Paul’s epistles have faced many claims that they were forged, and in this article, we will discuss this claim from both internal and external perspectives.

Internal evidence:

1- Apostle Peter was a witness that Paul the Apostle wrote epistles, as he said:

“account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (2 Peter 3:15-16)

2- Paul the Apostle said frankly in four epistles that he wrote them (Galatians, Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians). Also, the language, vocabulary, and style of the Apostle Paul are so clearly evident in the letters that they naturally reflect the heart and mind of the Apostle, making it impossible for it to be forged or fabricated.

3- In the three epistles, Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians, Paul pointed out that he was the author. Besides, if we compare these letters to the others, we find that they share some important features, such as the mention of the people who worked with the apostle: Epaphras, Mark, Aristochus, Demas, and Luke. Furthermore, the letter to Philemon was recorded by Onesimus, while Onesimus delivered the letter to the Colossians with Tychicus (Colossians 4:18). Both letters were written while Paul was in prison in Rome (Colossians 4:18; 1:24).

It is appropriate for us to point out that the letter bears the same structure as the letters of Saint Paul, beginning with an introduction that includes thanks to God, followed by a presentation of the doctrinal aspects, followed by practical behavioural aspects.

The author of the letter to the Colossians, the letter to the Ephesians, and the letter to Philemon are the same. They were all written at the same time. The letter to the Ephesians was recorded by Tychicus, the letter to Philemon by Onesimus, and the letter to the Colossians by both Tychicus and Onesimus as Paul dictated.

4-Concerning the letter to the Hebrews, which is the most criticized letter, faced attacks from sceptics, however, there is a lot of internal evidences that prove it was written by the apostle:

• Presents 24 similarities in ideas and proverbs about Jesus, like:
• He endured death “to put away sin” (Hebrews 9:26; see also Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3).
• His resurrection is a finished matter that needs no proof (Hebrews 13:20; Romans 4:24; Romans 8:11).
• He is always alive to make intercession for believers (Hebrews 7:25; see also Romans 8:34; Philippians 2:9-11).
• His second coming—certainly awaited (Hebrews 10:37; 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18)
• will bring about the final salvation of his people (Hebrews 9:28; Romans 11).
• Until he comes again, the Holy Spirit dwells in them, giving them gifts “according to his will” (Hebrews 2:4; see also 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Galatians 3:2-5).
• The expression “blessing” that he concluded almost all of his letters with is not in the other apostles’ letters.
• The place of writing was Italy, and in art, it was clear that Paul the apostle went to Italy.
• The writer of the letter sent it with Timothy, who was the beloved spiritual student of Paul and accompanied him on his missions.

But why did Paul not mention his name in this Letter?

The Apostle Paul, as an apostle to the Gentiles, was more liberated than the apostles who preached to the Jews, such as Peter, James, and John, in adhering to Jewish rituals such as circumcision. This caused some of the Hebrews (Christians of Jewish origin) to be alienated from him, especially those among them who adhered to Judaism, such as circumcision as a sign of salvation, sacrifices, and purification. They were hostile to him because the Jews did not immediately get rid of their Jewish way of thinking. Some of them were more fanatical (the Judaizers), and some were less so, but the majority of them had a Jewish tendency by lineage. If his name had been mentioned, they would have been alienated from the entire message, rejected it, doubted it, and resisted it with all their might. They would have prevented the rest of the Hebrews from reading it because the Judaizers had spread false rumours about him.

External evidence:

1-Manuscripts

1- A papyrus was discovered in stages in Egypt in the 1930s. A section of it is located in Chester Beatty, Dublin, Ireland, under No. 2, and the other is located in the University of Michigan under No. 222. It is incomplete, but its remains confirm that it was originally 104 manuscripts.

It measures 28 x 16 cm and has a single column of writing, with each page containing 26 to 32 lines. It was previously considered to date from 175 to 200 AD. Some have suggested it dates back to the middle of the third century AD. However, modern paleographic studies have shown it dates back to between 80 and 85 AD as proposed by Young Kyu Kim in 1988.

He suggested the year 80 AD. He published a study titled “Paleographical Dating of p46 to the Later First Century”. It is numbered from the bottom, although the numbers have been eroded. This confirms that it was originally a single manuscript, part of the Epistles of Paul the Apostle which confirms that The Epistles of our teacher Paul the Apostle are agreed upon as fourteen epistles dating back to 85 AD.

2-The Lists

These are manuscripts listing the canonical books according to the Church Fathers and Churches.

The first list is the Muratorian, dating back to 170 AD.

“About the Epistles of Paul the Apostle:

The first is to the Corinthians, to prevent them from misleading religious schisms. The second is to the Galatians, against circumcision. Then comes the Epistle to the Romans, explaining in detail the plan of salvation and that Christ is its principle and foundation. It is necessary to discuss these epistles one by one, as the blessed Apostle Paul followed John’s example and wrote in his own name to the seven churches, in the following order: the first to the Corinthians, the second to the Ephesians, the third to the Philippians, the fourth to the Colossians, the fifth to the Galatians, the sixth to the Thessalonians, and the seventh to the Romans. It is known that he wrote again to the Corinthians and the Thessalonians to warn them. Despite this, it is easy to distinguish that there was only one church spread throughout the world. Paul wrote from a source of affection and love, one to Philemon, another to Titus, and two to Timothy. These letters are sacred in the respect of the universal church in order to regulate the church system.”

3-Church Fathers

Many lists of church fathers pointed out that Paul’s canonical epistles were fourteen :

1-Origen’s list (AD 185-254) discusses the Epistles of Paul the Apostle, then focuses on Hebrews.

2-List of the Apostles’ Canons, Canon 85, it says: Fourteen Epistles of Paul.

3-List of Eusebius of Caesarea (AD 265-340) discusses the Holy Scriptures and includes the Epistles of Paul among them.

4- Athanasius the Apostolic List (AD 367) mentions The Fourteen Epistles of Paul.

5-Gregory of Nazianzus (AD 329–389) lists the Fourteen Epistles of Paul

6-Epiphanius’s List (385 AD) includes the Fourteen Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul.

4-Archeology

Corinth was known in history for its cultural corruption that presented itself in excessive drinking and the Olympic games, as there were a lot of theatres across the city. The Olympic games were held every two years. Paul the apostle used this in his letters to the Corinthians by talking about spiritual sporting, thus taking an example from their culture. He also referred to the corrupted behaviour which he discussed in the letters.

References

• Archaeology and the Bible by Dr. John Elder
• https://www.drghaly.com/articles/display/11533 last visited on 14/6/2025.