The Battle for 2 Peter: How a Disputed Epistle Entered the Canon

Why did 2 Peter face more resistance than nearly any other New Testament book—and how did it ultimately secure its place in the Christian canon?

In this episode, Dr. Stephen Boyce traces the long and contested journey of 2 Peter, one of the most debated epistles in early Christianity. From early doubts about authorship and style, to its uneven reception in the East and West, we examine why this letter stood on the margins for centuries while others were quickly received.

We explore:

• Early patristic hesitation and silence surrounding 2 Peter

• How figures like Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome evaluated the letter

• The role of apostolic authority, theological content, and ecclesial usage

• Which church councils and canonical lists ultimately included 2 Peter—and why

• What this controversy reveals about how the canon was actually formed

Far from being a simple rubber-stamp process, the inclusion of 2 Peter exposes the rigor, caution, and theological criteria employed by the early Church when discerning Scripture.

This episode challenges modern assumptions about the canon and asks a deeper question:

What does it really mean for a book to be “Scripture,” and who decides?

A must-listen for anyone interested in biblical canon, early church history, and the complexities behind the New Testament we hold today.

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