How many books of the Bible did Paul write?

We come now to some thoughts relative to the Epistles of the Apostle Paul. There are twenty-seven epistles in the New Testament, and five writers—Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude—inspired penmen whom the Holy Spirit used. Of these twenty-seven epistles the Apostle Paul wrote fourteen (if we include the Epistle to the Hebrews), and the rest of the writers wrote thirteen. It will be seen that Paul wrote the larger portion of the inspired epistles. When we look into the matter more closely, the proportion seems even greater. There are one hundred chapters in the Pauline epistles, whereas in the rest of the epistles there are but twenty-one chapters. The Pauline epistles contain 2312 verses, whereas in the remaining epistles there are 431 verses, plainly showing the far larger portion of the epistles have come from Paul’s hand.

The Bible is putting its mark upon millions of the human race, and indirectly has affected society generally with some sense of decent living. Out of twenty-one inspired epistles we have in the New Testament no less than fourteen come from the pen of the Apostle Paul. To put it another way, out of 3,601 verses no less than 2,767 of them come from his pen, whilst only 834 verses from the pens of the remaining writers of inspired epistles.

That missionary journey so fruitful in blessing has an additional interest for us. It occasioned the first addition to the written revelation of God which bears the name of the Apostle Paul. He had evangelised, as we have seen at Thessalonica, and his heart, we learned from himself, was much bound up with the converts there. And when hindered from revisiting them as he had wished, and that more than once (1 Thess 2:17,18), for Satan, in some way not explained, prevented it, he had sent Timothy to see after their welfare, whilst he himself remained alone at Athens. Hearing from Timothy on his return of their steadfastness in the faith, despite all their persecution, he dictated his first letter to them, which was shortly followed by the second. From this time the Apostle contributed, under the guidance of the Spirit, to enlarge the collection of New Testament writings, then in its infancy, with Epistles bearing his name, addressed to local Churches, as those to the Thessalonians, or to several assemblies in a region, as that to the Galatians, as well as some addressed to individuals. Thirteen Epistles in all are generally ascribed to him, of which twelve bear his name. To this subject we shall refer again, only remarking here that Paul dictated rather than wrote the most of them. Writing with him, for some cause, whether from impaired eyesight or what, was a difficult matter (Gal.6:11, Revised Version). Employing an amanuensis, he, however, authenticated each one, to prevent any mistake as to those which were his, by a salutation, - written, we suppose, always by himself. "The salutation of me Paul, with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle: so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all" (2 Thess.3:17,18). Now this, whether in the shortest form, as in Heb.13:25, or in the longest (2 Cor.13:14) is found at the close of all Pauline Epistles, but in none other. And not till Paul had passed away for some years did any other New Testament writer adopt anything like it. Then John, in closing the Revelation (22:21), used very similar language.

The "signatures" (if we may call them this) in the salutations of the Epistles come at the beginning of the Letters, instead of at the end, as with us. They are full of the deepest interest and instruction. Perhaps none more so than in the little Epistle before us. Let us review them: (Quotations are from the New Translation by J. N. Darby). Romans: "Paul bondman of Jesus Christ, (a) called apostle." (Compare Jude). 1 Corinthians: "Paul, (a) called apostle of Jesus Christ, by God's will, and Sosthenes the brother." 2 Corinthians: "Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will, and the brother Timotheus." Galatians: "Paul, apostle, not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God (the) Father who raised Him from among the dead, and all the brethren with me." Ephesians: "Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ by God's will." Philippians: "Paul and Timotheus, bondmen of Jesus Christ." Colossians: "Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus, by God's will, and Timotheus the brother." 1 and 2 Thessalonians: "Paul and Silvanus and Timotheus." 1 Timothy: "Paul, apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the commandment of God our Saviour, and of Christ Jesus our hope." 2 Timothy: "Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus by God's will, according to promise of life, the (life) which is in Christ Jesus." Titus: "Paul, bondman of God, and apostle of Jesus Christ according to (the) faith of God's elect, and knowledge of (the) truth which (is) according to piety." Philemon: "Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother." Hebrews: None. James: "James, bondman of God and of (the) Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Peter: "Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ." 2 Peter: "Simon Peter, bondman and apostle of Jesus Christ." 1 John: None. 2 & 3 John: "The elder." Jude: "Jude, bondman of Jesus Christ, and brother of James."

It will be noticed that 1 & 2 Thessalonians contain no title, but the names only of Paul and his two companions. In Philemon Paul takes the title of "prisoner" only, and links Timothy with himself. In every other of his Epistles, except Philippians, Paul uses the title of "apostle." This title included in it the authority that the Lord had given him (See 2 Cor. 10:8), and in most of these Epistles he is exercising this authority. In Corinth and Galatia the churches had challenged his authority. In Philemon Paul says, "I might be much bold to enjoin thee that which is convenient, yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged." That tells us plainly why he does not wish to exercise his authority here; so we would not expect to find the title "apostle." We do not know the human author of Hebrews, and it is best for us not to guess at what the Lord has seen best to hide: but we can well understand the reason that we find no title, or "signature", of author here, for in Hebrews Christ Himself is the Apostle, the High Priest, the Author and Finisher of faith (3:1 & 12:2). How unseemly would it have been for any man to have assumed a place or title in the face of such an array of titles of our Lord Himself!*

Subject, style and tone of these epistles differ from the other epistles of the same apostle. This is why since Schleiermacher (around 1800 AD) various liberal researchers have doubted the genuineness of these epistles. Some thought these letters were genuine fragments of the apostle which later had been mixed up with other people's thoughts. Others date these epistles into the second century only and declare them to be fakes! We find however many hints to the Epistles to Timothy with Polykarp. Irenaeus (around 140 to 202 AC), Clemens of Alexandria (around 150 to 215 AC) and Tertullian (around 160 to 220 AC) even cite the Pastoral Epistles as Paul's writings.

Tertullian (around 160 to 220 AC) and the Muratori Canon (end of 2 nd century) testify that the Epistle was written by Paul.

There are other reasons which all tend to strengthen the Pauline authorship of the Epistle, but for those who are ready to accept the testimony of scripture this will suffice.

The epistle is anonymous, and the authorship has been much disputed; not its canonicity, which never really was. Peter's mention of an epistle of Paul to the circumcision, which he classes among the "other Scriptures," seems sufficiently decisive that the author of it was Paul; spite of which modern commentators generally waver between Apollos and Barnabas. Tertullian in the third century ascribed it to the latter; none except moderns have ascribed it to the former. Their claim is mainly founded upon its style, the constant quotations from the Septuagint, and an approach in some things to Philo the Alexandrian. A sufficient answer to this is that the Alexandrian church ascribed it to Paul, and not to their countryman Apollos.

The epistle is anonymous, and its authorship has been much disputed; not its canonicity, which never really was. Peter's plain mention of an epistle of Paul to the circumcision (2 Peter 3:15-16) and which he classes among the "other scriptures," would seem sufficiently decisive that the author of it was Paul. Where can we find another scripture answering to the description? spite of which commentators generally waver between Apollos and Barnabas. Tertullian, in the third century, ascribed it to the latter. None except moderns have done so to the former. The claim in this case is mainly founded upon its style, — which is said to be different from Paul's, — its constant quotations from the Septuagint, and even where the Septuagint seems to depart from the original, and to approach in some things to Philo, the Jew, the Alexandrian. A sufficient answer to this is that the Alexandrian church itself ascribed it to Paul, and apparently knew nothing in this way of their countryman Apollos.

There have been, and are, as you may know, persons who doubt whether the apostle Paul was the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews. And there have been many more or less wild suggestions made, as to who was the author.