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What does "unstable" mean in 2 Peter 3:16?



      

2 Peter 3:16

NIV - 16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

Clarify (1) Share Report Asked May 08 2013 Mini Martha Moyer Supporter

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Stringio Colin Wong Supporter Founder, eBible.com
The word comes from the Greek term "asteriktos" which in this context means "unfixed", "vacillating". Most likely meaning folks who are fickle-minded.

May 08 2013 1 response Vote Up Share Report


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Mini Kevin O'Donnell Learn More'>Supporter
I agree with Colin but wish to add that this weakness can be due to a lack of solid scriptural understanding  and meditation. I also  apply to young people to this word for we also see in 2 Peter 2, willful predators preying on the unstable.

May 08 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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1352402783 Jean Atty Supporter Disciples or Jesus-Christ followers
Unstable here would mean not being firm in your service to God. It targets people with faith that goes with their emotions and daily occurrences. I would say shallow faith Christians who based their faith and understanding on their own intelligence, they are inconsistent people who cannot discernment from a real and true teaching of the gospel and some other human teaching without any influence of the Holy Spirit. There are those people who would look at a mirror and when the turn away forgot who they are or what they look like. (2Cor.3;14-18). A quick reading and meditation of James1:1-8 can also help understanding that word "unstable".

May 08 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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1331603282 Adrien Coleman Supporter {Son of a KING}
You're uncertain not stable in all your ways of thinking you can't make any decisions and keep it.When a strong wind comes you're toss to and from not knowing what to do.You've no solid foundation can easily be moved.

May 09 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Bush2 EL Mohel Castorena Supporter EL Mohel
James 1:8  	
A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.
A non committed heart and mind makes for a very clumsy walk.
Not knowing right from wrong.

May 09 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Mini Tim Beeker Supporter
What he speaks of can be seen in both Is. 4:1 and 8:20 and many associated passages.  Is. 4:1 speaks to those who do things their own way, with having an appearance of righteousness. 8:20 speaks to those things which we must study, in order not to be like those in 4:1.

August 14 2013 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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My picture Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church
According to the Strong's Concordance, the word is 
astériktos: unstable, unsettled
Original Word: ἀστήρικτος, ον
Part of Speech: Adjective
Transliteration: astériktos
Phonetic Spelling: (as-tay'-rik-tos)
Definition: unstable, unsettled
Usage: (lit: unpropped), unsteady, unstable, unsettled.

793 astḗriktos (an adjective, derived from A "not" (A – alpha, the first letter of the Greek alphabet. A (alpha) is used as a prefix (called its "privative use") and typically means "no" or "not" (= "un-," "without").
[Greek words, whose first letter (of the root) is alpha, can not take an "alpha-privative" to negate them, so the only way to express their "antithesis" is using a negative particle before them (e.g. mē, ou)])

and 4741 /stērízō "confirm") – properly, not established (unstable), describing someone who (literally) does not have a staff to lean on – hence, a person who can not be relied on because they are not steady (do not remain fixed, i.e. unstable).

As far as I can tell, the word "unstable," only occurs twice in the New Testament, here (2 Peter 3:16 and 2 Peter 2:14). And according to Thayer's Greek Lexicon (a good one) the term means "unstable" or "unsteadfast."

July 13 2021 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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