Paul's Epistles

[grace24]

I'd like to know how the apostolic fathers view Paul contrary to what skeptical bible scholars think. I know that almost every scholars will grant Paul's writings when it comes to the "Resurrection" debate. How about what scholars view Paul. What are some of his writings that are accepted and which are the one that are controversial. Articles will be very helpful too. Thanks.

 

[ittarter]

So you're wondering which New Testament documents the apostolic fathers attributed to Paul? As far as I know, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon. It was common to view the authority of Luke's gospel and Acts as being through Paul; on the other hand the letter to the Hebrews was debated, but often attributed to Paul since no other clear source of apostolic authority was forthcoming.

 

[wayseer]

I'd like to know how the apostolic fathers view Paul contrary to what skeptical bible scholars think. I know that almost every scholars will grant Paul's writings when it comes to the "Resurrection" debate. How about what scholars view Paul. What are some of his writings that are accepted and which are the one that are controversial. Articles will be very helpful too. Thanks.

Google 'The Paul Page' - excellent stuff that will help you appreciate Paul and the issues involved.

 

[grace24]

Google 'The Paul Page' - excellent stuff that will help you appreciate Paul and the issues involved.

Thank you, i will check it out.

 

[ebia]

I'd like to know how the apostolic fathers view Paul contrary to what skeptical bible scholars think. I know that almost every scholars will grant Paul's writings when it comes to the "Resurrection" debate. How about what scholars view Paul. What are some of his writings that are accepted and which are the one that are controversial. Articles will be very helpful too. Thanks.

There is, of course, a spectrum of opinion. Some sources would have you believe that there is virtual consensus that Paul didn't write most of the letters attributed to him, but the matter is far less clear than that.

Virtually nobody thinks he wrote Hebrews any more - its just way too different from the rest.

Everyone agrees on Romans and Galatians

Of the others, almost everyone would agree on at least:
1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, Philippians and Philemon.

2 Thes. is a little bit more contraversial.

Ephesians and Colossians are contraversial - but that depends mostly on how you read Romans and Galatians.

The pastoral letters (Timothy and Titus) are significantly different in style and content and are very contraversial.


The overall feeling, if anything, is drifting towards accepting more of them rather than less - the sceptism has peaked. Often the reasons for rejecting some rely on one or more of:

• It doesn't fit with the way one reads the others - this might be because one is misreading the others, or because one is misreading the epistle in question.
• Its theology doesn't fit with the person's overall agenda.
• Issues of style - but people do write in different styles on different occasions.
• Computer analysis of the words used etc - but the epistles are all too short for such analysis to be statistically reliable.

Ther

 

[heritage36]

I can see why Resurrection would be considered a controversial topic that Paul spoke of often in his epistles. If you consider the idea of resurrection, it is in direct conflict with what most people believe the afterlife is, which most people believe we go to Heaven or "hell". Why would you have to come back from the dead to do that? Obviously that belief would hinge on the belief many people also have that the soul is immortal. See what I am saying here?

 

[lesliedellow]

I'd like to know how the apostolic fathers view Paul contrary to what skeptical bible scholars think. I know that almost every scholars will grant Paul's writings when it comes to the "Resurrection" debate. How about what scholars view Paul. What are some of his writings that are accepted and which are the one that are controversial. Articles will be very helpful too. Thanks.

The apostolic fathers accepted all of the nominally Pauline texts as genuinely Pauline, with the exception of Hebrews, the authorship of which has been doubted since ancient times. Amongst present day scholars, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians and Philemon are almost universally accepted as genuinely Pauline.

Colossians has some doubters.

Ephesians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus have few supporters as genuinely Pauline texts.

 

[joey_downunder]

This is a great website covering all New Testament Books and unorthodox and/or gnostic writings. Early Christian Writings: New Testament, Apocrypha, Gnostics, Church Fathers

Good information about the society and culture Resource Pages for Biblical Studies, main page

And for the actual specific answer: Paul the Apostle | NTGateway