Comparative Theology · Pauline Epistles & Early Church
Not all the letters of Paul are by Paul
Handle with care. Conservative Christian scholars defend the authorship of all thirteen. Present it as a scholarly majority, not a settled fact.
In short
- 1.**Undisputed (seven):** Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon.
- 2.**Disputed:** Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians.
- 3.**Widely regarded as later:** 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus — the Pastorals.
- 4.**The grounds are internal:** vocabulary, style, developed church structures and theology that does not match the genuine letters.
The claim being examined
Mainstream New Testament scholarship judges roughly half the letters bearing Paul''s name to have been written by others after his death.
The Islamic position
If even the corpus of the church''s founding theologian contains works written under a false name, the claim of a perfectly preserved apostolic deposit cannot stand.
Analysis
This is not a fringe position. Ehrman sets it out for a general readership in Forged and in his standard textbook, and it is the consensus taught in mainstream departments. The Pastoral Epistles presuppose an organised hierarchy of bishops and deacons that did not exist in Paul''s lifetime, and their Greek differs measurably from the undisputed letters. 2 Thessalonians 2:2 even warns readers against a letter supposedly from us — evidence that forged apostolic letters were already circulating in the first century. Note the direction of the argument: the letters most often quoted to silence women (1 Timothy 2:12) and to spell out church order fall largely in the disputed group. Conservative scholars defend Pauline authorship, sometimes by appeal to secretaries, and that position should be stated fairly.
Side by side
| Undisputed | 7 letters | Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians, Philemon. |
|---|---|---|
| Disputed | 3 letters | Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians. |
| Widely judged later | 3 letters | 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus. |
| Warning inside the canon | 2 Thessalonians 2:2 | Do not be unsettled by a letter supposedly from us. |
From the Qur'an
Qur'an 2:79
فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ
Woe to those who write the scripture with their own hands and then say: This is from God.
Qur'an 15:9
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا ٱلذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ
Indeed We have sent down the Reminder, and indeed We will preserve it.
From the Bible
2 Thessalonians 2:2
μήτε δι' ἐπιστολῆς ὡς δι' ἡμῶν
Not to become easily unsettled by some prophecy, report or letter supposedly from us.
Read it in their Bible1 Timothy 2:12
διδάσκειν δὲ γυναικὶ οὐκ ἐπιτρέπω
I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man.
Read it in their BibleGalatians 6:11
πηλίκοις ὑμῖν γράμμασιν ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί
See what large letters I use as I write to you with my own hand.
Read it in their BibleSources
Bart D. Ehrman, Forged: Writing in the Name of God (HarperOne, 2011) · Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament: A Historical Introduction (Oxford University Press) · James D. Tabor, Paul and Jesus (2012), ch. 1 · Ehrman, Forged, ch. 3; Ehrman, The New Testament, ch. 23
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