The provided text consists of excerpts from Bart D. Ehrman’s book, Forged, which investigates the prevalence of deception and pseudonymity in early Christian literature. Ehrman argues that many books in the New Testament and other early church writings were not penned by their alleged authors, such as Peter or Paul, but were instead forgeries created to lend apostolic authority to specific theological views. The author distinguishes between anonymous works, which were later misattributed by tradition, and pseudepigraphal works, where writers intentionally lied about their identities to influence their audience. By examining ancient perspectives, Ehrman demonstrates that such practices were widely regarded as fraudulent and unethical, even in antiquity. The text highlights several non-canonical examples, including the Gospel of Peter and the Apocalypse of Peter, to illustrate how fabrications were used to address doctrinal conflicts and moral concerns