From ChayGPT on 5/3/2025.
Here is a chart summarizing the Pauline letters that mention a handwritten “mark” or greeting, along with their authenticity status (based on mainstream scholarly consensus) and a column summarizing the main reasons critical Bible scholars question Paul’s authorship of the disputed letters:
| Letter | Reference | Handwritten Note or Mark | Authenticity (Scholarly Consensus) | Main Reasons for Dispute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Thessalonians | — | No mention of handwriting | Authentic | — |
| 2 Thessalonians | 3:17 | “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand…” | Disputed | Style too similar to 1 Thess. yet more formal; eschatology toned down compared to 1 Thess. |
| 1 Corinthians | 16:21 | “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand.” | Authentic | — |
| 2 Corinthians | — | No mention of handwriting | Authentic | — |
| Galatians | 6:11 | “See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand!” | Authentic | — |
| Romans | 16:22 (by scribe Tertius) | Scribe identified; no personal handwriting from Paul noted | Authentic | — |
| Philippians | — | No mention of handwriting | Authentic | — |
| Philemon | 1:19 | “I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand…” | Authentic | — |
| Colossians | 4:18 | “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand…” | Disputed | Vocabulary and style differ from authentic letters; more developed Christology |
| Ephesians | — | No mention of handwriting | Disputed | Highly elevated language; emphasis on church universal (vs. local); dependence on Colossians |
| 1 Timothy | — | No mention of handwriting | Disputed/Pastoral | Church structure too advanced; vocabulary and theology differ sharply |
| 2 Timothy | — | No mention of handwriting | Disputed/Pastoral | Same as above; tone more personal but theological shifts present |
| Titus | — | No mention of handwriting | Disputed/Pastoral | Church leadership too developed; language unlike Paul’s authentic letters |
Notes:
- Authentic letters with the “mark”:
- 1 Corinthians, Galatians, Philemon
- Disputed letters with the “mark”:
- 2 Thessalonians, Colossians
- Disputed Letters often differ from the authentic letters in terms of style, vocabulary, theology, and especially church organization, which appears more developed than during Paul’s lifetime.
- Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus) are considered by many scholars to be pseudonymous, possibly written decades later in Paul’s name.
