The Orthodox Study Bible: Brief on Colossians-Author/Authorship
Preface
Previously
Monday, August 09, 2021 The Orthodox Study Bible: Brief on Colossians-Author/Gnosticism archive search gnosticism
This is the second article within this Colossians review. There are several reviews of this scholarly book and bible, overall, on this website from my Reformed, non-Orthodoxy, perspective.
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
Author/Authorship
Quoting the Orthodox Study Bible:
'All early testimony credit Paul with the authorship of Colossians. Some of the vocabulary is unusual for Paul because he is combating first-century Gnosticism using its own terminology--thereby deepening his own understanding of Christ.' (461).
N.T. Wright
On the issue of the authorship of Colossians, Wright explains that 'scholarly opinion is by no means unanimous on the point.' (31). He further opines that 'There is not even agreement on where the weight of argument must lie if the issue is to be settled.' (31).
More from N.T. Wright in the next related article...
Wales
From my own academic background, I can opine that biblical and academic schools of thought develop and some followers within these schools of thought become rather dogmatic in his/her position. After finishing my MPhil research thesis only degree at the University of Wales, Bangor, now Bangor University, after a few months, I moved on to the University of Wales, Lampeter, now the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), Lampeter campus, for my PhD research thesis only degree studies. Now to be clear, UWTSD was at the time very highly rated in the United Kingdom specifically for PhD thesis research in Theology. My work was equally within the academic disciples of Theology and Philosophy of Religion.
I have mentioned in my website work in the archives, how at the first meeting in 2004 at the Lampeter campus, in my mind, I was the only philosophical theologian/philosopher of religion in the entire group. From my theological perspective, as a group they seemed to be biblical scholars and some might have been biblical theologians, secondarily. Admittedly, they had academic credentials I did not have, and vice-versa. But, when I gave my short lecture on problems of evil, theodicy, free will and determinism, I faced many blank stares, and was instead asked questions in regards to biblical interpretation.
One kind PhD student from our group, was nice to enough to host me at Lampeter and opined that the Apostle Paul, definitely (rather dogmatically) did not write certain New Testament books accredited to him. All these texts, he stated (paraphrased) were inspired through God the Holy Spirit and still scripture, but written by an unknown associate (s) of Paul and credited to Paul.
I opined, submitting to his scholarship in this area, that there was of course debate in regards to author and authorship, and that it could in some cases, be a scribe writing on behalf of the Apostle Paul. Paul is documented to have eye issues within the New Testament.
Dr. Mike Bagwell
Cited
'(We think Paul seldom wrote with his own hand … after this eye disease reached its peak! His huge Epistle to the Romans, by ancient letter standards, was written by another hand, though Paul dictated the words! “I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.” Romans 16:22, in the Epistle’s very last paragraph! This Tertius must have been a “hired” scribe.)
(And even here in Galatians, when Paul “signs” this Letter at its end … he is forced to write in very large letters! Again evidence of failing sight! “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own hand.” Galatians 6:12, the “letters of the alphabet being discussed, not the length of the Galatian “Letter,” which is relatively short by Paul’s standards.)'
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From the New King James Version (NKJV( which is used by the Orthodox Study Bible
Romans 16:22
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.
Galatians 6:11
11 See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand! (455).
Reasonably from the two New Testament examples provided by Dr. Bagwell, the Apostle Paul at times, at least, used a scribe or scribes. Certainly this must be considered in evaluating authorship.
Felix Just S.J, PhD (1999-2002, 2012)
Cited
'The seven “Undisputed Letters” (a.k.a. the “Authentic Pauline Letters”). These can be put into three subgroups chronologically:
The Earliest Letter (ca. 50-51 AD): 1 Thessalonians
The Middle Letters (mid 50's): 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, Galatians
The Latest Letter (ca. 57-58 AD): Romans About 95-99% of scholars today agree that all of these letters were actually written by Paul himself.'
Cited
'The six “Disputed Letters” (a.k.a. the “Deutero-Pauline Epistles”).
