First Thessalonians: The ABCs

Authorship, Background, and Contents    Authorship   The letter begins with “Paul, Silas and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you” (1:1). Paul occasionally associates others’ names with his own in addressing his letters (2 Thessalonians, Philippians), but the true author …

The Epistle to the Hebrews: The ABCs

Authorship, Background, and Contents     Authorship   The Epistle to the Hebrews begins with a formal opening like that of a speaker who has already been introduced and therefore does not identify himself. Even after hundreds of years of scholarly inquiry, the authorship of Hebrews remains unknown. Some have asserted Hebrews shares similarities with …

Paul’s Letter to the Galatians: The ABCs

Authorship, Background, and Contents of Galatians    Authorship   Paul’s authorship of Galatians has never seriously been questioned. It is quoted or alluded to in 1 Peter. References occur in many of the earliest Christian texts, including the Epistle of Barnabas, 1 Clement, and the Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians; also in the writings …