New Testament Authors

[Abogado del Diablo]

For which books of the New Testament can we identify the authors with a reasonable degree of probability?

Here's my take:

• None of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)
• Not Acts either, though Luke and Acts were probably part of the same author's work and that author is probably a fairly close disciple of Paul who actually witnessed some of the events described in Acts.
• Scholars are reasonably sure that the following Epistles are, or are based on, the writings of Paul: Romans, 1 Cor., 2 Cor., 1 Thess., Phillipians, Galations, and Philemon.
• The remaining Epistles of "Paul" are all doubtful: 2 Thess., Ephesians, Collosians, 1 & 2 Tim., Titus
• The author of James is probably unknown and is almost certainly not "James, the brother of Jesus" as tradition holds, especially given the language of the letter.
• 1 & 2 Peter are of unknown origin.
• Hebrews is of unknown origin.
• Revelation is of unknown origin.
• Jude's author is unknown.
• 1 John is unknown. 2 John and 3 John are also of unknown origin but were probably written by a Johanine Christian leader sometime around 110-125 C.E.

So the "books" of the New Testament that can be reasonably verified as to their source consist of seven of the thirteen "Pauline" epistles. And that's it.

 

[dauer]

What impression are you left with if you take out all of the unknown origin stuff? Also, does any of the known origin stuff refer to stuff of unknown origin?

Dauer

 

[Abogado del Diablo]

What impression are you left with if you take out all of the unknown origin stuff? Also, does any of the known origin stuff refer to stuff of unknown origin?

Dauer

The impression you'd be left with is that Christianity started with the writings of Paul and everything else is of unknown origin. As to the second question, the "known stuff" are the seven authentic Pauline epistles, which are generally regarded as the earliest dated "Christian" writings. So there was nothing else for them to refer to. They predate all three (four if you count "The Gospel of Peter" - which you should) of the Synoptic Gospels.