Andreas of Caesarea : This is a reference to what Paul said when he wrote: "Do you not know that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?" — CATENA Augustine of Hippo : Peter, in his second epistle, urged us to holiness in living and character, declaring that this world would pass. New heavens and a new earth are expected which will be given to the just to inhabit.… Some people had used certain obscure passages from Paul's writings in order to excuse their lack of concern to live well, on the ground that they were secure in their salvation. Peter was saying that some of the things which Paul said are hard to understand and that these people were twisting them to their own ruin. — ON FAITH AND WORKS 14.22 Bede : And consider that the patience of our Lord is for salvation. Do not think that the Lord delays his promise, but understand that he is patiently waiting for this reason, that more might be saved. — Commentary on the Catholic Epistles Bede : Just as our most beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him. He recalls that Paul wrote to them, because even if Paul wrote to certain churches specifically, it is proven that he wrote generally to all the churches that are throughout the world, and which make up the one catholic church. And it should be noted that here Peter praises the wisdom of Paul, while Paul himself says about himself: "For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God" (1 Cor. 15). Behold, Paul humbles himself, remembering his former unbelief, and prefers the innocence of the other apostles. Behold, the foremost of the apostles, as if forgetting his primacy and the keys of the kingdom given to him, marvels at the wisdom given to Paul. Because it is indeed the custom of the elect to admire the virtues of others more than their own, through which they incite themselves to progress. Likewise, it should be noted that Paul says in his Epistles: "But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned" (Gal. 2). Therefore, Paul reproves Peter in his Epistles, and yet Peter himself, rereading those epistles, judges them worthy of praise. Because indeed, that very thing in which he found himself deservedly reproved, he did not scorn as an injury, but gratefully accepted as a duty of devotion. Such mutual conduct is known not to just any mortals, but only to those who have learned from the Lord to be meek and humble of heart, who know how to honor one another surpassingly. — Commentary on the Catholic Epistles Gregory the Dialogist : The same first of the apostles, when he was admonishing his disciples about many things and recognized that some were disparaging Paul's writings, says: "Just as our most dear brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given to him, speaking in them about these matters in which there are certain things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and unstable distort, as they do the other scriptures, to their own destruction." Behold, Paul wrote in his Epistles that Peter was reprehensible, and behold, Peter asserts in his Epistles that Paul was to be admired in what he had written. For certainly unless Peter had read Paul's Epistles, he would not have praised them. But if he read them, he found that he himself was called reprehensible there. Therefore the friend of truth praised even that by which he was reproved, and this very thing pleased him, because in those matters he had not pleased in which he had thought otherwise than he ought. — Homilies on Ezekiel, Book 2, Homily 6 Hilary of Arles : Note that Paul wrote to them not according to the wisdom which he possessed but according to the wisdom which was given to him specifically for that purpose. — INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 2 PETER Oecumenius : Just as our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, speaking in almost all his letters about these things: among which are some things hard to understand, which the unlearned and unstable distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. "Just as our beloved brother Paul," And where did Paul say anything of this sort? In these words when he says: "The goodness of God invites you to repentance." (Rom. 2:4) If the patience of God invites to repentance, then repentance is certainly beneficial for us, and the patience of God is for our benefit and salvation. However, he says that the things hard to understand are interpreted by the wicked in a perverse way; for this means to be twisted, and to demonstrate the whole matter from one point, as Paul said, "Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more," (Rom. 5:20) they perverted this to mean that we sin more so that we may be forgiven more abundantly. However, they do this, he says, to their own destruction. Just as those who killed the prophets and apostles are liable to the same judgment, so too are those who distort their words: for those killed them so that those who were being taught salvation by them could not be helped by them; and likewise, these distort the words so that no one may work salvation through them. — Commentary on 2 Peter Polycarp of Smyrna : These things, brethren, I write to you concerning righteousness, not because I take anything upon myself, but because ye have invited me to do so. For neither I, nor any other such one, can come up to the wisdom of the blessed and glorified Paul. He, when among you, accurately and stedfastly taught the word of truth in the presence of those who were then alive. And when absent from you, he wrote you a letter, which, if you carefully study, you will find to be the means of building you up in that faith which has been given you, and which, being followed by hope, and preceded by love towards God, and Christ, and our neighbour, "is the mother of us all." For if any one be inwardly possessed of these graces, he hath fulfilled the command of righteousness, since he that hath love is far from all sin. — Epistle to the Philippians 3