The “Pastorals” (1&2 Timothy and Titus) were not included in the canon
of Marcion. Even in the much later Muratorian Codex, the “Pastorals” are
attached as an appendix to the Pauline letters
“Although purported to have been written by Paul, the relatively complex
church organization reflected by the Pastorals did not exist until many
years after Paul’s death.”
(Eddy, Patricia G., Who Tampered With the Bible?, 1993. P. 26)
“The Pastorals were undoubtedly written during the first half of the 2nd
century. They were not included in Marcion’s list of Paul’s letters
(ca.140). Quotations from them first appear in Irenaeus’ Against
Heresies (180) and their content fits nicely into the situation and
thought of the church in the mid-second century. Their attribution to
Paul is a forgery for their language and thought are clearly unPauline.
Also, references to particular occasions in the lives of Titus, Timothy,
and Paul do not fit with reconstructions of that history taken from the
authentic letters. (Mack, Burton L., Who Wrote the New Testament?, 1995.
P. 206)
“As to the Pastorals, most scholars now agree that they are
second-century forgeries. They deal with second-century situations.
These documents were not written by Paul.” (Robertson, Archibald, The
Origins of Christianity, 1954, p. 129)
“That the Pastorals are forgeries is now conceded by all critics.
According to German critics they belong to the second century.”
(Remsberg, John E., The Christ, 1909, p. 41)
The Oxford Companion to the Bible, also states (p. 574) that Second
Timothy is found by many scholars to be so unPauline in vocabulary,
style, theological concepts, church order, emphasis on tradition and in
contrast with the chronology of his career as given in Acts and Romans,
that it is widely considered to be a forgery.
Also see: The New Oxford Annotated Bible, p. 300 NT)
“The vocabulary and style of these letters differ widely from the
acknowledged letters of Paul; some of his leading theological themes are
entirely absent (the union of the believer with Christ, the power and
witness of the Spirit, freedom from the law), and some of the
expressions bear a different meaning from that in his customary usage
("the faith" as a synonym for the Christian religion rather than the
believer’s relationship to Christ).”
In summary, the scholarly conclusion that the “Pastorals” (1&2 Timothy
and Titus) were not written by Paul is based on differences from the
other epistles in
- style and vocabulary,
- the church organization that they depict,
- references to heresies that didn't develop until the second century,
- late inclusion of these books into the collection of Pauline epistles,
- lack of references to them in the writings of the early church
fathers, etc.
See also Eerdman's Bible Dictionary and The Interpreter's Bible”
It is indeed ironic that the ambiguous statement in 2 Timothy is
the main support fundamentalists use in their claim that the book
in their hand is the "word of God". -- L.
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