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Epistle of Peter to James

Pseudonymous letter writer

Chapter 2

About this work

Author: Pseudonymous letter writer

Chapter II.—Misrepresentation of Peter’s Doctrine.

In order, therefore, that the like may also happen to

‹ Chapter 1 Chapter 3 ›

those

among

us

as

to

these

Seventy

,

give

the

books

of

my

preachings

to

our

brethren

,

with

the

like

mystery

of

initiation

,

that

they

may

indoctrinate

those

who

wish

to

take

part

in

teaching

;

for

if

it

be

not

so

done

,

our

word

of

truth

will

be

rent

into

many

opinions

.

And

this

I

know

,

not

as

being

a

prophet

,

but

as

already

seeing

the

beginning

of

this

very

evil

.

For

some

from

among

the

Gentiles

have

rejected

my

legal

preaching

,

attaching

themselves

to

certain

lawless

and

trifling

preaching

of

the

man

who

is

my

enemy

.

And

these

things

some

have

attempted

while

I

am

still

alive

,

to

transform

my

words

by

certain

various

interpretations

,

in

order

to

the

dissolution

of

the

law

;

as

though

I

also

myself

were

of

such

a

mind

,

but

did

not

freely

proclaim

it

,

which

God

forbid

!

For

such

a

thing

were

to

act

in

opposition

to

the

law

of

God

which

was

spoken

by

Moses

,

and

was

borne

witness

to

by

our

Lord

in

respect

of

its

eternal

continuance

;

for

thus

he

spoke

:

“

The

heavens

and

the

earth

shall

pass

away

,

but

one

jot

or

one

tittle

shall

in

no

wise

pass

from

the

law

.

”

And

this

He

has

said

,

that

all

things

might

come

to

pass

.

But

these

men

,

professing

,

I

know

not

how

,

to

know

my

mind

,

undertake

to

explain

my

words

,

which

they

have

heard

of

me

,

more

intelligently

than

I

who

spoke

them

,

telling

their

catechumens

that

this

is

my

meaning

,

which

indeed

I

never

thought

of

.

But

if

,

while

I

am

still

alive

,

they

dare

thus

to

misrepresent

me

,

how

much

more

will

those

who

shall

come

after

me

dare

to

do

so

!

Notes

1
[This is one of the strongest anti-Pauline insinuations in the entire literature.—R.]
2
Matt. v. 18; comp. Matt. xxiv. 35; Mark xiii. 31; Luke xxii. 33. [This is a fair specimen of the loose method of Scripture citation characteristic of the Clementine literature. Sometimes the meaning is perverted.—R.]