Skeptics reject certain books of the Bible for one reason or another. Anytime someone questions the name of the authorship of a writing without any reason, this can only be done with prejudice. The common reason for rejecting a book of the Bible has always been a presumptuous position. There is not one scholar who rejects 2 Peter with any proof. This is not said to disregard their evidence with their opinion, but rather disregarding their opinion that is without proof. Someone cannot pick up a book, look at the name of the author, and accuse the author of forgery without slandering. Such skeptics bear false witness by bringing charges without any witnesses.

Such skeptics are disregarding that the Apostles oversaw the collection of the New Testament in the 1st century rather than the 4th century. The 1st century Apostolic oversight is presented by the Apostle Paul, who spoke of “Scripture” in 1 Timothy 5:18 quoting two passages one from Deuteronomy 25:4 in the Old Testament and the other from the Gospel of Luke 10:7 in the New Testament. Luke also mentioned previous written narratives by the Apostles in Luke 1:1-3 by which Luke explained that he was writing also. Therefore, the Apostolic Gospels were collected and overseen by the Apostles. In addition to this, the scriptures mentioned by the Apostle John, which were written by John and his fellow witnessing Apostles in 1 John 1:1-4. Such writings were read in the Assembly according to Colossians 4:16. These New Testament scriptures were a part of the “reading” that Timothy was told to give attention to in 1 Timothy 4:12-13. These new scriptures included what Timothy was reading from his “infancy” forward (2 Tim. 3:15). Paul wrote of these New Testament scriptures saying in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (ESV).

Clearly, the Apostles’ collection was foreseen to contain completion every good work. No honest scholar can disregard the collection that has been passed down.

The apostolic collection certainly did not consist of the 2nd c. writings of the falsely titled Gospel of Peter and the Apocalypse of Peter, which were rejected being written long after Peter’s death. On the other hand, 2 Peter was never rejected. Many accepted 2 Peter and some doubted the book like Origen in the 3rd c. and such too as noted by the 4th century historian Eusebius. Yet, this doubt is settled by the fact that an overseeing elder of the Church in Rome named Clement referred to 2 Peter 3:4 as “the scripture” in his letter to the Corinthians (23:3). Clement wrote His letter before the destruction of the temple in 70 AD (Clement 41:2). Clearly, Clement bears witness to the existence and character of the letter of 2 Peter showing that 2 Peter is authentic.

Second Peter is a very influential writing in its 3 chapters, and if the writer were a forger, then he would have had an agenda to forge a book before others who would try to do the same. Yet, 2 Peter offers exhortation to Christians who had been enduring persecution of the nations of Asia, Galatia, Pontus, Cappadocia, and Bithynia (2 Pet. 3:1 , 1 Pet. 1:1, 3:13-17, 4:12-19). Second Peter does not have any marks of bias teaching as a forgery would. The book’s purpose is not to alter doctrine or to redirect power and authority to someone or something else. In Chapter 1, the writer teaches a list of virtues to diligently add to one’s faith of which Peter desired to remind these Christians before his death. There is no hint of a personal agenda. Peter reminded them of the transfiguration of Jesus that he witnessed with John for which Peter noted that John and he are true witnesses and disciples of Christ, so that their prophetic word, which is in the scriptures, was guided by the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:12-13). No bias there either.

Chapter 2 presents false teachers who reject the Lord, and describes the immoral behavior of such men saying, “For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2:21). This holy commandment and way of righteousness is again directed to the Apostles and prophets in the next chapter. No altering of authority here.

Chapter 3 encourages these Christians to have a pure mind being “mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts” (2 Pet. 3:2-3). Chapter 3 also echoed Isaiah 51, 65, and 66 regarding a new heaven and a new earth, and then noted the wisdom of the Apostle Paul’s letters being “scripture” written to all. No agenda comes from the writer anywhere in 2 Peter for changing any vital doctrines or altering any authority. All of these teachings are in accordance with Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels. Jesus taught His Apostles that He would give His Spirit to them to teach and to guide them into all truth (John 16:12-13).

The agenda belongs to the skeptic who bears false witness against Peter. It is the skeptic, who does not like Peter’s reference to Paul’s writings as “scripture”, which shows the apostolic oversight of the New Testament canon. Such opponents desire to disregard Peter’s final epistle before his death and spread some doubt under the title of scholarship for their own purposes. The truth stands. Second Peter was written by Peter and only bias would charge anything different against the writer of this great epistle.

Peter wrote 2 Peter