2 Timothy: Authorship and Date
The second letter to Timothy was probably not written by Paul
Pastoral Letters of Paul?
The second letter to Timothy is known as one of the three “pastoral letters”. These letters contain numerous instructions for the pastoral policy of the leaders of the Christian communities. The pastoral letters are supposed to have been written by Paul and addressed to one of Paul’s co-workers, in this case to Timothy, who was staying in Ephesus.
From a historical point of view it is probably not correct to say that Paul wrote the letters, because:
- in word usage and style the pastoral letters deviate markedly from the “genuine” letters of Paul
; - the pastoral letters presuppose a passage of time with an imprisonment that is difficult to reconcile with the other periods in the New Testament;
- there is mention of developments in the communities that were not yet current in Paul’s time.
A Disciple of Paul’s
Probably, one of Paul’s disciples wrote these letters, some decades after Paul’s death. This disciple probably did so because there was a difference of opinion on the meaning of Paul’s interpretation of the faith. By writing under Paul’s name the disciple could present himself as an authority. It was also common in schools of philosophy of that time for disciples to write letters in the name of a master who had died. By this means they could provide an answer on disputed questions and provide advice on current issues.
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