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The clear consensus of New Testament scholars is that Second Timothy was written towards the middle of the second century. The three "pastoral epistles", Titus, 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, all address pastoral issues that arose in the Church during the second century, but which were not relevant to the Church at the time of the Apostle Paul.

It was not Paul who wrote this epistle. In Paul's own letters, he says it is better not to be married, but in the pastorals it is required that people (at least church leaders) be married. Paul also argued that performing the 'works of the law' could not contribute to one's right standing before God. It was not the Jewish law that could bring salvation, but the death and resurrection of Jesus. When he talks about 'works', he means doing the things that the Jewish law requires, such as being circumcised, keeping kosher and observing the Sabbath. In the pastorals, the Jewish law is no longer even an issue, and the author speaks of works as 'good works', doing good deeds for other people. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians and other communities, he wrote to the congregation as a whole and as equals, because there were no church leaders in these churches. 2 Timothy, on the other hand, is concerned with explaining to the reader not just the role of deacons, but of bishops, clearly demonstrating that a definite hierarchy had arisen, as we know happened during the second century.

The British scholar A. N. Harrison wrote a study of the pastoral letters in 1921, with numerous statistics about the word usage in these writings. Among other statistics, he found 848 different words used in the pastoral letters, of which 306, or more than one third, do not occur in any of the other Pauline epistles. That is an inordinately high number, especially as about two thirds of these 306 words were used by Christian authors living in the second century. This confirms the conclusion that 2 Timothy was written in the second century. We can not give a particular year for its authorship, but it was certainly written later than 1 Timothy, another second-century epistle written using Paul's name, and it should be dated later in the first half of the second century.

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11y ago
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8y ago

The consensus of biblical scholars and of most theologians is that 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy were both written during the first half of the second century and therefore long after the death of Paul.

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8mo ago

Paul wrote 2 Timothy around AD 67-68, during his second imprisonment in Rome. It is considered one of the last letters he wrote before his martyrdom.

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How many letters did the apostle Paul write and not write?

The apostle Paul wrote 13 of the letters in the New Testament that bear his name. However, there is debate among scholars about whether he wrote all of the letters attributed to him in the New Testament.


How many books of the Bible did Timothy write?

The evangelist Timothy did not write 1st Timothy. Paul wrote 1st Timothy and he had to have been at least 40 when he did so. Given that Paul was crucified at about 62, it is a reasonable assumption that he was in his mid 40's when he wrote to his protegee.


What is known about Timothy in the Bible?

In the Bible, Timothy is referenced as a companion and co-worker of the apostle Paul. He is mentioned in several of Paul's letters, including 1 and 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philemon, and both letters to Timothy. Timothy is portrayed as a young leader within the Christian community, noted for his faithfulness and dedication to spreading the teachings of Jesus.


Was Paul in jail when he wrote 1 Timothy?

Philippians 1:1 suggests that Timothy was with Paul as Paul was writing his letter to the Philippian church. Some scholars suggest this letter was written in Rome, but logistically it more plausible that Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea when Philippians was written. This conclusion is drawn from the fact that Paul mentions help being sent from Ephesus, a few days journey from Caesarea, but a very long journey from Rome. It is not clear if Timothy was visiting Paul in Caesarea or if he was a fellow prisoner. Timothy is also later believed to have been with Paul during Paul's trial in Rome. In the Benediction in Hebrews, the author indicates that Timothy was recently freed from an unknown imprisonment and the author is hopeful Timothy will be joining him shortly. Catholic scholars attribute the Benediction in Hebrews as authentic Paul, suggesting Timothy was imprisoned elsewhere while Paul was awaiting trial and was subsequently released. It is likely that Timothy arrived in Rome around the time of Paul's trial and was likely with Paul, either as a caregiver and fellow coworker (Roman prisons did not provide inmates food) or that Timothy himself was imprisoned upon his arrival. Thirty years after Paul's death, Timothy is imprisoned, this time in Ephesus, where he is executed for his rebuke of a Pagan festival honoring the Goddess Diana.


Who was the young pastor to whom Paul wrote two Epistles?

The young pastor to whom Paul wrote two Epistles was Timothy. Paul wrote the First and Second Epistles to Timothy, providing guidance and encouragement in his ministry.

Related questions

What book of the bible did timothy write?

Timothy did not write any books of the Bible. The Bible Books 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy were letters written TO HIM from the Apostle Paul.


Did Paul write Timothy while in prison?

Traditionally, 2 Timothy has been believed to have been written by Paul while imprisoned in Rome. However, scholars say that both epistles addressed to Timothy are clearly from the second century, and were not written by Paul. Since they were not written by Paul, there is nothing to say they were written from prison.


Did Paul write Second Timothy while in prison for the fourth time?

A:Traditionally, 2 Timothy has been believed to have been written by Paul while imprisoned in Rome. However, scholars say that both Epistles addressed to Timothy are clearly from the second century, and were not written by Paul. Since Second Timothy was not written by Paul, there is nothing to say it was written from prison.


Why did Paul write to Timothy?

The clear majority of scholars do not believe that Paul wrote the letters to Timothy that were written in his name. They say that 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy are clearly second century epistles and were therefore written long after his death. A follower used Paul's name to give the epistles the appearance of authenticity, but they were never sent to Timothy. The purpose was to expound a Christian doctrine from a Pauline perspective, giving the author's views the imprimateur of the apostle Paul.


Which two pastors did Paul write letters to?

Timothy (two) and Titus.


Where was Timothy when Paul wrote Second Timothy?

Scholars are almost unanimous that Paul did not write Second Timothy. The Second Epistle ot Timothy is one of the epistles called the 'Pastorals' and was written early in the second century by one of Paul's followers.Paul and Timothy were both dead long before this epistle was written.


Where did Paul write the Epistles to Timothy?

The First Epistle to Timothy is traditionally thought to have been written by Paul from Laodicea. The Second Epistle to Timothy is traditionally thought to have been written by Paul from Rome. However, 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, known (along with Titus) as the Pastorals because of their concern for the pastoral role of bishops in the second-century Church, are almost unanimously regarded by critical scholars as not written by Paul. We do not really know who wrote them, or from whence they were written.


What letters did Paul write about deacons?

Paul describes the qualifications of deacons in 1 Timothy chapter 3.


What did Paul write to Timothy?

The two epistles known as 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy are written as if from Paul to Timothy. They contain pastoral advice and instruction for running the church community to which Timothy has been assigned as bishop. However, nearly all New Testament scholars say these epistles were written in Paul's name during the early years of the second century and it was intended that Christians of the second century believe these epistles really came from Paul and really contained his teachings.


How many letters did Apostle Paul write and what were the names of all the letters?

Paul wrote 13 letters in the bible, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians , Collisions Titus, 1 Timothy 2 Timothy, 1 Philemon Philippians , 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians and the book of Hebrews.


How many letters did the apostle Paul write and not write?

The apostle Paul wrote 13 of the letters in the New Testament that bear his name. However, there is debate among scholars about whether he wrote all of the letters attributed to him in the New Testament.


Why did Paul suffer not a women to teach in the epistles to Timothy?

Scholars are almost unanimous that Paul did not write 1 Timothy or 2 Timothy . These epistles are called the 'Pastorals' because they were written to deal with pastoral issues that had arisen in the second century, including the roles of bishops and of women in the church. Paul himself had seen a subordinate role for women, and these epistles were strengthening and formalising that view.