The Authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles

Arguments against the Authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles

I do not find these convincing, but we need to hear and weigh the arguments.

1. Different vocabulary and Greek style
   1. Hapax legomena (words used once)—35% more than usual
   2. “Trustworthy sayings” (5x). E.g., 1 Tim 1:15: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” We have nothing comparable to the “trustworthy sayings” in the undisputed letters of Paul.
2. More elaborate system of church government (overseers/elders, deacons)
   1. Fits better in 2nd century
   2. It is claimed that Paul advocated free exercise of spiritual gifts, not structures and official positions.
3. The subordination of women in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Tim 2:9-15; 5:13-14; Tit 2:3-5) is a departure from Paul’s alleged egalitarian view (Gal 3:28).
4. In the Pastoral Epistles, the author warns against “what is falsely called gnōsis” (1 Tim 6:20), but Gnosticism was a 2nd century heresy.
5. The Pastoral Epistles are difficult to slot into the narrative in Acts.
   1. The travel situations described in the Pastorals do not fit neatly into the timeline of Acts.
   2. Paul leaving Trophimus sick at Miletus (2 Tim 4:20)
   3. Paul planning to winter at Nicopolis (Tit 3:12)

My Response

1. The new vocabulary is due to different circumstances. Differences in Greek style are due to the use of co-authors and secretaries.
   1. We know Paul used secretaries, e.g., Tertius wrote down Romans (16:22).
   2. Paul’s autographic subscriptions at the end of other letters (Gal 6:11; 1 Cor 16:21; Col 4:18; 2 Thess 3:17; Phm 19) imply that everything before was written by a scribe.
   3. References to co-senders in numerous letters: Sosthenes (1 Cor), Timothy (2 Cor; Phil; Col; 1-2 Thess; Phm), Silvanus (1-2 Thess), and “all the brothers who are with me” (Gal).
   4. Composing letters was a community effort, with Paul of course in the lead and approving the final product.
2. Teaching and leading offices
   1. These did exist during Paul’s lifetime (Phil 1:1; 1 Thess 5:12; 16:16; Acts 14:23; 20:17, 28).
   2. And were correlated with spiritual gifts (Rom 12:7-8; 1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11).
   3. The assumption of critical scholars that the church offices (overseers/presbyters and deacons) are a late, 2nd century development is simply not supported by the evidence.
   4. We see the ordination of church leaders in the earliest church, as reported in Acts.
3. Paul’s view of women in the Pastoral Epistles
   1. 1 Corinthians is recognized even by critical scholars as authentically Pauline, and yet there he says women must remain silent in church (1 Cor 14:34-35), and if they do exercise the gift of prophecy, they must do so with heads covered as a sign of their submission to God’s hierarchical authority structure (1 Cor 11:2-16).
   2. In Gal 3:28 he is speaking of equality in Christ, not abolishing male authority in the church and home.
4. 2nd century Gnosticism likely had precursors in the 1st century.
5. True, it is difficult to fit the Pastoral Epistles into the Acts narrative, but that is likely because they were written after:
   1. Acts ends with Paul imprisoned in Rome for “two whole years” (Acts 28:30).
   2. It is reasonable to infer that he was released, engaged in further missionary travels for a few years, followed by a second arrest and martyrdom in Rome.
   3. Ecclesiastical tradition supports that.
   4. The missionary activity and travels mentioned or implied in the Pastoral Epistles would fit into that window.

A Compelling Argument for the Authenticity of the Pastoral Epistles

Namely, all of the personalia, i.e., details about people, cities, itineraries, and personal requests.

Place names are in italics. Names of individuals are in bold.

1. 1 Tim 1:3: “As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus.”
2. 2 Tim 1:15-18: “You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me.”
3. 2 Tim 4:9-14: “Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm.”
4. 2 Tim 4:19-21: “Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.”
5. Tit 3:12-13: “When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing.”

A total of 22 individuals are named. They are mentioned as being in or traveling to 12 different places.

In addition, Paul makes a number of highly personal requests

• “Get Mark and bring him to me.”
• “Bring the cloak I left with Carpus at Troas.”
• “Bring me the books and parchments.”
• “Come to me before winter.”

It stretches the imagination to think that all of this was fabricated by someone deceptively seeking to give the impression that they are the historical Paul. It is even more intolerable to imagine that the early church would have accepted such fabrication as legitimate, even if done with pious intent. The early church strongly rejected pseudepigraphy.