For two of these, the scholarly divide is about 50/50 (that is, about 50% of scholars think they were written by Paul himself, while the other 50% think they are “pseudepigraphic” or written later by a follower of Paul):
If 2 Thessalonians is authentic, Paul probably wrote it soon after 1 Thess (in order to correct some misunderstandings caused by 1 Thess itself), since it is so similar in form and content to 1 Thess.
If Colossians is authentic, Paul probably wrote it near the end of his life (after spending several years in prison), since the theology expressed in it is rather different from Paul's earlier letters.
If either or both of these letters are pseudepigraphic, then they were probably written in the last few decades of the first Christian century.
For the other four letters, about 80% of scholars think they were not written by Paul himself, but by one of his followers after his death: Ephesians is almost definitely a later expansion of Colossians, since they are so similar in structure and theology, but quite different from Paul's earlier letters;
Ephesians was probably written to serve as a “cover letter” for an early collection of Pauline letters.
The Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus) were most likely written late in the first century by some member(s) of the “Pauline School” who wanted to adapt his teachings to changing circumstances.
Note: Judging a particular letter to be pseudepigraphic does not mean that it is any less valuable than the other letters, but only that it was written later by someone other than Paul.
All thirteen of the letters attributed to Paul are still considered “canonical”; all of them are still part of the Holy Bible and foundational for the Christian Church.
Distinguishing the letters based on actual authorship, however, allows scholars to see more clearly the development of early Christian theology and practice.
The so-called Epistle to the Hebrews is definitely not written by Paul, and is not even explicitly attributed to him.
For centuries, many Christians counted it as the fourteenth work in the Pauline corpus, mainly because the epistolary ending mentions Timothy, Paul's closest associate (see Heb 13:23).
However, contrary to all other letters and epistles, the opening of Hebrews does not name its author at all.
In literary genre, therefore, Hebrews is not really a “letter”; rather, it is a “homily” (a scripture-based sermon).'
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Evangelical and conservative pastors and scholars will tend to view Pauline authorship as legitimate for all the New Testament books concerned. The Grace Fellowship Church link cites GUNDRY, ROBERT (1981) A Survey of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
Referencing the disputed texts with dates provided....
2 Thessalonians 50-51 Paul
Colossians 61-62 Paul
Ephesians 61-62 Paul
1 Timothy 63-64 Paul
Titus 63-64 Paul
2 Timothy 65 Paul
Canonicity within the Christian Church, the twenty-seven books contains the same basic Gospel and theology. Contrary texts have been weeded out by Church Fathers. This is why I can be in basic agreement with my colleague from Wales and the Catholic source that wrote:
'All thirteen of the letters attributed to Paul are still considered “canonical”; all of them are still part of the Holy Bible and foundational for the Christian Church. '
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To be continued...
A version of this article was placed on academia.edu on 2024-01-28.
References
ASHBY, E G. (1986) 'Colossians' in The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
BLACKBURN, SIMON (1996) Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
BROWNING, W.R.F. (1997) Oxford Dictionary of the Bible, Oxford, Oxford University Press.
ERICKSON, MILLARD (1994) Christian Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.
GRENZ, STANLEY J., DAVID GURETZKI and CHERITH FEE NORDLING (1999) Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, Downers Grove, Ill., InterVarsity Press.
GUNDRY, ROBERT (1981) A Survey of the New Testament, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
KLEIN, WILLIAM W., CRAIG, C. BLOMBERG, AND ROBERT L. HUBBARD, JR. (1993) Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, London, Word Publishing.
MARSHALL, ALFRED (1975)(1996) The Interlinear KJV-NIV, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.
PAYNE. DAVID F.(1986) Jude, in F.F. Bruce, (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Marshall Pickering/Zondervan.
STRONG, J. (1890)(1986) Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Burlington, Welch Publishing Company.
The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.
WILSON, R. MCL (1999) ‘Gnosticism’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), A New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.
WRIGHT, N.T., Colossians and Philemon, (1986)(1989), IVP, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids.
