With respect to these Epistles, the Britannica says: "The predominant
opinion of modern criticism at present is that the genuineness of the
First Epistle is certain, while that of the Second must be given up."
First and Second Timothy and Titus, known as the Pastoral Epistles, and
Hebrews were not written by Paul. The Pastoral Epistles are forgeries,
while Hebrews is an anonymous work. The contents of these books betray
a later date. Their teachings are not the teachings of Paul. Their
language is utterly unlike that of the genuine Epistles. They contain
two hundred words never used by Paul. Marcion, the most noted Pauline
Christian of the second century, who made a collection of Paul's
Epistles, excluded them. Tatian and Basilides also rejected them.
Against the authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles may be cited
nearly every modern critic, including the four great names of Baur,
Eichorn, De Wette, and Davidson. Baur says they were written in the
second century.
While thirteen of the so-called Pauline Epistles claim to have
been written by Paul, Hebrews alone is silent regarding its
authorship. Tertullian classed it with the apocryphal books, but
thought it might have been written by Barnabas. In the Clermont codex
it is called the Epistle of Barnabas. According to Origen, some ascribe
it to Luke, others to Clement of Rome. Origen himself says: "Who it was
that really wrote the Epistle, God only knows." Dr. Westcott admits
that there is no evidence that Paul wrote it. Grotius attributes it
to Luke, Luther to Apollos. Luther says: "That the Epistle to the
Hebrews is not by St. Paul, nor, indeed, by any apostle, is shown by
chapter ii, 3" (Preface to Luther's N. T.).
Concerning the seven books that we have been considering, Dr. Hooykaas
says:
"Fourteen Epistles are said to be Paul's; but we must at once strike
off one, namely, that to the Hebrews, which does not bear his name
at all.... The two letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus were
certainly composed long after the death of Paul.... It is more than
probable that the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians are also
unauthentic, and the same suspicion rests, perhaps, on the first,
but certainly on the second of the Epistles to the Thessalonians"
(Bible for Learners, Vol. III., p. 23).
The Rev. John W. Chadwick, in his "Bible of To-day," says that the
first four Epistles "are his [Paul's] with absolute certainty." Four
others, Philippians, Colossians, First Thessalonians, and Philemon,
he is disposed to accept, but admits that their authenticity is
doubtful. The remaining books he pronounces spurious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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