comfort. We should test every teaching by Scripture, not by popularity, personality, emotion, or tradition. We should be humble enough to let God correct us. And we should avoid teachers who distort the gospel, stir up confusion, or use faith as a way to gain money, power, attention, or control (Galatians 1:6–9; 1 Timothy 6:3–5; Romans 16:17–20).
The gospel does not need to be edited. God’s Word does not need our improvements. Our job is not to make Scripture agree with us. Our job is to bring our hearts, minds, beliefs, and lives under the authority of Scripture (Galatians 1:6–9; Revelation 22:18–19).
Summary: The Bible warns that twisting God’s Word is dangerous because it leads people away from truth and into deception. We are called to listen to sound teaching, test every message by Scripture, reject anything that distorts the gospel, and let God’s Word correct us instead of trying to make it fit our own desires.
Simple reminder: If a teaching makes you love sin more, obey God less, ignore truth, excuse pride, reject correction, or follow a person more than Christ, be careful. God’s Word is meant to lead us into truth, not be twisted to protect our desires (2 Timothy 4:3–4; 2 Peter 3:16; 1 Timothy 4:1).
Closing reflection: Lord, help us to handle Your Word with humility, honesty, and reverence. Give us ears that want truth, not just comfort. Teach us to recognize deception, reject false teaching, and stay anchored in the gospel of Jesus Christ. May we never twist Your Word to fit our desires, but instead allow Your Word to shape our hearts and lives.
Minister A Francine Green I June 2026