FACTOID # 133: The top 10 countries for electricity generation using a nuclear energy source are all in Europe.
 
 Home   Encyclopedia   Statistics   Countries A-Z   Flags   Maps   Education   Forum   FAQ   About 
 
WHAT'S NEW
RECENT ARTICLES
More Recent Articles »
 

SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS    Advanced view

Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 

 

(* = Graphable)

 

 


Encyclopedia > 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. See New Covenant for the concept translated as New Testament in the KJV. The New Testament, sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, and, in recent times, also New Covenant, is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written in the first centuries of... The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hē biblos) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word Scripture, Scripture), from Greek (τα) βίβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the classical name for the Hebrew Bible of Judaism or the combination of the Old Testament and New Testament of Christianity. ... An early portrait of the Apostle Paul. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life, teachings, and actions of Jesus of Nazareth, known by Christians as Jesus Christ, as recounted in the New Testament. ... The Biblical canon is an exclusive list of books written during the formative period of the Jewish or Christian faiths; the leaders of these communities believed these books to be inspired by God or to express the authoritative history of the relationship between God and his people (although there may...


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. An epistle is a writing directed or sent to a person or group of persons, usually a letter and a very formal, often didactic and elegant one. ...


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

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. The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... (Redirected from 1 Corinthians) See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... (Redirected from 2 Corinthians) See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament, written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, which in many points it resembles. ... The Epistle to Philippians is a book included in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... (Redirected from 1 Thessalonians) The Epistles to the Thessalonians, also known as the Letters to the Thessalonians, are two books from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... The Epistles to the Thessalonians, also known as the Letters to the Thessalonians, are two books from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... (Redirected from 1 Timothy) This article or section should be merged with Second Epistle to Timothy The First Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... This article or section should be merged with First Epistle to Timothy The Second Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... The Pastoral Epistles are often considered together, as each throws light upon the others. ... The Epistle to Philemon is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbreviated Heb. ... The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbreviated Heb. ... General epistles are books in the New Testament in the form of letters. ...

Contents


Religious classification of the epistles

The signed Pauline epistles may be classified into two types: Paul's letters to new Christian churches of the first century (Romans through Second Thessalonians), and Paul's letters to individuals (First Timothy through Philemon). The former are named after the city or region of receiving church; the latter after the individual to whom they were addressed. When more than one epistle was addressed to the same recipient, they are distinguished by number (i.e 2nd Thessalonians).


Paul's letters to churches are concerned with particular aspects of church doctrine and practice Paul felt to be important to the recipient congregation. In most cases these letters were addressed to churches Paul had founded himself, and he wrote to supply further teaching, or to correct misunderstandings of his doctrine, or to respond to situations that had developed since his last visit. In some cases he answered specific questions put to him by letter or messenger. A prominent theme in many of the letters is controversy over the role of the Jewish Law in early Christianity. Often Paul is responding to believers who argued that adherence to Jewish practices was desirable even for Gentile Christians. Sometimes it appears that teachers arrived after Paul's departure promoting these alternative ideas, or questioning Paul's apostolic authority. While all of the letters are concerned with a variety of topics, this is perhaps a common theme. The word Gentile from the Latin gentilis, can either be a translation of the Hebrew Goy/גוי or of the Hebrew word Nochri/נכרי. In the most common modern use it refers to the former being derived from the Latin term gens (meaning clan or a group of families) and it is...


The letters to Timothy and Titus are collectively known as the 'pastoral epistles' as they address two of Paul's disciples charged with pastoring churches. Paul wrote to them give advice and commandments for Christian preachers and for the appointing of overseers, elders and deacons. The letter to Philemon is the most personal of all Paul's letters, addressed to a Christian slave-owner on behalf of a runaway slave who had become a believer. An elder can refer to various topics: Elder (administrative title) Elder (religious) Elder - person of knowledge or high degree Elderberry plant (Sambucus) Box-elder plant (maple) Box elder bug (Leptocoris trivittatus or Boisea trivittatus) Elderly person - see: Old age William Henry Elder bishop and Archbishop of Cincinnati Joycelyn Elders Elder... Deacon is a role in the Christian Church which is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. ...


The Pauline epistles are also noteworthy for the personal relationships they mention. Paul greets many individuals by name, often giving details about the value of these friendships and the encouragement they gave him.


Academic classification of the Epistles

The epistles may also be arranged by the nature of their content

  • Those primarily introducing theology and doctrine
  • Those predominantly addressing the issue of the use of Jewish practices
  • Those acting as personal intercession
  • Those primarily addressing heresy
  • Those primarily correcting readings of other epistles
  • Those addressing the nature of the church (known as the Pastorals)

The letters to Timothy and to Titus bear a remarkable similarity to one another, as does Ephesians to Colossians. This may reflect a practise of mass-mailing, or the desire to re-address issues in earlier letters by repeating them, but expanding on the ideas. The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... The Epistle to Philippians is a book included in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... (Redirected from 1 Corinthians) See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... (Redirected from 1 Thessalonians) The Epistles to the Thessalonians, also known as the Letters to the Thessalonians, are two books from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... (Redirected from 2 Corinthians) See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbreviated Heb. ... The Epistle to Philemon is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... The Epistle to Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament, written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, which in many points it resembles. ... The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistles to the Thessalonians, also known as the Letters to the Thessalonians, are two books from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... (Redirected from 1 Timothy) This article or section should be merged with Second Epistle to Timothy The First Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... This article or section should be merged with First Epistle to Timothy The Second Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... The Pastoral Epistles are often considered together, as each throws light upon the others. ...


