Taken from: A Treasury of Mystical Terms. (The Principles of Mysticism.)
Distributed by: Science Of the Soul Research Center.
The text:
The other letters of the new Testament:
Despite Paul’s disinterest in the teachings of Jesus, nearly half of the New Testament is pro-Pauline in his sympathies. Luck and Acts occupy a quarter of the New Testament while the letters attributed to Paul exceed them by 20 percent.
It is uncertain, however, whether all the letters attributed to Paul were letters written by him.
Paul mentions in 2 Thessalonians that letters forged in his name were already in circulation:
“Please don’t get upset too soon or worry about predictions, rumors or letters pretending to come from us. 2 Thessalonians 2:2, JB ‘ ‘.
However, the many similarities between I and 2 Thessalonians, as well as the dubious additions to 2 Thessalonians, have led many scholars to suggest that these are actually 2 Thessalonians which is the fake! The false writer warns against counterfeits as a way to establish the references of his own creation.
The other existing letters that are most often identified as forgeries are Titus and Timothy 1 and 2. Noting the differences in tone, style and content between them and the main body of the Epistles, many scholars have concluded that they were written by a later hand. It is also certain for the same reasons that the Epistle to the Hebrews was not written by Paul, but then Hebrews has no author name, Timothy and Titus do. So, if they were not written by Paul, the disappointment was deliberate. A prevalent school of thought also maintains that Colossians and Ephesians were not written by Paul, but are elaborations of Paul’s philosophy by another party.
The paternity of the remaining four letters, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, James and Jude, has always been the subject of debate. The writings of Eusebius in the first half of the 4th century, enumerating the texts of the New Testament.
Those who are contested, but who are most familiar, include the known epistles of James, Jude and 2 Peter, and those named John 2 and 3. (Eusebius, History of the Church 25, H
Even 1 Peter, generally most readily accepted, has a distinctly Pauline character, echoing the sentiments, declarations, beliefs and even the words of Paul, including that of a second imminent coming. As such, it seems unlikely that it was written by Peter, probably on the part of someone who is trying to support Paul’s teachings by putting them in the name of the Apostle Peter.
Almost all scholars agree that 2 Peter is a late forgery, written at the beginning. Peter and Paul finished their days in agreement, Peter acknowledging Paul’s doctrines. To begin with, the letter has similarities to Jude; But more clearly, the way in which the author refers to Jesus, his description of Paul’s letters as a Holy Scripture, and his approach to those who lost faith because of the late arrival of the second coming, indicate a date Late. Contrary to the intentions of their authors, by demonstrating the existence of differences in primitive Christianity between the Pauline groups and the others,
1 Peter and 2 Peter are in reality a convincing witness of the divergence between the teachings of Peter and Paul. That the letter attributed to James, usually supposed to be the brother of Jesus, was written by him is also considered doubtful by the scholars, because of the excellent Greek in which it is written. However, this is based on the stereotype that Jesus and his disciples were illiterate and did not speak Greek, a belief that is no longer tenable; and in any case, the author could have used a translator. The sincerity and spiritual depth of this letter are no doubt, and it is unlikely to be a forgery; the question is only to know which James was the author because he is not identified. His message is simple and spiritual, without any sign of a Christology or developed theology, of the Pauline type or otherwise. Among the four letters, it conveys the most disturbing spiritual character of Jesus ‘ teaching.