Pauline epistles

The Pauline epistles are the thirteen or fourteen letters in the New Testament of the Christian Bible traditionally believed to have been written by the apostle Paul. Among them are some of the earliest extant Christian documents. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of formative Christianity and, as part of the canon of the New Testament, they have also been, and continue to be, hugely influential in Christian theology and ethics.

Related Topics:
New Testament - Bible - The apostle Paul - Christianity - Canon

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The authorship of some of these letters ("epistles") has been called into question particularly by more recent scholarship (these works are marked '(*)' in the list below). Some of those who doubt Paul's direct authorship suggest they were written by some of his disciples, either during or soon after his lifetime.

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In the order they appear in the New Testament, the Pauline epistles are:

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• Romans
• First Corinthians
• Second Corinthians
• Galatians
• Ephesians (*)
• Philippians
• Colossians (*)
• First Thessalonians
• Second Thessalonians
• First Timothy (*)
• Second Timothy (*)
• Titus (*)
• Philemon
• Hebrews (*) (Anonymous)

All of the epistles except the epistle to the Hebrews present Paul as the author. The epistle to the Hebrews is something of a special case, being anonymous. Authorship of Hebrews was disputed from the earliest, and few, if any, modern scholars would attribute it to Paul. Thus some classifications do not include Hebrews as a Pauline epistle, listing it instead with the general epistles.

Related Topics:
Epistle to the Hebrews - General epistles

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Pauline epistles: Religious classification of the epistles ►