Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
2 Peter 1:1
Asking who wrote 2 Peter might seem like a silly question. However, Petrine authorship has been debated for centuries.
Interestingly, no one questions that Peter wrote the first letter. But many think he didn’t write the second.
Why do some think Peter isn’t the author, and do they have a point? Or is it more likely that he wrote the letter that bears his name?
Let’s find out.
Table of Contents
Why Some Doubt Peter is the Author
In the very first verse of 2 Peter, the author identifies himself as Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. In 1:14, he claims that his death is near, and in 1:16-18, he says he witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration.
So, if the author wasn’t really the apostle Peter, whoever wrote it is lying and deceptive. It seems unlikely that a letter warning of false teachers would claim to be written by Peter but instead have been written by someone else.
Furthermore, this letter wouldn’t have made it into the canon of Scripture without apostolic authority.
Still, almost all non-evangelical scholars, and some who identify as evangelicals, claim Peter didn’t write the letter.
Here are three reasons:
1) 2 Peter uses Jude as a source. Since Jude was written after Peter died, Peter couldn’t have written the letter. Also, Peter wouldn’t borrow from a writer like Jude.
2) 1 & 2 Peter have stylistic differences and couldn’t have been written by the same person. Since everyone agrees that Peter wrote the first letter, someone else must have written the second one.
3) 2 Peter recognizes Paul’s letters as Scripture, but Paul’s letters weren’t compiled until after Peter’s death.
Are any of these reasons evidence that Peter was not the author, or can the objections be logically overcome when looked at more closely?
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Did 2 Peter Use Jude as a Source?
There is no doubt that 2 Peter 2 and Jude 1:4-18 are similar in their message and wording. But to say that Peter wouldn’t have used Jude as a source is unwarranted.
It’s true that Jude was most likely written after Peter died, but that only means that Jude borrowed from Peter, not that someone else wrote the second letter.
Scholars in the early church thought Peter was the author. They believed that 2 Peter was written before Jude and that Jude borrowed from Peter.
However, as early as the third century, Origen said there was some doubt concerning whether Peter was the author, though he himself seemed to accept the second letter as authoritative.
Furthermore, German higher criticism convinced many modern scholars that Peter was not the author for the reasons above.
Even if Jude wrote his letter first, there is no reason that Peter wouldn’t have borrowed from him. What if Peter thought Jude’s warning (Jude 1:4-18) needed to be reemphasized by his own apostolic authority?
Scholars date 2 Peter between AD 64-68 and Jude AD 67-80. So, as you can see, it’s unclear which letter was written first or who used who as a source.
It’s best to look at the letter itself, which claims that “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (1:1) was its author.
Do 1 & 2 Peter Have Different Styles?
Yes, the styles of the two letters are indeed different. But what does that really prove?
Using a scribe for one or both of the letters could explain the differences in style.
Or it’s possible that Peter changed his style to reflect his readers’ situations, similar to what Paul did in Athens (Acts 17:16-34).
For this reason, having a different style does not mean 2 Peter had to have been written by someone else.
Had Paul Written Any Letters Before Peter Died?
Paul wrote thirteen books, and all before Peter was martyred.
However, 2 Peter 3:16 doesn’t necessarily refer to all thirteen of Paul’s letters, only those written up to that time or the letters Peter knew about.
It certainly doesn’t mean all of Paul’s letters had to be collected and considered canonical for Peter to write what he did.
Peter obviously would have been familiar with some of Paul’s letters and believed them to be authoritative.
Final Thoughts
There is no evidence that Peter did not write this second letter. In fact, he says he did.
However, biblical scholars have debated its authenticity for centuries. But there is a logical explanation for every reason a scholar gives for why it wasn’t Peter.
Furthermore, most evangelical scholars say that Peter is the author based on the letter itself and Peter’s claims in the letter.
Besides Peter introducing himself as the author (1:1), He also says Jesus predicted his death (1:14), which He did (Jn 21:18-19), and which happened in AD 67 or 68.
Lastly, Peter says he was an eyewitness Of Christ’s majesty (1:16-18), a reference to the transfiguration (Matt 17:1-8). As you can see from the account, Peter was there.
Additionally, if Peter is not the author, whoever is, is lying and guilty of deception.
So, who do you think wrote 2 Peter?
Sources:
Walvoord, John F. & Zuck, Roy B. The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1986.
CSB Apologetics Study Bible, Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, TN, 2017.
The Ryrie Study Bible (NASB), Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1978.