Editing Epistle (section)

===Pauline epistles===
{{Main|Pauline epistles}}
{{Further|Authorship of the Pauline epistles|Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews|Pastoral epistles}}
The Pauline epistles, also called Epistles of Paul or Letters of Paul, are the thirteen books of the [[New Testament]] attributed to [[Paul the Apostle]], although the authorship of some is in dispute. Among these [[epistles]] are some of the earliest extant Christian documents. They provide an insight into the beliefs and controversies of [[early Christianity]]. As part of the [[Biblical canon|canon]] of the New Testament, they are foundational texts for both [[Christian theology]] and [[Christian ethics|ethics]]. The [[Epistle to the Hebrews]], although it does not bear his name, was [[Authorship of the Epistle to the Hebrews|traditionally considered Pauline]] (although Origen questioned its authorship in the 3rd century CE), but from the 16th century onwards opinion steadily moved against Pauline authorship and few scholars now ascribe it to Paul, mostly because it does not read like any of his other epistles in style and content.<ref>''The New Jerome Biblical Commentary'', publ. Geoffrey Chapman, 1989, chapter 60, at p. 920, col. 2 "That Paul is neither directly nor indirectly the author is now the view of scholars almost without exception. For details, see Kümmel, I[ntroduction to the] N[ew] T[estament, Nashville, 1975] 392–94, 401–03"</ref> Most scholars agree that Paul actually wrote seven of the Pauline epistles, but that four of the epistles in Paul's name are [[pseudepigraphic]] ([[Ephesians]], [[1 Timothy|First Timothy]], [[2 Timothy|Second Timothy]], and [[Epistle to Titus|Titus]]<ref name="New Testament Letter Structure">[http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Paul-Disputed.htm New Testament Letter Structure], from [http://catholic-resources.org Catholic Resources] by Felix Just, S.J.</ref>) and that two other epistles are of questionable authorship ([[2 Thessalonians|Second Thessalonians]] and [[Colossians]]).<ref name="New Testament Letter Structure"/> According to some scholars, Paul wrote these letters with the help of a secretary, or [[amanuensis]],<ref>Richards, E. Randolph. ''Paul and First-Century Letter Writing: Secretaries, Composition and Collection''. Downers Grove, IL; Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press; Apollos, 2004. {{page needed|date=July 2020}}</ref> who would have influenced their style, if not their theological content.

The Pauline epistles are usually placed between the [[Acts of the Apostles]] and the [[Catholic epistles]] in modern editions. Most Greek manuscripts, however, place the General epistles first,<ref>{{cite book | title=The Canon of the New Testament: Its Origin, Development, and Significance | last=Metzger | first=Bruce M. | year=1987 | pages=295–96 | publisher=Clarendon Press | isbn=0198261802 | url=http://ixoyc.net/data/Fathers/134.pdf | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601181717/http://www.ixoyc.net/data/Fathers/134.pdf | archive-date=2013-06-01 }}</ref> and a few minuscules ([[Minuscule 175|175]], [[Minuscule 325|325]], [[Minuscule 336|336]], and [[Minuscule 1424|1424]]) place the Pauline epistles at the end of the New Testament.

{{Authorship Pauline epistles}}