# Is 2 Peter Canonical?



## Reformedis (Jul 9, 2005)

Hello everyone,

I have been reading lately that 2 Peter may not be an authentic epistle, or that it may not have been written by the apostle Peter. I would be grateful if some one could validate the authority and canonicity of 2 Peter with sound information to counter these assertions. Thank you very much.

Hasan (Reformed seminary student)


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## SolaScriptura (Jul 9, 2005)

WCF 1.2 States:



> *Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these:* Of the Old Testament: Genesis Exodus Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Joshua Judges Ruth I Samuel II Samuel I Kings II Kings I Chronicles II Chronicles Ezra Nehemiah Esther Job Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes The Song of Songs Isaiah Jeremiah Lamentations Ezekiel Daniel Hosea Joel Amos Obadiah Jonah Micah Nahum Habakkuk Zephaniah Haggai Zechariah Malachi Of the New Testament: The Gospels according to Matthew Mark Luke John The Acts of the Apostles Paul's Epistles to the Romans Corinthians I Corinthians II Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians I Thessalonians II To Timothy I To Timothy II To Titus To Philemon The Epistle to the Hebrews The Epistle of James *The first and second Epistles of Peter * The first, second, and third Epistles of John The Epistle of Jude The Revelation All which are given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life.



Therefore, it is canonical. Never doubt the Confession.


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## street preacher (Jul 9, 2005)

If God is as sovereign as we say He is then yes it was meant to be in the canon. With that being said, there are three places in God's Word that says that we should not add or subtract from His Word, Deuteronomy, Proverbs, and Revelation. THis covers the whole of the canon. Point being that God put it there and He has said not to add to or subtract from what He has ordained to give us in what we have now in the canon of the Holy Scriptures. This especially applies to the ESV translation of the Holy Scriptures.:bigsmile:


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## Contra_Mundum (Jul 9, 2005)

Hasan,
Being a student there at RTS you will have excellent educators, and not a few students who can direct you to some good resources that discuss canonicity, that is, how we obtained our Scriptures.

Consult standard reference works that discuss the matter from a reformed and evangelical perspective. And there are even honest scholars from outside our tradition who will defend the "traditional" canon. In the simplest way I know how, let me say that all the arguments put forth to overthrow the authority of this book or that book boil down to this: a "chronological arrogance" that claims to know better than contemporaneous people, and those living only a short time removed from the apostolic age what was said and taught by the apostles.

Let me challenge you Hasan, in a positive way not a negative way, to investigate the authority of the Bible as only a lamb of God's flock can. Read over all the books of your Bible. Read them in prayer. Read them, asking the resident Holy Spirit to allow the Voice of your Good Shepherd speak to you out of its pages. I am utterly convinced that you will recognize the Voice of your Shepherd in every line. This was the promise of Jesus, Gospel of John 10:27.

This testimony may be supplemented by scholarship, adduced by a hundred lines of evidence, and supported by a thoroughly biblical theory of inspiration, canonization, and preservation. But the ultimate authority for God's Word is not found in any place other than in God's Word itself. For there can be no higher standard against which to measure its authority.


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