Pauline Epistles - Authenticity of The Epistles

Authenticity of The Epistles

Main article Authorship of the Pauline epistles.

Several of the letters are thought by most modern scholars to be pseudepigraphic, that is, not actually written by Paul of Tarsus even if attributed to him within the letters themselves, or, arguably, even forgeries intended to justify certain later beliefs. Details of the arguments regarding this issue are addressed more specifically in the articles about each epistle.

These are the 7 letters (with consensus dates) considered genuine by most scholars (see main article Authorship of the Pauline epistles: section The undisputed epistles):

• First Thessalonians (ca. 51 AD)
• Philippians (ca. 52-54 AD)
• Philemon (ca. 52-54 AD)
• First Corinthians (ca. 53-54 AD)
• Galatians (ca. 55 AD)
• Second Corinthians (ca. 55-56 AD)
• Romans (ca. 55-58 AD)

The letters thought to be pseudepigraphic by the majority of modern scholars include:

• Pastoral epistles
  • First Timothy
  • Second Timothy
  • Titus

The letters on which modern scholars are about evenly divided are:

• Ephesians
• Colossians
• Second Thessalonians

An anonymous text that nearly all modern scholars agree was probably not written by Paul is:

• Hebrews