2 Peter: Authorship and Date

The second letter from Peter was probably written by a disciple of the apostle Peter at the beginning of the second century AD.

The superscription, “The second letter from Peter” (see also 2 Peter 3:1) makes a connection with 1 Peter. However, the two letters differ so much in content and style that it is generally assumed that they are not by the same hand. The writer calls himself Simon Peter (2 Peter 1:1) and emphasises that he was an eyewitness of the so-called “transfiguration” of Jesus on the mountain.

Biblical scholars think that 2 Peter was written at the beginning of the second century AD. The use of the name Peter comes from the desire to represent the tradition of the apostles.