“The original of the letter (autograph) is not known to survive. Papyrus 46, the earliest reasonably complete version available to scholars today, dates to approximately AD 200, around 150 years after the original was drafted. Biblical scholars agree that Galatians is a true example of Paul’s writing. The main arguments in favor of the authenticity of Galatians include its style and themes, which are common to the core letters of the Pauline corpus. George S. Duncan described its authenticity as “unquestioned. In every line it betrays its origin as a genuine letter of Paul. A majority of scholars agree that Galatians was written between the late 40s and early 50s, although some date the original composition to c. 50–60.”—Wikipediaread more
Who wrote Colossians? Google AI says this about Colossians: “According to Bart Ehrman, the book of Colossians claims to be written by Paul the Apostle, but he argues that it is not genuinely Pauline; meaning he believes Paul did not actually write it. Ehrman, along with many other critical scholars, suggests that the letter was written by someone else, possibly a later follower of Paul, using Paul’s name.”
Let’s examine the relevant facts, to find out who wrote Colossians. Critics, such as Ehrman and others, have only their own speculative ideas from which they postulate. Compelling grounds for questioning the letter’s authenticity are lacking. Colossians contains autobiographical statements from Paul, and even opens with a salutation from Paul. read more
Why Did Felix Become Frightened Listening to Paul?
“Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He had Paul summoned and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he spoke about righteousness and self-control and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and said, ‘You may go for now; when I find an opportunity I shall summon you again'” (Acts 24:23,24 NAB). What strikes us here as being highly unusual, is that the powerful Roman governor of Judea, M. Antonius Felix became frightened while listening to the prisoner Paul speak in a hearing before him. One would naturally think that Paul should be the one who is frightened, not Felix. So, the question naturally arises, why did Felix become frightened listening to Paul? read more
Paul’s Roman Citizenship, Governor Felix, and Bribery
What do Paul’s Roman citizenship, Governor Felix, and bribery have to do with the Bible’s authenticity? M. Antonius Felix was the 4th Roman governor of Judea, from 52-60 CE, and well known for taking bribes and other corruption. The apostle Paul, who was in custody, came before him in “trial”, and after hearing both sides of the issue, “Felix . . . postponed the trial” (Acts 24:21,22 NAB). Why?
“Felix . . . hoped that a bribe would be offered him by Paul, and so sent for him very often and conversed with him. Two years passed” (Acts 24:25,26 NAB). Felix’ hope for a bribe from Paul seems highly unusual, not because of any honesty on Felix’s part, but because of Paul’s poverty. To support himself, Paul, at times, did manual labor as a part-time ‘tentmaker’ (Acts 18:3). Due to his intense focus on spreading the gospel and his itinerant travel, at times he didn’t even have the basic necessities of life (2 Corinthians 11:27). read more
Skeptics and critics frequently claim that the Bible is full of contradictions. One of them is about who heard Jesus’ voice on the Damascus road. Here it is:
When Paul was on the road to Damascus he saw a light and heard a voice, did those who were withhim hear the voice? (a) Yes (Acts 9: 7) (b) No (Acts 22: 9)
Many Bible translations do not precisely translate the Greek, which makes it appear that there really is a contradiction as to who heard Jesus’ voice. However, this supposed “contradiction” is easily cleared up when we look at an accurate translation of the verses under examination.read more
Gallio Inscription & the Bema Confirm Historical Accuracy of Acts
The historical accuracy of Acts has been confirmed
The historical accuracy of Acts has been questioned, and asserted to be inaccurate. Many discoveries have confirmed the historical accuracy of Acts, two of which are the Gallio Inscription and the Bema in ancient Corinth.
“Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment”—Acts 18:11,12 NIV
The Gallio Inscription, consists of nine fragments found near the Temple of Apollo in Delphi, Greece, in 1908, mentions “Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend, and the proconsul of Achaia.” It is a copy of a letter from Roman Emperor Claudius and indicates that Gallio was the proconsul of Achaia at the time. The inscription further states that Claudius was confirmed Emperor for the 26th time, which dates it to late April/early May of the year 52 CE.read more
Who wrote Hebrews? In thirteen New Testament letters, or epistles, Paul introduces himself as the writer. However, the writer of Hebrews is anonymous. Hebrews was accepted as an epistle of Paul by early writers, and throughout most of Christian history, the apostle Paul was viewed as the writer of Hebrews. However, in the last couple of hundred years, this view has been dismissed by many of the “experts.” What are the facts? Who wrote Hebrews?
Regardless of who who wrote the Letter to the Hebrews, the important thing to remember is that this writing, like the Old Testament before it, is what “the holy Spirit says” (Hebrews 3:7NAB). The fact that the writer does not identify himself by name in the letter does not prove that Paul isn’t the writer. Many Old Testament Bible books don’t name the writer, and neither do the Gospels and Acts in the New Testament.
Differing Views of Writership
Most “scholars” and “experts” these days, especially since the 1800’s, do not think that the Christian apostle Paul wrote Hebrews. This view stands in contrast to the early Christians, who almost unanimously held the view that Paul wrote Hebrews, even though the writer isn’t named in the book itself.
“As early as the end of the second century the church of Alexandria in Egypt accepted Hebrews as a letter of Paul, and that became the commonly held view in the East. Pauline authorship was contested in the West in the fourth century, but then accepted. In the sixteenth century, doubts about that position were again raised, and the modern consensus is that the letter was not written by Paul. There is, however, no widespread agreement on any of the other suggested authors, e. g., Barnabus, Apollos, or Priscilla and Aquila. The document itself has no statement about its author”—Introduction to The Letter To The Hebrews, New American Bible (NAB)read more
Are God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit a Trinity in 2 Thessalonians?
In the Bible book of 2 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul speaks of God, Jesus Christ, and the holy Spirit. If Paul and/or the early Christians believed Jesus is God or part of a Trinity, we should be able to find evidence of this in the New Testament letters. But is this the case in 2 Thessalonians? Is the Trinity in 2 Thessalonians? Let’s examine some of the pertinent verses to find out.
Paul speaks of both God, Jesus, and the holy Spirit in 2 Thessalonians. But does he believe God is a Trinity?
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Is The Trinity In Ephesians? Is Jesus Christ Almighty God?
This article is one of a series about what is stated concerning Jesus in the various books of the New Testament, the book of Ephesians. Almighty God and the holy Spirit are also discussed to see if there is any evidence of a Trinity doctrine in this Biblical letter, which is all about doctrine. A key component of the Trinity doctrine is that the holy Spirit is a person. In this article, we’ll see whether the Trinity is in Ephesians.
The Book of Ephesians provides some clues as to whether or not Jesus Christ is Almighty God
Today, Christians are called by such names as, Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants, Baptists, Pentecostals, Methodists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and many other names. But, according to the Bible, what name should Christians really be called, and why? How long has the term “Christian” been in use, and who invented it? The answer to these questions can be found in the Bible.
“It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26 NAB). God was behind the development of the use of the term “Christians” within a few years of the start of Christianity. Notice how this verse can also be rendered: “the disciples also were divinely called first in Antioch Christians” (Young’s Literal Translation).
Years later, at Paul’s final hearing before Roman governor Festus, the governor asked: “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” (Acts 26:28 NLT) So obviously, they were being called Christians at this later time as well.
“If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.” (1 Peter 4:16 NIV)read more
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