Peter, THE EPISTLES OF, constitute two of the seven canonical writings of the New Testament which towards the beginning of the 3d century began to be spoken of as 'catholic' epistles. Eusebius (H.E. iii. 3) tells us that 'as to the writings of Peter, one of his epistles called the first is acknowledged as genuine. For this was anciently used by the fathers in their writings as an undoubted work of the apostle. But that which is called the second we have not indeed understood to be embodied with the sacred books, yet, as it appeared useful to many, it was studiously read with the other scriptures.' Among the earliest witnesses to the antiquity of the first epistle the first usually cited is Clemens Romanus, who is supposed to be quoting from it when he uses the phrases 'his marvellous light' and 'charity covereth a multitude of sins.' It was known to the author of The Shepherd of Hermas, and to Basilides; Papias was acquainted with it; and Polyarp used it largely; but it is not mentioned as canonical in the Muratorian Canon. Coming to the internal evidence, it claims to have been written by the apostle Peter, by the hand of Silvanus, from 'Babylon' to 'the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,' and in substance it is a practical exhortation to a godly conversation, particularly in obedience to all constituted authorities, in the practice of the domestic virtues and in patience under persecution. The 'elders' are exhorted to feed their flocks, the 'younger' to obey, and all to be sober, watchful and constant in the faith, resisting their adversary the devil. Through- out it abounds with echoes of Pauline expressions and modes of thought; in particular the exhortations contained in Rom. xii. 1-xiii. 14 have been reproduced virtually verse by verse. This circumstance of its dependence on the Pauline writings is one of the main arguments with those critics (such as Baur, Schwegler, Keim, Lipsius, Pfeiderer, Weizsäcker, Hilgenfeld, Holtzmann) who fix its date at some period after 112 A.D. in the reign of Trajan, by whom formal proceedings were first instituted against Christians. They find confirmation of their view in the use of the name 'Babylon' for 'Rome'; a use that seems to have been first introduced by the author of the Apocalypse. The second epistle claims to be by 'Symeon Peter' (i. 1), the associate of Paul (iii. 15), and a witness of the resurrection (i. 17, 18); the expression 'your apostles' (iii. 2, R. V.), on the other hand, is held by many critics to be a confession of the author's non-apostolicity. The evidence supplied by itself as to its authorship has been variously interpreted, some affirming and some denying that its thought, expression, and vocabulary conclusively show that it cannot have been written by the author of 1 Peter. Its relation to the Epistle of Jude is also still under discussion, but the weight of opinion seems to be in favour of the priority of the latter. The external evidence as to its existence down to the end of the 2d century is very uncertain; and Origen is quoted by Eusebius as saying that even in his day 'there was some doubt' as to whether it was by Peter.
The genuineness of both epistles is argued for (to mention only two out of many weighty names) by Salmon (Introduction to the New Testament) and by Weiss (Einleitung; Eng. trans. 1888); the opposite view is taken by Holtzmann (Einleitung, 1886), who may be consulted for references to other authors, many of whom accept the first epistle while rejecting the second. There are commentaries on both by Frommüller (in Lange's Bibelwerk), Huther (in Meyer's Kommentar; Eng. trans.), Lillie, and Plumptre. Leighton's Practical Commentary on 1 Peter is one of the classics of English theology.