What Did Paul Write?
Paul of Tarsus, also known as Saint Paul or the Apostle Paul, was an influential early Christian missionary, apostle and leader. He is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of Christianity and it could be argued that he shaped its development to a greater extent than any other individual. Of course, one of the questions that lingers in the minds of many interested in his life and work is how much of the Bible he actually wrote?
Pauline Authorship
In order to address this question, it is necessary to look at the authorship of the Bible and specifically at the Pauline authorship. Each of the books of the Bible can be classified by their authorship in a variety of ways, but Paul’s authorship is one of the most commonly referenced. This is because Paul is widely accepted to be the author of 13 books in the New Testament: Romans, Corinthians I & II, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians I & II, Timothy I & II, Titus and Philemon.
Established Authorship
The authorship of Paul’s letters is generally accepted to be authentic and to date there is no evidence to the contrary. At the same time, it is important to consider that there is strong scholarly consensus for the authenticity of the Pauline authorship. While there are some theories which challenge this consensus, it is still rare for any Biblical scholar to not accept Paul as the author of the aforementioned New Testament books.
Additional Evidence
Furthermore, there is other evidence which points to Paul being one of the authors of the Bible. Various portions of the Bible, such as the Pastoral Epistles, have been traditionally ascribed to Paul. Additionally, in some passages it is stated that Paul is the author, such as in Galatians and the Second Epistle to the Corinthians. These are just some of the many reasons why Paul’s authorship is generally accepted.
Did Paul Write Beyond the Letters?
In addition to his letters, there is also some debate around whether Paul wrote additional passages in the Bible. For instance, there is scholarly consensus that Paul wrote the majority of Hebrews but there is no clear evidence to back up this consensus. Additionally, it has been argued that Paul wrote portions of the Gospel of John, but this is highly controversial and has been met with much criticism.
Other Possible Writings
A few other writings which have traditionally been ascribed to Paul include the Epistle of Clement, the Fourth Book of Maccabees, and some letters written by Clement of Rome. However, these attributions are largely speculative as there is simply no solid evidence to support them.
Conclusion
In light of the evidence presented above, it is clear that Paul wrote thirteen books in the New Testament. There is a good consensus that he wrote the majority of Hebrews and a few other minor works may also have been written by him. However, this is highly disputed and there is no concrete evidence to support this.