Authenticity of the epistles

Main article Authorship of the Pauline epistles.

Several of the letters are thought by a majority of modern scholars to be pseudepigraphal, that is, not actually written by Paul of Tarsus even if attributed to him within the letters themselves. Details of the arguments regarding this issue are addressed more specifically in the articles about each epistle. A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus The Pauline epistles are those books in the New Testament that are traditionally attributed to Paul of Tarsus. ... Pseudepigrapha (Greek pseudos = false, epi = after, later and grapha = writing (or writings), latterly or falsely attributed, or down right forged works, describes texts whose claimed authorship is unfounded in actuality. ...


The 7 letters considered genuine by most scholars (at the time of writing), and doubted by almost none:

The letters thought to be pseudepigrapha by the majority of modern scholars, according to recent standards of analysis and theoretical trends, are: The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... The Epistle to Philippians is a book included in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ... The Epistle to Galatians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistle to Philemon is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... (Redirected from 1 Corinthians) See also: Second Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The First Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible in the New Testament. ... (Redirected from 2 Corinthians) See also: First Epistle to the Corinthians and Third Epistle to the Corinthians The Second Epistle to the Corinthians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... (Redirected from 1 Thessalonians) The Epistles to the Thessalonians, also known as the Letters to the Thessalonians, are two books from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ...

The letters on which modern scholars are about evenly divided are: (Redirected from 1 Timothy) This article or section should be merged with Second Epistle to Timothy The First Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... This article or section should be merged with First Epistle to Timothy The Second Epistle to Timothy is a book of the canonic New Testament, one of the three so-called pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and the Epistle to Titus). ... The Pastoral Epistles are often considered together, as each throws light upon the others. ...

An anonymous letter that nearly all modern scholars agree was probably not written by Paul is: The Epistle to Ephesians is one of the books of the Bible in the New Testament, written by Paul at Rome about the same time as that to the Colossians, which in many points it resembles. ... The Epistle to the Colossians is a book of the Bible New Testament. ... The Epistles to the Thessalonians, also known as the Letters to the Thessalonians, are two books from the New Testament of the Christian Bible. ...

For full details, see Authorship of the Pauline epistles. The Epistle to the Hebrews (abbreviated Heb. ... A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus The Pauline epistles are those books in the New Testament that are traditionally attributed to Paul of Tarsus. ...


Non-canonical Pauline Epistles

Several non-canonical epistles exist claiming or having been claimed to have been written by Paul. Most, if not all, scholars reject their authenticity. They include

Texts also exist which, whilst not strictly epistles, nevertheless claim to have been written by (or about) Paul. These include The Third Epistle to the Corinthians is believed to be a pseudepigraphical text under the name of Paul of Tarsus. ... The Armenian Apostolic Church, sometimes called the Armenian Orthodox Church is one of the original churches, having separated from the then-still-united Roman Catholic/Byzantine Orthodox church in 506, after the Council of Chalcedon (see Oriental Orthodoxy). ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Epistle to the Laodiceans An Epistle to the Laodiceans, consisting of 20 short lines, is found in some editions of the Vulgate, known only in Latin, purporting to be the epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans mentioned in the Epistle to the... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... Apocrypha is a Greek word (απόκρυφα, neuter plural of απόκρυφος), from αποκρυπτειν, to hide away. ... The Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul is a work from the New Testament apocrypha. ...

The Acts of Paul and Thecla (Acta Pauli et Theclae) is an apocryphal story of St Pauls influence on the young virgin, Thecla. ... The Acts of Peter and Paul is a late text from the New Testament apocrypha, thought to date from after the 4th century. ... The Epistle to the Romans is one of the epistles, or letters, included in the New Testament canon of the Christian Bible. ... The Book of spells of serpents would be considered part of the apocrypha, (Non-canonical Pauline Epistles) which are mentioned in many ancient sources, but for which no known text has survived. ...

See also

This article discusses the relationship between Gnosticism and the New Testament. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Authorship of the Pauline epistles - Biocrawler (2811 words)
The Authorship of the Pauline epistles is frequently debated; the Pauline epistles comprise a large portion of the New Testament.
However, the epistle does use many idiosyncrasies that are used in several of the epistles, which lends weight to Paul's authorship, for example, phrases such as en christo and en kurio are used in the same manner as elsewhere.
Fourthly, strong evidence of the reliance on the authentic Pauline Letter to the Colossians, seems to indicate that this is a letter written after his death, intending to restate and develop some of his theology.
  More results at FactBites »


 

COMMENTARY     


Share your thoughts, questions and commentary here
Your name
Your comments
Please enter the 5-letter protection code

Want to know more?
Search encyclopedia, statistics and forums:

 


Lesson Plans | Student Area | Student FAQ | Reviews | Press Releases |  Feeds | Contact
The Wikipedia article included on this page is licensed under the GFDL.
Images may be subject to relevant owners' copyright.
All other elements are (c) copyright NationMaster.com 2003-5. All Rights Reserved.
Usage implies agreement with terms.