Who Wrote the Bible? Episode 6: The Epistles

This episode explores the authorship of the New Testament Epistles, focusing on the Pauline and General Epistles. It discusses the authenticity of letters attributed to Paul, the possibility of pseudepigrapha, and the role of women in early Christian writings. The episode also covers the General Epistles and mentions excluded texts like the Epistle of Barnabas.

What is the primary focus of the New Testament Epistles discussed in this episode?

• The life of Jesus

• The creation of the world

• Letters attributed to early Christian leaders

• The history of the Roman Empire

Which of the following letters is universally recognized as a genuine work of Paul?

• Romans

• Ephesians

• Colossians

• 2nd Thessalonians

What is the main reason scholars doubt the authorship of some Pauline Epistles?

• Absence of theological content

• Differences in writing style

• Lack of historical context

• Contradictory messages

Which Pastoral Epistle is considered genuine by most scholars?

• Philemon

• 2nd Timothy

• 1st Timothy

• Titus

Who is hypothesized to have possibly written the Epistle to the Hebrews?

• James

• Priscilla

• Paul

• Peter

Which General Epistle is attributed to James, the brother of Jesus?

• 1st Peter

• Jude

• James

• 1st John

What is a common characteristic of the General Epistles according to most scholars?

• They were all written by Paul

• They are considered pseudepigrapha

• They focus on the Old Testament

• They were written in Hebrew

Which epistle almost made it into the New Testament but was eventually excluded?

• The Epistle of Barnabas

• The Epistle of Mary

• The Epistle of Thomas

• The Epistle of Andrew

What type of literature will be discussed in the next episode?

• Philosophical essays

• Historical narratives

• Apocalyptic literature

• Poetry

Which two books will be covered in the final episode of the series?

• Daniel and Revelation

• Psalms and Proverbs

• Matthew and Mark

• Genesis and Exodus