Did Paul Write the Bible?

It’s a provocative question. One that seems designed to grab attention or spark controversy. But beneath the surface, it cuts to the heart of how we understand Christian scripture, the authority of its authors, and the story we think we’re telling when we open the Bible.

So let’s ask it seriously: Did Paul write the Bible?

Well, no. Not in the way we think of authorship today. Paul didn’t sit down and write a single cohesive document that became the Bible. The Bible is a library of texts written over centuries by dozens of different voices in different cultural and political contexts. But what is true is this: Paul’s voice has come to dominate that library more than perhaps any other individual. And that raises questions worth exploring.

The Weight of Paul’s Voice

When you look at the New Testament, nearly half of its books are attributed to Paul. Thirteen of the 27 books, to be exact. And depending on the translation and structure, his words occupy a significant portion of the total text. But even beyond word count, it’s the theological weight of Paul that looms largest.

Paul’s letters laid the groundwork for doctrines of original sin, salvation by grace through faith, justification, atonement, and the relationship between law and gospel. Many of these ideas were later systematized by thinkers like Augustine, Luther, and Calvin—but they found their roots in Paul. For millions of Christians, Paul’s writings form the backbone of theology and personal faith.

But here’s the twist: Paul never met Jesus in the flesh. His encounter was visionary, and his letters were written decades before the Gospels. His Jesus is cosmic, crucified, and resurrected—but not necessarily the walking, talking, parable-teaching rabbi of the Synoptic accounts. Which begs the question: How did Paul become the primary interpreter of Jesus?

Authorship and Authenticity

Modern scholarship generally agrees that of the thirteen letters attributed to Paul, only seven are considered “undisputed”—that is, letters most scholars agree were actually written by Paul himself:

• Romans
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Galatians
• Philippians
• 1 Thessalonians
• Philemon

The rest—Ephesians, Colossians, 2 Thessalonians, and the Pastoral Epistles (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus)—are widely believed to be pseudonymous, written by later followers in Paul’s name to address different concerns. These later texts often reflect evolving theological and social ideas, such as increased institutional structure and more conservative gender roles (see this brief breakdown from the Westar Institute).

So even within the Pauline corpus, we have a diversity of voices—some likely Paul, others probably not. That complicates the picture of a single, unified “Pauline theology.”

The Marginalized Voices

If Paul became the dominant voice, whose voices were lost or diminished in the process?

Take James, for example. The letter of James offers a very different take on faith and works than Paul’s letters. Martin Luther famously called it an “epistle of straw” because it didn’t fit with his reading of justification by faith alone. And yet, James represents an earlier strand of the Jesus movement—one still rooted in Judaism, in ethical practice, and in Torah observance. Likewise, the Didache, a 1st-century Christian manual that barely made it into modern consciousness (and not into the canon), reflects a church concerned with communal practice and lived discipleship.

When Paul’s letters became canonized and elevated, other forms of early Christianity were sidelined. As Pamela Eisenbaum argues in her book Paul Was Not a Christian, the process of canon formation involved a kind of theological editing—where the voices that aligned with emerging orthodoxy were preserved and others were quietly dismissed.

Paul, Rome, and Power

Paul’s letters also became instrumental in the formation of Christian empire. Once Christianity was adopted by Rome, Paul’s theology provided a ready-made framework for articulating sin, hierarchy, and divine authority. His letters were easily mined for justifications of slavery (see Philemon), patriarchy (see 1 Timothy), and even antisemitism (see certain readings of Romans).

Of course, many scholars argue that these are misreadings or decontextualized interpretations. But the fact remains: Paul’s letters have been weaponized throughout history—something we need to grapple with.

Rethinking Paul

None of this is to say we should discard Paul. His writings are brilliant, passionate, theologically rich, and often deeply moving. But they should be read with awareness—awareness of context, of canon formation, of power dynamics, and of the voices that didn’t make the cut.

Maybe the better question isn’t “Did Paul write the Bible?” but: How did Paul come to define it? And what do we do with that knowledge now?

Toward a More Honest Canon

If we begin to see the Bible as a human library—a messy, beautiful, conflicted conversation between ancient communities about God, ethics, justice, and salvation—then Paul becomes one important voice among many. He doesn’t need to be the final word. And we are free to ask better questions: What kind of world was Paul writing into? How did his context shape his message? And what might we recover if we turn up the volume on the voices he drowned out?

For further reading:

• The First Paul by Marcus Borg & John Dominic Crossan (link)
• Paul and the Faithfulness of God by N.T. Wright
• The Authentic Letters of Paul by Dewey, Hoover, et al.
• Bart Ehrman Blog: Was Paul the Founder of Christianity?

If you’re someone who grew up with Paul as the centerpiece of your faith, this kind of rethinking might feel destabilizing. But it can also be liberating. It opens space for new insights, deeper understanding, and a more expansive view of what Christianity has been—and what it could still become.

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