Foundations of Faith

FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH IN JESUS
M. M. NINAN
1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
The order of these letters in the New Testament is based on their length not on chronology.
These are the books:
1. Romans
2. First Corinthians
3. Second Corinthians
4. Galatians
5. Ephesians
6. Philippians
7. Colossians
8 First Thessalonians
9. Second Thessalonians
10. First Timothy
11. Second Timothy
12. Titus
13. Philemon
The Epistles are not placed in the bible in any chronological order, but are arranged according to
their significance and magnitude of their circulation, and by the relative importance of the
Church and its people to whom they are addressed.
The Epistles to the three individuals follow those Epistles to the seven Churches.
14. The Epistle to the Hebrews is last because it was the last to be authenticated.
Usually, Apostle Paul's Epistles are separated into two groups:
1) Epistles of a general Christian nature and
2) Pastoral Epistles.
There are indications to show that some of the epistles are lost to us. See 1 Cor. 5:9, and Col.
4:16. For example the correspondence with a philosopher Seneca, brother of pro-consul Gallio
(as mentioned in Acts 18:12) is attributed to Paul.
Higher Criticism
Fourteen of the twenty-one letters in the New Testament have been traditionally attributed to
Paul. One of these, the Letter to the Hebrews, does not claim to be the work of Paul but it was
added later and attributed to Paul. The other thirteen identify Paul as their author, but various
scholars believe that some of them were actually written by his disciples in the school of Paul
either under the supervision of Paul or in the strain of Pauline teachings. This was actually the
practice of the Prophetic tradition from the Old Testament times.
These are the 7 letters that are considered by scholars as undoubtedly Pauline.
• Romans (ca. 55-58 AD)
• Philippians (ca. 52-54 AD)
• Galatians (ca. 55 AD)
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