Introduction
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 October 2025
Summary
While Christians may believe that all Scripture is useful (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16), not all Scripture is equally used. 2 Peter may seem an insignificant addition to the New Testament corpus, and has the most checkered past of any work in the New Testament. Belonging to the “catholic epistles,” which themselves are often neglected, 2 Peter was a letter heavily disputed in regard to its authenticity and canonical status. Its debated status in the early church led to it being one of the last documents agreed upon in the New Testament canon, and misgivings continue into the present day. This chapter assesses the evidence and arguments for and against the authenticity of 2 Peter, and challenges its common identification as a letter-testament. The chapter then addresses the historical and cultural elements of the letter and offers a framework for reading the epistle through a combination of key critical methodologies.
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- 2 Peter , pp. 1 - 54Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
References
Suggested Readings
Bauckham, Richard J. Jude, 2 Peter. Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 50. Waco: Word Books, 1983.Google Scholar
Davids, Peter H. The Letters of 2 Peter and Jude. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frey, Jörg. The Letter of Jude and the Second Letter of Peter: A Theological Commentary. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2018.Google Scholar
Green, Gene L. Jude and 2 Peter. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2008.Google Scholar
Neyrey, Jerome H. 2 Peter, Jude: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. The Anchor Yale Bible, vol. 37C. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993.Google Scholar
Watson, Duane Frederick. Invention, Arrangement, and Style: Rhetorical Criticism of Jude and 2 Peter. SBL Dissertation Series, 104. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1988.Google Scholar
WitheringtonIII, Ben. Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on 1–2 Peter, vol. 2. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2007.Google Scholar
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